Sunderland AFC Hall of Fame evening: How to get tickets

Sunderland AFC will this week host their third Hall of Fame evening - and tickets are still available.

Sunderland legend Gary Rowell described it as, “The best night of my life” at the last event and once again this Friday, November 10, the club pay tribute to some of the biggest names in its rich history.

Players from five of the six teams to ever be league champions will be celebrated, with two of the all-time top five goal-scorers and three of the all-time top appearance makers amongst those to be honoured.

Members of the first ever promotion season from 60 years ago and the only player to captain Sunderland in a women’s FA Cup final will also receive this extra special accolade.

Michael Gray scored Sunderland’s first Premier League goal, was capped by England whilst with Sunderland and made over 400 appearances for his home town club. Gary Bennett played even more games for Sunderland where he was Player of the Year twice, and both will be in attendance, as will 2009 Women’s FA Cup final skipper Steph Bannon who Kevin Ball describes as, “The female equivalent of me.”

From the much loved 1964 promotion winning team top-scorer Johnny Crossan and defender Cec Irwin, once Sunderland’s youngest ever player, will be honoured. So too will Stan Anderson, a legendary hero of the fifties and sixties, whose final appearances were at the beginning of that first promotion campaign. Stan’s award will be collected by his widow Sue.

Organiser Rob Mason said: "At previous Hall of Fame dinners some of the best and previously unheard stories have come from the children and grandchildren of players from long ago, such as Raich Carter, Len Shackleton and Charlie Buchan.

"Friday’s dinner will be no different when direct descendants of a trio of long gone heroes are remembered. Jimmy Thorpe was just 22 when he passed away having been hurt in a game with Chelsea as he helped Sunderland to win the league title in 1936. George Holley was a member of the team who won the league and got to the cup final in 1913.

"He scored more goals for England than any other player while on Sunderland’s books and his 11 hat-tricks include one in the legendary 9-1 win away to Newcastle in 1908. You have probably heard of ‘The Team of All The Talents’.

"This was Sunderland’s most successful side ever. They won the league three times in four years in the early years of the game when goal-machine Johnny Campbell was the top scorer in the country each time.

"In honouring these nine players from the club’s ancient and modern history the club pay tribute to the greats who made SAFC a giant of football. Dennis Tueart, Jim Montgomery, Dick Malone and Micky Horswill from the 1973 FA Cup winning team will also be at the gala dinner which is hosted by Jeff Brown of BBC Look North."

Tickets are on sale until Wednesday so be quick to guarantee your place at this celebration of the history of some of the greatest players from across the generations. Tickets for the dinner cost £73+VAT and can be obtained from [email protected]