Clive Mendonca has apologised to Sunderland fans - 21 years since his iconic gun celebration that led to him receiving death threats. In a rare and exclusive interview, the former Charlton striker - who is a die-hard Sunderland fan - admitted it is the one regret from the 1998 Wembley play-off final that saw him plunder a hat-trick and deny his hometown club a place in the Premier League. Schoolmate and close friend Michael Gray missed the decisive penalty in the shoot-out for Peter Reid's men, after Mendonca had scored his spot-kick following a famous 4-4 draw. Almost exactly 21 years to the day, his true love Sunderland take on his old club Charlton at Wembley on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, with a place in the Championship up for grabs this time around. Now 50, and back on Wearside where he works on the production line of the Nissan manufacturing plant, Mendonca told Sky Sports: "Being a Sunderland fan, it is the one thing I regret. I should not have done that. "It was all emotion on the day and for that I apologise. It has taken 20 years, but I apologise for that now. I am one of you, please remember that." During his lap of honour at Wembley back in 1998 the striker was warned by sections of the Wearside support not to show his face in the North East again. One even threatened to cut his throat. To this day, 'Super Clive' as he was affectionately known at The Valley, has never properly spoken about how that famous day at the national stadium shaped his life. He said: "I lived on a rough estate [growing up in Sunderland] and there were all these rumours that I was going to get this and I was going to get that when I came back home. please log in to view this image Clive Mendonca celebrates "But I came back and walked into the pubs with my mates and everyone was sound. They all shook my hand and said 'well played'. They realised I had a job to do and it was a relief. "Lads still ask me about it all the time. In Nissan it is half Newcastle and half Sunderland, and it is funny - the Newcastle fans love me and the Sunderland fans hate me! "I still get some mucky looks but it is all good banter. It was the best and worst day of my career - amazing to score a hat-trick at Wembley, but just a shame it was against the team I love. "Most of my mates were at the match. If you watch the game back on TV you see me look at the camera and say 'sorry Irksy, sorry mate'. That was to my pal on the final whistle. please log in to view this image Clive Mendonca with Sky Sports News reporter Keith Downie "It should have been the greatest day of my life, but all I was thinking is 'I'm going to get slaughtered off all my mates here'." Mendonca also reflects on a chance meeting with former schoolmate Gray just two weeks later on holiday. Looking back he thinks the whole episode was fate. He revealed: "Micky and I went to the same school. Looking back, if there was any player you didn't want to miss for Sunderland it was him. "He was a legend at Sunderland and everyone loved him. But for him to miss was heartbreaking. I could see how much it affected him. please log in to view this image Michael Gray is consoled by his team-mates after the play-off final against Charlton "A few weeks later my wife and I went to Ayia Napa on holiday. We were having a few drinks and I went to the toilet in the bar. And just as I walk in, who opens the toilet door? Micky Gray. "He looked at me and said 'you're the last person I want to see right now!' It was unbelievable to bump into each other like that. We had a good drink and he was still devastated. I tried my best to cheer him up that night." Mendonca, who is the nephew of former West Indies wicket-keeper Ivor Mendonca, was born in Islington but moved to Sunderland with his family aged two. It was his dream to pull on the home shirt at his beloved Roker Park. And had it not been for then-Sunderland manager Reid signing Kevin Phillips instead, Mendonca could have got his wish and that emotional Wembley day could have been avoided. "The previous summer I got a call from Peter Reid to say he wanted to sign me," he said. "I went away on holiday and never heard back. My agent then contacted Sunderland and they never returned the call. "As a footballer you have to look after yourself and as much as I really wanted to sign for Sunderland, I signed for Charlton. "It is fate the way it worked out in the end, and a lot of people who know me say I got my own back. But it was not a personal thing for me, it was just the way things worked out for me on the day. "My missus and my sister told me in the bar afterwards that they both had a tenner on me to score the first goal. If I had known I was 6/1 I would have told them to put a lot more than a tenner on! please log in to view this image The Charlton team celebrate "It was an unbelievable game and my confidence was high. I took every chance I had. But the thing that will stick out for me will be Richard Rufus' goal for us to make it 3-3 in normal time." He added: "Rufus hadn't scored in 175 games, so when he scored with three minutes to go I knew we would win, whatever happened - it was the defining moment of the game. "Even when we went to penalties I honestly thought we would win. I had just scored a hat-trick and I was full of confidence. I was the penalty taker anyway. please log in to view this image Clive Mendonca is a Charlton legend "There was so much pressure, some of the lads just walked off the pitch saying they didn't want to take one. But I was confident so I took the first one and scored. "Not being big-headed but I was a decent striker. You work hard for your defining moments and that was my defining moment. I'll never ever beat that as long as I live." So how did the man of the match celebrate the biggest achievement of his footballing life? please log in to view this image Charlton goalkeeper Sasa Ilic jumps in the air in celebration "I didn't even drink the champagne," he said. "I put the magnum on the bar for all the lads and just went to my bed. "My young son was running around all over the place and I didn't even have the energy to pick him up. People kept saying 'whose is that young lad running around?' and he was mine. I was shattered. "When you watch the footage back you can see all the players running to Sasa Ilic when he saved Micky's penalty - but I couldn't move. I think it was all the thoughts about what I had just done, scoring a hat-trick against the team I love in the biggest game of all."
Fair play. He had a job to do and he did it to the best of his abilities. He's still a kernt though...
Kind of funny that if we'd have returned his call he'd have probably signed for us and have won it for us instead. Mad how the little things in life can have big knock on effects.
If we'd signed him we might not have signed Phillips though. Would Mendonca have had the same impact?
Exactly. I'd rather history had happened like it did. Maybe in another universe we did sign Clive Mendonca and we went up in 1998.
God no, I'm not saying I wish we had signed him just that it's interesting how one phone call can shape the future of anything really. Maybe if we'd signed M'Vila we'd have ended up in administration, who knows.
That's true. It is amazing how little things can make a major difference. Sliding Doors and all that.
Good read that. Surprising that he’s had to work out of football, I know he retired young but I’d have thought he’d have had a handsome payout. He was a very decent striker, but he wasn’t a SuperKev, not close. That game was a punch in the bollocks but also lead to the best season we’ve ever had so it was a blessing in disguise.
I like Shearer better than that get, crapped on his home team football club, maybe it was Reid's fault for not signing him had he had the chance.the fact we finished higher than them meant it should not have went to pens in the first place. But luckily super Kev came here instead.
He was a professional footballer doing his job. Folk slated Chopra for the St James incident, this was half of that he wasn’t playing for the Mags.
Have to say it's actually not a bad idea - you finish higher in the league then you have almost the away goals rule in your favour. That said, if it's level after ET tomorrow I want pens - not Charlton to go up!!
Monty in 'actually not a bad idea' shocker!!! Nah, not for me. Harsh for any team having to go to a one off game at Wembley with a disadvantage. Finals should start on a level playing field.
See I disagree - I think if you've finished the season as the third best team in the league, you should automatically go into the final of the play offs having not had to endure the semis. Or the "away goals" rule as mentioned - just to give you a little advantage for being the third best team in the league. I personally still think top 3 should go up!!
I see your reasoning, but if a team wasnt good enough to finish 2nd then tough titty! At the playoffs the slate should be wiped clean, it is a separate competition from the league, separate trophy. I agree, as far as fairness is concerned the top 3 should go up. But the playoffs ensure that there is something to play for for the mid table teams. Otherwise Saturday afternoons could be filled with dead rubber matches from March onwards, nobody would bother going to watch them.
It actually is a decent idea, after ET either highest placed or head to head record decides it. The world is ****ed. Monty nailed one
But you can descend into the worlds of Rugby at that point and say "tell you what - once the league is finished,, doesn't matter who's top, we're going to play another 4 games to see who wins the trophy. If you finished 4th you can still scoop the big prize even though you were 25 points from the top!" I actually think @monty987 has a great idea there with the "finish 3rd" thing (he was due!!)
