Happy birthday to all round club legend, former player and kit man, John 'Cookie' Cooke, former defender Thomas Butler and also former manager David Moyes (although the latter didn't exactly shower himself in glory during his time on Wearside!)
JOHN COOKE
A Salford born lad, he joined Sunderland in 1979 as a right winger, he would stay at Roker Park for six years, playing 62 games and scoring 5 goals. At youth level however he was more prominent and would be the star of the academy team in the late 1970s, he would impress so much that he would be called up for England at youth level also. He broke into the team in the 1979-80 promotion season and would score on his second senior appearance for SAFC, against Luton Town. He never managed to establish a starting role in Division 1 for Sunderland and he left the club in 1985 to join Carlisle United but failed to really cement himself there either, he would finally end his professional career at Stockport County in 1990, but a good season was ended with play-off semi final heartbreak and County's promotion hopes to Division 3 dashed. He would go on to play non-league with Chesterfield and then returned to the North East with Gateshead and Spennymoor.
In January 1994, he was appointed as Sunderland's kit man and would remain in post until recently, being made redundant by the club during the COVID pandemic in a move that shocked fans in the disgraceful way that the old owners handled his departure. He was a firm fans favourite when playing and became even more of a cult club legend during his more than three decade spell in the backroom team.
THOMAS BUTLER
A player who always impressed in the youth ranks at Sunderland but failed to ever make his mark on the first team, never cementing his name into Sunderland history. He was at the cub from a young age until 2005 when he left following threats of a legal battle regarding breach of contract. He debuted against Walsall in 1999 but only ever managed to rack up 30 appearances for SAFC before considering hanging up his boots, he didn't and would go onto to play for Dunfermline Athletic, Hartlepool United and Swansea City. A good young Irishman who just failed to make it in the Sunderland first team but would later go on to enjoy a prosperous spell in South Wales.
DAVID MOYES
Doesn't really need much of an explanation, depends on the age of the Sunderland fan you ask, he's the worst manager Sunderland have ever had, then again, he would likely be in the worst ranking bosses of fans of all ages!
