During the club’s 141 year history, Sunderland fans have seen many great players wear the famous red and white shirt. However, there are a select number of players who have endeared themselves so much with fans they have the honour of having cult status. Here is a look at just three of the players who will always be remembered on Wearside having earned their title as ‘cult heroes’.
Sunderland’s Cult Heroes
Kevin Ball
Kevin Ball is not just one of the clubs cult heroes, he is a legend on Wearside. Loved by all but also feared by many. Ball Signed for Sunderland in 1990 in a £350,000 deal from Portsmouth. Starting out as a no-nonsense central defender, he was converted into a midfield enforcer. ‘Bally,’ as he is more affectionately known as, played over 350 games for the club, many of them as captain. He also served as a caretaker manager on two occasions, coached at the academy overseeing the development of the likes of Jordan Henderson and Jordan Pickford. He currently works as an ambassador for the club.
A Natural Leader
Kevin Ball was a natural leader on and off the pitch. His passion and desire to succeed was there for all to see whenever he pulled on the red and white shirt. For this, he was loved by the fans. Ball led the club to two Championship titles, helped the club to an FA Cup final, and won the Player of the Year award twice. He also was captain as the team reached their highest position in the Premier League.
Don’t Mess With ‘Bally’
Alex Rae, the former midfield partner of Ball once said he was a “man’s man,” and it was true. Ball was a lion on the field and it brought out the lion in his teammates too. Rumour has it that Vinnie Jones, one of the hardest men to ever grace a football field, called Kevin Ball his most fearsome opponent. Ball was not a dirty player, but he did love a tackle, and was both passionate and determined.
Earlier this year Ball was presented with the prestigious John Fotheringham Award at the North East Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year dinner for his outstanding contribution to North East Football.
John Kay
John Kay was another hardman from days gone by. A tough tackler who took no prisoners, Kay was also an excellent full-back. His antics on and off the field are still talked about on Wearside to this day. Following Sunderland’s relegation to the old Division Three in 1987, new manager Denis Smith made Sunderland born Kay one of his first signings. A bargain at around £25,000, Kay would play 199 times for the Black Cats and famously never scored a goal.
The Red and White Tractor
John Kay was not a dirty player but a no-nonsense right-back who never backed out of a tackle. One famous incident at home to Leeds United earned him the title of the ‘Red and White Tractor’. Kay, never one to back down from a challenge, stopped the onrushing Leeds player Peter Haddock in his tracks, before coming away with the ball. The challenge, a tough but fair one broke Haddock’s leg. The then Leeds manager Howard Wilkinson when he saw his injured player said it looked like his leg had been “ran over by a tractor”
Kay’s Sunderland career ended at Roker Park against Birmingham City. Sadly he did not walk off the pitch, although he did try, but was stretchered off after breaking his leg. Ever the showman, once he had decided that he would be unable to walk on his broken leg, he reluctantly took to a stretcher. He proceeded to pretend to row himself off the pitch.
Gary Rowell
Without mentioning his name, one sentence would make any Sunderland fan know which player is being talked about, ‘hat-trick against Newcastle United‘. Gary Rowell was a huge crowd favourite at Sunderland and still is to this day. Born in Sunderland and a huge supporter of the club, Rowell played out the dreams of many fans when he had a successful career with the team he supported.
Rowell scored 102 goals for his team either playing as a forward or a midfielder. Starting out as a youngster as the club were relegated in the 1976/77 season, he helped them back to the top-flight in 1980. His goals would help the Black Cats stay in England’s top division for the entirety of his time at the club; however, one game will always stand out as the one fans will remember him for.
Hat-Trick at Newcastle
February 24, 1979, will live long in the memory of both fans and Gary Rowell. It isn’t every day you beat your bitter rivals 4-1 away from home. In a game dominated by Sunderland, Rowell scored an excellent hat-trick. His first was a tap-in, having beat the Newcastle defenders and goalkeeper to a ball knocked down in the penalty area. His second saw him latch onto a through pass to drive the ball past the keeper. The third, a calmly taken penalty.
Speaking 40 years after his famous day, Rowell said of his penalty which secured his hat-trick and the win: “It was probably the most pressured penalty I ever took in my life when I think about it.
“I knew if I missed they’d get a massive psychological boost and they could go on and at least draw the game, because psychology in football is everything.
“But I knew if I scored – more than it being a hat-trick penalty – I knew if I scored the game was over.”
There are various credentials that make cult heroes. Being a fan of the club, an excellent player, a crowd favourite, a goalscorer and passion are things the majority of cult heroes will have. Gary Rowell had them all, plus a hat-trick against Newcastle United.
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