What a warming winter treat was dished up for Sunderland fans on this day in 1963. Just as it would be in these days of busy schedules, it was unusual for a club to play a friendly game at this time of the season, especially as, in what was to become our first-ever promotion (we had suffered our first-ever relegation from Division One at the end of the 1957/58 season), we were due to play Leyton Orient two days later at Roker Park.
Nevertheless, the board decided to pay a princely £10,000 guarantee
to bring the European champions to Wearside. Benfica were a huge draw in those days (more so than now) and could boast international stars such as Mario Coluna and, of course, the precocious talent of one Eusebio.
The game was filmed by Tyne Tees Television and pulled in a cold midweek crowd of 21,692. No one would be complaining, in what would become an ‘I was there’ game, as The Lads came through with a 5 v 3 victory. It didn’t affect their league form two days later either, as they ran out 4 v 1 winners over the Orient.
The news was being made even before kick-off, as our number 7, Brian Usher, was struck down by a car on the way to the ground. Usher was an ever-present that season, apart from the following Leyton Orient game, which he had to miss due to a bruised hand, although reports state he was more shaken than injured after the accident.
Tommy Mitchinson made his only league appearance that season in his place and, of course, was lucky enough to play against such prestigious opponents on this Thursday night.
Sunderland weren’t to be overawed by any means against the champions of Europe, as by then they had built up a decent team under Alan Brown. It was taking shape into my first recognisable Sunderland team: Monty, Cec Irwin, Len Ashurst, Charlie Hurley, George Mulhall, Nick Sharkey et al.
In what some reports claim to have been Sunderland’s ‘brightest display in years’, there were no goals at half-time, although there had been plenty of chances for both teams. It was a half, by all accounts, that Eusebio had dominated without finding the back of the net. All eight goals came in the second half.
The goal feast started within the first five minutes of the restart, when George Herd scored after being put through by George Mulhall. Benfica soon equalised after an awful mistake by Len Ashurst, who put a square pass across his own six-yard box, which led to Simoes shooting into an empty net.
Hat-trick hero Nick Sharkey scored his first two in quick succession after the hour mark to give The Lads a 3 v 1 lead, before, inevitably, Eusebio did get onto the scoresheet to pull one back.
Ten minutes later, Sharkey got his third, before a young John O’Hare came off the bench for debutant Mitchenson to score his first senior goal for the club by beautifully lobbing their keeper, Costa Pereira.
Eusebio scored a brace, bringing a thoroughly entertaining game to a close with a 5 v 3 victory for the Black Cats.
An extra meaningless fixture, perhaps, but it won’t have done Sunderland’s confidence any harm. And what a night for the crowd, to see Benfica and be able to say they’d seen the great Eusebio.
Score: Sunderland AFC 5 v 3 Benfica
Scorers: Herd (48), Sharkey (63, 64, 82), O’Hare (85)
Simoes (49), Eusebio (71, 87)Teams:
Benfica: Pereira, Cavem, Cruz, Coluna, Fernandes, Machado, Augusto, Santana, Eusebio, Pereira, Simoes.
Sunderland: Montgomery, Irwin, Ashurst, Harvey, Hurley, McNab, Mitchinson (46 O’Hare), Herd, Crossan, Sharkey, Mulhall.Ref: Tommy Langdale (Darlington)
Att: 21,692
