With a Boxing Day trip to Ewood Park up next, I thought I would look back at some memorable games we have had on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
DECEMBER 26, 2022: SUNDERLAND 2-1 BLACKBURN ROVERS
The most recent of the games we will look at saw us just about come out on top of then play-off rivals Blackburn Rovers. The visitors took the lead when Daniel Ayala’s header deflected off Ross Stewart. It did not last long though as just four minutes later, the Loch-Ness Drogba fired home from the spot to level things up, which was his second goal in as many games after returning from injury. It looked as if both sides were going to leave with a point until in the 91st minute Ellis Simms poked home after Blackburn couldn’t clear their lines from a free kick. The goal would be Simms’ last goal at the SoL before he was recalled by parent club Everton. This year will see a repeat of this fixture (albeit in reverse) and many will be hoping for a similar outcome, if not maybe a bit less dramatic than this one.
JANUARY 1, 2019: BLACKPOOL 0-1 SUNDERLAND
Sunderland started 2019 off with a win but it was the massive away following that makes this game so memorable. I can only imagine how many people woke up on Christmas Day and received the news they would be celebrating New Years in Blackpool. A ridiculous 7,804 of the 10,994 fans at Bloomfield Road were in Red and White to see Sunderland hopefully strengthen their position in the League One promotion race. Josh Maja scored his 14th goal of the season after getting on the end of an Aiden McGeady cross. Of course, it was around this stage that the season started to stagnate, we drew six of the next seven, with five of them ending 1-1.
DECEMBER 26, 2013: EVERTON 0-1 SUNDERLAND
A pretty dull affair, but it would end up being a valuable three points in the season that saw Gus Poyet pull off ‘the great escape’. It is also a game I have a good memory of watching. It was a Ki penalty that was the only goal of the game, with Tim Howard sent off after taking out the South Korean. Joel Robles, who I always remember for his part in our 3-0 win against the Toffees in 2016, replaced the American international but was unable to deny the midfielder from six-yards. The win was Sunderland’s first league win at Goodison Park since 1996. With Sunderland winning at the home of Everton again in 2015, it was the first time we had won at Goodison Park in back-to-back seasons since 1924, which saw Sunderland win 3-2 on Boxing Day in the 1923/24 season and then 3-0 in October of the 1924/25 season.
JANUARY 1, 2012: SUNDERLAND 1-0 MAN CITY
One of the most iconic bits of commentary was provided by Martin Tyler during the 2011/12 season. No, it is not that one, it is the moment Ji was a country mile offside, rounded Joe Hart and put the ball into an empty net. The line “Ji, Sessegnon, for Ji he’s round the goalkeeper he’s done it, absolutely incredible, it ain’t over till it’s over, there’s never been a fixture to tell you that like this one.” A truly incredible moment made even more memorable because I was sitting in the corner that Ji went over to celebrate that day, with chaos ensuing the moment the ball rolled over the line. I cannot imagine Man City were particularly fond of us that year after drawing at the Etihad later that season and potentially hindering their title chances. However, you feel the Poznan in front of Sir Alex and his players on the final day after news of the Aguero goal filtered through may have made up for that.