Born on this day in 1938 in Boldon is former Sunderland fullback Colin Nelson.
Colin Nelson was part of an incredibly successful youth team, Usworth Juniors, who won everything available. Sunderland had banked on Nelson being able to make the step up to the men’s game and they offered him a trial. He was a revelation and was promptly offered a professional contract, which he declined.
For some reason, Nelson was hell bent on becoming a pharmacist and a professional contract at his local club couldn’t deter him from what he was sure was his vocation in life. At least, it couldn’t just yet. Sunderland uni is justly renowned for its pharmacy course, but before the formation of the uni there was the Sunderland Technical College, which is where Nelson ended up instead of SAFC. Perhaps his education at Washington Grammar School had instilled the importance of intellectual lab