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Where does the nickname 'the black cats' come from?

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I worked at Roker park during my electrical apprenticeship 1964-1969 and the Black cat club was there then if my memory is correct the black cat club was setup in 1966 world cup as a telephone room for the world press I remember dragging cables across the roof
 
it comes from when a young Sidney Poitier was touring the country as part of a negro jazz quartet called The Jazz Cats. when they reached sunderland they decided to stick around for a while and would play concerts on the roker park pitch. people would travel from miles around to hear them play and they became locally known as 'them black jazz cats'. after they returned to america, the people of sunderland slowly forgot about jazz, but they would still travel to roker park for a different reason, and as a tribute to those young black trailblazers decided to bestow a nickname on their team that would remind them of the times they spent together. 'The Black Cats' were born.
 
fyl2u said:
When did this happen? We've been the black cats my whole life - long before the move to the SoL.

I heard the "Cat that lived at Roker Park and used to sleep on the crossbar sometimes during games" story from my dad when I was young, and I believed it to be true until hearing about the gun battery story, which I now think is the likely beginning of the tale.
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Rokerites when I was a whippersnapper, Phillip.
 
All I know is I hate them bastards Samson and Delilah mincing about on the pitch at half time. Hope this helps.
 
Old shop in Dundas Street, Monkwearmouth, Tennick's, where away coaches uset to leave from. He had a big cardboard black cat with a red and white scarf on it next to the till. Supporters club badge back then and great that it became the proper nickname.

Zimbo said:
In the 60's when the official supporters association was being set up, Sunderland did not have an official nickname so the supporters assn decided to use the black cat because of a story from way back about the club being on a poor run and a black cat was found in the changing room before a match which they won. The players adopted the cat as a lucky omen and continued on a winning run and won the league. Following the supporters association decision, I believe that the club also made the black cat their official nickname
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Old shop in Dundas Street, Monkwearmouth, Tennick's, where away coaches uset to leave from. He had a big cardboard black cat with a red and white scarf on it next to the till. Supporters club badge back then and great that it became the proper nickname.
 
chriswallace85 said:
People calling us the black cats gets on my wick like.
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The only people who use this term really are members of the press, plus the occasional American or complete knacker.

As far as nicknames go I suppose it's alright and could have been a lot worse (The Sols FFS?) but I never hear anybody refer to us this way in common parlance anyway.

I hate some names like the Latics and the Attics or whatever, not even a real word.
 
Urban Silverback said:
Rokerites when I was a whippersnapper, Phillip.
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I remember having a Panini sticker album in the 80's that had a sticker for the clubs' nicknames and I distinctly remember being shocked that they had us in there as the Rokerites when I'd always known us as the black cats.
 
Story I heared

We were playing Norwich in a cup match in the 60s & before the game a black cat walked in the dressing room
We won the game & the players thought the cat had brought us luck hence were known as the black cats ;-)
 
hank williams said:
Story I heared

We were playing Norwich in a cup match & before the game a black at walked in the dressing room
We won the game & the players thought the cat had brought us luck hence were known as the black cats ;-)
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I've heard that as well. Mind it was on the John Hall thread ;-)
 
whitburnwarrior said:
Sunderlands nickname was as I was growing up either the Rokerites or The Wearsiders . Yes there were old photo of the team with black cats but I am fairly sure this nickname did not come to the fore till 1966 . Stand to be corrected .
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Pretty sure you're correct.
 
Our Nickname

Fans sent suggestions which were eventually narrowed down to five final options being: the Black Cats, the Light Brigade, the Miners, the Sols and the Mackems.

Over 11,000 people voted on the club's official website, safc.com, and almost half of them preferred the 'Black Cats' name

Anyone know what the final percentages were with all the nicknames ?
 
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