Happy Birthday SAFC - 125 Years Old - October 2004

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Jimmy Connor

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If ‘Yellow Submarine’ had been written in the 1930s, it is quite possible that ‘Gary Rowell world’ would have been ‘Jimmy Connor world’. Scottish international Jimmy Connor was one of the most popular players ever in red and white. He was an outside-left who loved to come inside the full-back and hit a shot with his fierce left foot. During the 1936 Championship season, Connor had his greatest moment for Sunderland when he scored the winner in a 5-4 win against Champions Arsenal at Roker. However, disaster struck the following season. In the 4th round of the Cup run against Luton, a horrific tackle seriously injured Connor. This ultimately ended his career, as he was never to recover from the injury.
 
5 December 1908
Newcastle United 1 v 9 Sunderland
St James Park


It is a fact that in the history of the Tyne-Wear derby games that The Magpies statistically lead. Thats fair enough, but what surely isnt in doubt that by far the more significant victories have been recorded by Sunderland. This game must have been disaster for the black and white faithful.

What of course made the scoreline even more remarkable is the fact that Newcastle United won the championship fairly easily, in fact by 7 points. Everton were runners up and Sunderland 3rd. As an interesting aside The Magpies finished the campaign with the best defensive record in the division.

To understand how the victory occurred it is noted that after a good 4 v 0 victory at nottingham forest the previous week The Magpies kept the same side. Now thats fair enough but that team had triumphed without the services of 5 regulars. So it was to all intents and purposes a weakened side fielded by the black and whites. Perhaps they were overconfident...who knows...but one thing that is know is that the largest away hammering in the Football League unfolded before an estimated 56,000 people.

In the previous 15 games Newcastle had conceded only 13 goals.

The teams took to the field and lined up as follows:

Newcastle United: Lawrence, whitson, Pudan, Liddell, Veitch, Willis, duncan, Higgins, shepherd, wilson, gosnell

Sunderland: Roose, foster, Milton, Daykin, Thomson, Low, Mordue, Hogg, Brown, Holley, Bridgett

To underestimate sunderland was foolish in the extreme. We had 4 England international forwards and The Cestrian Mordue would later be capped. The game would get underway in misty conditions with a light rain.

The match reports of the day started with the assessment that "it is as well for football that such one sided exhibitionsas that which marked the meeting of old rivals at St James Park are of a rare variety". Therefore straight away it can be seen that the contest, especially second half was a basic blitzkreig.

Newspaper reports also concluded that a main reason for the trouncing was that "the United players were much too light for the heavy and aggressive Wearsiders". The NUFC players were apparently "pooped out" !!

Whilst the red and whites scored 9 it is interesting to note that no blame, for ANY of the goals was attached to the Magpie keeper Lawrence. It was one of those days when everything Sunderland hit, rifled home.

Early on in the game it was evident that Pudan was having his work cut out dealing with Hogg and Mordue and it was little surprise when the former gave Sunderland the lead after 7 minutes, with an easy tap in from close range.

Sunderland then came under some pressure from the home side, but in Roose the Wearsiders had a goalkeeper par excellence.

However just before the interval Newcastle got on level terms when Thomson was adjudged to have handled inside the box, the referee AE Farrant from Bristol was in no doubt. Shephard smacked it home...1 v 1...half time...

There is a saying which goes "good big uns will always better good small uns" and if the first half had been fairly even Newcastle folded in the second half. Sunderlands power game was quite simply too much.

By this time whitson was a virtual passenger for The Magpies, limping badly, and after goal number 6 he would leave the field of play. With no substitutes the black and whites would end the game with 10 men. It was no excuse, the damage had been done, and with 12 men they would have had a hard job containing Sunderland !!

Actually on mentioning black and white, it was now customary for the home team to change where a clash of colours was apparent. For this game Newcastle played in a change outfit of white shirts.

For the second half Sunderland attacked the Leazes End and scored the remaining 8 goals in a staggering 30 minute period, indeed 6 of them came in a 10 minute spell !!

The second duly arrived on 47 minutes after Hogg had been fed by Mordue and he brushed Pudan aside to crash the ball home. Newcastle wilted.

After 62 George holley slammed one home from close range - 3 v 1. He then scored the 4rth and the 5th, Bridgett smashed home the 6th and 7th, Mordue the 8th and Hogg the final nail in the Magpie coffin. Hogg had saved himself, having been a virtual non entity in the opening 45 minutes of the match.

To add to Newcastles woes, at one time they were down to 9 men, with Duncan having been knocked out and "temporarily indisposed".

It is worth noting that the Sunderland player Harry Low was the brother of Wilf Low, who would play for Newcastle United.

At the final whistle the news was greeted joyously on Wearside, with people dancing in the streets. Even then the rivalry was intense. At roker Park the "A" team were in the process of defeating Seaham white star 2 v 1, and there was "prodigious excitement".

It was all over. Newcastle United had been humilated, and they knew it. For Sunderland and their fans it was a day to remember.

End.
 
Roker Park Facts

First goal - Jimmy Leslie v Liverpool 10 September 1898
Last league goal - Allan Johnston v Everton 3 May 1997
Last competitive goal - Paul Beavers v M'Boro (NIL) 7 May 1997
Last ever goal - John Mullin v Liverpool 13 May 1997

Highest crowd - 75,118 v Derby County March 1933
Highest league crowd - 68,004 v Newcastle United March 1950
Lowest crowd - 3,841 v Manchester City April 1934

Highest scoring match
England 13 v 2 Ireland February 1899 (ground record)

Highest Scoring Match (Sunderland)
Sunderland 8 v 2 Blackburn Rovers February 1931

Biggest Sunderland victory
Sunderland 8 v 1 Charlton Athletic September 1956 (league)

Biggest Sunderland Victory
Sunderland 9 v 0 Chatham January 1914 (FA cup)

Number of league games - 1801
985 wins, 499 draws, 367 defeats

Number of FA Cup games - 125
68 wins, 33 draws, 24 defeats

End.
 
First game a reserve match in October 1965

Almost 39 years of following 'The Lads'

I must have experienced every human emotion following them and my life has been much richer for it.

Happy Birthday!
 
I am currently drinking a toast (hic)

Here's to another 125 years of North East league-winning domination.
 
My Boy Harry said:

when i see pictures like that, it makes me feel extremely proud to be a supporter of this fantastic football club. Geordies, smoggies, anyone you want can put this club down but it doesnt make a difference to me, its my blood. Heres to another 150 illustrious years.
 
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