We all live in a Gary Rowell world! The Seaham-born Sunderland legend is more known for his famous hat trick against the Mags, plus he randomly scored three against Guernsey once, but he also bagged a hat trick against Arsenal which happened on the day in 1982. His exploits in a red and white shirt led to him being voted Sunderland's best player of the 80s in an ALS poll in 2006!
Rowell made his debut for the Lads in the 1975/76 season, aged just 18, and his first goal came in a 4-1 win at Hull in April that season with a low shot from the edge of the area. However, it took him a good 6-9 months to nail down a spot in the first team, as he was in the same position as captain Tony Towers and Gary was seen as Tony’s understudy.
A boyhood Sunderland fan, Gary had gone to the 1973 cup final with his mates and watched the likes of Bobby Kerr and Jim Montgomery lift the trophy. They were still at the club when Rowell broke into the first team, which must have been an amazing experience. Ian Porterfield actually scored the winner on Rowell’s debut, too.
The Lads won the Second Division Championship that year, and Rowell showed great potential and was tipped to go right to the top. He was selected for the England Under-21 tour of Scandinavia. He really blossomed in 1977/78, scoring an impressive 18 league goals in 39 appearances.
The following season he did even better - finding the net 21 times in just 31 games. It was in this season where Rowell became known as the mag-slayer, scoring a hat trick and getting one assist in our 4-1 win at St James’ Park. He famously had a conversation with fellow youngster Kevin Arnott, debating whether to go for a fifth goal, or just take the piss. In Gary’s words, “we decided to take the piss.”
However, disaster struck just a month later as Rowell suffered a medial ligament injury which ended his season. Ultimately, it would hamper his career until his retirement. In the 1979/80 season, his appearances were restricted to just eight starts and a handful of substitute appearances, although the team didn’t seem to suffer, as they won promotion to Division One.
Gary was a regular in the next four Division One seasons, scoring another memorable hat trick against Arsenal in 1982. An effective and clinical goal scorer, Rowell’s 102 goals in red and white surpassed Len Shackleton as Sunderland’s top post-war scorer. This record stood until someone called Kevin Phillips came to the club and did quite well. Not bad, considering Gary wasn't even a proper number nine! He would often play on the wings or drop a bit deeper.
Rowell spent ten years on Wearside, and became one of Sunderland’s most popular players post-war. He had finished as the club’s top scorer in six separate seasons, but was sent to Norwich by new Sunderland gaffer Len Ashurst. He was trying to put his stamp on the team by implementing a complete overhaul - a fatal mistake which led to the side being relegated from the First Division, before being relegated again to the Third Division soon after.
Gary was already at Norwich by then though, but couldn’t replicate his goalscoring exploits in East Anglia. He suffered massively with injuries, starting just twice and making four substitute appearances.
Ironically, the year after he departed, Rowell faced his old team Sunderland in the 1985 Milk Cup final, although he didn’t play due to injury as the Canaries lifted the cup. Still a Sunderland boy at heart, Gary came over to salute the Sunderland fans after the final whistle in an enormously emotional game.
Of his subsequent moves, 10 goals in 27 appearances for the Boro was his best goal return since leaving Sunderland. He retired in 1990 and decades later we still regularly sing his name on the terraces and he regularly appears on several SAFC radio shows.
