Having returned to club towards the end of the 1967-68 season and brought about a much-needed improvement in results, Sunderland manager Alan Brown soon found the going to be much tougher once his first full campaign back at the helm got underway.
12 months on from replacing the at times unpopular Ian McColl, ‘Bomber’s’ initial bedding in period and subsequent rally had plateaued somewhat, and it was unclear at this stage whether the first division status that he had fought so hard to earn during
his first spell in charge would be maintained.
Admittedly, Brown had been working with limited resources – money was in short supply at Roker Park and with part of his remit being to cut costs, he opted to jettison one or two of the more established names that were on the books. The clear out, which saw George Kinnell, Geoff Butler and Ralph Brand all moving on, also seemed to draw a line under the McColl period, during which there had been misgivings of ill-discipline and wasteful spending, but replacing them was going to be anything but quick.
Sunderland’s hope was that Brown’s coaching adeptness would in time boost the numbers by bringing through some of the raw talent that was bubbling away under the surface in the reserve and youth sides. Unable to dip into the transfer market in the meantime though and nab a couple of ready-made fixes, the first team players that remained on Wearside were left stretched, and in the cruel environment of the top-flight it led to some unfavourable results.
Some of the club’s greatest ever servants were on the scene and few could argue with the amount of talent contained within most starting XI’s, but the lack of depth invariably drained the team as they laboured through the fixture list. Dark days included heavy defeats in the capital at West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur but there were signs of resistance too, and even when things seemed desperate the Lads showed plenty of heart.
The return clash with Spurs, which took place on this day, showed at least that those still at the club were all now trying to pull in the right direction and whilst it wasn’t exactly a thriller against Bill Nicholson’s glamourous visitors the afternoon was encouraging, nonetheless. Attacking play lacked finesse on occasions – only two shots on target were registered – but heavy rain saw the pitch being churned up and yet Sunderland’s grafters worked hard to maintain their balance and control of the ball.
When good play was put together Spurs’ Pat Jennings, Alan Mullery and Mike England all had to be switched on at the back, with the latter being given a particularly tough examination by eager runners Bruce Stuckey and Malcolm Moore. Gordon Harris meanwhile thought he had beaten the unsighted Jennings when he blasted a first-time effort through a crowd of legs only to be denied by a superb reflex stop, yet the Londoners went even closer to breaking the deadlock themselves with Greaves twice finding the net only to be denied by the officials for infringements in the build-ups.
Throughout the season’s travails it had been the home form propping things up and with this clean sheet came another vital point to help keep relegation fears at bay – a feat all the more impressive for the fact Charlie Hurley was playing through the pain barrier. Suffering with severe blisters and swelling on his left foot, he was forced to don an old boot that had been cut up so that it would fit, and then coloured his sock so that opponents would not notice the holes and attempt to target him. The issue had arisen following a recent club trip to Lilleshall, where players wore ‘basketball shoes’ for gym sessions – several individuals reported blistering as a result seemingly, but Hurley’s had turned septic and needed a trip to hospital the night before the game.
The situation further proved just how determined Brown’s squad were to turn things around and come the end of the season they had managed to avoid relegation. It was only by a slim margin however, and with further savings still needed Brown was forced to make some difficult post season decisions, with Hurley and George Mulhall both being moved on. Long serving coaches Jack Jones, Arthur Wright and Bill Scott were all sent on their way too – making it clear that Brown’s enforced rebuild was not going to be for the faint hearted.
Saturday 1 February 1969
Football League Division One
Sunderland 0
Tottenham Hotspur 0
Sunderland: Montgomery; Palmer, Harvey; Hurley, Tood, Harris; Stuckey, Herd, Moore, Kerr, Mulhall Unused: Irwin
Roker Park, attendance 22,251
