Born on this day in 1975 is the man who scored the last ever goal at Roker Park, John Mullin.
He joined the Lads in '95, as a pacey and promising striker. He was one of Peter Reid's first signings as a Sunderland manager, who took over at SAFC in March 1995. On just his second appearance he netted against Luton Town, adjusting well to life in the North East as he was previously playing for Burnley.
Injuries, as well as our strike force's sensational form at the time, meant Mullin could only make a handful of league appearances in our 95/96 promotion season. In the Premiership, he would go on to play 10 times- and he actually scored the winner in a famous win over Manchester United in March 1997.
As Sunderland waved goodbye to the iconic Roker Park, we hosted Liverpool in a 'Farewell to Roker' match. Mullin scored the only goal in a 1-0 win, a fitting end to the Roker Park era in 1996.
Initially signed as a striker, Mullin began training as a central midfielder and would play deeper for the reserve side. He was given a chance in his new position after both Lee Clark and Alex Rae were injured.
He was given an extended run in the team as a midfielder, and really thrived. One performance against Ipswich stands out, where he scored the first in a 2-0 win and was named Sky's Man of the Match.
Unfortunately for John he suffered a groin injury against Crewe in November 1998 which hampered his progress as a Sunderland player. He was told to rest by doctors, but when that didn't solve the problem it would be revealed that he needed surgery.
He was released in the close season and returned to Burnley, after making 45 appearances as a Sunderland player. Long spells with Rotherham and Tranmere followed, before finally John moved to Accrington Stanley and retired in 2010. He is now a part of Manchester City's backroom staff, helping out with coaching and scouting.
