Sunderland 1973: The 100-a-side football match in the Wembley car park ahead of the FA Cup final

The Black Cats fans also triumphed in a 100-a-side football match in the Wembley car park. We know because Clive Lee was there and he contacted the Echo to share his memories.

Clive was a 14 year old, who ‘lived, slept, and breathed Sunderland football club’.

And when Bob Stokoe’s team went on that memorable cup run, Clive could barely eat because he was so excited.

The former Bede School pupil remembers: “The weeks leading up to the final, was like waiting for Christmas. I could think of nothing but Wembley. I was even off my food, which was a rare thing for a young hungry lad like me.”

‘We went to London on a clapped out bus’

He remembers his brother Robert having a paper round at the time and going round the houses with Sunderland Echo headlines stapled to his parka coat, carrying messages such as "Stokoe the Messiah!" and "Sunderland in Wonderland."

Then came the big day itself.

“We travelled down on the Friday night before the game on an old clapped out old bus from Park Lane. It was rocking all night with the fans singing and chanting. We arrived in London at 7am bleary eyed.

"We watched the build up at Wembley Way. The fans had massive banners, and were dressed in every bit of red and white they could lay their hands on.

100-a-side in the Wembley car park

"There was a game of footy going on in the car park between Sunderland and Leeds fans. Think it was about a hundred on each side. We won of course and there must have been a few broken legs on each side.

“Once inside the atmosphere was fantastic. The flags, banners, horns, drums, and the sea of red and white, made it like a cast iron reassurance that no way we could lose this game today, with an army of proud fans like these.”

Clive added: “When Porterfield scored in the 32nd minute, it was pandemonium in our end. Everyone was jumping and hugging each other like long lost brothers and sisters. My father lost his red and white boater.

"A huge bloke picked me up like a bag of sticks and hugged me squeezing the living day lights out of me. I remember saying " mister don't kill me. I've got to live at least to the full time whistle.”

The final whistle approached.

Grown men cried at the final whistle

“A bloke kept asking me the time a dozen times in the space of a minute. In the end I said "here is my watch!!"

But at last the ref blew his whistle. I saw grown miners and shipyard workers crying with emotion, and in shock. I felt totally exhausted, shocked, and pure joy at the same time.

"I looked up at the giant electronic scoreboard which was there for the whole World to see. It read, LEEDS UNITED 0 SUNDERLAND 1 PORTERFIELD 32 MINUTES.

“In all the years I have supported Sunderland, this momentous day has to be the greatest day I have experienced as a supporter. Nothing has yet eclipsed it.”

Do you have memories of 1973? Email [email protected] and share your own story.