When Sunderland hammered Newcastle United 4-0 - on Christmas Day
Picture the scene. It’s Christmas Day. You’ve opened the presents, had your dinner. Now it’s time to go to the game.
As little as 66 years ago, the Black Cats had to play matches on Christmas Day and one of them was a derby belter, as Philip Curtis of the Sunderland Antiquarian Society reports.
Until the mid-1950s, League games were usually played on Christmas Day as well as Boxing Day with the same teams more often than not playing each other on successive days.
These were special games. They were considered holiday matches and were expected to attract large crowds.
Fixtures were usually arranged so that teams did not have to travel too far.
And, apart from 1907 when Sunderland had to travel all the way to Bristol City, the opposition was usually from Lancashire, Yorkshire or even a local derby.
Even so, with limited transport available, fans had to plan well in advance to ensure that they arrived at the ground in time for the kick off.
They probably also had to placate their families before leaving for a day away from their loved ones.
Beating Newcastle 4-0
Their first encounter with Newcastle United on a Christmas Day was in 1914 and what a day it was for Wearsiders.
It was a day when the Black Cats hammered the Magpies 4-0 at Roker Park in front of an appreciative 40,000 fans.
However, just 24 hours later, Newcastle turned the tables, and enjoyed a 4-2 victory.
Between the wars, Christmas Day produced many high scoring games. For example, in 1926 Sunderland travelled to Everton and, in a pulsating game, lost 5-4.
The following day, they reversed the result winning 3-2. It meant the total number of goals scored in the two games was a huge fourteen.
Occasionally Sunderland were on the end of Christmas Day drubbings - in 1929 they lost 5-2 at Blackburn.
A 7-0 sensation
And in the Christmas Day match in 1934 they were beaten 6-2 at Everton.
The following day however they ran amok and beat Everton 7-0 with Gurney, Gallacher and Connor each scoring two goals bringing the goal total over the twenty four hours to an astonishing fifteen.
Perhaps only Sunderland could concede six goals one day and score seven the other.
Christmas Day matches continued to take place after the Second World War.
Perhaps the pick of the festive fare was in 1950 when Sunderland played Manchester United at Roker Park winning 2-1 in front of 41,215 with both goals coming from Tommy Wright.
On Boxing Day, the Black Cats again beat United, this time 5-3, with Ivor Broadis scoring a hat-trick.
Fred’s only goal was on Christmas Day
Christmas Day 1953 brought captain Fred Hall a much awaited present for Sunderland in a 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town. In 224 appearances, this was his only goal.
Sunderland’s final Christmas Day fixture was a 1-0 win in 1956 at Roker Park against Aston Villa. Billy Bingham scored the only goal.
Since then, Sunderland have never played a match on Christmas Day.
Our thanks to Philip for another great read.
The Antiquarian Society welcomes people to its Heritage Centre on Wednesday and Saturdays, from 9.30am to 12pm.
Visit the Antiquarian Society’s Facebook page or website at http://www.sunderland-antiquarians.org to find out more.