This batch of pictures comes from a fabulous portfolio created during the pre-season friendly against Bohemians by Peadar O’Sullivan, passionate football fan and clearly gifted amateur photographer.

Now I remember Aisling Quinn as a little girl proudly taking to the field at the Stadium of Light to help her big daddy celebrate the finale of the thrilling 1998/1999 promotion season in which he had played such a massive role. Great to see you’ve kept the faith, Aisling.

Aisling Quinn, daughter of Niall, SAFC chairman
All pictures: Peadar O’Sullivan

Rep of Ireland Legend, Charlie Hurley

King Charlie? Not just a Rep of Ireland legend, Peadar, but a Sunderland one, too. Some of us are old enough to remember without needing to be told by fathers or grandfathers!

Carlos Edwards

Great pictures Peadar, and thanks for the kind permission to dip into your work.
To reward those who read on to the next page, here’s one more for now (I have asked if I can use the lot, not in a desire to be cheeky but because these are shots any Sunderland fan would want to see and they deserve the Salut! Sunderland treatment)…….

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John Penman, an East Stand regular who makes long trips down from his home in Scotland to be at games, finds a way of telling his life story through the SAFC tops he has owned and loved

As I wait patiently for my new 2007-08 kit to be delivered, I cast my mind back to the other strips that I have owned bearing the SAFC crest.

These days strips are big business but it most certainly wasn’t always like that. My first kit was bought circa 1982 in a sports shop in Glasgow of all places. I had just been browsing when the pinstripe red short sleeved top caught my eye.

It was very much love at first sight as I grabbed the shirt just in case someone were to beat me to it (there was only one in the shop).

Over the next few months it made various appearances most notably in a nightclub after we beat West Brom 3-2 at the Hawthorns in April 1982, virtually securing our top league status. Whether it could be called a fashion accessory is debatable and it wasn’t particularly liked by the ladies since football fans in these days were generally perceived as thugs by the general public.

Despite all this I wore it for many years and even after it had outgrown its nightclub appeal, I wore it to work.

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