By Dave P
December 3 2005

Sunderland at home gives us a chance to have a look at a few notable occasions over the years since we first played in a friendly at Northumberland Park in March 1898. That first game incidentally was a two – nil win for the Black Cats. Sunderland at home gives us a chance to have a look at a few notable occasions over the years since we first played in a friendly at Northumberland Park in March 1898. That first game incidentally was a two – nil win for the Black Cats.

The first competitive match between the two side also took place at Northumberland Park a little under a year later on February 11th 1899 in th second round of the FA Cup. Spurs were a goal down. Having equalized with a Harry Bradshaw goal and then with twenty minutes remaining John Cameron, who was later to become our manager, popped up with the winning goal. The game was watched by 12,371 supporters.

The first league match between the sides took place at Roker Park on the 1st September 1909 when 10,000 supporters witnessed a 3-1 Sunderland win. Revenge did not tak long though as later in that season we entertained them at White Hart Lane on 25th March 1910 and racked up a healthy 5-1 victory watched by 35,000. The scorers that day were John Curtis, Percy Humphreys with a brace , Bob Steel and Bert Middlemiss.

The 1914-15 season saw Sunderland score eleven goals without reply beating us 6-0 at White Hart Lane on 19th December 1914 and 5-0 at Roker Park on 24th April 1915. In between these two matches we had won a home FA Cup 1st round tie on 9th January by two goals to one. F.anny Walden and Bert Bliss getting our goals. One other notable fact about the league match on 24th April 1915 is that it was the last Fottball League match played before the suspension of the Football League for the duration of the Great War.

The crowd for the FA Cup game in January 1915 was 17,000 which was not a patch on the crowd that was at the Lane on 5th March 1938 for a 6th round tie. On that day a massive (and never to be bettered) 75,038 crowded in to witness us get knocked out by a solitary goal.

Another game against Sunderland that is memorable, but for all the wrong reasons, took place at Roker Park on 4th September 1984. Spurs lost this match 1-0 and in what was a very poor display also had two players sent off in the same game for the first time. Clive Allen and Grahame Roberts were the men given their marching orders. This got me thinking. On how many other occasions have we had two players sent off in the same game and off the top of my head I can only think of one. Any takers on this question?

Those two may remember Sunderland for the wrong reason but I am sure Jimmy Greaves has good memories. In one of the first games I saw at White Hart Lane (the second if my memory serves me right) on 16th November 1968 we beat the Black Cats 5-1. On that day Jimmy Greaves scored four times. Mike England got the other one.

In a brief look at a player that have featured for both clubs I give you Ernest Coquet, a combative full back. As a Spurs player in three seasons between 1907 and 1911 he featured in 85 matches scoring 1 goal, a penalty and our only goal in the 3-1 defeat against Burnley in the 1909 FA Cup 3rd round replay. Born at Durnston-upon-Tyne in 1883 he was spotted by Sunderland while playing for Seaham White Star. From Sunderland he moved to reading and from there to Spurs. After leaving Spurs he played for Port Vale, helping them win the Staffordshire Cup in 1912, and then on to Fulham until his retirement in 1919. He died in Gateshead in October 1946.

Another quick fact that not many may know is that Bill Nicholson featured for Sunderland as a wartime guest.

Now for those of you hoping for a goal fest you may be interested to note that there has not been a 0-0 between the two sides since 28th August 1990 and in the fourteen games since then there have been 51 goals – that’s 3.6 per match.