By Dave P
February 12 2006

This time last week I was looking at the fact that when we beat Charlton at home we finish third so I thought I would look for similar omens when playing Sunderland. That’s where the problems started though. This time last week I was looking at the fact that when we beat Charlton at home we finish third so I thought I would look for similar omens when playing Sunderland. That’s where the problems started though.

This was not helped by reading that of the last 32 home matches Sunderland have played in the Premiership they have only won three, and one of them was against Spurs on 10th November 2002 when we lost 2-0 at the Stadium of Light the last time they got relegated. Add to that the fact we have lost our last two away matches and I start to worry.

Sunderlands previous term in the Premiership prior to the stay that ended in 2003 was a brief one consisting of the 1996/97 season. How did we fare up there that season? Quite well is the answer as Steffan Iverson got a hat-trick and Allan Nielson scored the other one as we won by a convincing 4 goals to nil. We also beat them 2-0 at home that season with goals from Teddy Sheringham and Andy Sinton.

1990/91 saw another brief visit to the top flight for the Black Cats in the final season of the old League Division One. Two draws that season with a 3-3 at White Hart Lane and a 0-0 at Roker Park. The goals in the home fixture were scored by Gary Lineker and a brace from Paul Walsh.. Sunderland were relegated and we finished mid-table in 11th place.

So how about finding a comparable season when Spurs were doing well and Sunderland were getting themselves relegated. Well how about looking at 1984/85. Sunderland went down and we finished 3rd so surely we did well up there. Well actually we lost 1-0 and it was the first time in our history two Spurs players were sent off in a game when both Clive Allen and Graham Roberts received their marching orders.

How about earlier in our history? 1957/58 could be considered a very similar season to this one in that we were doing very well (we in fact finished third) and Sunderland got themselves relegated (again). Our trip to Roker Park that year was played on 2nd November 1957 and a crowd of 36,091 witnessed a 1-1 draw, Johnny Brooks getting the goal. This was better than the home fixture though which was played at White Hart Lane on 15th March 1958 when we lost 1-0 in front of 40,751.

The year before that Sunderland just avoided relegation and we finished 2nd. The results were somewhat better for us though as we won 5-2 at home in front of over 52,000 fans on 9th February 1957. Tommy Harmer, Alf Stokes (2) Bobby Smith and an Anderson og accounting for our five goals. The away match that season was on 29th September 1956 and we won that one 2-0. Alf Stokes (again) and Bobby Smith were the scorers o that occasion.

Just a quick mention of the 1920/21 season now. We played Sunderland away on 26th March 1921 and won the match 1-0. Our goal scorer that day was one Jimmy Seed. Now Jimmy Seed started playing football at a young age and was a regular in his school team by the time he was 10 and then in the Whitburn Side by the time he was 14. He joined Sunderland as a professional in 1914 and then signed up for the West Yorkshire Regiment when War broke out. He served in France and was gassed in the trenches and on his return Sunderland released him (somewhat surprisingly) in May 1919. After a spell for the Welsh side Mid-Rhondda he moved to Spurs in February 1920 for £350. After regaining full fitness he helped us win the FA cup in 1921 in his second year with the club. In 254 games he scored 77 times and was capped five times by England and was seen as an excellent Inside forward in his day.

Spurs thought his days were over when we let him go to Sheffield Wednesday in August 1927. Not one of our best decisions as after helping the Owls avoid relegation in the 1927/28 season (we were relegated) he went on to win two back to back championship medals with Wednesday (1929 and 1930) while we languished in Division Two. After scoring 37 goals in 146 games in Sheffield he retired from playing and after two years as secretary-manager of Clapton Orient he took over the reins at Charlton Athletic and remained in charge for 23 years during which time he gained promotion from the Third Division (South) and the second division in successive years, 1935-36 and 1936-37 ,both times as runners up. He also led them to FA Cup victory in 1947 after having lost to Derby in the first post war final the previous year.

He left Charlton in 1956 but returned to football as an advisor (and for a short time caretaker manager) at Bristol City before returning to South East London as manager and then director at Millwall. He died in July 1966 in Farnborough.


So not too many good omens this week I’m afraid but our overall record against Sunderland in the Premier league – Played 11, Won 9 and lost 2 should stand us in good stead in todays encounter as we look to increase our advantage over that mob from down the road and it’s been a while since we have been able to enjoy that at this stage of a season.

Come on you Spurs.