On This Day (22nd December 1962): A week of Christmas highs and lows

Today at 01:00 AM

Famous names, famous moments and famous foes, as various strands of football's soap opera continue to intertwine…

1963 was supposed to be the time Sunderland stormed back into Division One, but events at the end of the previous year were to have a dramatic impact, and would lead to the club missing out on one of the top spots by the narrowest of margins.

Brian Clough had been averaging a goal a game during the 1962-63 campaign and his prowess meant the team looked odds on for promotion, but during the big Boxing Day clash against Bury he suffered a horrific injury that would eventually end his playing career and set him instead on the first steps towards managerial immortality. The team however were not able to stage an immediate recovery, and whilst they later topped the table for a brief period the ongoing absence of their star striker was ultimately what saw them remaining in the second tier for the time being.

The game against the Shakers will always have a place in Sunderland folklore – not only did it rob Clough of the chance to build on his phenomenal scoring record, but one of the other men involved in the incident, Bob Stokoe, would go on to enjoy his own managerial peak at Sunderland despite for a long period being disliked by the former for his response as he lay on the ground hurt in the aftermath of his collision with goalkeeper Chris Harker.

There was little doubt that the rock hard pitch was a factor that afternoon but in the previous game, played on this day, it was thick fog that was the main concern. Covering large parts of the country, twelve Football League games had to be postponed, but on Wearside visibility was relatively okay and despite it being the last Saturday before Christmas another large crowd gathered at Roker keen to see if the in form Clough could continue to spearhead the Lads' charge.

Suffering just two defeats in their last 19 outings across league and cup, Alan Brown's side had been picking up real momentum ahead of welcoming Leeds United. This was another reason for supporters to want to be there too – an intense and occasionally violent rivalry with the visitors, the finale of which came under Stokoe and was a prelude to Clough later becoming manager in West Yorkshire, was just beginning to simmer, and with the last meeting between the two witnessing a horrific challenge on popular youngster Willie McPheat a large helping of retribution was expected to be dished out.

McPheat's career at the top level was effectively over because of the injuries he sustained when Bobby Collins lunged at him wildly and broke his thigh bone at Elland Road during the early weeks of the season. Unexpectedly though, once the team sheets had been handed in it became apparent that Collins had been dropped from the starting XI by former Black Cat Don Revie, and that took some of the sting out of the return fixture, if not the future strained relationships shared between the interwoven trio of him, Stokoe and Clough, who would all have their own misgivings of one another. For now, the match itself was still bad tempered, as it so often was when Revie was overseeing one of the sides involved, but there was some decent football played also, with chances at either end.

Sunderland started very well, yet it was Leeds that got the ball in the back of the net first only for Jim Storrie's 10^th minute attempt to be chalked off once the referee and his lineman conferred and agreed there had been an offside player during the move. Harry Hooper, meanwhile, who was making a rare appearance, was dangerous throughout and ensured that the hosts were always a threat. There was little surprise when he was involved in the build up to what was the actual opener, setting George Herd away down the wing and helping create a deserved lead. The Scot ran onto the pass and took on Grenville Hair, and after switching the ball onto his left foot sent in a searching cross that Clough was able to flick on for George Mulhall to volley in spectacularly from just inside the Fulwell End penalty area.

There was no resting of laurels after that and when Hooper forced Jack Charlton into an error Clough only just failed to capitalise. Clough was by no means the only Sunderland icon on show though and Charlie Hurley was just as big character – he drew large applause from the terraces when, under pressure from several attackers, he managed to calmly control the ball and played a long back pass to a certain Jimmy Montgomery, who a little over a year on from his debut had now irrefutably become first choice stopper.

He too would enjoy great highs against Leeds down the line, but after denying Billy Bremner with one flying stop was unable to reach the next long range dig as it flew in with 30 minutes remaining. The scores did not stay level for long however, as a fantastic move involving Mulhall, Clough, Herd and Hooper soon resulted in a corner; Hurley came up for the set piece in his usual rousing style, and whilst initially crowded out as he leapt for the cross, several defenders simply bounced off him so that when the ball fell kindly he was suddenly unmarked and free to hammer home the winner.

From then on it was a case of keeping things tight as Sunderland managed to strengthen their hold on the second promotion spot. Things were falling into place and even though Clough's latest spree of six goals in four outings was now over, excitement was growing in the area. Christmas Day, Boxing Day and a supposedly successful 1963 were all just around the corner after all…

Saturday 22 December 1962

Football League Division One

Sunderland 2 (Mulhall 26', Hurley 68')

Leeds United 1 (Bremner 60')

Sunderland: Montgomery; Nelson, Ashurst; Anderson, Hurley, McNab; Hooper, Herd, Clough, Fogarty, Mulhall.

Roker Park, attendance 40,252