On this day in 1992, Leicester City were poised to make a bid for Sunderland’s out-of-favour midfielder Gordon Armstrong.
Armstrong had been an automatic choice since Denis Smith took over in 1987, but had started only two of Sunderland’s five pre-season matches and Leicester manager Brian Little was set to test Malcolm Crosby’s resolve to keep him at the club.
Crosby had added Shaun Cunnington, John Colquhoun and Terry Butcher to the squad to help offset the loss of Paul Bracewell and Paul Hardyman,
but said he’d received no official offers for his midfielder:
I’m sure Brian Little fancies Gordon, but I’ve not had any offers and until I do I can’t comment further.
But Leicester manager Little was keeping tabs on the situation:
I’m aware of the situation, but it has not gone as far as making a bid.
Little would have had to smash Leicester’s transfer record if he was to tempt Crosby to do business at the time, which stood at £350,000 for Everton’s Mike Newell in 1987. It was reported that Sunderland turned down a £1m bid from Norwich City for Armstrong a year before Leicester’s interest. A more realistic figure at this time was reported to be about £600,000.
Armstrong’s Roker place had been put in doubt by the emergence of Martin Gray as a contender to challenge for the position and the decision to start a season with Kevin Ball at right back and allow Gary Owers to continue in midfield. The side that turned out at Scunthorpe on this day in 1992 (see below) was said to be what Crosby had planned to start the season with, and Armstrong was not included in the starting XI.
In other news…
Glanford Park instead of Wembley…
On the same day as Liverpool were defeated 4-3 at Wembley in the Charity Shield, we turned out at Glanford Park in front of just 1,455 fans and played out a 2-2 draw at one of the Football League’s latest purpose-built grounds (back in 1992!) that was “on the edge of town and easily accessible to motorway traffic”.
Sunderland had needed a morale booster after being outplayed against Tottenham in the city celebration game at Roker, but it didn’t end up going all our way…
Scunthorpe United 2-2 Sunderland
John Colquhoun scored the opener just before half-time, and the £220,000 newcomer was reportedly looking far more comfortable in a wide position. He found the overlapping Gary Owers, and when goalkeeper Mark Samways failed to hold the low cross, Colquhoun rammed home the loose ball.
Reports described that Sunderland contributed to their own problems in the first half by continually putting Tony Norman under unnecessary pressure with back passes played far too close for comfort. But it was still a shock to the system when Scunthorpe came back strongly to go ahead.
The gargling Ian Helliwell knuckled down Glen Cocker’s centre and Graham Alexander fired low and firm across Norman. Sunderland brought on Gordon Armstrong and Peter Davenport for Brian Atkinson and Don Goodman after an hour. But within three minutes, the home side struck again.
Full back Joe Joyce picked out the unmarked Dave Hill, whose angled header easily beat a stranded Norman. John Byrne, who squandered a good first half chance, was guilty of another glaring miss in the late stages. Davenport dispossessed a hesitant Samways and found Byrne, who rushed his shot towards an open goal and Paul Lemon cleared off the line.
But Sunderland could well have been 3-1 behind with five minutes left on the clock, but we levelled within seconds. Norman made a point-blank save from Tony Dawson and Gary Bennett completed the clearance, and the ball was swept upfield. Armstrong then ran at a retreating defence to set up an easy chance for Byrne to finish.
Sunderland had conceded eight goals in their last three matches, but Crosby claimed the back four against Scunthorpe was probably the one that will start at Swindon and provided an update on the contract situation with Terry Butcher:
Butcher signed a second month’s contract last week. The decision on his long-term future will be taken until it has expired. His injured knee has stood up well in five pre-season matches.
The big question still to be answered, however, is whether he will cope with the rigours of a demanding league and cup programme of more than 50 matches stretching over a nine-month period. We won’t be rushing into anything with Terry. He’s done very well pre-season, but let’s look at a few league games as well.
SCUNTHORPE: Samways, Joyce, Longden, Hill, Elliott, Humphries, Martin, Alexander, Dawson, Buckley, Helliwell.
SUNDERLAND: Norman, Ball, Rudd, Owers, Butcher, Bennett, Cunnington, Goodman (Davenport), Colquhoun, Byrne, Atkinson (Armstrong)
Harford goes to Chelsea
Sunderland-born striker Mick Harford joined Chelsea on this day in 1992 on-loan for a year, for a fee of £100,000. The Premier League club turned to Harford, 33, after being beaten by Manchester United in their bid to land Dion Dublin from Cambridge.
The London club’s move enabled Portadown to receive a £15,000 bid as a replacement for Kerry Dixon, who had gone to Southampton.
Fergie bags Dublin bargain…
Dion Dublin, Manchester United’s new £1m signing from Cambridge United, looked a bargain on this day in 1992, as he helped his new club to a 2-0 victory over a Republic of Ireland side. The striker looked impressive as he laid on a fourth-minute goal for Brian McClair.
Bosses face charity worry
Leeds and Liverpool met on this day in 1992 in the Charity Shield at Wembley and would meet again 24-hours later and the managers were worried their sides could enter the new season counting the cost of their charity work.
After Leeds’ 4-3 Charity Shield Wembley win, the sides were to reconvene their rivalry in a testimonial for Jim Beglin at Elland Road. Beglin played for both clubs, but Howard Wilkinson wasn’t happy at the prospect of the second game in two days:
I would rather we were not going through with it and I’m sure that Graeme Souness will say the same, but we just have to play it.
