Growing up in Sunderland: Memories of watching SAFC at Roker Park and becoming a lifelong football fan

That’s the question we were asking members of our Wearside Echoes retro community on Facebook, as we marked 136 years this month since the first games were played in the English Football League. Whether it was win, lose or draw, the first visit to Roker Park or Stadium of Light was enough to spark a lifelong love of the beautiful game – and the Black Cats.

So fire up that battered copy of Premier Passions and dig your favourite retro football shirt out the back of the wardrobe; we’re heading on a trip to seasons past to shine a light on the first time you saw Sunderland play.

How many of these highlights – or maybe lowlights – do you remember?

‘Hooked ever since’

Gareth Davies: “Sunderland 2-2 Aston Villa, November 1972. Been pestering my dad for ages to take me.”

Mickey Skehan: “The crowd singing, we lost 2-0 to Liverpool but the crowd never stopped, Ha’way the Lads.”

Neville Lowery: “Sunderland 3-1 Fulham, sometime back in the ‘60s. Neil Martin scored.”

Frank Drury: “Sunderland 4-0 Blackpool. Neil Martin hat trick. Hooked ever since.”

Dave Royal: “My first and last. Played terrible and lost 3-0.”

John Pallas: “1963, Sunderland 5-2 Gravesend. Roker Park FA Cup replay.”

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‘My first hero in red and white’

Dean Stanness: “Called off. Roker Park, against Liverpool at half-time, frozen pitch.”

Bart Wilson: “1960, Good Friday v Norwich nil-nil draw, nine years old. Still supporting the lads.”

Derrick Renwick: “1956, SAFC 0-0 Bolton Wanderers. My only time seeing the great shack.”

Gerry Chisholm: “3-1 Arsenal 1954.”

Laurie Tip Crow: “Can't remember who took me, who we played, or what the score was. Just remember Jimmy McNab, my first hero in red and white. Not a bad starting point in my book.”

David Smith: “FA cup v chesterfield 1975. Roker End with my dad. Won 2-0.”

Elaine Briggs: “Roker Park, 1963 aged six. My dad made me a swing seat and attached it the the rail . Can't remember who we played but I loved it and have loved football and Sunderland ever since.”

A stolen bobble hat

Gordon Yule: “1953 SAFC reserves v Birmingham, Roker Park with my late dad.”

Chris Symonds: “Chris Lawler scoring against us, if memory serves it relegated us. And some **** nicking my bobble hat on the way out of the ground.”

Kevin Wilson: “Sunderland reserves v Lincoln City reserves at Roker Park, about 1963. I was four. It was freezing. Dad got carried away with the match and put me down in the snow. I cried and have been crying ever since.”

David Brookes: “FA Cup round four, Sunderland 1-1 Reading, February 3, 1973.”

Pat Seadog McCardle: “September 4, 1967, 2-2 v Liverpool, an early seventh birthday, but had to walk there from Sunningdale Road, Springwell then walk to Joplings for the bus home after the game. Had a good sleep afterwards.”

Brian Chisholm: “Getting hammered off Celtic and all the drunken Scotsmen in the Roker End!”