Sunderland legend Gary Bennett picks the games that defined his remarkable spell at the club

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SOUTHAMPTON (H) August 15th, 1984

Gary Bennett arrived at Sunderland in the summer of 1984 after Len Ashurst had taken the manager’s job.

The pair had enjoyed a successful stint together at Cardiff City and despite strong interest from Crystal Palace, Bennett moved to Roker Park.

He got off to the perfect start….

It was a special occasion for me, not only my Sunderland debut but also my first time playing top-level football.

It was the first time for me to get that taste of what it was like to play for those supporters and also to play at Roker Park.

I couldn’t have got off to a better start really.

I scored a goal in the first couple of minutes which always helps to start winning supporters over.

I had them from that day on and didn’t need to look back.

There’s obviously some history that goes alongside with me signing for Sunderland, in that I’m stepping up from Cardiff to the top level, I’m a virtual unknown and one of the first black players to play for the club.

When you’re making your debut, supporters want to see what you’re all about and I was just something different altogether.

I was a centre-half who was coming out from the back and playing out.

People are thinking, ‘what is he doing?!’

Centre-halves defended, headed the ball. All of a sudden I’m picking the ball up, going into the opposition’s half, trying to go past players.

People are thinking, ‘what have we signed here?!’

The goal itself is a bit vague in my mind but I remember that I was playing against some big internationals.They had Joe Jordan up against me up front and Peter Shilton in goal.

It’s a set piece, it’s fallen to me and I’ve just put my foot through it and it’s in the back of the net.

To score against the England number one, that was the icing on the cake.

Sunderland XI: Turner; Pickering, Chisholm, Elliott, Bennett; Venison, Proctor, Berry, West; Gayle, Walker

Goals: Bennett, Proctor, Venison, Armstrong

Manchester United (H) November 24, 1984

A few months later, Sunderland secured one of their most memorable victories that season.

Manchester United surged into a two-goal lead thanks to goals from Bryan Robson and Mark Hughes.

The home side staged a remarkable comeback, Bennett himself influential as he again popped up in the final third.

He was brought down for a penalty that Clive Walker converted, one of three goals for the striker in a remarkable first half.

Hughes and David Hodgson also saw red for a melee in that opening 45...

You always want to play against the big teams and being from Manchester myself, it had that little bit of extra spice to it.

We went behind but won 3-2, with all the goals in the first half.

Clive Walker scored a hat-trick and there were two sending offs, and they were both in the first half as well.

It’s always a huge result to beat Manchester United but to do it the way we did it, coming from behind, Clive getting those goals, was special.

The second half, nothing happened at all!

It was a classic game for us and you have to make the most of it when you beat those top teams.

Sunderland XI: Turner; Bennett, Venison, Chisholm, Daniel; Berry, Cummins, West, Hodgson; Walker, Gayle

Goals: Robson, Hughes, Walker (x3)

Newcastle United (A) May 16, 1990

Newcastle had narrowly missed out on automatic promotion while a strong run of form for Sunderland had edged them into sixth.

That meant the fierce rivals would meet over two legs for a place at Wembley.

Newcastle were firmly in the ascendancy after the clash at Roker Park, but Bennett’s team would produce one of the club’s greatest performances just a few days later…

We went on a hell of a run to finish sixth in the league.

The first leg was at home and we drew 0-0 after Paul Hardyman missed a penalty in the 89th minute.

Newcastle felt then they were going to win and that it had been a great result for them, which it was.

We went to St James Park and played really, really well.

When you’ve got Gates and Gabbiadini, you’ve always got a chance.

They forged a great partnership and understanding.

Eric had that pace, Marco that power.

We knew if we could keep it tight, we were capable.

To go there in front of a full house and win, it was one of the best results ever when you take the occasion into account.

There was an invasion when we were 2-0 up and everything else that came with it.

For supporters and players, it has to be one of the best results ever.

Sunderland XI: Norman; Kay, Bennett, MacPhail, Agboola; Owers, Armstrong, Bracewell, Hawke; Gates, Gabbiadini

Goals: Gates, Gabbiadini

Manchester United (H) September 1, 1990

Back in the top tier under the management of Denis Smith, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side visited Roker Park for the third game of the season…

It’s something that you dream of in the park as a kid, when you go to bed at night.

To score the winner, last minute, against Manchester United.

It’s another one where, for some unknown reason, I find myself up the field in the last minute”

As a youngster I played in midfield but I could also play up front.

When I went to Manchester City, the reserve-team coach at that time saw that I had that pace and so thought that they could do with me playing at centre-back.

I was a good size, too, which helped.

So I dropped back but they never wanted to take out the fact that I could dribble and run out from the back.

So all those aspects from midfield helped me in defence.

I had that advantage in being something different as a centre-back.

To go past Gary Pallister, a player who had cost a lot of money and been a record signing, go then find that composure to finish it off, you just think ‘gosh, was that real?’

It’s just one of those moments no one can ever take away.

You can always say, I scored the winner against Manchester United.

Sunderland XI: Norman; Kay, Hardyman, Bennett, Agboola; Ball, Owers, Bracewell, Armstrong; Gabbiadini, Davenport

Subs: Brady, Hauser

Goals: Owers, McClair, Bennett

Manchester City (A) May 11 1991

On the final day of that season, Sunderland travelled to Maine Road needing three points and a lot of luck to beat the drop.

It didn’t quite happen, but the scenes that day have stayed with Bennett ever since...

We had to win and hope that the other results went our way.

It had been an exciting season but we didn’t get the results our performances deserved.

We played some attractive football, we just didn’t know how to shut-up-shop.

But for me this was just the day that summed Sunderland up as a club.

It was the last game of the season but we took 17,000 down to Maine Road.

At the end of the game, Man City were applauding Sunderland supporters.

They couldn’t believe it given the position we were in.

We’d heard during the week about how many supporters were supposed to be travelling but no one was quite sure.

We lost 3-2, Marco scored and I ended up scoring as well, which was obviously special for me to score at a ground that I had such a connection with.

My Mam and Dad were there behind the goal when I scored.

At the end of the game, seeing those supporters and that loyalty, to be able to go round and appreciate what they did for us, it was really special.

Even now, you go round the country with Sunderland and you see the shock at other clubs with the sheer numbers you bring.

It’s a highlight for them.

Sunderland XI: Norman, Kay, Hardyman, Bennett, Ord; Pascoe, Owers, Bracewell, Hawke; Davenport, Gabbiadini

Subs: Brady, Hauser

Goals: Quinn (x2), White, Gabbiadini, Bennett

Norwich City March 24 1985 & Liverpool May 9 1992 (Wembley)

Bennett twice played in cup finals and though both ended in defeat, they remained treasured memories...

As a young player coming into the game, what do you want to do?

Get into the team, play as many games as you can, play at the highest level you can…. and play at Wembley.

OK, we didn’t win, but at the end of the day, you got there.

Against Norwich, we hit the post, Clive Walker missed a penalty, it was a game that could have gone either way.

In 1992, John Byrne scored in every round, we had a couple of chances early on in the final that we didn’t take and the rest is history.

It was a fantastic occasion, not just for myself and my family, but for the football club.

The FA Cup for me growing up, it just took over.

You would watch the whole build-up. The hotels, the suits, cameras following them on and off the bus.

It was just fantastic.

It was a player’s dream.

The semi-final at Roker Park, Gordon Armstrong’s header, just a fantastic goal from him.

You look back on that run and was it was just about belief.

Yes, we had a bit of luck but it’s not like we didn’t beat everybody. Chelsea, West Ham United…

It goes and you start to get that belief.

We went to Hillsborough for the semi-final and what an occasion...the back of the goal in those days went right up into the sky and was full of Sunderland supporters. Byrne scored again.

Liverpool weren’t having the best of times that season and people wondered if it might be a bit like 1973 again.

It wasn’t meant to be but you can’t take those occasions away.

Sunderland XI v Norwich: Turner, Pickering, Bennett, Corner, Chisholm, Daniel, Wallace, Hodgson, Berry, Walker

Subs: Gayle

Goal: Chisholm OG

Sunderland XI v Liverpool: Norman, Ball, Bennett, Rogan, Owers, Rush, Bracewell, Armstrong, Atkinson, Davenport, Byrne

Subs: Hardyman, Hawke

Goals: Thomas, Rush