Former Newcastle United star opens up on boyhood Sunderland support and Wearside memories...
Former Sunderland and Newcastle United man Chris Waddle has been reflecting on the Black Cats’ season, his career and his memories of Wearside in an interview with club historian Rob Mason.
What are your thoughts on how Sunderland’s season has gone so far?
“I’ve got to say Sunderland have been the surprise package. Normally, the teams who have come up in the last few years, you look at them and think they’re not strong enough. Sunderland spent a lot of money and signed a lot of players, and to be honest, a lot of players who were signed people didn’t know who they were. The scouting system has worked, and the players they have brought in have been worth the money. Granit Xhaka has been consistently excellent. He knows the Premier League and is a good leader.”
It’s always said that as a young boy, you were a Sunderland supporter. Is that true?
“Yes, I used to live in Wardley, Pelaw. My two older brothers and my dad supported Sunderland, so when I was growing up, I was taken to Roker Park. When I was 13, I started going on my own. I used to stand in the Fulwell End. I was one of five in my school who supported Sunderland, so we used to get a lot of grief. When we won the cup in 1973 me and my mate went out with our red and white shirts on and got chased around the estate. As I got older, I was playing more and more, and after playing for Tow Law, obviously, I was signed by Newcastle. When somebody employs you, you show loyalty to them. If I had a good game at Newcastle, they’re singing your name, but if you have a bad game, it’s, ‘Well, he’s a Mackem anyway!’”
By the time you played for Sunderland, you had had a stellar career, but was it still special to pull on the red and white stripes?
“I was enjoying my game at Bradford City when Peter Reid rang me up and said the team were struggling to create and would I come. If it had been any other club, I’d have said no, but I thought about my dad who had passed away by then and I just thought he would have loved me to put a red and white shirt on. It was a challenge to see if we could stay up. Unfortunately, we didn’t after losing away to Wimbledon on the last day when we didn’t really turn up. I played in a pre-season friendly once against Sunderland for Newcastle, but the only proper derby I played in was for Sunderland at St James’ Park when we drew 1-1 and Micky Gray scored.”
The week before that Wimbledon game, if it wasn’t for Allan Johnston you’d have gone down as scoring the last goal at Roker Park...
“I know! I remember also playing in the farewell to Roker Park game against Liverpool, which was special. In that game against Everton, we got a free kick just outside the box. I remember Micky Gray picking up the ball and giving me it, saying, ‘This is ideal for you, you’re taking it.’ By the time it hit the net, mentally I was standing behind the goal in my place in the Fulwell End.”
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