My Dad was born very close to the city centre of Sunderland in 1925. The fourth of 5 sons he became a Joiner in Sunderland’s shipyards and served in the Durham Light Infantry in the Second World War. He was a quiet,proud and loving family man who spoke through his deeds and not his words. He had a lovely sense of humour and loved to sing. He had a passion for football and above all his team Sunderland. My everlasting memory is of my Dad and I watching the cup final in 1973 with a bag of chocolate peanuts and some lemonade. He had to go and lie in his bedroom because he couldn’t bear to watch the second half and I remember I had to relay all the excitement and tension by shouting up the stairs. He never got to see the second half but I don’t think he cared. His team had won! He enjoyed all the friendly banter between his friends from rival teams, his best friend was a Newcastle supporter and it was so funny listening to their arguments after they had a few pints on a Saturday night. Above all else, he never held any jealousy or animosity towards local teams because he was proud of the people of the North East, the culture, history and heritage. He was a true gentleman.
Shared by Wall of Fame archive · 25 May 2026