On This Day (30 April 1977): Sunderland’s fight for survival gathers further momentum! (2024)

The story of Sunderland’s 1976/1977 campaign has been told often, partly because of the amazing end-of-season form the Lads produced and partly because the way in which it all ended still rankles with supporters nearly fifty years on.

Those that are unfamiliar with the saga could start by reading this article, but it’s safe to say that even now, there are some fans who’ll have enjoyed a touch of schadenfreude at seeing Coventry City lose out in dramatic fashion during their recent FA Cup semi-final appearance, such is the strength of feeling towards the Sky Blues’ part in the tale.

Photo by Barrington Coombs/PA Images via Getty Images

However, the mood among the Sunderland fans leading up to that fatal deciding day was a lot more positive, thanks to an amazing run of results that had hauled the Lads back into survival contention after we’d previously looked dead and buried.

Rooted to the bottom of the table as recently as February having endured a record-breaking goal drought and at one stage suffering nine consecutive league defeats, we’d since turned things around impressively, and we headed to West Bromwich Albion keen to keep the recovery going, and our ability to bounce back in the face of adversity was what eventually saw us maintain our improving morale.

A first victory on the road since October was confirmed and it took the Lads out of the relegation zone for the time being, having been dropped back into it following results elsewhere the night before.

Full of desire and commitment, stubborn Sunderland kept on going despite being pegged back twice, and it all seemed to come from a sense that this was our time, which emanated from an early stroke of good fortune.

Jimmy Adamson’s men took the lead in the fifth minute following a free kick.

A short set piece was played into Jackie Ashurst and after his shot was blocked by the Throstles’ player-manager Johnny Giles, it spun up across the box and dropped perfectly for Tony Towers to head into the net.

Photo by PA Images via Getty Images

The hosts drew level when Laurie Cunningham prodded past Barry Siddall at the third attempt after he’d forced a superb double stop, but it did little to deter Sunderland and we quickly regained the advantage on the half hour mark.

This time it was Bob Lee who scored, as he headed beyond John Osborne when the keeper had decided not to come for a cross that was tough to judge.

The move began when Kevin Arnott snatched possession and swept it out wide to Towers, and with the resulting ball into the box causing uncertainty, Lee was able to outjump Sunderland youth product John Wile and nod in.

However, the lead lasted mere seconds as Albion came straight back with another equaliser, and it was a rare example of the Lads switching off at the back and enabling an unmarked David Cross to beat Siddall, albeit thanks to the woodwork as his attempt brushed off the foot of the post and rolled agonisingly over the line.

Other sides may have crumbed at having twice been pegged back, particularly when both goals felt rather cruel, but we kept plugging away until we got another break with what would prove to be the game’s main talking point.

West Brom’s Alistair Robertson was adjudged by referee Kenneth Walmsley to have fouled Lee in the box, and from the resulting penalty, Towers slotted in the only goal of the second half.

The England international had scored from the spot against Derby County a week earlier, and despite having another penalty saved in the same game, he looked confident as he strode up for this latest attempt.

His teammates were also assured as they saw out the remainder of the match.

Ashurst cleared off the line on the one occasion the hosts looked like they might equalise again, and it was only at full time that tensions started to rise as the home fans took exception to Walmsley’s call.

Lee admitted afterwards that he was surprised at the award- not because he felt it was soft, but because in his experience, officials didn’t normally pick up on the less obvious pushing and shoving he would receive, yet those in the stands were of a different opinion.

Several West Brom players attempted to get at Walmsley as he tried to leave the field, with Siddall having to quickly step in before the police escort could catch up.

Photo by S&G/PA Images via Getty Images

The Sunderland stopper had shown some quality handling during play and his presence was once again welcomed in this incident, not least by the short handed officers that were then able to guide the ref to safety after they’d seen several colleagues dashing away to attend an incident at a nearby amateur match.

It later transpired that it wasn’t just the paying public that had been kicking off, as a local fixture had descended into an all-out brawl featuring all twenty two players plus a spectator!

Some of the police force that were meant to be remaining on duty at the Hawthorns had to be drafted over to Victoria Park in Smethwick to try and restore the peace, with those involved in the melee being taken to a station before subsequently being released without charge.

With the game said to have been evenly poised at 3-3, it was unsurprisingly another disputed refereeing decision that supposedly started the problems, but what was more of a shock was the fact that this Warley Alliance League match was between Ladywood Brookfield and St. Gregory’s, who were meant to be a church team!

As for Sunderland, victory meant a double over West Brom, who since coming up from Division Two alongside the Lads in the summer, had kicked on and were now one of the stronger top flight outfits.

Adamson’s squad was beginning to show that they were capable of achieving similar levels too, but we were paying the price for a shocking first half of the campaign that would be our undoing in the long run, alongside the outside factors at Coventry that were still to come.

That’s still to be forgotten in 2024, but for the Wearside fans that had been able to make it to the game on time nineteen days earlier, and been rewarded with a magnificent afternoon’s work in return, such a scenario would’ve been far from their minds on the journey home, and all that felt likely at this point was the completion of what would’ve been a truly great escape.

Saturday 30 April 1977

Football League Division One

The Hawthorns

Attendance: 21,859

West Bromwich Albion 2 (Cunningham 18’, Cross 31’)

Sunderland 3 (Towers 4’, 61’, Lee 30’)

Sunderland: Siddall, Docherty, Waldron; Ashurst, Bolton, Towers; Arnott, Elliott, Rowell; Holden, Lee

Sub Not Used: Brown