Reliving the fairytale - Sunderland's 1973 FA Cup victory: 50 years on

[@carljan57]

I remember as a 15 year old in Australia getting up at midnight local time to watch the final. My favourite FA Cup Final. What a game!

[@JohnJohn-zn8ib]

In black and white television.

[@robinmcarthur3287]

I'm a Burnley fan but this is one of my greatest football memories. I have always had a soft spot for Sunderland since 1973....it gave smaller clubs hope...and still does!!

[@jayveebloggs9057]

I'm a mag but it's easily the best ever FA cup final... I remember it so well as a child...

[@davidmazzeo7382]

Iam a Newcastle fan and that was my favorite fa cup final 1973

[@joemcm1]

im a sunderland fan and the year after we travelled up to Newcastle to relatives for the 1974 one -i was only 4-5 but i always remember being gutted that they didn't get their day like we did.the rivalry was always there but i cant stand the bitter hatred these days.my auntie and uncle were in a nightclub in whitley bay later on the same day and dennis tueart walked in they said the place went mental...and yes they are nufc

[@martinholroyd7605]

Still unable to delete this game from my memory bloody Montgomery & Porterfield being a Leeds fan but hey 50 year's on CONGRATULATIONS Sunderland....

[@markjackson9827]

Can still remember watching that game as kid, what a game and what a save, better than Gordon banks!!

[@fredfox1764]

even though im a manchester united fan ,i remember this day very well ,we were all supporting sunderland on the day and ive seen the documentary on you tube about the final victory and if ever the kids of today need to be shown what the fa cup means to a community then that is it ,great days and memories

[@hiramhackenbacker9096]

Wow I remember this. My parents emigrated from the nth east 10 yrs earlier to Australia. Staying up till midnight and watching the FA cup final was popular back then in Australia (not now). Well for that night it was like we were back in the nth east. We followed every kick and tackle as if we were in the crowd. We were all amazed how good Sunderland was. When the goal came and at the end my parents went ballistic. I'll never forget that night. Another fun fact: Australia didn't get colour TV until 1975. I went to an exhibition of colour TV prior and guess what they showed: a replay of this cup final. So the first football game I saw on TV in colour was this game.

[@Sam-bs9of]

brilliant, absolutely brilliant... thanks for putting that together.

[@edmundpower1250]

What a great cup win. Different times

[@Ianhenderson-w8q]

Got a ticket in the club draw having missed out for the semi - what luck! In stand behind the goal where Porterfield scored and Monty made THAT save. Even better! Amazing scenes at full time but remember making way to Tube in silence- as if everyone was stunned.

[@richardhillenglish3122]

Marvelous, thank you

[@vaughnwilliams1208]

Even now I still can't understand how Jim Montgomery made that save.

[@fishingstevie8830]

Im a Scot and i recall this Fa cup final win with Sunderland with my late Mother being born and raised in Sunderland in which probs made me more so pay attention ..Were a top side Sunderland them days and seen them play in a friendly at Celtic park a year later in 1974 in which game ended 0/0 ..although Celtic kept couple top players back as had Rangers to play a few days later ..But outside Celtic park in Glasgow which is many miles from the region in Scotland i was from ..I recall my late Father say to his mate also there at game that he thought Sunderland were the better team on the day ..I was a teenager them days and still recall seeing the red white striped shirts of the Sunderland team come out of the tunnel . I may well wear them colours sometime in the near future as a Sunderland supporter ..as always liked the strip but mainly because my Granddad was a fan way back before the war at Roker although below Weird as it is but my granddad and grandmum on ma Dads side both were born and raised in Newcastle with granddad who went to St James park and with my Mums side my Mum and my Grandmum and Grandad all born and raised in Sunderland with myself now not so far from both citys lol > Sunderland are the team id prefer from both likes and my fav side in England .

[@Bucketlisthiker]

Just seen this. I live in the USA now but I was 16 when this happened. One of the best days of my life!!

[@JohnJohn-zn8ib]

It was great watching this final on a Saturday night in Adelaide, Australia, thought Leeds would win but Sunderland stood up and hanged on for that 1-0 win, it was black and white television too as we didn't get colour tv till 1975.

[@jayveebloggs9057]

Hang on I just remembered the Montgomery save...

[@maxineiley1]

I remember this .was on durham road by the old Royal Infirmary hospital.. when the bus drove past.. I was 3 months away from being 4yrs old.

[@utubegeronimo7628]

The spotted long hair then and the free-flow football spiced with individual flair among footballers.

[@infrasleep]

Remember it so well! It gave every football fan (outside of Leeds!) such huge pleasure! I know everyone down south was more than delighted for SAFC! Such a shame the Cup has been trashed and rendered meaningless today. You can't tell youngsters how huge it used to be-on a par with winning the league,with clubs getting fined for fielding weakened teams in the LEAGUE to save players for the cup. So happy I was 13 when this happened and knew the FA Cup when it was huge. SAFC won it when it was huge.

[@bernadettemurray8260]

In the middle of Vine place absolutely heaving got separated from mam & dad a fortnight off being 9, fortunately we lived just off Chester rd the sight of the University

[@jimmystokoe6917]

Great times if safc won the cup ten more times it would never match 73 I was there and still going now haway the lads 🔴⚪️🌑

[@trevortaylor1343]

Best day of my life

[@feargrieve]

Magic Memorys.

[@michaelgalley5022]

John Forster were you a school teacher?.?

[@Malmes999]

👍

[@themanftheworld8439]

🟥⬜🟥⬜🟥⬜🟥

[@Sirdickymint]

Aye i was exactly on that spot..

[@sphughes01]

But Leeds are a 'big club.' Sunderland had twice as many fans at Wembley! Surely not! and them being a Second Division side too.

[@nickgower8681]

Sunderland were so lucky

[@jamesmoffatt6360]

😅😅😅

[@michealconlon1354]

That will never ever happen again when the f a cup was the first a cup 🎉