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However, on this occasion the game didn’t follow the usual script and we grew more and more into the game as the half drew on and were unlucky to go into the half time break a goal down. The second half saw Sunderland really turn the screw and just after the hour mark Josh Maja found space in the penalty area and fired the ball beyond the Charlton keeper. In the dying embers of added time,
we forced a corner, and The Stadium of Light held its breath. Just seconds later there were groans all around the ground as Lynden Gooch allowed the ball to run under his foot.
Fast forward a further few seconds and the whole ground was sent into raptures as Bryan Oviedo picked out Gooch who made no mistake and powered his header in the top corner via the goalkeeper’s fingertips. At full time the players received a heroes’ welcome as they saluted the fans and for the first time in years the club appeared to be united. Of course, we all know how the season was to end and we were to spend another largely miserable four years in the third division of English football but in that moment, it felt like everything was going to be okay.
For this one we must jump into our time machine and take a trip to the Victorian era, when outside toilets were the order of the day but at least Sunderland were class. In their first four seasons in league football, the lads won the league twice, had finished second in the 1893-94 season and reached the FA Cup semi-final. But why are we looking back on an opening day fixture from 128 years ago I hear you ask? Well, even if you didn’t ask I’m going to tell you.
Well, this was no ordinary opening day match, this particular game featured ‘three halves’, and the referee was delayed in his arrival at
the ground due to a train mix up at York. Instead of calling the game off at this stage, the decision was made to allow member of the crowd and qualified official Mr Conqueror of Southwick to take charge of the game. We raced into a 3-0 lead at half time when the original referee, Mr Tom Kirkham, finally turned up, and at this point Derby were offered
SUNDERLAND 8-0 DERBY 1894
the opportunity to restart the match with Kirkham taking charge.
Naturally, they took advantage of this, and the game started again, although karma played its
part as Derby again lost the toss, forcing them to kick into the wind once again. Poetic justice was compounded as Derby went in the ‘second’ first half 3-0 down. The second ‘third’ half continued in much the same manner as Sunderland ran riot, adding a further five goals. We would go on to win the league that season and even won a match against Hearts which saw us crowned ‘Champions of The World.’
Back in 2006, Sunderland were in disarray, the previous season we had managed to break our own record for the lowest ever Premier League points total and despite The Drumaville consortium taking over off the pitch, we were still without a permanent manager on it. Chairman Niall Quinn was stand in gaffer, and although it wasn’t in the public domain at the time, Roy Keane had turned down the opportunity to manage us earlier on in the summer.
However, we had a 100% pre-season record, dispatching Forest Green Rovers, Rotherham, Shelbourne, and Carlisle United in the process. We even went on to take the lead in this match, with Daryl Murphy putting the lads ahead early in the second half.
The optimism of the new season didn’t last though, and goals from Stern John and Gary McSheffrey ensured that we got off to a losing start. This rather depressing addition to this list may seem a big negative, but as in 2004-05, an opening day defeat to Coventry was followed by Sunderland winning the league title. So should we lose on the opening day this time around, it may actually be a good omen after all.
COVENTRY 2-1 SUNDERLAND 2006
BY MICHAEL LOUGH
ALOVESUPREME
ISSUE259
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