My entry for the #BlogToLisbon campaign by www.camporetro.com
By David Lee Wheatley
It was a balmy late-August evening when north London club Tottenham Hotspur visited for the opening home fixture of Sunderland's 1990-91 Division One campaign and it was sure to be a huge test of the Rokerites' ability to cope in the top-flight following an incredibly fortunate promotion.
Swindon Town triumphed over Sunderland at Wembley in the May play-off final thanks to a Gary Bennett own goal, which apparantly condemned the north-east club to another year battling to reach the promised land. However, The Robins were found to have made illegal payments to players over a four-year period, which breached several Football League regulations along the way. The alloted punishment was to have their advancement to the First Division annulled in favour of losing finalists Sunderland taking their spot instead.
Denis Smith's men were suddenly on an incredible high due to their unexpected reprieve following the awful setback they'd suffered at Wembley. The team were determined to make the most of their good fortune and they couldn't have chosen a better way to welcome top-flight football back to Roker Park than to take on glamorous foes Spurs, complete with two superstars fresh from competing in a World Cup that had England fans everywhere dreaming of lifting the golden trophy for the first time since 1966.
I was stood in the Roker End that day as an excited ten-year-old, just to the right of the goal in a corner compartment that was filling up to maximum capacity in anticipation of kick-off. The floodlights shone down on an immaculate playing surface and the atmosphere inside was absolutely electric. My cousin and I were taken to the match by my father and we always got there early before most supporters had arrived; that decision positioned us right at the front behind large yellow metal fencing, which I could barely see over!
As kick-off approached, it became apparent our part of the ground was becoming dangerously full with no sign of any let-up in the increasing amount of fans making their way into that corner. I actually heard at one stage to my utter horror a steward exclaiming, "we can get another thousand in here!". At that point, I was being pushed into the fence by a large group of grown men who'd made their way into the area surrounding us and it was quickly developing into a terribly worrying situation!
Remember, this was before all-seater stadia had been introduced and a young lad of my age at the time didn't stand a chance of keeping his footing when getting crushed against the metal fencing. Eventually, the side of my face was jammed up against the yellow bars ahead of me and a split-second decision by some of the stewards in attendance meant that all of the children at the front were lifted out to safety and led away from the scene. Unbelievably for us, we were all lined up immediately behind the advertising hoardings in a prime location extremely close to the pitch just in time to witness the two sets of players making their way on to the field.
Rapturous applause rang out around a packed Roker Park to herald the arrival of the teams with Spurs resplendent in their yellow and black away strip, as the likes of Gary Lineker and Paul Gascoigne ran around doing warm-up stretches in preparation for the start of the game. Indeed, during one particular stretch down to touch his toes, the Geordie joker purposefully pointed his backside in the direction of the Main Stand when reacting to the dog's abuse being hurled in his direction from the terraces! Gazza's countrywide popularity had reached fever pitch due to his wonderful performances at Italia '90 and, of course, those infamous tears he shed in the semi-final against West Germany. He'd literally become the most adored footballer on the planet almost overnight, yet the Sunderland fans still hadn't forgotten his allegiance to Newcastle United!
His slightly chubby appearance was unmercifically prayed upon by the red-and-white army when a shower of Mars Bars hailed down on the Gateshead-born midfielder. In true Gazza style, he picked up the nearest chocolate bar, took a big bite and threw it behind the goal where our group were sat. The boy to my right, whom I wasn't familiar with, quickly snatched the half-eaten Mars Bar before wrapping it up and putting it in his pocket for safe-keeping. What a souvenir to take home; completely congealed most likely by the time he got back in the house from the warmth of the coat pocket on a sticky summer's night!
The anxious rush to grab that sought-after item of Mars memorabilia serves to perfectly illustrate the hysteria surrounding Gascoigne during that era; everybody wanted a piece of him, even his left-over food! He'd been the stand-out performer at the World Cup and his fame had peaked at the sort of level usually reserved for movie or rock stars. Nobody had captured the imagination of the English public in quite the same way as Gazza had achieved and to have both he and Lineker in direct competition with our hometown club - when we initially believed just a few months prior that we'd be watching Division Two football all over again - was an awesome sight to behold.
Even though the match ended in a 0-0 draw, it was a fabulous experience to be sat practically on the byline watching proceedings unfold and to witness those two international heroes in action. The 30,000 crowd were treated to a decent contest, but with very few goalscoring opportunities to speak of. I do, however, recall a Gary Lineker strike from about 20 yards flying towards my little face at a rate of knots before I took swift evasive action in order to avoid getting a burst nose or black eye to round off my eventful evening!
That early mark within the infancy of a brand new season held boundless hopes and dreams for both clubs and their dedicated followers, but it all ended in great disappointment league-wise. Terry Venables' side were third in the league after 17 matches, but fell away alarmingly to finish tenth while local arch-rivals Arsenal claimed the title. However, they tempered that feeling of failure by claiming the FA Cup when defeating Nottingham Forest in the final, albeit with the devastating loss of Gascoigne to serious injury. Meanwhile, Sunderland's Division One odyssey lasted only a solitary term, as they were relegated in 19th place alongside bottom club Derby County.
Despite the profound sadness related to relegation, I shall always fondly remember the day World Cup wonders Gazza and Gary Lineker came to town!
Follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980
In conjunction with @camporetro for their #BlogToLisbon competition
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