I don't know how you lot remember your first game. I went to quite a few games in my sub-teen years with me uncle/cousins and a few with me dad... but cannot remember much bar the bovril. This game was my first season going with mates and my first memorable match.
1983 - 1984 season, 1-1 home to Tottenham, remember Leighton James swinging in the corner we scored form
Opening day of 76/77 season at home to Arsenal 2-2. Hot summers day. Monty in goal and it was Macdonalds debut for them after leaving the Mags. I was in the Roker end. Will remember it till the day I die lol.
2-4 v Man City, league cup, Roker Park, Clock Stand 1987. Love at first sight. Gates, Gabbiadini for the lads, no idea for City
Ajax 1997. Cousin phoned and said they had got me a ticket. Got there early.Sat in the North West Corner. I remember walking up the steps from the concourse, blue sky, top of the East stand came into view, then the red seats into view, stood in awe looking down toward the south stand. Green pitch looked class. Never seen anything like it. Still get chills thinking about it now. Young lad standing in that stadium thinking "Only team for me".
You know mate, I feel this. I get that feeling to this day walking up the access ramp and seeing the pitch and stands open up in front of you. I ****ing adore that moment. I don’t care if we are in good form or bad, in the Premier League or the Timbuktu Conference. That impact of coming out of the concourse and seeing the whole world open up in front of you is just special. I tell you, I’m 40 this year, and I still get a bit of butterflies in me as I walk past black cat house to turnstile. It never waivers and I’d never want it to. We say it plenty on here. It’s our ****ing club. No amount of imbecilic owners or playing failures will change that. The day I die I’ll spend half that day thinking about the club. I just hope I’ve seen something good again before then. As it stands my ‘light flashing moments’ of the club will be Russell v Sheff United, the crowd sucked that ball in I swear at the Fulwell, Phillips v Man City, Phillips again v Watford, yep, Phillips again v Mags in the rain, and of course Carlos Edwards from downtown. Wonderful memories, but I’d love a bit more substance behind one. Trophy? Playoff win? Owt.
Had a few of them mate! Would absolutely do for now but I’d just live something special, you know I won’t be as committed to anything else in my life without reward We were saying the other day About leading the cup final v City and the absolute electricity going through us all. That. But with end product. Live forever ****. We’ve got 30-40 years left in us, we can but hope.
Everton 1980 3-1 win. An atmospheric day at Roker Park. First away was Aston Villa in 1983. 1-0 defeat.
Not my first game, but my earliest memory is of SAFC v Wimbledon and Gary Bennett hitting a shot from inside the centre circle and causing massive trouble for the dons keeper!! my first game was ‘81. My dad tells me this. He took us all (I have 2 brothers) to the first Home game on or just after our 6th birthdays. First home game in 1981
Class post mate. You get two "wow" moments in football imo, first one is like my above post about going there for the first time and taking it in, second one is walking out onto the terrace under the flood lights for the first time. If one of them moments doesn't send a chill down your back, the football ball isn't for you. The buzz, the optimism, making new mates with the people that sit around you, the "alright mate" to the old bloke that sits about 20 seats away from you and passes you ever game. Pies and bov smell in the air. Ill tell you mate, Sunderland are apart of us and always will be. Drive past the Stadium every day for graft and I always smile. Old school memories are class but the recent ones are up there aswell. That 4 days between Chelsea and Everton will stay with me forever. Pure belief we were gonna be alright. Imo after them Chelsea win, we could have been going to play any club in world football the following Wednesday and we would have beaten them. Sol was rocking. Women was sat to me and her husband was about 2 stands away. Couldn't get two seats together. Its **** at the moment, but we'll have the last laugh of that I'm sure mate. STID.
There’s so much to look back on mate, even with the trauma, the highs are amazing. Remember Chopra v Spurs, top of the league for 3 hours walking tall as ****. I milked that mind.
