Page 58 - 368603 LP250721 AWY AWY AWY Book (238pp A5)

put on a brave show in an exciting 0-0 draw with champions Everton but the last match was against Liverpool and the 1-0 defeat condemned us to relegation. There was a lot of crowd trouble afterwards and another mate of mine booted in the window of an antique shop in Gladstone Street, ruining his shoe in the process. I never indulged in such activities. We used to go for a beer before and sometimes after the match in a very traditional pub in Roker Avenue called the Howard Arms, which I’m pleased to say is still there. It was 1/10d (9p) a pint when I first used to go there. Immediately after that Liverpool game my sister’s boyfriend Mick came in and threw his red and white scarf to me in disgust, saying that he’d had enough of the team. That scarf would get me into trouble a few years later when some stupid Sunderland yobbos mistook me for a Boro fan.
Back in Division Two again on 3rd October 1970 we beat Bolton 4-1 but the memorable part of that game was the near-appearance of ex-Sunderland legend Charlie Hurley. He’d left us the previous season but was still, and will always be, revered by Sunderland fans. He was substitute for his new club Bolton and when one of their players went down injured for a while in the second half a tremendous chant of, “Charlie! Charlie!” went up from the Fulwell End. Charlie emerged from the dugout and communicated by sign language with his colleagues across the pitch as the chant echoed around the ground. It continued tantalizingly but finally Charlie signalled that he understood he wasn’t needed and he withdrew from the scene. I was sitting up in the main
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