We all have our favourites who have donned the red and white stripes of Sunderland. The new breed of supporters will hopefully talk about players such as Ross Stewart and Dan Neil as legends. However, actually meeting them can be quite an intimidating experience- especially when you haven’t done so before. Being starstruck is probably the best explanation you can give it, and we’ve all been there at various times in our lives haven’t we?
I started supporting the Lads from an early age, thanks to a Mam that had just as much passion about the beautiful game as anyone. Mam claims that seeing Old Big ‘Ead Brian Clough in the red and white stripes as a young lass growing up in Silksworth was a sight to behold, and it’s probably hard to argue with that sentiment is it? She never met him in person though, and she still regrets that to this day.
Personally, my hero has always been Gary Rowell and that will never change in the slightest either. I do admit that meeting some of the 1973 Wembley team on occasions has left me feeling that gooey and fuzzy inside. That kind of feeling that can be akin to having butterflies on your wedding day. That’s how it starts and once you get it, it’s damn hard to shift.
In the days before selfies, I met Monty when he was acting as goalkeeping coach at Darlington under Gary Bennett in the early 2000s. To say I was in awe is probably one of the biggest understatements I will ever make in this world. I couldn’t believe that I was in the presence of one of the best players to have ever appeared for the Lads. Chatting and reminiscing with guys such as Monty and Micky Horswill are memories that will last a lifetime.
These days meeting the modern day footballer can be less than a memorable experience. Some players can be a bit standoff-ish and unwilling to pose for selfies with you, even though we are the ones that pay their wages. I’ve seen it happen. Then there’s the signs of “<insert player name> can I please have your shirt?” appearing on a regular basis at stadiums up and down the country. This really gets me annoyed, it’s such an American feature that seems have crept in our lives and you can sense how some players find it tiresome when they see said signs.
There has to be a struck fine balance between obsessed and admiring players. When I was young, I used to get Match Weekly or Shoot every week and if SAFC or one of players was in it then I read the magazine and then dissect the poster and dig out the old Blu-Tack to pin them on my bedroom wall. These days, you seldom see this. Shoot ceased to exist in 2008 and Match comes every fortnight costing an astronomical, in my opinion, £3.99. Just goes to show how things have changed in time.
As long as football exists, fans will always have their heroes and they will come and go with increasing regularity. Just cherish the memories they create because nothing lasts forever.
