25 years ago today we played a Chelsea side filled with internationals off the park in the best game I have ever seen at the SOL IMO. We had a makeshift midfield with Paul Thirwell and Eric Roy in as Bally, Alex Rae and Gavin McCann were unavailable. We more than made up for the hammering Chelsea inflicted on the opening day
Brilliant memories of that day. One of the best as a Sunderland fan. Wiped the floor with them and the score could have been anything. Happy Days.
I was there and remember halftime having a piss as a young bloke in shock and hearing some older lad saying "We are going to hit these for double figures today" Probably the biggest shock 45 minutes I've ever watched in person
This is in my hall of shame along with the Gordon Armstrong header, the Bury match, the 1992 final and a few others ... ... working abroad and couldn't get away or find a flight. Thanks Essayyeffcee, only Liverpool can rescue my mood now
I wouldn’t say in my hall of shame as I rarely went to games after 1993. Work commitments put pay to that. The Gordon Armstrong header though. I was on exercise in Thetford with the army and the game was in tv. I was watching it in the main bar area with a chef, Dave Beale, who was a Chelsea supporter. If my memory serves me right, we went 1-0 up then Chelsea equalised. Then Gordon comes along and scores with that header. Being the only Sunderland supporter in there, I made sure everyone knew.
I was 18 yard box in east stand it was out of this world The few years we had skp was the best time and enjoyment for me
I had a right surreal moment . In Amsterdam working , after a few tiring days , early Sat afternoon knocked off and went to hotel for 40 winks . Woke up to radio saying 4-0 . That was amazing enough - but then thought - it’s time for half time - but that surely is full time score ? Yes full time , don’t forget the hours time difference. But I’ve changed my watch . ??? Can’t just be half time can it? Had to ring one of the lads to confirm.
That must have been a great night mate ... ... I was doing a close protection job which meant I couldn't even carry my phone. I was in Monaco and they didn't like me there so I couldn't get any info. I eventually bumped into a football agent I knew, through my 'friendship' with Ken Bates ... ... he was a Chelsea fan and just said, as I passed him, 'Fair enough, you deserved it'. I had no idea what had happened but was thrilled we'd won. By the time I finished my mission it was too late to call anyone in the UK so I looked at time zones and called a Sunderland fan in Tulsa, USA. He ran me through the events of the night and was absolutely buzzing. I slept until 3pm, the next day, but had to work again so missed Look North and couldn't record it. It was over a week until I saw it so totally missed all the excitement. It still means very little to me because I was always looking back at it ... still am.
You just named all my memories for SAFC. I couldn't get to the Bury game but me and my mates all gathered at a local and watched. It also turned out that one of my mates first born was delivered during the night afterwards
I flew back for the 1992 semi-final without a ticket but got in ... another story. I had a beautiful girlfriend, a nurse, who took a call on my phone the night before the final as I was working. A mate had found me a Wembley ticket and I could've got a flight from Nice. She forgot to tell me until after the flight had gone so I f*cked her off for ever, didn't watch the game and took a French lass to Italy for a few days ... ... I still haven't watched the game to this day.
