Born on this day is former striker Eric Gates, who joined the lads from Ipswich under newly appointed Lawrie McMenemy and formed one half of the fierce G-Force.
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 finished 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.