You brought me joy I never knew, feels like a new beginning. My life is complete now that I've found you

So, following the departure of Steve Bruce last week, Young Ben and I both sent off our CVs
to The Stadium of Light but apparently the powers that be have elected for what they see as a safer option in Martin O'Neill

I have been a Sunderland fan since the early 70s after I moved from Ayr to the North-East with my mum and dad. Since that time I have followed them through the mediums and the  lows. In that time they have had 24 managers (including caretaker managers) with Peter Reid surviving the longest. He was there for over 7 years which is a lifetime by Sunderland standards

I believe part of my problem was that I was spoiled early on in my Sunderland relationship when they won the FA Cup in 1973. Unfortunately I was not there to see it but I did see Sunderland beat  Manchester City 3-1 in the Fifth Round Replay in a match which Sunderland fans voted the greatest game ever at Roker Park. The City team included Bell, Lee and Marsh and I still recall Marsh controlling a ball which fell out of the cold, wet sky like a stone and making it look effortless

In those early years I travelled to see Sunderland in exotic locations like Stoke, Mansfield, Hull, Oldham and Bolton. I recall one time leaving the local pub on a Friday night just as the Supporters bus was setting off for London as Sunderland were playing Fulham on the Saturday. What seemed like a good idea at the time was not quite so appealing when you wake up on a bus in London with a stiff neck and a hangover. I believe the game finished 3-3 and George Best played for Fulham that day. I was certainly not at my best


I was also in Liverpool on that fateful night in 1977 when Sunderland lost 2-0 to Everton and were relegated. This was due to the fact that on the same night Coventry and Bristol City played out a 2-2 draw which saved both teams from going down. They also contrived to kick off later than Sunderland so they knew exactly what was required from their game. Even so many years on this one still hurts. It is no wonder I am not a fan of Jimmy Hill
　
　
There were also some good times. In 1980 I was there when Sunderland beat West Ham 2-0 to gain promotion. I recall my then wife was at the game with me and read a book throughout. Venus..indeed!
　
　
During the 80s Sunderland appointed high profile manager Lawrie McMenemy to take them out of the Second Division. He succeeded by getting us relegated to the Third for an all-time low in my lifetime
　
　
In 1990 I witnessed my favourite Sunderland game when we won 2-0 away to Newcastle in the Play-off Semi-finals but the euphoria was short lived as I saw us lose 1-0 to Swindon in the Play-off Final at Wembley in a very poor game
　
　
In 1998 I was back at Wembley with my son as Sunderland lost another Play-off Final, this time on penalties after a 4-4 draw with Charlton in what is widely considered the best game ever at Wembley. Not by me, let me add. Oh Micky...I could have saved that penalty
　
　
That was the era of Peter Reid when with Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn we enjoyed some entertaining games. It was after the dismissal of Reid in October 2002 that I recall my son phoning me, as I driving back up the M6 from a store in Walsall or the likes, and informing me that Sunderland had appointed Howard Wilkinson as their new manager. That was a bad call....both for me and for Sunderland. Howard Wilkinson....really? I would have liked to see the list of people they passed on as being less capable than Howard Wilkinson. Howard did not let me down. He lasted less than six months and won 4 games out of 27

In 2004 we made the semi-finals of the FA Cup and my son and I made the trip to Old Trafford for the game against Millwall. A friend had managed to get us seats in a hospitality box. Unfortunately he did not realise the box was behind the goal where the Millwall fans were situated and we were sharing the box with a family of Millwall supporters. Sunderland lost 1-0. Again not one of our better days out. Now that I think of it, the friend who got us the tickets is a Middlesbrough fan so maybe that was his plan all along
　
　
More recent times have seen us spend a fair time in the Premier League. Unfortunately the one season I actually had a Season Ticket was in 2005/06 when we finished bottom with a record low of 15 points and only 3 wins. Lucky white heather or what?
　
　
I was happy with the appointment of Steve Bruce at the time but for a man who played centre-half for Manchester United his defensive organisational skills are strangely lacking and when he lost to rivals N******** United in our first home game of the season he was careering down a very slippery slope with no crampons. The loss of Bent, Henderson and Gyan at crucial times certainly did not help him but now we turn to Martin O'Neill as our latest saviour
　
　
I wish him the best of luck. I would like to take Young Ben to Wembley to see Sunderland in my lifetime but I would prefer it was in the Cup Final rather than another Play-off Final