On Wearside, they have their very own version of Lord Voldermort. A manager who really should not be named due to the terrible memories which come flooding back. On this day in 1987, one of Sunderland’s worst managerial spells was coming to an end. On this day, Lawrie McMenemy left Sunderland.
Following another disappointing defeat at home to Sheffield United, which saw the Black Cats edge closer to the dreaded drop, Lawrie McMenemy decided he’d had enough. The reign of one of the most disappointing managerial spells in football was over; however, fans and the local media were not told until the following day when McMenemy, having done a “midnight flit”, was long gone.
Lawrie McMenemy Leaves Sunderland on This Day in 1987
Big Mac Arrives to Huge Fanfare
Upon arrival at Sunderland, McMenemy was seen as the ideal man to make the club successful again. The Black Cats had just been relegated to the second tier of English football; however, in McMenemy, they now had a much sought after and successful manager. He was also from the North East and knew what the fans wanted and how to win. Or so everyone believed.
In becoming the new Sunderland manager, McMenemy, who won promotion at Southampton, lifted the FA Cup and built a team that challenged at the top of the table with the likes of Liverpool. As a result, it meant he became the highest-paid manager in the country. He had been linked with the likes of Manchester United but returned to his native North East to attempt to replicate what he had achieved at Southampton.
First Season a Sign of Things to Come for Club and Lawrie McMenemy
It was a season not expected by anyone. Fans and the media alike had made Sunderland favourites for promotion. By the end of the season, they were lucky not to have been relegated to England’s third tier.
The first five games ended in defeat without a single goal being scored by McMenemy’s team. It was the club’s worst-ever start to a season. Form improved slightly, although a run that saw just two wins in 17 games saw the club plummet down the table and attendances drop drastically. Two wins in the last two games of the season lifted the team out of the relegation zone.
From Bad to Worse
Despite promising brighter days ahead and delivering a good start to the season, McMenemy and his team hit the self-destruct button and fell down the table at an alarming rate. Sunderland were in big trouble both on and off the field, with debts getting larger by the day. McMenemy’s large wage and little to no success on the field was crippling the club.
Following a 2-1 home defeat on this day in 1987 to Sheffield United, the end of the McMenemy era was over.
Midnight Flit
Sunderland were a sinking ship and McMenemy deserted that ship in the cover of darkness. Described as a ‘midnight flit’, the former Southampton boss advised just one person of his intentions, a London-based reporter. In an extract from ‘The Managers: Tales from the Red and Whites, Volume 3′ (via the Chronicle), McMenemy said: “I let a friend of mine Alex Montgomery have the story.
“He was a London-based reporter and I let him know what I was going to do. I can understand why the north east reporters were annoyed because I knew how the media worked.
“Wallop! They were giving me it 100% because in their eyes I’d done a runner.
“Looking back that was a mistake. Hands up. Mistake.
“What I did was gather up Anne and other members of my family, packed our car and drove south early in the morning. By the time the rest of the media found out, I’d gone.”
There is little doubt that McMenemy, in the minds of fans, was to blame for the club’s demise. Their team were in deep trouble and relegation to Division Three (now League One) for the first time in their history was looming large. Sunderland turned to an old Messiah in Bob Stokoe, the man who led the club to the historic 1973 FA Cup final win. However, even Stokoe could not save the club.
In his autobiography, McMenemy ended the chapter in which he talks about his time at Roker Park with: “I will be eternally sorry that I played a part in that surrender. I am judged as a manager by what happens on the pitch and that was unacceptable at Sunderland.”
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