... and feel blessed to have had it in my life for the last 50 years. We've never been a big money club, never challenged for the title and only had a few goes at the cups ... ... but, my word, I've had some incredible times, met some truly great people and have memories I'll take to the grave. I wouldn't swap them for all the cups and titles Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool have bought.
Thing I like is we've never got ahead of ourselves as fans, we've never felt entitled like some clubs fans seem to be. We've always turned out in numbers especially away from home, it was like that when I was away regularly in the 60s and it hasn't changed. It's part of OUR region, it's our club and if you cut us we bleed red and white, it hurts when we get beat or are down as we are now but we'll be back, Donalds time here is a mere moment in our long history and when he's gone no one will remember him and his mates but the club will still be part of us all long after I'm dead KTF
Most of the best memories in my life have been following Newcastle. Loyalty, friendship and misery in abundance. I would have loved the odd cup thrown in, but I’m happy enough with the club I chose. You can change your job, house, even your wife, but your club is for life.
I’ve had some great times and met some fantastic people with wonderful memories, but can I have a cup or two please? I ****ing hate Wembley right now
I still remember my very first match, going to Roker Park with my grandad. Us against Notts County. New Year’s Day 1974. We might’ve lost but it didn’t matter. SAFC might not be the great club they were but to me I don’t care. After that day there was never going to be another club that would ever have a hold on me the way this one does. As @cumbrianmackem says, it will be here long after we’ve all shuffled off this mortal coil and Donald and his mates will be nothing more than a footnote consigned to its history.
Growing up in Washington (and many other places in the north east) you could so easily of fallen in with the dark side. My dad was Sunderland but I'm not sure how much weight that held. Thank goodness I chose the right team. Absolutely no regrets. STID.
Growing up in the Consett area meant being 'groomed' by uncles from opposite sides My uncle Mervyn gave me a Charlie Hurley rosette when I was 5 which was nice ... ... but he threatened, if I ever supported Newcastle, to break my fingers which wasn't quite so nice.
I used to get picked up at Heworth by SAFCSA, come rain or shine and had some excellent days out. These younguns will never know why we had to travel down South at Midnight the night before, getting to places like Southampton for 8 in the morning and breakfast in Woolies or somewhere. There was a roundabout every few mile on the A1 at the top end and the next few years was spent watching them disappear and numerous bypasses put into place, Darrington etc. Also s normal stop on a Saturday at Barnsdale Bar meant a sprint over the top to a pub Mind Shelby Fork was a ****ing right Penelope **** stop. Last year I found my old 1978 SAFCSA metal badges and some guy contacted me on rtg as he needed them for a collection. I told him he could have them if he gave the money to Grace House, he did and they were gone.
Yep,I was born and bred in Consett and there was huge support for both clubs. When my Dad started shift work at the Company,the lads on the same shift were all Sunderland fans,so he started going to the games with them. There were other shifts which were black and white,so it could have gone either way for me. I had an uncle who had a season ticket at both...went one week to one and the other the next. If they were both drawn at home,say in the cup,he always went to Sunderland though! There's nothing like following this club....I've got fantastic memories home and away in nearly 60 years of support. Mind you,I've got some misery too,none much worse than at the present, but I wouldn't change it for anything.
I started hitching from Mansfield to Roker when I was 15, those roundabouts were a Godsend. I'd get dropped at the A690, put my scarf on and get picked up in minutes ... ... after the match I'd jump on an away coach and feign sickness as we approached the Mansfield turn off. The driver would pull up, no toilets then, and so I could 'be sick' ... ... I'd take off up the slip road and keep running, God knows what they thought
I was born at Pelaw near the Heworth metro as it is now so Sid James's was a lot closer than Roker but my dad was from pit village stock so it was Sunderland for me and my five brothers going to the Toon was never an option. Used to get picked up at White Mare Pool roundabout by the Hebburn coach then down to John Tennicks, those were the days. Never regretted my association with our marvellous club ( well hardly ever) but when work came along I worked Saturday's so getting to games was a bit ad hoc. It's in the blood and there is nowt you can do about it, despite trying to fight it several times I'm still here.We must be mad.
