Snow at Roker Park: When Sunderland FC games went ahead despite the blizzards

Those were the days. When a frozen pitch and blizzards never got in the way of a football match.

Have a look at these great days at Roker Park from the 1970s and 1980s.

It was the era when local youngsters helped clear snow from the pitch in return for a free ticket to the match.

When snow blowers did sterling work and when players battled through the freezing conditions.

Relive it all through these Echo photos.

5. A mammoth job

All hands on deck for this snow clearing operation in January 1982. | se

A packed Roker Park for this Christmas fixture in the snow against Oxford in the 1970s. | se

These youngsters helped clear the snow from the Roker Park pitch. It got them a free ticket to the match. | se

Remembering the days of games on snow covered pitches. | se