Sky Sports carrying out survey (assuming for every club) to find out who fans think as their favourite manager of all time. the options provided by SS are Peter Reid, Bob Stokoe, Tom Watson and Jonny Cochrane. Maybe we do not have the greatest choices given our successes over the years but noticeable absence was Denis Smith. Him and Viv Busby bloody saved this club when it was in the proverbial stuff and their achievements should not be underestimated. Who do you class as greatest/favourite manager?
In my time watching the club (1970 onwards) I'd have to say Peter Reid. Stokoe won the cup, but the quality of football under Reid was top class.
Can't underestimate what Dennis Smith achieved, we had no right to get anywhere near the top flight at that time, and we very nearly stayed up.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sunderland_A.F.C._managers 1. Tom Watson 62% win ratio and 3 league championships 'the team of all talents' or 2. Johnny Cochrane 42% win ratio and league championship and fa cup win. Me i'd go for Cochrane. He managed at a more professional time. managed the greatest ever Sunderland captain in Raich Carter.
Historically I think you must go with Watson - the league titles / unbeaten runs / cup runs..... In my time, well Stokoe won us our last major silverware, but Reid built a very good team, saved us, took us up and we competed with the best in the prem for two full seasons. Stokoe for me - but I hope it's going to be PDC soon. x
Peter Reid should be struck off that list for selling us down the river before he left...It is no secret that he bought overpriced ****e from a single agent that no one else would have touched with a barge pole..
Reid for me but that's only because I was there and experienced how good we were. If the league could finish in January we could have been playing champions league.
100% Stokoe in my lifetime..what was achieved hit the news worldwide. The FA cup meant something then
I will always have a soft spot for Dennis Smith as without him I don't think SAFC would have come back form the dead that was 3rd tier football. This club, on a shoestring budget, took us from the 3rd to the 1st, an amazing achievement. Peter Reid gave me the best 3 seasons in my 40 years watching SAFC and very nearly (and I am very serious when I say this) had us a top 4 or higher club. Unfortunately, Murray didn't back him at the crucial moments and then Reid's own ego kicked in and he became bigger than the club. It went tits up very quickly afterwards and then Murray released funds for the completely wrong players in Flo and Stewart at completely the wrong time, although I was always a fan of Marcus Stewart tbh. However, I dare bet Stokoe wins the accolade as he delivered a trophy and to be fair, its that trophy that we have had to live on for 40 years so he earned it. However, Reidy would get my vote for that fantastic team he built that was the best by a country mile that I have seen in 4 decades.
Hard choice as not many of us were alive when we were a major force in the English game. The head says Watson or Cochrane, but THAT Cup win in '73 was pure magic.....and against all odds. Honestly the Reid era gave me the longest consistent run of relative success and top class football in my 48 years of watching The Lads. Shame it all went pear shaped 'cos we nearly, just nearly took it to the proverbial "Next Level".
The often overlooked Dennis Smith for me as well. The G-Force, Benno and Timmy Mallet, local lads Dickie Ord and Gordon Armstrong. Back before football sold it's soul to Sky and (Liverpool apart)the First Division was much more open race. Fond memories of Roker Park, lobbing Mars Bars at Gazza from the Clock Stand Paddocks, Benno hoying Speedie into those same Clock Stand Paddocks and the nearest I've been to a riot inside the ground when the Roker End surged as it took almost 10 minutes between the challenge and John Kay being sent off against Leeds, graduating to the Fulwell End as I grew in to a man... **** me I'm getting old
Reid for defo in the modern era, if only he hadn't,t fell out with Magic maybe we,d have gone a couple of spots higher. Always had a soft spot for Alan Durban, mate of mine played tennis with him a couple of times as Durban was into that, told him Cowie wouldn't make cash available and around then with a couple of more players we could have been a top 6 side for me
