Hi Lads...My first post on here...lurked on the other place for many years but not really posted at all....not even worth lurking now......I was born in Sunderland in 55 but lived in Horden. First football was watching Horden with Dad and Grandad. Some lovely memories of those times. My first Sunderland match my Dad took me to we played Everton (66 I think) we won 2-0 and Charlie Hurley played. I used to go with Dad regularly to home games. At 15 I went to work in Durham, then at 17, Carlisle then Grimsby. I had to work most Saturdays so didn’t get to many games so ‘shared’ a season ticket with my sister. I still travel up to matches and go with my cousin and nephew. Dad was a season ticket holder but gave it up 2 years ago at 87yrs due to ill health. (After 4 years of saying he was going to give it up). We lost Dad in July and going to the games just doesn’t seem the same now. I have some great memories though.
For all you older gents, can I ask this? How good was Charlie Hurley? My dad says he was the best he saw and is still his hero
When I was 14 used to help deliver milk. We all had our own customers but this day my mate was off. The milkman said 6 and 8 number 10. Knocked on the door and there stood before me Charlie Hurley he was huge and I was gob smacked. Use to watch him regularly, these forwards who shield the ball and tip tap it between their feet soon felt the scissors tackle from behind where he took the ball, player and anything else that stood in the way. What a defender.
He played with a style of his own, very skilful and often played to the crowd who loved him, he came across as very humble and modest off the field, I have met him and know this to be true, but on it he was a colossus, Amazing Hurley stuck with Sunderland and played a lot of his league football in the second division, although he was in many peoples eyes the best player of his age. If ever a man was worthy of a statue its him.
Born 1947. Mam and dad divorced , mam not interested, no male relatives so nobody to take me to the match. We lived off Toward Road with my nana downstairs and when the wind was in the right direction you could hear 'the roar' from Roker Park. Nana used to say "the lads must have scored". Went to my first game with a school friend on 27th January 1962 in the 4th round of the FA Cup against Rochdale, a 0 0 draw but 48,468 crowd. We stood in the Fulwell and there was a fella wearing a black and white rosette (many people wore them those days, also loads of rattles about still) and he told those around him he was a Newcastle supporter! See, they were coming to our matches even then! Never went to many away games, lack of cash the main reason, but also worked Saturdays. Managed to get to the cup tie at Old Trafford in '64 where we would have won if Monty hadn't got concussed in the last few minutes and let a couple of goals in. Also was at the semi final against Arsenal in '73 where I got my pocket picked (by a Sunderland supporter...bastard!) Luckily my frend had the return train tickets or I wouldn't have got home that night! Too old for away games now, couldn't stand all game, but still have season ticket in the West Stand. I've lived in the town most of my life, various places in the N E then spent 6 years in the Caribbean but always knew I'd come home. Some memories of old Sunlun Crossing the river on the old ferry for a ha'penny for bairns. Spending all our money at the fair and having to walk home across the bridge, Going to the Odeon Club on Saturday mornings (greeting everybody with a smile), buying a bag of willicks to eat on the way home then spewing them up when we got there! Going into Brechners (sic) in the basement market in Crowtree Road and buying loads of penny and twopenny note pads, pencils etc. Climbing the cliffs in Mowbray park and jumping across the stream in Backhouse Park. Happy days.
Christ the bus station at Crowtree, never used it other than a shortcut or keep out of the rain. The exhaust smoke burned your eyes and throat, lethal it was The Upper Deck was the finest place in the world during the summer, I loved that place Used to get the train there and back because we were on the main line, Boldon Colliery station now nicked by Brocka, straight into Sunderland and call into Wimpy at the station for fish and chips on the way home Mind when I first start going out, the Roker Hotel was the in place for a Friday night. We used to bump into these 3 lasses and one of them had a really bad stutter. One night she was telling the group that she was so tired the previous Saturday morning her mother had to shout of her 4 times. I drunkenly said, "4 times? Christ has she got a stutter as well.
Adverts for the new battle of midway film has reminded me of going to see the battle of midway in the 70s with my dad down high street, studio 1 and 2. half way through the projectionist cocked up and the film turned upside down.
God you read each new post and it just triggers another long forgotten memory. My nana used to work at Pyrex, she was one of the few women there in the fifties and sixties in a position of authority over men. She had a little office at the side of the factory overlooking a yard where all the trucks would load and unload the raw materials for glassmaking and she was in charge of their day to day operations. She would sometimes send one of the lorry drivers to pick us up from school if time was tight. I'd leave school and see a f*cking enormous tipper truck parked outside and climb into the cabin, then hide below the windows as Eddie drove to another site and dropped off the load, then drove to Pyrex and dropped us off. Not your typical taxi.
