Sunderland was the First Cup final i saw on a colour TV.
Myself and my Dad went over to a neighbours house to watch Sunderland beat "Dirty" Leeds.
That game back in 1973 was probably the reason i loved the FA cup so much, and longed to get there to watch City lift the cup. The flags, the noise, the under-dogs winning. The unfashionable club beating the easy to follow giant club. Isnt that "real" football at its best ?
Back in the day then in the early 70's, everybody supported Leeds, Liverpool, United or Chelsea.
Our primary schools football team second kit was even a Leeds utd kit !
Never had an issue with Sunderland fans, and always found any i have come across, to be proper football people. I was also at that 2-2 night game against Bristol City, and taking into account the lack of effort in the last 10 minutes, it would hardly have been the only game i'd witness with no-one scoring in the dying stages. I've got more issues with fans of plenty other clubs before Sunderland.
Leeds, Leicester, Villa and ether of the Sheffield clubs, are all teams i quite happily see lose whoever they are playing.
We all probably know lads who have at some stage supported one of the fashionable clubs, before switching their allegiance. I'd very much doubt you'd have too many Sunderland fans doing that. They travel in numbers, they're not glory hunters. Sure they have a few idiots on the day, and on the keyboards.
Yes, at the time, back in '77 i found it amusing what Jimmy Hill had done, and the fact both clubs stayed up. But it could easily have been a different story, with either team winning by a couple of goals, and the Everton game bearing a different result.
I have a grudging respect for any fans of an unfashionable team who travel in numbers, whatever the distance and whatever the weather or time of kick off. And Sunderland fall into that bracket.
On a different note, i disklike both the Sheffield clubs and no real idea why !