this could run in conjunction with the thread of safc worst 11, but what has been the biggest cock made by safc, be worst sighning, worse transfer release, worst sponsorship deal, worst strip and so on. the one that sticks out to me, 1983 alan durban releasd a little scots fella, who went on to become one of all time favorite players, now thats a cock up ally mccoist safc 1981-1983 56 appearances 8 goals
biggest cock up Lawry McMenamy, Pulling the rug on Reidy when he was on a roll. Extending the stadium too soon worst sighning,Milton Nunez , Leslandes (or whatever} Flo, worse transfer release, letting Shay given go. Not exectly a transfer release but a bad move. worst sponsorship deal, All been poor compared to Reg Vardy worst strip That horrible gold coloured thing that always looked as if it needed washing
You sent a shiver down my spine mmickey with McMenamy, closley followed by Wilkinson. Flo was the worst panic buy of all time.
To worse buy you could add Carsten Fredgaard. As for worst strip I absolutely hated the candy stripe one we wore in the early 80's. Those shirts always looked to me like the top half of a pair of pyjamas!
Toss up between Lawry Mac, Wilkinson and getting rid of Alan Durban, should have been given more time.
I seem to remember we tried to sign Given, and he wanted to stay here, but Blackburn wanted ã1 million plus Michael Gray for him. By the standards of the time, that was plain ridiculous so we sent him back. Newcastle signed him for around ã1 million a year or two later - which makes it clear how much Blackburn were trying to rip us off. I'm sorry we didn't get him, but it wasn't a mistake. Worst decision ever for me was sacking Ian MacColl and bringing Brown back. I agree that Lawrie Mc was a disaster, but Lawrie's damage only lasted a year or two. Brown's harm went on for forty years. It was him that gave Sunderland their second division mentality. Even now, some supporters prefer Len Ashurst to Barry Venison and Michael Gray, and Bobby Kerr is preferred to Jimmy Baxter and Len Shackleton - that's what Brown did to our heads. Niall Quinn and Steve Bruce are still struggling to get Brown out of our heads, so that top class is the only acceptable thing for Sunderland once more.
Cock-up has to be Wilkinson, he talked the biggest load of piss I have ever heard from a person in sport. Worst signing I'll go for Medina, Nunez or Laslandes. Transfer release has to be letting Niall Quinn retire. We should have kept him and forced him to play til his legs fell off. Sponsorship deal...I think tombola looks stupid tbh, although I type this as I wear the tombola home shirt Worst kit...this season's away is crap, although the 1992 white away shirt takes the prize...eurghhh!!!! :O
Cock-up is Wilkinson, we knew instantly we were gone. Worst signing i'm saying Laslandes, because his reputation and the expectancy was so high, absolute dog ****. Transfer out? Unquestionably Hutchison for me, the beginning of the end of the Reid era, never replaced to this day (Sess?) Sponsorship Deal- No such thing, some clubs can't raise on, i'd rather not have Tombola on the shirt, i'd rather hav not had Boyle across it, but if they give the club money, it's a positive thing Worst kit - Gotta be the yellow Avec thing, what a ****ing monstrosity (pardon the lingo), made out of re-pulped bog roll seemingly quality wise, the most hideous of hideous. I'll mention this seasons away, shame, because if it was white, rather than off milk/vomit coloured, it would be very nice.
I would have given anything to be a fly on the wall if Cloughie had ever got amonst our board members at that time. Forget about Ali-Frazier 111 - now we're talking real box office ! Ooooo-eeeee.
Failing to sign Beardsley and Aldridge when we had the chance for little more than beer money (mind you I drink quite a bit).
If I recall, it was Tom Cowie cashing in... I had a lot of time for Alan Durban, but as usual in those days the manager did not get a lot of backing....
Big Chris told me the reason why Cloughie never graced Roker Park was the tenure of Tom 'meddling' Cowie
BruceysBeak - spot on marra, letting Hutchison go was the like taking the blood out of the veins of the team. He had s quiet start but once he got into his stride he was and proved to be irreplaceable and in my mind we have not had a better midfielder at the club since. Manager we should have had would be Clough, worst manager would be Mackenemy - and a gray haired enigma called Bruce who props up the bar in the Albion in Roker and The Borough in the town(he is a bit disheveled and walking with a stick at the minute) however his knowledge of football is second to none and he was one of the few people I know who predicted the disaster in getting Mackemenemy.
Clough was NEVER going to manage us. He used that speech as a bargaining chip to get higher wages at Derby. We asked him several times, he always said no. For me, we should'nt have let the 73 team break up. Could have done so much.
Sold Roker Park to developers too cheaply, could have marketed it much better, for the benift of the club finances. ask snq.
