SUNDERLAND 0 CITY 2
League Division 1
18th September 1976
Attendance 37,395
Scorers Tueart(80), Royle(85)
Ref M Lowe
City Corrigan, Docherty, Donachie, Doyle, Watson, Conway, Power, Kidd, Royle, Hartford, Tueart – sub Henry(55)
Sunderland Montgomery, Malone, Bolton, Towers, Clarke, Ashurst, Train, Hughes, Greenwood, Robson, Rowell – sub Longhorn
Ex Mackem Dennis Tueart was the City hero as he scored one and made the second for Joe Royle to ensure Tony Book’s side left Wearside with both points.
Tony Henry also came on to make his debut.
from DENNIS TUEART – MY FOOTBALL JOURNEY By Dennis Tueart – … With the team unbeaten, I returned to Roker Park for the sixth league game of the season. I’d been looking forward to the game from the day the fixtures came out. Bob Stokoe had finally Sunderland to the top tier the season before, and it was an opportunity for me to go back and thank the Sunderland fans.
On the eve of the game, I wrote an article for The Sunday Mirror warning Bob not to make the same mistake as he did after the 1973 FA Cup final win and to be ambitious and improve his squad. I was delighted they were back in the first division, but once more they hadn’t invested in a better standard of player and they were yet to win a game that season. I hoped that the fans wouldn’t hold that article against me. I was only being honest after all and, as it turned out, I was right.
There was a 37,000 strong crowd and as ever Roker Park looked fantastic when it was full. I scored a goal eight minutes from the end when I met a right wing free-kick from our right back Mick Docherty, and slid the ball in from close range. I didn’t over celebrate my goal, although, as much as I loved my time there, it was nice to go back to Roker and rise to the challenge. Four minutes later, I dashed forward on a run from the halfway line and set up Joe Royle to make it 2-0. The fans gave me a fantastic ovation at the end, and I applauded them back.