On this day in 2000, centre back Stanislav Varga was signed from Slovan Bratislava for a fee of £875,000. Sunderland were looking to build on a really successful 1999/2000 campaign (we finished seventh), however many people were sceptical and thought that we'd set the bar too high. Stanislav Varga was one of six new additions, he spoke barely any English at this point, receiving lessons in his flat at Sunderland Marina from a Hungarian teacher with little football knowledge and he faced a...

On this day in 1983, former Sunderland player Eddie Burbanks passed away aged 70. The winger played for the club between 1935 and 1948, racking up 154 appearances and scoring 29 goals. One of those goals was the third in the 1937 FA Cup final, as we won the competition for the first time. Full name William Edward Burbanks, Eddie learned his left wing trade at Doncaster Grammar School, Thorne Town, Doncaster YMC and Denaby United of the Midland League, before we paid £750 for his signature in...

Born on this day in 1975 in Redditch is former Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers fan favourite Jody Craddock, who now has a successful career as an artist! The central defender signed for Peter Reid's men on the day the Stadium of Light opened in 1997 for a fee of £300k plus add-ons from Cambridge United. He was only 22 at the time and was touted as one for the future, facing stiff competition for a starting place from Andy Melville and Dicky Ord. However, Craddock impressed and it...