Thai..that game we lost 8-0 not six and I think Hurst scored five. When I saw the result thought Monty must have been carried off but sadly he hadn't we were just beaten by a better team on the day, Martin Peters scored one of the other goals.
Sunderland vs QPR 1973 after we won the f a cup , my mother took me in the fullwell end. first by myself Stoke H f a cup 1976, I thought we were going to win it again !, the roker end was gigantic I remember and being shoved down about 10 steps when we scored. I remember the score board blokes putting the half times up, Motty and co sitting on the clock stand roof gantry and getting soaked as well as myself !. But on a windy day the roar from a packed roker end was something to behold.
That certainly blew a lot of cobwebs away, although Jack Rowley stayed at ManU for a good few years more and was the old one of the upcoming Babes in about 53/54. On the occasions I used to go to Old Trafford with son or grandson (kept their attendance record up) I took great delight in reeling off the number of times I had seen "their" team before the great coming of Sky. Some of the more gobby ones were treat to a reminder of how the football authorities rushed a temporary change to the transfer rules and allowed them the still operate with a quality first team using signings throughout UK keeping them in the Euro cup and helping them to get to the 58 cup final. One of my uncles was big mates with goalie Ray Wood who was a local lad and a survivor of Munich but never played much after that.
Good one, mate. I think that head clash between Ray Wood and Peter McParland in the '57 Cup Final against Villa was without doubt the most serious looking I ever saw. Frightening. That temporary change to the transfer rules robbed us of Ernic Taylor if I recall.
I remember that now you,ve said - happy memories - the prelude to an eventful SAFC football fans life - little did I know - but all happy & emotionally challenging memories - no dull ones .............KTF and ETU
My first game was in 1981 - not exactly sure who it was against but think it was Wolves - a month after my 6th Birthday my Dad took me in the Roker End and I fell in love! Moved to the Fulwell mid-way through the 1983/4 season and was a Fulwell ender until Roker Park closed it's doors!
As my family were exiled from the north east, my very first footy match was Norwich vs Sunderland at Carrow Road. Got the programme somewhere but can't even think what year it was. Two names that stick though are Sam Allerdyce an Bob Hindmarch - I'm guessing he was local (to Sunderland).
Rob Hindmarch RIP Died in his early 40s, one of our youngest ever (pos the youngest ever) captains, and was part of the (sadly shortlived) corner tactic we had for a while of lining up 4 or 5 six footers on the edge of the penalty area, who all stormed in together when the corner was taken. Prob never worked, but was amusing.
22nd. November, 1980 - we lost 1-0. You're right about Allardyce and Hindmarch - both played that day. (I broke a habit for this one and looked it up. I remember the '40s and '50s games better than the later ones, probably because there was less competition for my attention then).
Jimmy Adamson was trying to save us and putting some young lads into the team .My mate said his young lad wanted to go see Sunderland play so we took him .Had barely won a game but in about a week in three games he saw them slaughter West Brom ,west ham and Boro ??? by scores of 6--1, 6--0, 4---0. Poor kid was hooked for life. Now often go to matches with him and his son! Mel Holden,Bob Lee and Gary Rowell were among the goals.Am always sad to remember Super Mel who also died very young of Mutliple schlorosis or Musc distrophy He would sometimes unexpectedly fall flat on his back and we found out later the reason why.For a run of games his partnership with bob Lee was very effective.
We were still relegated that season, but it was blinking exciting . . . . Mel Holden, who had previously been dreadful, was suddenly brilliant, scoring regularly like a real centre forward (not in the Dave Watson mould, mind) Relegated again, but fantastic memories derived from love (S.A.F.C. - my first love)
Was that when we won our last 3 games or so of the season, 6-0, 6-1, 4-0, or something like that, but still got relegated?
No -couldnt win a game at all. Were as good as relegated early on then Adamson put in less experienced young guns and away we went with league winning form and results. Sadly just failed to stop up. Remember being at last two games both aways Norwich 2 goals down but equalising with a late brace--if ref had played another couple of minutes we'd have prob won,---and then night midweek at Everton. We were a goal down before I got to where I could see the pitch and lost.It was a long ride home,especially when the cheating by J hILL and his Coventry was revealed, a sad end to one h of a season The 3 games I mentioned were probably about half way thruogh the season
In reading through these posts I see that this is something that is passed on from father to son. I can certainly identify with the inherited suffering. Many a Chicago obituary has bemoaned the fact that the deceased never saw the Cubs win the World Series. Here in the States, our children bring us to the game. They play, and in our efforts to help and guide them, we scurry about, trying to learn as much as we can about this beautiful game.
