Born on this day is former Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce. Big Sam is arguably one of Sunderland’s most successful managers of recent years, despite spending less than a full year at the club.
Allardyce began playing in 1971, coming through at Bolton Wanderers. After nine years at Bolton, he came to Sunderland where he played for just one year. Sunderland manager Ken Knighton offered Allardyce £300 per week, which more than quadrupled his wage at Bolton!
The defender was solid on Wearside, but only played for a year before new manager Alan Durban left him out of the team for the start of the 1981/82 season, making his departure inevitable.
Allardyce played for a number of clubs throughout his lengthy career including Coventry, Huddersfield and a return to his boyhood club of Bolton Wanderers.</