From being the toughest club at which to find “Who are You?” volunteers, Stoke City is now a source of fascinating sets of responses by fans as committed to their club as we are to ours. Russ Dutton*, probably a useful man to know in the Potteries if you need help on legal matters, is a supporter from boyhood. He tips both our clubs to stay up as the expense of Just Guess Who …
Continuing our series of reminiscences of May 5 1973, Salut! Sunderland talks – thanks to the excellent Jeanette Sutton (nee Coyle) – to Jimmy Montgomery.
Check out the generic link – https://safc.blog/category/fa-cup/may-5-1973 – for commemorative items you may have missed. Monty was not alone; there were 10 other heroes that day against Leeds united – Dick Malone, Ron Guthrie, Richie Pitt, Dave Watson, Mick Horswill, Ian Porterfield, Bobby Kerr, Dennis Tueart, Billy Hughes and Vic Halom – plus the unused substitute David Young. But Monty was an obvious choice to speak to …
It was not, in Jimmy Montgomery’s view or mine, the best game he ever played.
But in the few seconds it took him to make his extraordinary double save from Trevor Cherry and Peter Lorimer, Monty ensured his place in the imaginary goalkeepers’ hall of fame that inhabits the minds of countless fans of every club in most countries where footballs are kicked.
This was Pete Sixsmith‘s review of Lance Hardy’s book** about the 1973 FA Cup Final. It appeared at Salut! Sunderland in December 2009 but bears repeating as part of our 40th anniversary series. On May 5 1973, there were no neutrals. Everyone outside Leeds wanted Sunderland to win the FA Cup Final. Here, Pete – a considerable help to Hardy in his researches – wallows in the memory of a quite different world …
I feel we’re on a roll and shouldn’t stop spinning. Maybe it has something to do with not wanting to think too hard about next Monday night. Maybe it’s whatever I’m taking. But the 40th anniversary of Sunderland 1 Leeds United 0 is a powerful reason for going over the top. So as well as producing fresh material – Malcolm Dawson’s wonderful conversations with Jeanette Sutton over the past day or so; Monty, John McCormick, Ken Gambles, Bill Taylor and Pete Sixsmith to come – I am dipping into the archive. This appeared here in December 2009 to coincide with publication of Lance Hardy’s book about that great cup run and Wembley triumph. I have corrected typos but all else is how it appeared, so specific references (such as Lance’s then BBC job) may be out of date …
In the second part of her reminiscences of 5:5:73 Jeanette Sutton (nee Coyle) recalls the game, the post match celebrations …
The mauling at Villa Park has cast a black cloud over what should be a great week of remembrance. But we need to forget it if we can, at least until Monday night. For now that we have reached May 2013, it is time for Salut! Sunderland to join the extended SAFC family and diaspora in commemorating a remarkable event in the club’s mighty history. Mighty as it is, 1973 did not begin as a year of glory. On May 5, exactly 40 years ago this coming Sunday, it became one when Bob Stokoe led his second-tier team to Wembley and came away with the FA Cup after humbling top-drawer Leeds United.
There will be plenty of articles to read, memories to relive, glories (for younger readers) to imagine. But let us start with this …
Back in 1973, Jeanette Coyle was a Sunderland-mad teenager with a part-time job at Roker Park. Her father Bill was a well known and respected local footballer either side of the Second World War, having played for Darlington and West Auckland as well as a host of other Northern League clubs as a guest during the years of conflict.
Jeanette became friends with many of the Sunderland squad and has her own special memories of May 5th 1973. Here in conversation with deputy editor Malcolm Dawson, she talks about the build up to the great day. Her experience of Cup Final day itself will follow shortly, in the second of this two part reminiscence …
It is tempting to draw a veil over the whole sorry night. As Jimmy Montgomery put it, in 40th anniversary-themed conversation with Monsieur Salut, what was remarkable was that so many players chose to have such catastrophically poor games. And Bob Chapman was left to ponder – even more painfully than most of us – the wisdom of trailing around the country in support of Sunderland ….
If anyone detected a nervous tone in my report on how the French sports newspaper L’Equipe covered Newcastle’s hiding by Liverpool, they were right. I claim no great powers of foresight but while, as ever, hoping for a win and convincing myself Sunderland were capable of playing well, I had the nagging fear of a heavy defeat at the back of my mind.
No excuses from PDC in his personal e-mail to M Salut. Now it’s time to reflect, put right what went wrong and gee the team up for Stoke next week. I’ve a feeling that there will be some extra hours at the training ground this week but the manager insists that there are good things on which to build.
…The mood going into this game was positive and after the last two victories there was justified cause for optimism. This was to be our Champions League Final, the three points ensuring another year of Premiership football. As Sunderland fans we should know better than to get over excited and tonight showed why. This is the part where Pete Sixsmith usually shares his seven word summation of the game but instead he spent this evening watching Shildon in the Northern League. Good choice! Here’s the supersub’s verdict.