With a sixth Football League championship confirmed, 1936 should have been a time of pure joy at Sunderland AFC, but the Lads’ title win will always be marked by a massive sense of sadness due to the tragic
loss of popular team member Jimmy Thorpe just weeks before the trophy was handed over.
By February, Johnny Cochrane’s side were already long-term league leaders and shaping up extremely well.
Success was eventually confirmed midway through April, yet at this stage any thoughts of glory were secondary following the tragic news of Thorpe’s death on the fifth — just four days after his final appearance — amid a bruising encounter against Chelsea during which the rough treatment he sustained led to complications with his diabetes.
A brave and extremely talented goalkeeper, Thorpe had been admitted to Monkwearmouth and Southwick Hospital after the weekend of the game.
He’d left Roker Park following the match, the closing stages of which saw him appear to be dazed and having to lean against his posts in order to remain upright, and spent the immediate hours afterwards in his bed. By Wednesday, several supporters had made inquiries to the hospital and offices of the Sunderland Echo and Shipping Gazette as to his condition, but at around 14:00, he passed away surrounded by his relatives.
Later that afternoon, a reserve fixture against West Stanley took place at Roker, with spectators standing bare-headed and observing a two-minute period of silence prior to kick off.
The players, meanwhile, wore black ‘armlets’ although the first team squad weren’t present as they were already en route to Southport to prepare for their next game. The severity of his illness had only been brought to the attention of the travelling party at lunchtime, at which point the group sent a telegram to Thorpe’s wife expressing hope that their great mate would soon recover.
Remarkably, and despite the understandable grief, there appears to have been no suggestion that the next game at Liverpool was to be postponed.
Things moved quickly, with the coroner opening the inquest into Thorpe’s passing less than 24 hours after his death, and whilst that was soon adjourned the players were still expected to carry on as if nothing had happened.
Matt Middleton — who was initially brought to the club in 1934 when Thorpe had spent time in Sunderland Royal Infirmary — was drafted back into the starting eleven for his first senior outing in over a year, and in bitterly cold conditions at Anfield, the Lads found themselves in the difficult position of having to focus on their football despite having had little time to come to terms with the heartache.
Lining up for the hosts was defender Jim Harley, who as well as being a footballer was a successful sprinter.
Although he’d won that year’s famous Powderhall Handicap race (running under a pseudonym), it was the visitors that came flying out of the blocks, going ahead after two minutes when Bobby Gurney jumped on a mishit back pass and put the ball away.
The error owed something to the slippery surface and that continued to impact play, with Jack Balmer soon wasting a golden opportunity to level things up when he blasted wide from a few yards out. Sunderland however were able to keep their balance slightly more, and scored again from a superb Bert Davis corner, with Patsy Gallacher placing an inch-perfect header into the net.
As if fuelled by their pain, the Lads kept the pressure on at 0-2 and wrapped things up midway through the first half.
A flowing move saw Jimmy Connor and Raich Carter moving possession out wide, and from there Davis played another excellent cross into the box to be knocked down by Gallacher and turned in by Gurney. The finish itself was simple but the timing of the run and the buildup play made this a superb goal and a suitable tribute to Thorpe, who was again remembered through black armbands.
Middleton, although thankful for a Tom Morrison clearance off the line and to see a Vic Wright effort hit the post, had a relatively easy time of it and it was his opposite number Arthur Riley that was the busier, even after the break when Sunderland went into a more conservative mode.
A late knock to Jimmy Clark forced a bit of a reshuffle with the centre half playing out the final minutes out on the wing, yet the players drew together once more and saw things out — the clean sheet not only honouring Thorpe’s memory but that of Sunderland great Charlie Thomson, who’d also passed away in the week (Thursday 6 February).
A photograph of Scotland defender Thomson, who spent a period running the Wheatsheaf pub close to where the Stadium of Light now stands following his retirement and was subsequently buried at Mere Knolls Cemetery, was included on the front page of Saturday evening’s Football Echo alongside a set of results and tables that showed Sunderland at the Division One summit, their lead being extended to seven points due to chasers Derby County and Huddersfield Town both failing to win.
Glory was clearly on the horizon but at this moment, the Lads just wanted to pay tribute to their mate.
Saturday 8 February 1936
Football League Division One
Anfield
Attendance: 33,332
Liverpool 0
Sunderland 3 (Gurney 2’, 21’, Gallacher 18’)
Sunderland: Middleton, Morrison, Hall; Thomson, Clark, Hastings; Davis, Carter, Gurney; Gallacher, Connor
