Sunderland have named a stand at the Stadium of Light in honour of Jimmy Montgomery
Jimmy Montgomery was at the Stadium of Light on Thursday to see his name now adorn a stand.
Montgomery and his family took in the new sign, with the 81-year-old describing the honour as 'mind-boggling'. A hero of Sunderland's 1973 FA Cup triumph and the club's record appearance holder, Montgomery was honoured with the announcement ahead of Sunderland's play-off semi final win over Coventry City earlier this year.
As part of an eight-figure investment into the Stadium of Light this summer, the club have now finalised the new Jimmy Montgomery Stand. Fans will see the new signage in place for the first time when Sunderland face Real Betis in their latest pre-season friendly on Saturday afternoon.
“Mind-boggling is the word, to come out and see it and actually realise it’s been done," Montgomery said.
"We knew what was happening and what would be done, but to actually go onto the pitch and see is just mind-boggling. It really is outstanding. From a young lad who came here in 1959 as a 16-year-old from just up the road in Southwick, I used to ride my bike to training. I’m 82 years old now and there’s a stand named after me. It’s the first stand that’s been named after anyone from a Sunderland Football Club point of view. I’m indebted to Kyril [Louis-Dreyfus] and everybody who was concerned with the naming of the stand. Many people must have been involved.
“It’s a fabulous honour. I’m still standing and I can actually see it. When they put Bob’s statue up, Bob wasn’t with us. That in itself is phenomenal and it’s something unusual. I’m delighted. My grandchildren, my children and my wife can come here and see it and when I’m long gone it’ll still be here."
The Jimmy Montgomery Stand. Photo courtesy of Sunderland AFCplaceholder image
The Jimmy Montgomery Stand. Photo courtesy of Sunderland AFC | Sunderland AFC
Jimmy Montgomery explains why he's optimistic for the new Sunderland season
Looking ahead to the new season, Montgomery expressed his hope and belief that Sunderland could survive this season.
He pointed not just to the quality of the new signings already in place but the spirit that has been built in the dressing room and the tactical flexibility of Régis Le Bris as potentially key factors.
"With the players they’ve brought in, I think they’ve done brilliantly," he said.
"When we first got promoted the first thing we talked about was generating the money to get the players in. I don’t judge things by pre-season friendlies, I’ve been through too many of them so I don’t take them into consideration. But the signings we’ve made are superb and I think we’ll make one or two more before the season starts again in two weeks’ time. We’re going to have an excellent squad to work from, squad being the operative word. You need a big squad in the Premier League and we’re getting there. The chairman and everyone associated with getting people in have all done a magnificent job.
“Make no mistake about it, it is going to be a hard league. I know for the last two years all the promoted teams have gone back down, but we’ll change it this year. Definitely change it. What the manager puts on that pitch, the enthusiasm, the way he’s got the Lads playing and their camaraderie both on and off the pitch says it all. I’ve been in teams who have done exactly that. The Hurley, Montgomery, Irwin, Ahsurst, Harvey, McNab team and then you’ve got the cup final team. They were both teams, they gelled and bonded together. If there was a scrap on or off the pitch everybody would be involved. Everybody looks after each other.
"The new players coming in have got to gel with the lads in the team and gel with whatever system the manager is going to want on a Saturday," he added.
"I haven’t seen it yet this year but the two or three times I went to watch them train last year, there is such a togetherness from all the players, staff, and management. It doesn’t just stop with the coaching staff and the players. There are no fractures in the group, no little cliques, that’s all gone. They’ve gotten rid of all that and I’m very optimistic indeed about the new season. I really am.
"I don’t think enough has been said about what the manager’s done. Last year he was absolutely superb. We all doubted him when we lost five on the trot coming up to the vital play-offs but he knew what he was doing. It’s the same this year, he’ll have the team set out for whichever opposition we play, he’ll have whatever system he wants to play and he knows what he needs for each particular game. That’s what I love about him and his team.”
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