Relic...Jim Baxter was superb he is the best penalty taker I've ever seen in a Sunderland shirt, top corner just under the crossbar every time, mind you Len Ashurst wasn't always best pleased to play behind him as Jim wasn't one for tracking back to defend. Great player.
My first game was at the end of the 1958 season, the season we were relegated, I was only nine. Started going regular in 1960,used to stand on the raise upper section of the Fulwell end so I could see over the top of the crowd in front. Moved into the Fulwell paddock next to the players tunnel, you could smell the linament from the dressing rooms, my dad made me a cracket to stand on at the back, used to go with my dad and four brothers, sadly all but one passed on now but fantastic memories.
I was at that match Of all of the matches that I've been to, home and away, that's the only time that I've been on telly . . . . after the 4th or 5th goal the camera zoomed in on me, parrentlies, and I wasn't looking very happy at all My mate told me about this, 'cos he saw me on telly, and I haven't even seen it to this day (I'm not that bothered, mind) I've got absolutely nee idea what was my first match, but I know that I was 5 years old Having said that, I remember what my first away match was . . . . it was a 4-1 defeat at QPR with my Uncle and my grandad, when my dad was driving for Hylton Castle Coaches (he took us, probably for now't). p.s. it was QPR 4-1 South Shields, in the F.A.Cup, on Saturday 3rd January, 1970
First match 15/9/56 versus Blackpool-won 5-2 ,looked date up on Google,last match Villa 29/8 2015 even got my ugly mush on to Sunderlnd Echo match report.Still cannot believe I don't look like Errol Flynn(any older readers remember him? but never mind A life of torture has followed -really need to be mad to be a Sunderland supporter but it's something most of us are born in to. Think its likely that many longer served lads don't bother too much with internet unfortunately,- Relic and a few others apart,-which is a shame We prob all know lots of time served fellow travellers ,but their pearls of wisdom audience. are only appreciated by restricted audience. Thanks to all regular contributors-some great lads on here.
Can't remember 1st games, was took to reserve games by my dad, apparently I played with my toy car every time. First one I remember was (iffy memory), a cup replay against cardiff in 1972, played on an afternoon (power cuts?) was 1-1, me, my brother & cousin played football at the back of the fulwell end at half time.
Mine was the cup winners cup game vs Sporting when we were knocked out 3-2 at home. I was 8 and went with my brother in law. After that I went sporadically until around 12/13 when I started going to all home games and a good number away. I am not sure how I got away with arriving back at midnight or after following trips to Liverpool etc. but I did. I had a season ticket and Roker Park and for first couple of years at SOL until I moved South. Now I am lucky to get to 2 or 3 games a year although I still try and get hold of tickets for the London games although without vouchers it is never easy. I have watched a few with the home fans but I hate it as you have to keep your mouth shut.
Gordon Armstrong.....Speaking about South Shields I used to go down regularly to watch evening games after they put up the old flood lights from Roker Park, does anyone remember that. Can anyone tell me how you box on a previous comment to add to your reply, being an old so and so that technology evades me. Thanks in appreciation for the many replies telling me how to do it.
I don't remember that (I'm either not that old or I just can't remember) I will be going to watch The Mariners play Stokesley on Saturday, though . . . . just to see Hoolioooooooooooooooo
Gordon...I left Tyneside in 1968, so Shields must have got our lights mid sixties, can bri (funky) work his magic and check when we upgraded the floodlights at Roker, the old lights only had six or so bulbs in them,I could never understand how they lit up a stadium as big as Roker Park.
My research suggests that, after improvements were made for the World Cup, it was in the early 70s, although I can't find anything concrete Maybe I should be looking for something made of steel
Gordon..I realised when they put the new lights up after I turned in last night. We had to improve the floodlights to get the World Cup matches in 1966 and they changed the lights when they built the cover over the Fulwell end.
Some time in 1948 when the opposition were ManU who had won the cup the previous season having beaten the mighty Blackpool. ManU were not the biggest of opposition but this was in the day when a visit by the cup winners would add a few thousand to the gate, when a team won the league the supporters cheered then everybody went home looking forward to the showpiece final. Into the Roker end through the same turnstile with my Dad so presumably the operator kept the 3d (about one and a half pence) it cost in those days.
I remember that one, Nathan. Kerr scored our goal. Cardiff were second from bottom in the Second Division (Championship now). But they beat us in the second replay at Maine Rd. 3-1. At the next home game against Portsmouth, only 8,000-odd turned up at Roker. It was like a morgue in there! You could shout and it would actually echo! Stokoe was appointed on November 1st. and things changed rather quickly.
That's a very good point, Nostalgic, and one that's all too often forgotten these days. That 1948 Cup win was the first trophy Man. U. had won for nearly forty years (1909). And even the 1948 team crumbled in the next couple of years. Charlie Mitten went illegal to Colombia in 1949 or '50. Allonby Chiltern retired. Another Cup winner, Johnny Morris, disliked Busby and went into his office and demanded a transfer. Busby refused, but had forgotten who he was talking to. Johnny was a professional standard golfer. He went back to Busby a couple of days later and asked for his P45! He'd decided to pack up football and earn his living as a golf pro. Busby had no choice but to transfer him to Derby County or lose him for nowt! Man. U. were skint - they'd had to re-built Old Trafford after the war because it had suffered a direct hit during an air raid. They played the first season of league football after the war at Maine Rd. It was the crumbling of the '48 team that led Busby to build a team of low-cost kids - the Busby Babes were built on financial necessity. Today's idea that Man. U. have always been giants is drivel. As you say, they were anything but giants back then.
That win allowed you to qualify for the CL (qualifiers) via goal difference over Arsenal and Liverpool in the end, and they both had an identical record to you lot in terms of games won, drawn and lost, you all had 68 points but you had the better goal diff, so I'm more than happy to take that 5-0 to stop either of them two qualifying.
Think 1968, West Ham away. (Gateshead lad, away at school in Surrey. Mate said he'd get 2 tickets). Lost 6-0 !! Geoff Hurst scored 4, methinks. Can't remember first game at Roker; maybe 1971. Wow.....some old feckers on here.
