OTD: DAVID YOUNG DEBUT

On this day in 1973, former Sunderland defender David Young made his debut for the club in a 4-0 Second Division win at home to Brighton and Hove Albion. Young played 41 times and scored once whilst on Wearside and is best known for being the only man on our bench during the 1973 FA Cup final victory.

Having found the presence of Bob Moncur and Ollie Burton restrict him to less than 50 games in a decade at Newcastle United, he answered Bob Stokoe’s call in early 1973, arriving within days of Ron Guthrie for a combined fee of about £30,000.

Stokoe had recognised gaps in our squad and got the pair to make the short journey along the A184 to fill them. It’s said that defender Dave’s family, all staunch Mags, refused to speak to him for ages after the move, but he ended up with something no living Mag player has got; an FA Cup winner’s medal.

His debut came on January 6th 1973, alongside Dave Watson in a 4-0 demolition of Brighton at Roker Park that featured a goal from Joe Bolton, and he featured in both FA Cup ties against Reading. His first and only Sunderland goal came as we drew 1-1 at Leyton Orient in late April but his first team chances were restricted by the return to fitness of Richie Pitt. He ended the season with 16 appearances. His most memorable game was at Wembley, where he was our solitary substitute and unused as Stokoe relied on the Lads who’d taken the lead to defend it on the front foot rather than sit back and soak up the pressure.

The following season brought 24 appearances, as Richie Pitt’s early season injury ended his career and left a gap for Dave to fill. But he recognised that the arrival of his former team-mate Bobby Moncur and the surprise conversion of striker Rod Belfitt to defence, would limit his chances and moved to Charlton in July 1974.

Equally comfortable at fullback or in the centre, he had a couple of seasons at Charlton Athletic which preceded another two at Southend United before he retired from the professional game to wind down with Dartford. Following this, he managed a sports centre in the South East, but has returned the North East as a guest at SAFC. His son, Paul, studied at Sunderland University in the mid ‘90s, where he didn’t think anyone would remember his dad. As my wife was on the same course, he was soon put right on that subject. We’re Sunderland, we don’t forget.