I understand the intention by the person who first created that “song” to laud their team. But their effort is a stain on the memory and this entry is to offset that wrong. It is also to expand on what I mentioned in passing in the previous post, when Sunderland played in the FA Cup Final – and won it.

So what ? You are saying, plenty of other teams have done it. What’s so special about this one ?

Well a few weeks ago we had a “cupset” when the (now in the old 3rd Division) Leeds United beat the (what was the old 1st Division) Man Utd team, which was “a” cupset, but it still isn’t THE cupset. That happened in 1973 and it was Leeds themselves who were on the receiving end.

Thanks to the book (and subsequent movie) everyone is once again familiar with the early ’70′s Leeds United. Aren’t you…? If not go away, do a bit of research/reading/watching and then come back.

When Don Revie’s team reached the 1973 FA Cup final, the expectation was that the current cup holders would win it once again. But nobody told that to their Second Division opposition…

I’ll quote from Wikipedia with a summary of the game:

“Sunderland established their tactics immediately from the kick off, tackling fiercely and defiantly with an unremitting determination. Leeds looked anxious, lacking their usual composure. The match itself was decided by two crucial moments that would be talked about for years to come.

After 31 minutes Sunderland took the lead when Vic Halom chested down a corner from Billy Hughes. Assisted by Dave Watson between two defenders, the deflected high ball was controlled by Ian Porterfield who shot home from 12 yards. Leeds, shocked, battled back with predictable determination. Sunderland’s goalkeeper Jimmy Montgomery was outstanding, defying Leeds with a string of fine saves and preserving his team’s lead.

The turning point of the match came mid-way through the second half. Montgomery dived to palm away a close range header from Trevor Cherry. It fell into the path of Lorimer who blasted goalward from 10 yards but Montgomery managed to divert the ball on to the underside of the bar and Malone scrambled the ball clear. The save has been compared with that made by Gordon Banks in the 1970 FIFA World Cup match against Brazil.”

As mentioned it was the late Ian Porterfield who grabbed the single, crucial goal. Below is a musical tribute to Porterfield and the 1973 victory:

Sunderland had an official FA Cup Final song – the Sunderland-born comedian, Bobby Knoxall (who sadly passed away in July last year) recorded the single: “Sunderland All The Way”

Sadly I don’t have that one… If you do then… But I do have another song – a good song, in fact after that Chrimbo debacle an excellent song, in which the singer laments about not being able to go and watch that final in person:

[See post to listen to audio] » Northeast – I Ticket For The Game

Further reading:
Via Roker Roar – the 1973 FA Cup Run
Via Wikipedia – 1973 FA Cup Final

Fortuitous timing with this request from Joan to hear an old Black Cats song again. Plus it gives me a chance to show some sympathy to Sunderland after they got gubbed by Chelski last Saturday…

Pictured above: Sunderland in a previous meeting with Chelsea. Found via.

Long suffering Mackems will not need that link to remind them, plus in the future they will deny all knowledge of that match ever being played. I know what I’m talking about, there’s a Saturday from May 2008 which is wiped from my memory. Damn, not any more. This will be a Sunderland post double because an end of season dinner dance isn’t being organised just yet. Still in the FA Cup there.

Back to this one though and a tune which was sung in celebration of Sunderland returning once again to the toppermost of the poppermost when in 1979 when they err…finished 2nd in the 2nd Division. But it was only a brief dip for one season before they were back up hanging with the big boys.

After listening to this one it sounds like a standard boilerplate tune. They do mention some other teams, such as Leeds, Southampton and Notts Forest, but because they avoid mentioning any players names it could easily be reissued every time they gained promotion.

[See post to listen to audio] » Fine Art – Sunderland Are Back In The First Division

Additional: Did a quick bit of research and Dorian says reports that the artist is different that what I have. He also says that there’s a belting B-side. If anyone has this then drop me a line.

- Coming up next: Association Challenge Cup song.

WELL HEY HELLO THERE ! Let’s celebrate the season with some festive related music !

- With this coming to you via the North Eastern club…no the other one… no, the other other one…

Have they gone ? Good. But I’m still going to post this because everybody needs once again to be warned that even though footie and music is something that should not be – there is another ampersand that latches itself onto these two that is an abomination and should always be shot on site if ever spotted in the wild.

I’m of course talking about football and CHRISTMAS music.

I managed to suppress him after last year’s output, but for this and the next one… Yes I’m sorry to tell you that the pain will continue … I think that the Hulk will be…

You will feel the same because it is. That. Bad.

You’ve been warned now please warn those around you before we continue.

- There’s a curious thing with this bit of music I found. This song has been vandalised.
Somebody has gone in and not only defaced the original but has also downright ruined the entire thing.
If we can find the original culprit charges should be brought.

Now you are asking why should I care so much about something that shouldn’t exist. It is not because they have at first, taken a traditional Xmas tune and added their own lyrics. It’s because some “person” came along later on and well… I can only describe it as something that they’ve taken outside, set fire and then urinated all over it.

The lyrics are about the 12 players of the 1973 FA Cup winning Sunderland team, a team who beat Don Revie’s all conquering Leeds United and was an even bigger upset because the Mackems were a Second Division side at the time.   I bet [Dave Peace's] Cloughy was pissing himself after this result.

So there was no FA Cup song…was there…? I’m sure somebody will pop along to steer me right on that, but there was a Christmas tune done about the ’73 Wembley heroes:

1 Jimmy Montgomery,2 Dick Malone,3 Ron Guthrie,4 Micky Horswill,5 David Watson,6 Richie Pitt,7 Bobby Kerr,8 Billy Hughes,9 Vic Halom,10 Ian Porterfield, 11 Dennis Tueart and the Substitute: 12 David Young.

Ah for the days when they were numbered 1 to 11…

Hold yourself back as you listen to what must be a hacked version, they can’t have released it like this:

[See post to listen to audio] » Red & White Santas – The 12 Days of Sunderland

I can’t believe I did this…but I actually wasted 15 minutes of my life editing the above song to take out those offending inserted bits and here’s something that is close to what I think it originally sounded like:

[See post to listen to audio] » Red & White Santas – 12 Days of Sunderland (Edit)

I know I know. The same awful, awful song posted twice. I really have it in for you.

You need to lower your blood pressure. Have a listen to some other muppets doing the song:

[See post to listen to audio] » John Denver & The Muppets – The 12 Days Of Christmas

» There’s also a video version with a slightly different line up singing the lines.

The balance has been restored.

Never leave football again* Never.

Selected quotes taken after the Coventry v Ipswich match - which ended in defeat for the Tractor Boys. :

“I’ll be down tonight but the day my appetite isn’t affected by defeat I’ll be out of the game. I am trying to learn from my experiences at Sunderland and not get too downhearted but I will not get home, put my feet up and have a whistle.

“But I’ve been like that since I was eight or nine years old. the beauty of it is that we have a game on Tuesday night so that can cheer me up.

“There will always be disappointments in football but I will be okay – don’t worry about me.

“This will put a dampener on my birthday for sure but Roy Keane’s birthday is not, and should not be, important in the grand scheme of things.”

Via the BBC

* Of course you can leave Ipswich if you want, but don’t wait too long to come back again next time.

** Image nicked from Fisted Away.

*** Bonus: Something originally posted over on Red Rants:

From the Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show podcast – this is something from those funsters Gift Grub which is sung by quote: “Roy Keane” about that boy Ronaldo. You know the one, just moved to that Spanish club…

[See post to listen to audio] » Gift Grub – Gift Ronaldo (Roy Keane)

Oh and have a Happy Birthday.

Update - The original song:
[See post to listen to audio] » The Kinks – Lola

Yet Another Update: More Keano quotable goodness.

“…I feel capable of running a top, top club. I want to manage teams who are challenging for trophies and playing in the Champions League.

“I need to be a little bit more patient with myself. You have to have a hell of a lot of experience to manage the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.

“But I am confident that one day I will be manager of one of the big teams.”

» source

No disrespect to his current club at all there…

I remember the 1992 FA Cup Final very well because I was there. I’ve still got the match programme somewhere…

Remember when the Liverpool team had that the shirt with three stripes over one shoulder. It was a terrible kit. The Souness managed side had turning-circle-of-the-Titanic Jan Molby in the middle at the time.

I wasn’t particularly a fan of either team, although I do have a soft spot for Liverpool and have stood in the Kop a few times. But I did also notice that year Malcolm Crosby and the Second First Division Sunderland team :

A year before the previous manager Denis Smith was sacked and Crosby was installed as a caretaker manager. When he was still in that caretaker role Malcolm steered Sunderland to only the 4th FA Cup Final in their history. He was rewarded (despite what was pretty much a foregone conclusion with the final) with the full time job, but was also “rewarded” 8 months later with the sack when their form didn’t look like improving any time soon. The Sunderland fans themselves were rewarded with Terry Butcher coming in as his replacement.

- In this mini-series of for the drop songs I tried to find a famous or celebrity musicians (or even footballers themselves) associated with the club and as you saw yesterday with Hull City, sadly there isn’t any noted musical act who will stand up and sing for them*. The nearest they got was a tribute act.

*The Housemartins ? They were famously formed there, but only one of the original band was from there and the band themselves never sang about the football club when they were there. The only connection is the title of their 1st album.

The same thing came up with Sunderland. Not one song done about them by any popular charting act.
- Again I will be corrected on that if wrong…
The city itself has produced some well known bands – Kenickie and The Futureheads (who played at their new stadium), but again… no songs about the club.

So for the cup final song the team took it upon themselves to belt out a cover version of a very famous tune:

[See post to listen to audio] » Sunderland 1992 F.A. Cup Final Squad – Ain’t No Stopping Us Now ..and the still excellently sounding original... [See post to listen to audio] » McFadden & Whitehead – Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now (Extended Version)

So there’s your five candidates for the drop. I will post songs by the “winners” – aka the two who escape from this quicksand – at the end of the season.

Updated: Sunderland survived (despite themselves), but I’ve got bugger all else to post about or by them. So only one post from the other ‘winner’ in the battle of the crapulence here.

He will be popping the corks on this moment because the words: “Peter Reid” and “Premiership” came up in the same sentence.

Some lazy hack at one of the tabloids dares to speculate that Reidy could actually be speeded back from his current Thai exile to steer Sunderland away from their current peril.

What next journo’s ? Leeds United to reappoint O’Leary ?

But the man himself knows that pigs will be flying over the Stadium of Light before he does.

Apart from sitting in the pundits chair at some match it is very doubtful that we’ll see Peter Reid being let loose in the Premier League any more.

But then again never say never. Look at Joe Kinnear. Sillier things actually did happen.

Because of the attention on the club and on Reid I’m jumping on the google search bandwagon and posting this entry to get some traffic.

- Back in 1996 some people gathered together to wax lyrical about their previous Wearside messiah… (They’ve had a few: Get them promoted – instant God status. [McCarthy] But get them relegated and they never speak his name again.) At the time the club were in the 1st Divi…Championsh… whatever it was called at the time and they were in their old ground at Roker Park.

Some fans saw that Reid was constantly looking glum on the touchline and put a group together. They changed the lyrics of a famous song for him.

…I think the Sunderland fanzine A Love Supreme were partly responsible, but I might be wrong.

[See post to listen to audio]
» Simply Red & White – Daydream Believer (Cheer Up Peter Reid)

- Lyrics

It started out as a chant by Man City fans, but then Sunderland got a hold and ran with it…

You know of how this came about don’t you ?

Purely Man City has the story behind the song and it’s not a pretty one :

…In 1992 the City squad were on a pre-season tour in Penola, Italy. Michael Carruth, who went to the same primary school as Quinn, had just won a boxing gold medal for Ireland at the Barcelona Olympics and Quinn is celebrating.

A boxing ring had, for some reason, been set up in the town square and coach Sam Ellis and some of the players decide to organise their own Olympic boxing tournament. As other players drunkenly slap each other in the sun, Quinn gets into an argument with a drunk Steve McMahon in the toilets in the corner of the square. Ellis encourages the two to settle the argument with a fight. After a flurry of punches from McMahon the fight ends with Quinn splitting McMahon’s nose with his first punch.

Quinn then goes off with new signing Ricky Holden in search of entertainment. Finding a dance bar Quinn takes off his ripped and blood-splattered shirt to get past the bouncers. Wearing only a pair of cut-off jeans he begins dancing frenetically, unaware there is a group of City fans watching. He is soon treated to the first performance of the famous chant.
The story then turns more violent…

» Read about the whole incident here.

Then after transferring from City to Sunderland the fans adopted the chant and then a few years later some blokes from their fanzine recorded and released it as a single. It got to number 59 in 1999.

But it doesn’t end there !

There’s another story involving the Disco Pants, which also led to a bit of a disagreement, but this time the mighty Quinn came out a winner. Well… apart from the £8,000 he had to shell out for taxis… Read this article about an away match in Cardiff, the cancelled easyJet flight and currently the best Chairman in the Premier League.

After the incident the songs lyrics were changed slightly:

» A Love Supreme – Niall Quinn’s Disco Pants

Extra link:

- You can also hear a Hot Pants remix of the song on the A Love Supreme /MySpace page.