Gary Bennett: 'My arrival was a big shock for the city of Sunderland'

11/04/2024 07:00 AM

Forty years since becoming the club's second black player, Bennett reflects on coping with racist abuse and the push for diversity

Whenever Gary Bennett glances in his rear-view mirror and spots a police car, he tenses. "I don't get stopped nowadays," says the former Sunderland captain. "But it's still always on my mind that they're going to pull me over."

It is 40 years since Bennett became the second black player to pull on the famous red and white stripes yet the memories of his 11 seasons at the heart of the club's defence remain vivid. Along the way he made more than 350 first-team appearances, establishing himself as a cult hero at Sunderland's former Roker Park home.