OTD: ERIC GATES SIGNED

On this day in 1985, forward Eric Gates joined Sunderland for a fee of £150,000 from Ipswich Town. He would go on to make 220 appearances for the Lads, win two promotions with the club and contribute 55 goals.

Making his debut in a 2-0 loss to Blackburn Rovers, Gates scored his first goal in a 3-3 draw against Grimsby Town. Initially, Eric struggled at Roker Park with Sunderland finishing just two places above the relegation zone. The following season was a disaster as we all know; McMenemy’s side were famously relegated to the third tier for the first time in their history, with the manager eventually leaving the club at an all-time low. This was despite Gates scoring twice against Gillingham in a relegation play-off.

New gaffer Denis Smith brought a breath of fresh air to the club and along with Smith from York City came Gates’ new partner up front, Marco Gabbiadini. The pair hit 40 goals between them as the lads took the league by storm. This prolific season led to Sunderland fans affectionately naming the pair as the G-Force. Gates became a legend at Sunderland, once scoring four times in a 7-0 win over Southend United. The Ferryhill-born forward also bagged a hat trick against Rotherham United as well as scoring in a title-winning 3-1 victory over Northampton Town.

The following season, Gates scored just four goals as Sunderland finished comfortably mid-table in 11th. However, the striker’s final season on Wearside was once again successful, firing us to promotion. Probably his most significant goal during his time in the North East was the opener in a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United in the play-off semi-final, a win which sent us to Wembley. Although the team lost to Swindon Town, Sunderland ultimately were given promotion after the Robins were found guilty of financial irregularities and relegated instead.

After leaving Sunderland, Gates joined Carlisle United where he scored eight goals in 38 league appearances. Eric then retired before joining the Three Legends radio phone-in show. More recently, Gates featured in the promotional video for Sunderland's 2025/26 away kit.