This day 1981 - Free kick, Hedley, gooooooooaaaaaaaaaalllllllll

Erimus74

Erimus74

Well-known member
When Sunderland came to town

Boro inflicted a usual defeat on our neighbours as Graeme Hedley scored the only goal of the game in front of a bouncing holgate & packed out Ayresome Park, fighting broke out before, throughout the game & after the game

Top North East dogs Boro, who had only lost the one home game all season & going well in the FAC with a mouth watering FAC tie the following Saturday at home to Barnsley, were far the better team, but as always happens in these local games the form book goes out of the window, as relegated threatened Sunderland came to the mighty Boro & made us work hard for the 90 minutes for the win

Graeme Hedley's free kick (deputing for the injured Craig Johnston who was missing his 5th consecutive game) was inch perfect & a goal worthy of winning any match & a brilliant kick to win a tight game

Future Boro full back Joe Bolton received his marching orders in the final few minutes of this electric atmosphere

John Neals exciting young team lined up

Jim Platt
Irving Nattrass
Ian Bailey
Graeme Hedley
Billy Ashcroft
Tony McAndrew
Terry Cochrane
Mark Proctor
Dave Hodgson
Bosco Yankovic
Davey Armstrong
Sub
Dave Shearer

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In the Corner below the boys end( FFS just remembered commonly known as the Bob end the memory is going) great goal I think Hedley was meant to be a Sunderland fan, nice footballer just a bit light weight maybe
 
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I was stood in the Holgate End with a few mates. What a day and quite scary for a 12 year old after the game as we legged it from Ayresome as it all kicked off. I can still see Sunderland Keeper Barry Siddall grasping at thin air as the ball flew into the back of the net. Who would have have thought that I would see him grasping at thin air again 6 years later as an Archie Stephens bullet header flew past him as he stood in goal for Blackpool at Bloomfield Road (y)
 
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I have tried and tried to find a video of that goal.

We were in the corner of the Holgate, full of The Westminster Magnet, beside dozens of S'land fans, I can't remember them being called Mackems then, and then chaos.

I still say it's the best goal in my Lifetime

Just changed my mind, Pollock at Roker.
 
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I was in the boys end with the old fella, then the Sunderland fans came in and there was hell on.
Ended up down below in the Bob end, with the Mackems up at the back of the boys end, fights breaking out from start to finish.
 
Same_as_before said:
I have tried and tried to find a video of that goal.

We were in the corner of the Holgate, full of The Westminster Magnet, beside dozens of S'land fans, I can't remember them being called Mackems then, and then chaos.

I still say it's the best goal in my Lifetime

Just changed my mind, Pollock at Roker.
Click to expand...
Same_as_before, unfortunately theres nothing of that goal sadly
 
The documentary about the ref featured our home game against Sunderland the following season. I forget what it was called but it was about referee Neil Midgley. A bit of creative googling and I'm sure you'll find it. There were a few Acklam lads on it from what I remember.
 
Nearly 40k crowd for a mid table league game that day.

I remember trying to navigate the alley from the North Stand to the Holgate and it was like a scene from the Somme with shouting and fighting from both sets of supporters. Sunderland would bring 7 to 8k in those days, just an ordinary game for them not a derby they say.
 
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