On this day in 2024, the record-breaking Derek Forster passed away aged 75. Here are some words written by Sobs following the news of Derek's death.

August 22nd 1964 heralded the start of another season for SAFC, and it was one we looked forward to, as we’d ended the previous campaign with promotion to the top flight, having finished second to Leeds. That season had seen Monty play every one of our fifty competitive games, but that sequence had taken its toll and after playing in both pre-season games, he succumbed to a hand injury in training before the 1964-’65 campaign got underway.

As manager Alan Brown had upped sticks at the end of July to join Sheffield Wednesday, it was left to a selection committee to seek to bring in a replacement, and they were forced to turn to Derek Forster, who’d only signed as an apprentice two months before, having arrived from Newcastle Schools.

Originally an outfield player, he’d converted to keeping goal and won England Schoolboy honours before joining us and was 15 years and 185 days old when the season began against Leicester City at Roker on August 22nd. 45,465 people thronged to the old ground to roar on their newly-promoted heroes, with Forster the only irregular on the teamsheet, and, as a kid, that must have been an awesome experience. Fans of a certain age can still reel off the rest, Irwin, Ashurst, Harvey, Hurley, McNab, Usher, Herd, Sharkey, Crossan, and Mullall. Never mind spare keepers on the bench, there were no subs at all for another few years. In goal for the opposition?

Gordon Banks. Despite what was described as an admirable performance by our rookie keeper, we conceded three, but to put things in perspective, Banks did as well, with George Mulhall bagging two and George Herd one. Derek featured in the next two games, which were lost 1-4 and 1-3 at West Brom and Chelsea, before the club brought in Sandy McLaughlan. That was the end of Derek’s season, as Monty eventually regained fitness, and there were no appearances in 1965-’66 or 1966-’67, although he did play half of our dozen USA League games in the summer of 1967.

In the first game of 1968, Derek faced Leicester again, this time featuring Peter Shilton in goal, in a 0-2 loss, then he reappeared in April for the defeat at Liverpool and victory over Wolves at home. His next appearance was his only one of 1968-’69, and that was in Ron Cockerill’s testimonial at Grimsby in a 2-2 draw refereed by Mr Fussey, no less. 1969-’70 brought a single appearance in a defeat at Ipswich, plus an appearance from the bench in a friendly against Perugia. After no games in 1970-’71, Derek had his best campaign in 1971-’72 with eleven appearances – but, as happens with second-string goalies, it came courtesy of an injury to the established Number One.

In December and January that season, he featured in five consecutive games (won three, drew one, lost one) before Monty’s return, then was back in the FA Cup in the Third Round second replay against Cardiff at Maine Road, which we lost before he kept his place for the next three league games (won, drew, lost).

The next season brought no more appearances, and with Trevor Swinburne moving up the goalkeeping ladder, so in July 1973 Derek joined Charlton, where he stayed for a year before two seasons at Brighton – a spell that brought only another dozen appearances. Thirty first-team appearances in twelve years – such is the life of a goalkeeper who spends his career as an understudy, although he did appear in local leagues back in the North East as he worked at Washington Leisure Centre. His Sunderland record stands at 19 games (won 7, drew 4, lost 8) plus half a dozen as an unused substitute. Our youngest ever player, and the youngest to turn out in the top flight, a record he held for 58 years until the appearance of Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri at the age of 15 years and 181 days in 2022. And for the record, Chris Rigg is our second-youngest ever player at 15 years and 203 days.

Derek Forster’s landmark achievement should not be forgotten at our club. RIP Derek.