On this day in 1911, Charlie Buchan made his debut for Sunderland in a 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur away from home in the First Division.
The attacker was famous for his immense skill, ball control and, his speciality, the glancing header. He was a player with quick thinking beyond his years, this was often a drawback, as his teammates would struggle to keep up with him!
Buchan made just six England appearances, despite being a world class goalscorer but scored four goals for his national team. He was Sunderland’s leading goalscorer for seven of the eight seasons he played, scoring an incredible total of 209 league goals, meaning he is also our all-time top league goalscorer.
It is almost unbelievable to think that Buchan was lambasted by the Roker crowd on his debut for a lack of commitment! After the game Buchan went back to London, with the intention of leaving Sunderland but a special trip by manager Bob Kyle persuaded him to stay.
Signing in 1910, Charlie would join Arsenal in 1925, at 34 years old, putting an end to an iconic 15-year stint at SAFC. The transfer was unusual at the time, as it was highly publicised and, unlike most deals of the era, all the financial details were revealed.
Sunderland wanted £4,000 for Buchan (£213,000 in today's money), who Bob Kyle believed would still hit 20 goals the following season. The fee was settled at £2,000 plus £100 every time the 34-year-old scored in his first season (he went on to score 21 times).
After his retirement Buchan went into journalism, covering football and golf. In 1951 he became editor of "Charlie Buchan's Football Monthly" which was one of the earliest long-running sports publications. Buchan passed away on 25th June 1960, aged 68, in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
OTD: CHARLIE BUCHAN DEBUT
OTD: CHARLIE BUCHAN DEBUT
OTD: BILL MURRAY APPOINTED
OTD: BILL MURRAY APPOINTED
OTD: BILL MURRAY APPOINTED
OTD: BILL MURRAY APPOINTED