On this day in 1972, Bob Stokoe was appointed Sunderland manager and led the Lads to FA Cup glory not long after his arrival...
The Northumberland-born man began his playing career at Newcastle United, making his debut on Christmas Day 1950 against Middlesbrough. He also scored in that game, one of four goals in his Newcastle career. One of Stokoe’s most memorable moments for the Mags was playing in a 3-1 win over Manchester City in the 1955 FA Cup final.
Stokoe wound down his career at Bury before retiring and becoming their manager at just 31 years old. It made him the second-youngest manager in the Football League. After brief spells at Charlton, Rochdale and Carlisle, Stokoe took over at Blackpool. Despite not being overly popular among the Blackpool fanbase, he brought European football to the seaside in the form of the Anglo-Italian cup. After his third season at Blackpool, Stokoe claimed that he wanted to stay at Blackpool for five years. However, Sunderland came calling and the lure of a North-East return was too much.