This Tyne Tees Television documentary records ‘a day in the life’ of the town of Sunderland during the FA Cup final that took place on Saturday 5th May 1973, when the underdogs Sunderland Association Football Club beat Leeds United 1-0. The programme captures the mood of the town and its people leading up to, during and after the match.   Title: Tyne Tees Colour The film opens in Sunderland looking down the empty A19 towards the Wearmouth Bridge. Title: Sunderland Cup Final Day 5.30am...

This Tyne Tees Television documentary records ‘a day in the life’ of the town of Sunderland during the FA Cup final that took place on Saturday 5th May 1973, when the underdogs Sunderland Association Football Club beat Leeds United 1-0. The programme captures the mood of the town and its people leading up to, during and after the match.   Title: Tyne Tees Colour The film opens in Sunderland looking down the empty A19 towards the Wearmouth Bridge. Title: Sunderland Cup Final Day 5.30am [over a general view of a terraced Sunderland street. A general view follows of Solar House in the centre of the town. In the early morning, along the pedestrian precinct below a crowd of Sunderland Association Football Club (AFC) supporters walk past dressed in team colours of red and white, some shout while others honk horns. One man is carrying a ventriloquist’s dummy also dressed in the red and white colours of Sunderland AFC. At the railway station more supporters, many wearing red and white football paraphernalia, have their tickets clipped by a British Rail employee before making their way to the platform. One man calls out ‘Hawway the Lads!’ as he passes the camera. Back out on the street, another large group of supporters are standing in a line. A man wearing a Sunderland rosette, holding a ‘Sunderland for the Cup’ plastic bag, is asked by a reporter if he was at the [19]37 cup final. He says he’s been waiting 54 years for this cup final. Other supporters in the queue are interviewed about Bob Stokoe and what he’s done for Sunderland. They are all big supporters and think he’s done a great job. Another man makes a prediction about the outcome of the match while a woman hopes to see her son-in-law, goalkeeper Jimmy Montgomery, play. At the bus station a line of specially commissioned buses prepare to leave to take supporters to Wembley Stadium near London. In the window of one of the buses, two boys hold up their thumbs, one holds a poster that says ‘Haway the Lads’. On another bus more supporters chant ‘Sunderland!’ and a young woman holds a red and white scarf in the air. The buses drive through Sunderland, football fans on board wave at the camera. At Sunderland railway station a diesel passenger train pulls into the platform and Sunderland fans climb aboard. Interview with an older man who says how happy the town is about today and the support the town has given to the team. The train pulls away from the station, two small children at a table, a humpty-dumpty doll dressed in red and white on the table Title: Meanwhile, back in Sunderland… A clock in the shopping precinct reads 7.34am. The area remains quiet. A picture of Bob Stokoe and the team is taped in the window of a Sunderland Corporation bus as it pulls out of the bus station. Another bus comes out of the station, its driver waving a red and white scarf. The bus passes a street cleaner pushing a cart. Outside the Mothercare store in the pedestrian precinct people begin to make their way to work. Title: 8.00am Inside an indoor market staff prepare their stalls ready for the day’s trading, some employees wear red and white hats.  Outside a woman walks past wearing a Sunderland AFC scarf. Inside the Sunderland AFC shop a large crowd of children gather around the front counter buying various cup final souvenirs. Back outside, two young women are interviewed about the atmosphere in the town. They aren’t happy that they have to work today.    Title 10.00am Large crowds make their way through the shopping precinct in the centre of Sunderland. Various views record Sunderland AFC decorated shop windows and local people walking past. A man sells ‘Sunderland Wembley 1973’ rosettes, a t-shirt for sale in a shop window reads ‘Up Sunderland’, and a young woman in a mini skirt walks past with a ‘Sunderland’ sash across her shoulders. In the shopping precinct three young women in red and white fashion lead a chorus of ‘We Shall Not be Moved’ in a big crowd of supporters. Two women from a small village talk about how the residents have ‘gone wild’ for the team. A procession of supporters march through the precinct led by a man wearing a large purple hat. Some are carrying flags, and all are chanting ‘We’ll Win the Cup!’ A group of men and women in red and white pose together before being interviewed about what they will do if Sunderland win. They say ‘when’ Sunderland win they will go out on the town. Two small children dressed in red and white ride mechanical animals chanting ‘Sunderland’. A group of women in the Sunderland AFC strip play a game of football, a group behind wave red and white scarfs while others spin football ratchets. In an alley near to Roker Park a group of boys kick a football about. A small dog wearing a Sunderland rosette joins in the game. Sunderland AFC pictures hang in the windows of a small shop. Inside two women dressed in red and white hats, one wearing a Sunderland sash, serve sweets to a number of small children. One of the women says they will be closing the shop and will be going across to a friend with a ‘colour’ television to watch the match. Inside a local youth club the DJ in bright red shirt shouts out the letters for Sunderland to the large crowd of cheering children. A Sunderland scarf is waved in the background. An interview with the registrar at Sunderland Registry Office follows. He talks about how unusual the day is as there is only one wedding taking place. The bride and groom come around a table to sign the register watched by their guests. Many, including the groom, are wearing red and white. Outside the happy couple are covered in confetti. One of the wedding guests is interviewed about the rest of the day. He say the women will be going back to the bride’s house while the men will be heading to the club to watch the match. Title: 1pm Outside the Top Rank Sunderland social club a large crowd of supporters, some carrying home-made banners, make their way inside. Inside the staff prepare for trading with one woman dressed in red and white raising the shutters over the bar. A couple of boys come into a large hall and take a seat to watch the match on a large screen, drinks are served at the bar.  A sign in a shop window reads ‘closed’. A group of women, several wearing red and white hats, run into Beatrice Street and enter a house to watch the match. Red and white bunting hangs from the front window. Inside a small public house fans cheer at the TV.  They begin to sing ‘Blaydon Races’ and clap their hands. The staff behind the bar continue to serve customers. In London the Sunderland football team climb aboard a coach to make their way to Wembley Stadium. Bob Stokoe is the last to climb aboard. Back in Sunderland a number of passengers, and the driver aboard a corporation bus are interviewed about their arrangements for the day and what they think the result will be. Title: 2.45pm In the front room of a house a group of men, women and children sit around the television set watching a hymn being sung at Wembley. One of the women in the room sings along. On the doorstep of his house Bob Stokoe Senior is asked if he gets nervous during matches like this and how his son might be feeling. Don Revie and Bob Stokoe lead Leeds United and Sunderland AFC out of the tunnel onto the pitch at Wembley Stadium. The film cuts back to the family and friends seen previously watching the same moment on their television. Outside ‘Lloyd’ shop on the shopping precinct a large crowd stands waving flags while the men at the Top Rank social club wait for the game to begin. On the pitch at Wembley referee Ken Burns blows his whistle and the game gets underway with Leeds taking early possession. However, Dennis Tueart takes the ball and makes a run at the Leeds goal. The first part ends back at an empty alleyway near to Roker Park where boys seen earlier were playing football. Title: Meanwhile, back in Sunderland The second part of the programme begins with a travelling shot through the near deserted streets of Sunderland. A handwritten sign in a shop window reads ‘Open at 5pm (Mrs Oaley)’. General views show a near empty street and a large crowd standing around the window of the 'Visionhire' shop in the shopping precinct watching the match on a display television. On the pitch at Wembley a corner kick is taken by Sunderland leading to Ian Porterfield scoring. Across Sunderland jubilation with people jumping around, screaming and hugging each other. On the street a woman is interviewed and is moved to tears now the tension has been broken. On the television screen in the front room the game gets underway again, a woman’s face is reflected in the glass watching the game nervously. The room applauds when goal keeper Jimmy Montgomery saves an attempt on goal by Leeds. On the field at Wembley the game continues with the crowd chanting ‘Haway the Lads’. Leeds attempt to score but can’t get the ball across the line. Back at the Top Rank those watching are on their feet, a boy holds up a photograph of the team to the camera intercut with those of the people in the front room all watching the screen nervously with only five minutes left of the match. Back outside the ‘Visionhire’ shop the crowd continues to watch with anticipation. Back in the living room people begin to get to their feet and look worried as the games comes to an end. Back outside ‘Visionhire’ the crowd begins to chant ‘Nice One Sunderland’. The programme cuts back and forth between these two groups. On the pitch at Wembley the referee blows his whistle and Sunderland win the 1973 FA Cup, Bob Stokoe and his team rushing out onto the pitch to congratulate his players. Back in Sunderland the crowds inside the Top Rank are on their feet as are people in the living room. One woman hugs another while a third is in tears. In the precinct a young couple run past jubilantly and hug. The FA Cup trophy is presented to Bobby Kerr by the Duchess of Kent. He kisses it before lifting into the air to show the crowds at Wembley. Back in Sunderland another crowd of fans in red and white dance and sing ‘We’ve Won the Cup”. In the precinct a number of young women join hands and dance around another who is holding up a homemade FA Cup. A man is interviewed, he’s absolutely delighted as it was a foregone conclusion that Sunderland would beat Leeds because the town ‘willed it’. A young man says it was the best game he’d ever seen, if he could have gotten down at half-time he would have walked. A group of older women in blue overalls dance through the shopping precinct as some younger women fans continue to dance in a circle singing ‘We’ve Won the Cup!’ A Hillman Imp car drives past, its driver honking his horn, a Sunderland scarf hanging from the passenger seat. More views of jubilant locals dancing and singing ‘We Are the Champions’ follow. Champagne is poured from a bottle by a woman in the crowd.  Fans celebrate noisily on the streets. A young couple are interviewed about the match, he’s says he’s lost two stone in weight. Drivers in a line of cars honk their horns in celebration followed by more views of ecstatic Sunderland supporters, many waving scarfs in the air. At a zebra crossing, one man sits on the bonnet of a car waving his scarf at the camera. Some of the crowd hold homemade banners or flags, one woman spins a football ratchet while a man plays a mouthorgan. The crowd begins to chant ‘Stokoe!’ On the pitch at Wembley, the Sunderland team do a lap of honour holding the FA Cup in the air.  Thousands celebrate in the stands. On the doorstep of a house, a young man holds up a newspaper before kissing his surprised mum. Inside the Top Rank club a crowd of delighted men and women join together in a sing-along. A group of older women are asked about their feelings: ‘glorious ‘say’s one, just as she felt in 1937 when Sunderland last won the cup. The crowd begin to chant and clap along to ‘We Shall Not be Moved!’ The woman seen previously screams ‘Knickers!” to those who thought Sunderland didn’t have a chance. Crowds continue in a grand sing-song including a rendition of Strawbs’ hit ‘Part of the Union’, cheering and waving their arms in the air. Two drunk men discuss the positive impact of Bob Stokoe coming to Sunderland.  A large shipyard crane dominates the skyline towering over The Saltgrass pub at Ayres Quay. Inside customers, sing ‘We Won the Cup!’ A man says how pleased he is that Sunderland has won the cup. In a large hall, a compere asks the crowd who is the greatest team in the world. They all scream out ‘Sunderland!’ More interviews follow showing reactions about the historic win. A band play ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ with the crowd singing and dancing along. The drummer on stage wears a red and white striped shirt and hat.            End credit: This film was made by Andrea Masefield, Michael McHugh, Fred Thomas F.R.P.S., Bill Oxenham, Ray Hole, Mike Pounder, Norman Jackson, Tony Kysh, Bob Rhodes, Ken Stephenson, Jim Hodkinson, Leslie Barrett, Bill Walmsley [over shots of celebrating fans] The keyboardist removes his toupee and hands it to a man standing next to him who places it on his own head.  Near the bar area a man and woman lift up the skirt of another woman who is standing on a chair, ‘Sunderland’ is written across her knickers. The film ends with the band playing on and the crowds continuing to sing fading into Bob Stokoe running across the pitch at Wembley to hug his players at the end of the match. Sunderland fans at the Top Rank club cheer and wave to camera. End title: TTTV logo Tyne Tees Colour