D
Deleted member 6830
Guest
A recent thread I started about RELEGATION HANGOVER 1970 - 1973, brought a cracking comment by someone about Martin Harvey, an ex SAFC stalwart, and an excellent player to boot.
I knew he'd had a testimonial game v Mags, so I did some investigating in the statcat.
I wondered why the gate was so disappointing - less than 14000 for a Sunderland legend, and although the threat of violence was prevalent, the game was played 2 DAYS AFTER we had lost 2 nil at A. Villa, and with it our promotion chances died. Poor Martin, the timing turned out to be awful, with so many still gutted at losing out. Imagine the gate if we had beaten Villa to go up !!
I did attend the game and recall standing in a queue at the FE to get in around 7pm. Around 300 mags came down Osborne St and along leeds Road chanting ''Villa Villa''. We in the queue responded with ''Chester Chester'' whom they'd lost to in the LEAGUE cup iirc !
It looked like they were going to come steaming in, but the 4/5 cops on duty must have frightened them.
We won 3-2
Anyway, on the statcat investigation, I discovered that only 2 days later {!!!!}, there was a return game at SJP, for their stalwart right back David Craig whom if I remember correctly, was, like Martin, a NI international ?
There were just over 21000 at SJP and they won 5-3.
I managed to get the Echo report of the MH game, but the report for the return would have been on May 1st - a BH, so the Echo wasnt printed that day.
anyone got any memories to share ???
I knew he'd had a testimonial game v Mags, so I did some investigating in the statcat.
I wondered why the gate was so disappointing - less than 14000 for a Sunderland legend, and although the threat of violence was prevalent, the game was played 2 DAYS AFTER we had lost 2 nil at A. Villa, and with it our promotion chances died. Poor Martin, the timing turned out to be awful, with so many still gutted at losing out. Imagine the gate if we had beaten Villa to go up !!
I did attend the game and recall standing in a queue at the FE to get in around 7pm. Around 300 mags came down Osborne St and along leeds Road chanting ''Villa Villa''. We in the queue responded with ''Chester Chester'' whom they'd lost to in the LEAGUE cup iirc !
It looked like they were going to come steaming in, but the 4/5 cops on duty must have frightened them.
We won 3-2
Anyway, on the statcat investigation, I discovered that only 2 days later {!!!!}, there was a return game at SJP, for their stalwart right back David Craig whom if I remember correctly, was, like Martin, a NI international ?
There were just over 21000 at SJP and they won 5-3.
I managed to get the Echo report of the MH game, but the report for the return would have been on May 1st - a BH, so the Echo wasnt printed that day.
anyone got any memories to share ???
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