The young SAFC fan who swapped autographs of the 1973 FA Cup winning team for a pack of Top Trumps

That’s what we asked Echo followers wow what a response we got!

They came in from as far away as Australia and you certainly didn’t forget where you were.

Marc Hall remembered: “My mam and dad ran what was then the VG shop directly across the road from The Board Inn.

“If Google maps was around back then you would’ve been able to pan round 180 degrees and seen me and the rest of the family on the top floor of the shop.

“I have no idea why, but the only football kit I had back then was an Arsenal one, so that’s what I was wearing! I was only six and a half though!

“The really daft thing though was that Ian Porterfield lived just down the road next to East Herrington Primary School and would sometimes go to the shop.

“My dad asked him if he could get the autographs of the team for me, which he kindly did in a proper autograph book. Not knowing what I had, I thought I was being a proper entrepreneur when about six months later I swapped them at school with my ‘friend’ Michael Young for a pack of Top Trumps.”

David Harland said: “When the team bus came down Durham Road, I was standing on top of the police hostel roof with some colleagues. By invitation only and rather windy 4/5 stories high.”

Peter Whillians said: “I lived above the fishhook at the Prospect. Think there were about 20 people in our house getting views from the bedroom windows. Will remember till I die.”

Margaret Warren said Vine Place while Christopher Foster was ‘standing outside the Beehive.”

Mary Percy Hird was in Roker Park while Margaret Thompson was ‘outside the Beehive and wearing my star jumper. Fantastic memories.”

Patrick Robinson said: “I was a chef in the Cavalier. I held the fort while everyone else went to Durham Road to see the team. No staff or customers, just me.”

Jean Gardner was ‘on the A690 waving the bus past’ while George Joyce was at the bottom of Grindon Lane.

Kathleen Hughes was ‘in Roker Park right next to the tunnel with my friend Ruth!” while Billy Leonard was on the roof of the Prospect.

Christine Davison told us she ‘started off in town centre and walked down to end up in Roker Park’ while Cecilia Buick was ‘on Roker Avenue outside the Dutton Forshaw car sale room.”

Barbara Gallagher said she was ‘following the team, cup and coffin to Roker Park.”

Christine Casey was ‘working in Woolworths’ while Tom Rodenby said he was in ‘Windsor N.S.W. Australia and watched the game on television with numerous beers and a mate from Darlington.”

As we get ready to cheer Sunderland in their bid to get back to Wembley, tell us where you were on the day the Black Cats brought the FA Cup home in 1973.

You can do just that by emailing [email protected] – we can’t wait to hear from you!

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