Raise a glass to Stokoe

Fans can drink to Bob's memory and help raise money for the statue from Monday with the launch of a new brew - Stokoe's Trophy.

The beer comes from the city's only brewery, Hendon-based Darwin, and is a "session" ale with an alcohol volume of 3.8 per cent. Dave Smith, Darwin's head brewer, said: "For us it seemed an obvious move to brew a special beer to help the fund out.

"All the staff at Darwin are Sunderland fans born and bred and we know how passionate everyone in the city is about what Bob achieved in 1973."

Altogether 15p of every pint is going towards the statue fund and so far ten barrels, or 2,500 pints, have been brewed.

Mr Smith added: "What could be better than helping to build a statue for Bob Stokoe's achievement in 1973 while watching the current side go on to win the cup this year."

The beer goes on sale in the Ivy House on Monday, and other pubs, including Fitzgeralds, The Chesters, the Lambton Worm, and Fulwell's Blue Bell, will also be serving up Stokoe's Trophy over the next couple of weeks.

Mick: 'stop slagging Div 1'

Mick McCarthy has hit back at the people who have chosen to knock the quality of football in Division One.

Some media pundits and even some supporters have rubbished the standard of the game in the division, and it's got McCarthy's back right up.

He told the Northern Echo, "All the Herberts who think it's a poor division should try to play in it.

"There is a real buzz about this division at the moment. It annoys me to hear that it's a bad league because I don't know what justification people have for saying it.

"They said exactly the same sort of thing last year because Portsmouth and Leicester walked it. I don't know where it comes from because it's a bloody hard league. You can only play what's up against you.

"This is a bloody tough division and it has plenty of quality in it. If we get promoted then it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks."