Sunderland derby day scorer Wayne Entwistle still cherishes the memory – 42 years on

Any Sunderland fan, or indeed Newcastle fan, old enough to remember can instantly recall the February 24, 1979 “Gary Rowell derby” before 34,733 at St James’ Park.

But Wayne Entwistle, then 20, scored the “other goal”, a header in the 4-1 victory after Seaham lad Rowell had scored a hat-trick.

Rowell scored two in the first 25 minutes. John Connolly headed one back for Newcastle on 50 minutes before Rowell scored a penalty. Rowell also took most of the credit for Wayne’s goal, lobbing it to the back post for a virtually unmissable chance.

But as football fans always say, “he had to be there”. Furthermore, there were still 20 minutes remaining and Wayne’s goal was necessary to effectively end the contest.

Wayne is now 62 and lives in his native Bury where he works in construction.

He loves the memory of that derby and said: “It was all about Gary really. He’d already got his hat-trick. He made a little shimmy and lifted it onto the back post for me. He really was a talented player.

"But it was my goal and it killed them off.

“It was a good team, with some other great players: Shaun Elliott, Kevin Arnott, Alan Brown, Gordon Chisholm. Unfortunately Gary did his ligaments and we missed promotion by one point. But they went up the season after when I’d left.

“I didn’t realise at the time how good that team was. It’s a fantastic memory. I’ve got a photograph somewhere of me holding up four fingers to the Gallowgate at full-time.

“I was walking on air when I signed for Sunderland and have no regrets. I wish nothing but the very best for Sunderland Football Club and their supporters.”

Wayne, who joined Sunderland in 1977 before being sold to Leeds in 1979, has just cycled from Bury to Carlisle, then along Hadrian’s Wall, to raise money for vital research into dementia and motor neurone disease.

Any Sunderland supporter wishing to do the equivalent of buying Wayne Entwistle a pint for scoring that goal against Newcastle, should visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/friends-through-football.

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