Jody Craddock grateful for support from Sunderland fans

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Wolves defender Jody Craddock remains a true hero to Sunderland supporters - and not just for what he did on the pitch. Mark Douglas reports.


THE relationship between a player and his former club can be a strange thing. One minute you can be the darling of the terraces, the next cast as villain depending on the timing and nature of your departure.

When it comes to Jody Craddock, the usual rules don’t apply. His bond with Sunderland’s supporters is forged of much sterner stuff.

He earned their respect for the honesty he showed on the field – and their adulation for the dignified way he coped with tragedy away from it.

Craddock was only 26 and in the fifth year of his Black Cats career when first son Jake passed away tragically aged just five months in August 2002. It was a devastating loss for the honest and likeable defender, but the reaction of the North East public was, he admits, “remarkable”.

In the wake of the tragedy, letters of sympathy flooded into the club, ordinary supporters raised money for cot death charities in his honour and, when he finally returned to the field, the outpouring of emotion was genuine and heartfelt.

It means that every time the defender steps out against his former club, it is a special occasion for Craddock.

“I will never forget what the Sunderland supporters did for me. The way they rallied around me and my family during that tough, tough time was incredible,” he said.

“It was a devastating thing to happen. You can’t really put into words what it feels like and it will live with me and the rest of my family forever. We’ve got three lovely sons now, but we won’t forget about Jake.

“I think when that sort of thing happens you rely on your friends and people around you to support you and what the Sunderland people did for me was special. It really touched me and it still does.”

Craddock, a devoted father to six-year-old Joseph, three-year-old Luke and eight-month old Toby, is still raising money in Jake’s honour. On May 16 he will be holding a ‘Mile in Memory’ to raise cash for cot death charity FSID – a walk in his home town of Kidderminster that will be followed by a fun-day.

It will not be a surprise if Sunderland fans don’t again rally to support one of their favourite sons, after they have acclaimed him tomorrow at Molineux, of course.

“I think I was always quite popular. Throughout my career I’ve never been the most technically gifted, but I’ll always work hard and I think they recognised that,” he said. “We had a great team then. Quinny and Kevin Phillips were superb and I just kind of let it happen in front of me – we were a great team under Peter Reid for two or three seasons.

“It helped that I really liked living in the North East. I do agree that you have to get to know the region to appreciate it and I loved it from my first day there.

“I remember walking into a shop and being taken aback at how friendly they all were.

“If it wasn’t for the horrible weather it’d be perfect! I still have friends there and Sunderland fans always pop up on my Twitter account to say nice things, which I really appreciate.” While Craddock’s generous nature mean he has plenty of friends in football, his emergence as a player of importance in the Premier League is based on more than just goodwill.

Wolves defender Jody Craddock remains a true hero to Sunderland supporters - and not just for what he did on the pitch. Mark Douglas reports.

After a close season that started ominously – a pulled hamstring in pre-season sprints did not bode well for the 34-year-old – he turned in a series of resolute displays to help Wolves shut out dangerous opponents and drag themselves to top-flight safety.

Just this week he picked up the club’s player of the season trophy, fitting recognition for a defender who has kept as many clean sheets in 2010 as Rio Ferdinand.

“I knew it was going to be a tough year so I tried to put the time in over the summer to make sure I’d be OK,” he said.

“I know how quick the league is, I know you’re up against the best strikers in the world and it’s about concentration and maybe experience helps you a bit.

“The rest of the defence and the rest of my team have been superb, but it was nice to pick up the award. I’d had it at Cambridge and Sunderland before so it is a nice feeling.” That there is nothing riding on the game is an achievement of sorts for both clubs.

Under Steve Bruce’s savvy and well-funded management, Sunderland appear to have finally shed themselves of the ‘yo-yo’ tag while for Wolves, securing Premier League safety before the final day was a major milestone. It was vindication for Mick McCarthy too, who had been tarnished by his experiences operating with a seriously restricted budget at the Stadium of Light in 2005/6.

Craddock believes his manager has the right to feel as if he’s proved a few people wrong.

“He’s a great manager, and it was always rubbish that people said he couldn’t manage in the Premier League,” he said.

“Look at what he’s done for us. When he came we were on our knees, but he transformed the club and in the space of four years we’re looking at being an established Premier League club.

“What happened at Sunderland was just one of those things and it shouldn’t be held against him. If you don’t get given the money in the Premier League you’re always going to be struggling because it is such a tough league.

“He’s been given a bit of money at Wolves and proven that he is a top, top manager. Maybe if he’d had the same money at Sunderland he might still be there now.”

ANYONE interested in donating to Jody’s event should visit www.justgiving.com/remembering-Jake

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Wolves defender Jody Craddock remains a true hero to Sunderland supporters - and not just for what he did on the pitch. Mark Douglas reports.

After a close season that started ominously – a pulled hamstring in pre-season sprints did not bode well for the 34-year-old – he turned in a series of resolute displays to help Wolves shut out dangerous opponents and drag themselves to top-flight safety.

Just this week he picked up the club’s player of the season trophy, fitting recognition for a defender who has kept as many clean sheets in 2010 as Rio Ferdinand.

“I knew it was going to be a tough year so I tried to put the time in over the summer to make sure I’d be OK,” he said.

“I know how quick the league is, I know you’re up against the best strikers in the world and it’s about concentration and maybe experience helps you a bit.

“The rest of the defence and the rest of my team have been superb, but it was nice to pick up the award. I’d had it at Cambridge and Sunderland before so it is a nice feeling.” That there is nothing riding on the game is an achievement of sorts for both clubs.

Under Steve Bruce’s savvy and well-funded management, Sunderland appear to have finally shed themselves of the ‘yo-yo’ tag while for Wolves, securing Premier League safety before the final day was a major milestone. It was vindication for Mick McCarthy too, who had been tarnished by his experiences operating with a seriously restricted budget at the Stadium of Light in 2005/6.

Craddock believes his manager has the right to feel as if he’s proved a few people wrong.

“He’s a great manager, and it was always rubbish that people said he couldn’t manage in the Premier League,” he said.

“Look at what he’s done for us. When he came we were on our knees, but he transformed the club and in the space of four years we’re looking at being an established Premier League club.

“What happened at Sunderland was just one of those things and it shouldn’t be held against him. If you don’t get given the money in the Premier League you’re always going to be struggling because it is such a tough league.

“He’s been given a bit of money at Wolves and proven that he is a top, top manager. Maybe if he’d had the same money at Sunderland he might still be there now.”

ANYONE interested in donating to Jody’s event should visit www.justgiving.com/remembering-Jake