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Gary Emmerson: Posted on 20 April 2012 17:47
There is one obvious link with Saturday's opponents Aston Villa and that is with Darren Bent, or Judas as he is referred to by the majority of Sunderland fans, who shall not play at the weekend due to an injury.
If spotted by the travelling fans at the weekend, Bent is sure to receive a hostile reception. The majority of fans consider him to have quit the club in favour of money, something Bent himself denies. In his defence, I, for one, think there is more behind the sale of Bent than just the fact that £24million is a lot of money. |
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Gary Emmerson: Posted on 23 March 2012 18:03
Three former Sunderland players return to the Stadium of
Light for the first time since leaving with Anton Ferdinand, Nedum Onouha and
Djibril Cisse all likely to be part of the Queens Park Rangers squad, while
another ex-red and white star in the shape of Tommy Smith could also play some
part.
One, of course, has already pulled on the colours of both
clubs this season. Ferdinand was offloaded by former boss Steve Bruce at the
end of the summer transfer window despite starting the season as the first
choice centre-back at Sunderland alongside Wes Brown. |
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Gary Emmerson: Posted on 20 March 2012 17:34
Seventy3 Magazine columnist Micky Gray is one of only a
handful of players to have pulled on the colours of both Sunderland and
Blackburn Rovers, his name sitting alongside fellow former red and white stars
Dwight Yorke, Steve Agnew and Kevin Arnott amongst others.
Gray, who captained home town club Sunderland during his 12
years at Roker Park and the Stadium of Light, was allowed to join Blackburn on
a free transfer in January 2004 following relegation from the Premier League
and helped Rovers qualify for European football in the UEFA Cup during a
three-year spell at Ewood Park. |
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Seventy3': Posted on 16 March 2012 16:56
Peter Reid, guest editor of the Issue 8 of Seventy 3
(available for purchase now), is the most significant connection between
Everton and Sunderland. After all, the lyrics of the infamous song tell it all:
"We once thought of you as a Scouser dressed in blue, but now you're red
and white through and through".
Reid was our saviour. The man who formed part of an
Everton side that dominated in the 1980s arrived in the north east in 1995 and
prevented an unthinkable relegation from the second tier of English football
following his appointment. |
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Gary Emmerson: Posted on 02 March 2012 20:41
Fifty-six players have been brave (or stupid) enough to play for both clubs – some Mackems crossing the Geordie divide, some Geordies heading to Wearside and others with no connection to either club.
Among the 56 are famous names such as Len Shackleton, Jackie Milburn, Bryan ‘Pop’ Robson and Chris Waddle to name just a few and others who need a bit more remembering – the likes of Ivor Broadis, Tom Rowlandson, Thomas Grey and Nigel Walker.
Shackleton, the Crown Prince of Football, spent two seasons at Newcastle prior to moving to Sunderland in 1948.
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Gary Emmerson: Posted on 24 February 2012 17:25
Plenty of star strikers have pulled on the striped shirts of
both Sunderland and West Brom – none held in higher regard than Kevin Phillips.
Super Kev, the man who fired us to those two seventh place finishes in the
Premier League during his record-breaking goalscoring feast on Wearside, also
spent two seasons at The Hawthorns between 2006 and 2008, averaging more than a
goal every two games just as he had done at Sunderland.
It seems that forwards have been the most likely ones to
play for both sides with Don Goodman, Sam Allardyce, Brett Angell, Peter
Barnes, Colin Suggett and Danny Dichio all leading the line for both sides. |
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Gary Emmerson: Posted on 11 February 2012 12:23
Midfielder Sebastian Larsson scored a cracking free-kick at the Emirates earlier in the season and will be hoping for something similar this afternoon against an Arsenal side who brought him into English football. Striker Nicklas Bendtner, on the other hand, will be on the sidelines for two reasons – the first the facial injury that has kept him out of action since the victory over Swansea, and the second the fact he is not permitted to play against Arsenal, who have loaned him to Sunderland for the season. |
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Gary Emmerson: Posted on 08 February 2012 16:29
In addition to the A19, there are many other things linking Sunderland and Middlesbrough, particularly when it comes to football. It is hardly surprising, when you consider less than 30 miles separate the two clubs, that an abundance of players have donned the colours of both. Former Sunderland star Julio Arca could be in the Middlesbrough side at the Riverside for tonight’s FA Cup fourth round replay. The Argentine missed out on what would have been an emotional return to the Stadium of Light last Sunday as suspension ruled him out – just like injury meant Sunderland defender Matt Kilgallon missed out against the Boro side he was loaned to last season. |
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Gary Emmerson: Posted on 27 January 2012 17:18
In addition to the A19, there are many other things linking Sunderland and Middlesbrough, particularly when it comes to football. It is hardly surprising, when you consider less than 30 miles separate the two clubs, that an abundance of players have donned the colours of both. Former Sunderland star Julio Arca will be in the stands at the Stadium of Light on Sunday for the FA Cup fourth round visit of his Middlesbrough side. The Argentine was excited by the prospect of returning to face the Black Cats, but a second booking at Coventry last Saturday resulted in a suspension that has denied him the chance to star in front of the Sunderland fans he adored and was equally adored by. |
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Gary Emmerson: Posted on 20 January 2012 13:32
Two former Sunderland midfielders are part of the current Swansea set up, but only one will be able to affect Saturday's Premier League clash at the Stadium of Light. That man is Colin Pascoe, the Welshman who played for both clubs and now is right-hand man to Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers. Pascoe was an integral part of Denis Smith's Sunderland side, operating down the left flank more often than not. He arrived in 1988 in a deal from Swansea, where he came through the ranks, and spent five years on Wearside before heading back to south Wales, initially on loan before returning permanently. |
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Gary Emmerson: Posted on 12 January 2012 12:52
Transfer movement between Sunderland and Chelsea may not have been the most frequent over the years, the most recent of which saw youngster Billy Knott make the switch from the Stamford Bridge youth team to the Academy of Light. Knott is yet to make an impact on the first-team (he is now on loan at AFC Wimbledon having made the switch on Wednesday), but some big names have made appearances for both clubs. The most recent of those at first-team level was Bolo Zenden as he followed in the footsteps of the likes of Bryan "Pop" Robson, Clive Walker, Gareth Hall, Emerson Thome and Tore-Andre Flo as players to have worn the red and white stripes of Sunderland and the royal blue of Chelsea. |
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Gary Emmerson: Posted on 21 December 2011 14:49
Martin O’Neill’s team could come up against two former Sunderland players when they visit Loftus Road to face Queens Park Rangers on Wednesday, one having already pulled on the colours of both club’s this season. That man is, of course, Anton Ferdinand who was offloaded by former boss Steve Bruce at the end of the transfer window despite starting the season as the first choice centre-back at Sunderland alongside new boy Wes Brown. The decision was taken to allow Ferdinand, who had been in and out of the side during his three years on Wearside since signing in 2008, to leave and he could now line-up at the heart of the QPR defence. |
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Gary Emmerson: Posted on 17 December 2011 12:04
For many years there was very little transfer activity
between Sunderland and Tottenham with the route up the A1 between White Hart
Lane and Roker Park one made by fans more than transferring players. But in
recent seasons, there seems to have been some sort of conveyor belt with a host
of deals done.
The first of the most recent connections came during the
1990’s when first Phil Gray, the Northern Ireland international striker who had
started out as a youth team player at Tottenham before making his name with
Luton, from where Terry Butcher splashed out £800,000 to sign him. |
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Gary Emmerson: Posted on 01 December 2011 14:57
Sunday’s opposition Wolves have plenty of links to Sunderland – most significantly in the shape of the man who occupies the home dugout at Molineux. Mick McCarthy, of course, enjoyed a rollercoaster period as Sunderland manager during his reign at the Stadium of Light before being dismissed during the 15-point relegation season, after which he took over at Wolves and led them back into the Premier League.  On his current playing staff is defender Jody Craddock, who he had been forced to offload at Sunderland shortly after taking over following relegation to the Championship. |
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Gary Emmerson: Posted on 24 November 2011 14:38
When Wigan visit the Stadium of Light on Saturday, there will be many disillusioned Sunderland fans wishing that manager Steve Bruce and captain Lee Cattermole were in the away dressing room. Despite a section of the Sunderland faithful wanting to see both leave Wearside, the pair will both be doing their utmost to secure a much-needed home success against their former club. When then chairman Niall Quinn agreed a £3million compensation deal to secure Bruce’s services as his new manager in the summer of 2009, he became one a small band of names to be connected to both Sunderland and Wigan. |
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Gary Emmerson: Posted on 17 November 2011 12:27
 Think links between Sunderland and Fulham and there aren’t too many names that will trip off the tongue. Fans favourite Steed Malbranque is the most recent to pull on both red and white stripes and the lilywhite of the Londoners, but a look further back in time shows that an FA Cup winner and two Milk Cup finalists are among the short list of players to have represented both clubs. Of course, the FA Cup winner to have played for both clubs is Vic Halom. The star of 1973 – Halom scored the crucial goals in the quarter-final against Manchester City and the semi-final win over Arsenal – joined Sunderland from Luton in that cup winning season and spent three years leading the line at Roker Park. |
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Gary Emmerson: Posted on 03 November 2011 14:33
In recent seasons, there seems to have been a revolving door taking players straight from Old Trafford to the Stadium of Light. A quick glance at the Sunderland squad only emphasises the point with five former Manchester United players forming part of ex-Red Devil Steve Bruce’s Premier League squad. Wes Brown and John O’Shea made cut-price transfers to the north-east in the summer having been made surplus to requirements by Sir Alex Ferguson. Brown will return to Old Trafford on Saturday, but O’Shea misses out due to the injury picked up in last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa which will keep him out for two or three weeks. |
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Gary Emmerson: Posted on 27 October 2011 11:01
There is one obvious link with Saturday's opponents Aston Villa and that is with Darren Bent, or Judas as he is referred to by the majority of Sunderland fans, returning to the Stadium of Light for the first time since his controversial sale to the midlands club. Bent is sure to receive a hostile reception, providing one of those timely groin strains he so often gets isn't picked up in training on Friday. The majority of fans consider him to have quit the club in favour of money, something Bent himself denies. |
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Gary Emmerson: Posted on 20 October 2011 15:19
Welcome to the Connection Section. In this, a new regular feature on Seventy3magazine.co.uk, we look each week at the players and managers who have come through the doors at both clubs taking part in the upcoming fixture. Where better to start than with the glamour tie that is Bolton Vs Sunderland? Think links between Sunderland and Saturday's Premier League Bolton and, other than those to play for both clubs in recent seasons - the likes of Gavin McCann and El Hadji Diouf, the one name that will spring to the front of most minds will be Sam Allardyce. |
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