The famous Hemy painting, which today proudly hangs in the entrance to the Stadium of Light, is synonymous with Sunderland AFC. And 131 years ago today, the game that’s depicted in that painting took place at Newcastle Road – and was one of the best games ever to take place at the old ground.
The match took place just 24 hours after Sunderland had beaten Preston North End at home by two goals to nil. That victory – thanks to goals from Johnny Campbell and Jimmy Hannah – put Sunderland back ahead of
Villa at the top of the table, having played two games less.
This game was on a Wednesday afternoon, and Sunderland had had to travel far and wide to fulfil a packed fixture list, having played on Boxing Day away at West Brom (a 2-0 win), away at Forest on Thursday 27th (a 2-1 defeat), away at Preston on Saturday 29th (a 1-0 defeat) and at home to Preston on Tuesday 1st (a 2-0 win).
In contrast, the visitors had played just two games since the 8th December – Wolves away on 22nd December and Stoke at home on 26th.
The Midlanders therefore travelled north the day before and stayed overnight at the Roker Hotel, were determined to be the first team to beat Sunderland at home this season; a feat, if accomplished, would see them gain a psychological upper hand in the title race.
The crowds flocked to Newcastle Road ahead of the 2.15pm kick off, with ‘hundreds of spectators making their way with all haste to the enclosure’ – and ‘latecomers arriving breathlessly’. Maybe an extra pint or two in the pub before the game to celebrate the new year!
Winter sunshine at kick off brightened what had been a dull day so far, and the ground – which had been protected overnight by straw – dotted with patches of snow and wisps of straw, with straw also piled up on the touchline.
The Sunderland Daily Echo’s word give a real sense of the prematch conditions: ‘the touchlines, heaped with straw, which afforded a soft and easy fall for the players; behind it the stands rapidly populating with enthusiasts, a keen breeze blowing, which made topcoats acceptable, and seemed to invite exertion in order to keep warm, the whole overarched by a blue sky, tinged here and there with light fleecy clouds, and blazing with sunshine.’
Kick off arrived, after a flock of hungry sparrows had descended onto – and then departed – the pitch, with the players described as ‘straining like greyhounds on the leash’.
Sunderland had some early attempts on goal, while at the other end Ned Doig saved ‘beautifully’ and Villa’s George Russell shot past the post.
Villa began to get into the ascendancy, and Steve Smith went close, while Sunderland were fortunate not to concede after Doig’s misjudgement when rushing out to collect a through ball saw him miss the ball altogether, only for it to hit the post.
It was all one way traffic at this point, with Villa very much having the upper hand, but Sunderland were able to get out and Campbell headed for goal from close range, only for keeper Willie Dunning to save at the expense of a corner.
Hannah scraped the bar with another shot for Sunderland, but it was Denny Hodgetts who headed home after 15 minutes to give Villa the lead.
Villa continued to attack, with frustrated cries of ‘Now Then Sunderland!’ emanating from the stands, and the home crowd in a very despondent mood at what they’d seen develop in the opening stages, however just as the atmosphere was about to turn completely, Sunderland were level, thanks to a lovely goal from James Gillespie, who received the ball from the lively Harry Johnston and backheeled it into the net.
Newcastle Road was filled with deafening cheers, as ‘such a scene of enthusiasm as was witnessed could not well be exceeded.’
Hannah drove just over the crossbar and Gillespie hit the post as Sunderland pushed for the lead. A freekick from Peter Meehan caused confusion in the Villa box and was cleared for a corner – however the corner was cleared to Villa’s Steve Smith on the left wing. Smith bore down on the Sunderland goal, and curled the ball past Doig to make it 2-1, scoring what was described as ‘one of the best ever goals seen at Newcastle Road’.
Doig had to pull off two excellent saves to prevent Villa extending their lead further – however they did with a Reynolds penalty before half time. Sunderland’s Harry Johnston barged Jack Devey to the ground as he was about to score, and Villa converted from the penalty line to make it 3-1.
Just before half time, however, Sunderland pulled one back – a goalmouth scramble saw Villa keeper Dunning floundering on the ground and Jimmy Hannah putting the ball home to make the score 3-2 to the away team at the interval.
Sunderland emerged for the second half, kicking into the wind and Johnny Campbell was close to converting a Scott cross shortly after the restart, but the ball broke to Jimmy Millar to make it 3-3.
The excitement across Newcastle Road was palpable, and the crowd were intensely urging Sunderland forward to claim the lead – and the home team soon went in front.
Campbell was fouled by Villa’s George Russell, and Sunderland were awarded a free kick. Meehan took it, and James Gillespie got his foot to the ball to score Sunderland’s fourth ‘amid a crescendo of cheers’.
Villa came close to equalising immediately – Doig saving well on a couple of occasions, and McCreadie and Meehan performing defensive heroics.
Sunderland should have had a penalty when Campbell was fouled by Cowan, but the referee turned down the appeals, and the lads subjected the Villa defence to wave after wave of attack, with Villa defending well.
Campbell, still annoyed at not winning a penalty, took matters into his own hands and took out Cowan – the resultant free kick saw Doig claim the ball then lose it attempting to throw out; Charlie Athersmith’s back heel going past the post.
At the other end, Spencer denied Sunderland a fifth goal, however just a few minutes from the end, Villa equalised. Hodgetts ran with the ball, evaded a number of tackles and curled the ball past Doig to equalise.
A deep disappointment descended, and it could have been much worse – Doig had to save again from Hodgetts as Villa pressed hard for a winner, while Sunderland too tried to grab a fifth – however while both sides came close, neither managed a winner, and a spectacular game ended 4-4
Summing up the game, the Echo’s reporter ‘Referee’ said:
What a game to be sure! It was a tremendous fight from start to finish. I question very much whether there has ever been a keener or more exciting match played in Sunderland. It is the first draw of four each on the Newcastle Road ground, and the largest score ever made by a visiting League club. The going was very heavy.
The Villa, having had a nice quiet week of training, were very hopeful of victory, and no wonder considering the fine form they are at present in, and the way Sunderland has been blown about all over the country playing league matches during the past few days. Having said this much I think the home backs made a mistake in allowing Hodgetts to get the ball and score the fourth goal. They had plenty of time to clear.
The teams early got to work, and it was soon apparent that Sunderland was not going to have it all their own way. The ground was very slippery, and this fact doubtless made the defence less safe than usual. I am inclined to think that McNeill did not deliberately foul Devey, He seemed to slip on the ground at the moment he tackled the Villa centre. However, the referee thought differently and allowed the penalty with the inevitable result. The goal of Smith’s was clearly onside. And so the interval arrived with Sunderland a goal behind.
In the second half, Sunderland more than made up for their deficiencies of the previous period. The forwards were quickler on the ball, and the halves seemed to back them up better, Both teams played for all they were worth, and looking the game over I think Sunderland were just a shade better than the Villa. The latter, I fancy, were very lucky in at least two of their goals – the penalty and the last one.
The excitement was intense, particularly towards the close. The became so hot in fact that staid supporters of the code couldn’t stand it, and had to leave the ground some minutes before the whistle blew. The Echo, however, put them right with the final score before they reached the bridge.
The game, of course, is immortalised in Hemy’s painting – you can read more about the painting’s fascinating history, and return to its rightful place, here.
Sunderland 4-4 Aston Villa
Wednesday 2 January, Newcastle Road, 12,000
Goals: Hodgetts (0-1), Gillespie (1-1), Smith (1-2), Reynolds (pen, 1-3), Hannah (2-3) Millar (3-3), Gillespie (4-3), Hodgetts (4-4)
Sunderland: Doig, Meehan, McNeill, Dunlop, McCreadie, Johnston, Gillespie, Millar, Campbell, Hannah, Scott.
Aston Villa: Dunning, Spencer, Welford, Reynolds, Cowan, Russell, Athersmith, Chatt, Devey, Hodgetts, Smith.
