Some have worked out well… whilst some definitely haven’t during their time at the Stadium of Light.
On The Echo’s social media pages recently, we asked Sunderland fans for their favourite cult heroes.
The term ‘cult hero’ means different things to different people.
Some, for instance, see Kevin Ball, Kevin Phillips, and Niall Quinn as legends rather than cult heroes.
And there’s also an argument to suggest that cult hero status doesn’t have anything to do with ability or achievement.
Indeed, the technical definition of ‘cult hero’ mentions a ‘public figure who is loved by a relatively small group and not necessarily successful.’
Some Sunderland fans, for example, regard Billy Jones as a cult hero despite the full-back never really impressing on Wearside… that goal against Newcastle United aside, of course.
Here, though, we look at the players who some fans still remember despite their flaws:
The term ‘cult hero’ means different things to different people.
![The big defender had a rocky start to his Sunderland career but matured during his stint at Sunderland and gained a little bit of a cult following during his time on Wearside.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmJmYWVkNDU4LWRhYjctNDg1Mi05MmJiLTI3NjNkZjUzZmI1NDo3ZmI1MTY0NS05OTg4LTRlMTYtOGY4ZS1iNmUzNjRmNmFmZjE=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
9. Alim Ozturk
The big defender had a rocky start to his Sunderland career but matured during his stint at Sunderland and gained a little bit of a cult following during his time on Wearside. Photo: James Chance