... and we've had a few rambles down there over the years. It always used to be a dodgy place to go but we had good numbers so never really had any serious problems. They used to divide the side with a huge metal grill that people would climb up, throw things through and even the odd punch. We came out after one game, when Celtic had been down and wrecked the place, so Burnley were looking for some kind of revenge. Burnley were fired up but we weren't in the mood for being chased around 600, of our 3,000, went for them at which they scarpered and shouted at us from behind the police. One of the best, around that time, was this one when we had thousands again on that big terrace. Burnley 1 Sunderland 2 - September 1978 "I was in the away crowd of over 4000 at Turf Moor when before half time we had Mickey Henderson then Joe Bolton sent off for very similar sliding tackles on a treacherous surface. We could hardly have argued with the decisions. It was 0-0 at half time, allegedly Jimmy Adamson was furious and let his players know in a 30 second rant before slamming the dressing room door on them. You would have anticipated a rear-guard action in the 2nd half, but that did not happen. We took the game to Burnley and two Gary Rowell goals including a penalty won us the game. Despite a frantic finish after Burnley scored, we hung on to the ecstasy of the travelling support. What a result." In recent times we had the 0-0 travesty there when we lost the chance to really put pressure on them. They've lost Trafford, from that game, and look like they're preparing for relegation again so it would be nice to take three points and really rub their noses in it. Another time older supporters will remember was an FA Cup tie that was postponed three times. On the last postponement we were told it was definitely going ahead but we got to Burnley and it was off again, we drove back over the Peak District in a terrifying blizzard in the dark ... ... after all that we drew and lost the replay at Roker Park There's 107 of us booked on the 07:08 train from Durham to York, then the 08:22 from York to Burnley due to arrive 10:01. Anyone going down is welcome to join us and I'll post if anyone misses the train or whatever and their ticket becomes available.
Remember that game well. Haven’t a clue what I was doing a couple of hours ago, but remember Henderson and Bolton being sent off in that game over 40 years ago.
The defiance in our players and supporters was incredible ... ... no idea where we finished but I remember exactly what it was like coming out of the ground. We were all shuffling down that back lane, kicking up dust, and someone started baa-ing like a sheep ... then everyone started
I've just watched MOTD, over lunch, to see what Burnley were like. I'd seen people saying how well Burnley had done and given a good account of themselves. I'm amazed tbh, I thought they were terrible ... ... very poor defending all the game, dodgy keeper and just a couple of scrambled attacks. I'm pleased I watched it now.
Was at the cup game. B*stards put a couple of windows out on the coach. It was a tad cold travelling home
Yeah and I think it took a few joirney and return because it was postponed a few time before we got the game on
Gary Rowell's memories of that game: "And then came the ‘Battle of Turf Moor’. It was just before Jimmy [Adamson] left Sunderland. The previous season we’d drawn at Turf Moor 0–0 and won 3–0 at Roker Park. They were games that went off with no trouble at all. We knew there was an edge to these games because of Jimmy’s past history there. So, you could always tell when a Burnley game was getting nearer although nothing was ever said and for this particular game nothing at all was said by Jimmy either to wind us up, and certainly he made no attempt to make it into a grudge match. Nor did he like rough play and would never tell any player to deliberately rough anyone up or be extra physical. Truth is, he was a hard man to read a lot of the time and whatever thoughts he had about Burnley or Bob Lord we never knew them. But it was Burnley and there was a huge following from Sunderland and we were pumped up; we knew there was that little bit more to this game than normal. But there were certainly no special instructions or tactics or bad intentions on our part. Some games just take on a life of their own, something sparks things off and for a start there was ill-feeling between Mick Docherty who had left Burnley to come to Sunderland, and Leighton James on the Burnley side. It became the most violent game I have ever taken part in. Nobody gave an inch; the ball would be one side whilst players might be kicking each other on the other side. Clatterings were common and the ball became an irrelevance – but not because of Jimmy. It’s just the way it happened; it just degenerated and the more the crowd roared the more physical it got. When Mick Henderson was sent off, the fall guy, it could have been anybody; and it didn’t end there. Before half-time Joe Bolton was sent off as well but because it was so close to half-time and Dave Merrington had already come into the dressing room with Mick Henderson, he had no idea that Joe had been sent off. We all followed in and looking back the next two minutes were the funniest I can remember in football as Dave began to give Joe his instructions for the second half… and Joe kept trying to interrupt to say he’d been sent off… and Dave ignoring him and telling him this and that… until at last Joe got a word in and announced he too had been set off. At that point Dave’s mouth just dropped, he was speechless and his eyes went wide. And then he gasped: “Well how many f***ing men have we got left then?” Next, Jimmy Adamson stormed in. He’d been up in the stand and it had taken him a few minutes to get down to us. The door burst open and I’ve never seen such anger in a man. He was not a man to swear or lose his rag ever; but this time he did. He gave us the biggest ever rollocking I can ever remember. He tore into us. He absolutely slaughtered us and then stormed out again but not before he said that we were a disgrace and that we could now go out and lose because we had our excuse for a defeat ready-made. He gave us no instructions, no tactics, no re-shuffle, just slammed out and vanished. We were stunned and silent. And then Mick Docherty stood up. Mick was great. He was a natural leader. He told us that he wasn’t having that; he wasn’t being told to go and lose just because we had the ready excuse. Angrily he said we’d prove Adamson wrong and by the time he’d finished we’d decided to give it a real go in the second half. Quickly we talked and decided that the last thing Burnley would expect would be us to go at them and take the game to them. We decided to go for it in the first 15 minutes or so and see what might happen. We’d do the unexpected; they’d expect the opposite. We did just that and scored. The Burnley back four came out thinking they’d be on easy street but we set into them. Adamson’s words were still stinging and ringing in our ears. The Sunderland fans were going mental. I got a second with a penalty and at last Burnley woke up. The violence had stopped as it so often does in a game. Burnley scored and then they threw the kitchen sink at us. But we hung on, held firm, and astonishingly won 2–1. It was the most amazing win."
Ashington’s Jimmy Adamson is recognised on information boards next to the Jackie Charlton statue in Ashington and recognises hi Sunderland links.
