On this day in 1987, Murton-born Sunderland defender Dickie Ord made his debut in a famous 7-0 win over Southend.
Ord made his (unofficial) debut for Sunderland, his boyhood club, as a 17 year old against Gretna in pre-season 1987, also featuring in the next warm-up at Harrogate, and made his competitive debut against Southend United in the same year. It was a perfect introduction for the young defender as he featured in a massive 7-0 victory, one of the most memorable in years. Eric Gates scored four, Paul Atkinson scored two, and Gabbiadini also scored. In front of the noisy crowd at Roker Park, his debut nerves proved too much and he had come off after 68 minutes with cramp, with his replacement Michael Heathcote making his senior debut. In 1990 there was a brief loan at York, then he became a fixture in the Sunderland ranks.
Ord’s versatility was helpful for the team and he was initially switched about from centre half to full back and even featured in midfield. It seemed every manager had a different role for Ord initially. The back four when the young defender broke into the squad was menacing, with