In what will always be remembered as ‘that play-off final’ – the epic 4–4 draw with Charlton Athletic and the subsequent penalty defeat – the 1997/98 season was, or so very nearly, a wonderful year for SAFC. As part of a powerful run-in to the end of the season, we played Bury at the Stadium of Light.
Matches against a struggling Bury team should have been an easier three points than they turned out to be. The Shakers forced the home side and their fans to go through a few periods of agony before
Super Kevin Phillips eventually sealed the three points for the Black Cats from the penalty spot after he himself had been brought down in the box.
The win was mostly inspired by the forging runs of Mickey Gray at left-back, and the tough tackling of Lee Clark in the centre of midfield – although there were several nominations for man of the match. Although the Tynesider never did lose his allegiance to those of a black and white persuasion (as his t-shirt blunder later on showed), he nevertheless put in a workmanlike and energetic performance to turn this game around, after Bryan Small had volleyed Bury into the lead with their first shot on target in the game, in the 28th minute.
Clark was at the fulcrum of much of the Lads’ play, and his equaliser just before half-time settled nerves. His 12th goal of the season was a conversion born out of guts and determination, rather than any silky skills. The Wearsiders, who had looked like they were playing well within themselves before going behind, were initially rattled and lost their rhythm for a while after that. But it was Clark who took control of the game, playing a neat return pass with Phillips inside the Bury box, before thrashing the ball home past their keeper Keily.
In the 69th minute, Phillips was bundled over in the box by Small, and referee Butler had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Super Kev gratefully accepted his 27th goal of the season.
The game was crucial for Sunderland to win, to keep the pressure on Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough, and the three points moved them into 2nd place in Nationwide Division One. The bottom line was for Sunderland to win matches at this stage of the season by any means possible, and the 37,000 fans roared on the Lads. Peter Reid had to stick to his guns earlier in the game, when the crowd were baying for Nicky Summerbee to come on after we had gone behind. Post-match, Reidy said he would never be swayed by pressure from the crowd.
One person who thought could be swayed by the crowd was the referee, according to the Bury manager, Stan Ternent. The Sunderland-born Ternent commented on the fantastic stadium and the vociferous crowd, before commenting that it would take a brave man to ignore the 37,000 crowd as they shouted for a penalty. The referee had only minutes earlier ignored appeals for a spot kick, so when Phillips went over, it was almost a foregone conclusion.
Despite a strong run-in of six wins, two draws and a loss in their last nine matches, it was that defeat against Ipswich that eventually put the Lads in 3rd spot, one point behind ‘Boro, who pipped them to the automatic spots – then came that epic Wembley play-off game.
On a wider view, the following season we were more than ready for promotion, and we went up as champions on 105 points. Twenty years later, Bury were expelled from the English Football League, and currently compete in the West Division of the Northern Premier League. The twists and turns, ups and downs of football fans.
