Sunderland AFC Supporter's Association Heaven branch launches search for families of fans who died too soon

And now the search is on for members of their families to take part in an emotional unveiling ceremony.

Club historian Rob Mason was inspired to create a tribute to fans who lost their lives traveling to and from or at games after a caller to Radio Newcastle’s sports phone-in suggested it.

Rob contacted the Sunderland Supporters’ Association Heaven Branch and it was agreed that a remembrance plaque should be displayed at the branch’s memorial garden outside the Stadium of Light.

“The idea came about almost exactly two years ago,” said Rob.

"A Mr Robert Kennedy appeared on local radio to talk about four young supporters who had been tragically killed on their way back from an FA Cup tie at Liverpool in January 1961. I thought that a plaque to recognise these and other supporters who had lost their lives while following The Lads would be an appropriate thing to do.

A generous offer

]"The plaque does not name individual supporters, because we did not want to risk the possibility of not including someone we should have, and equally sadly there will inevitably be people in future who we will lose.

“The wording, therefore. is a generic statement which we hope will recognise all those people who have have lost their lives following the team they all loved.”

The Heaven branch had intended to fund the plaque from sales of their pin badge and Playoff matchday prints, donated by Radio Newcastle commentator Nick Barnes.

However, local business Robinson Brown Design subsequently offered to pay for it outright, so funds already raised will be split between local charities, 4Louis and Action on Dementia Sunderland.

The plaque will be unveiled on the morning of the home game against Reading on February 11 and now branch organisers are hoping to trace family members of deceased fans so they can attend.

“We have managed to do some research ourselves with limited results, so we are now asking our fans to help us locate family and friends of those supporters that lost their lives,” said co-founder Joanne Youngson.

"It’s tragic to think someone following their beloved club never came home and they all deserve to be remembered.”

How you can help

The branch is seeking to contact the families of:

*Michael Oxberry, 15, James Fenton, 26, James Fleury, 17, and David Scott, also 17, all from Sunderland, who lost their lives when their coach broke down another bus crashed into them in January 1961;

*Kevin Bottoms, 19, of West Boldon and Keith Bowen, 16, of Boldon Colliery, who died in a road accident on the way home from Reading in February 1973;

*And Jeffrey Talbot, 24 of Percy Terrace Hendon, son of James and Ann Talbot; Neil Hunter, 21 of Hall Farm, son of Brian and Lillian, brother of Karen, Brian and Graeme; and Geoffrey Harle, 24, also of Hall Farm, son of Jennifer and Ron, brother of Lindsay, Michael and Catherine, who died in a crash on their way to Oxford in November 1988.

Anyone who can help can contact the branch through its website https://safcheavenbranch.co.uk/, email: [email protected] or call 07971 166 190.