We’ve certainly had some cracking full backs at our club — and I fear to start a list as I’m certain to miss someone’s favourite.
Cecil Irwin provided one of my earliest memories of seeing an imposing full back. Then there’s Len Ashurst, Joe Bolton, Dariusz Kubicki, Mickey Gray, Phil Bardsley, George Burley, Barry Venison…and on it goes.
But then there are the full backs who, for whatever reason, just strike a chord with the fans. I guess that’s why it’s called the ‘X-Factor’, because no-one can quite
put a finger on why a connection is formed between those on the pitch and in the stands.
I’m thinking of John Kay, for example (he used to practice by tackling lampposts), Julio Arca, and in the current team, Trai Hume. In my own lifetime of following Sunderland, one of the first real favourites of mine was such a full back.
Reuben Agboola was born on this day in 1962, and I can still hear the cries from the terraces of “Reuuuuben, Reuuuuben”.
He wasn’t the tallest of defenders at 5”9 and weighing 11st 9lb in old money, and nor did he appear particularly stocky. But he was a solid defender — speedy, well balanced and a good passer of the ball.
Funnily enough, our manager at the time was one of the full backs I’ve already given a nod to, and Ashurst must’ve seen something he liked in Agboola when he bought him from Southampton in January 1985. It takes a defender to recognise the qualities in another defender!
He actually made his debut against his previous club that same month, but he didn’t become a regular starter in the team until the 1987/1988 season, when Denis Smith was in charge and the Third Division championship was secured.
The Roker Park crowd recognised his total commitment to the cause through his no-nonsense, wholehearted and ‘take no prisoners’ approach. We’ve always liked our defenders like that!
Agboola became the first Lads player to be capped by an African country whilst with the club when he was selected to play for Nigeria in 1990.
He also experienced another promotion during his final season of first team football in 1989/1990, when we were eventually promoted via the Wembley playoff final against Swindon Town — despite a defeat, Swindon were relegated after falling foul of Inland Revenue investigations.
In total, he made 155 appearances from 1985 to 1992.
He never scored a single goal in any competition for the Lads, but I remember there was no lack of encouragement or humour from the stands every time he got near the opposition goal — in fact, whilst looking at his records, I gather he never scored a single goal in his entire professional career!
He had a couple of loan spells before he left to play twenty eight games for Swansea City in 1992/1993, before returning to Southampton where he became a pub landlord like so many players in those days. In 2004, he moved to Majorca to run a bar.
He had the ‘X Factor’, was a crowd favourite, and was just a genuine, ‘salt of the earth-type’ of player.
Happy birthday, Reuben. You brought a lot of joy to a lot of people.
