On This Day (2nd Dec 1899): New Boys Hogg The Headlines

Key Highlights

• It was reported in the local press prior to kick-off (scheduled to be 14:30, or 14:15 in the case of bad light) that uniformed soldiers would be collecting monies from around the stands, doing so to a backdrop of trumpeters that would be there to ‘stimulate the patriotic feeling of the crowd’.
• Sunderland’s directors had agreed to hand over a share of gate receipts also, with the players said to be subscribing 25s a week until the war ended. Played in what turned out to be ‘fine weather’ the game itself was somewhat one sided, even though it took the Rokerites a while to open the scoring.
• Bill Raisbeck had pulled off a last gasp clearance to save his side following a rare County forage and was then the man to break the deadlock at the other end, scoring from distance with a remarkable header that bounced in off the bar when he met a punched clearance from Sam McCappin.
• A second then followed, with Colin McLatchie taking in a clever pass from Tommy Becton and hitting home from what various sources described as a ‘difficult, oblique shot’ as much as 50 yards out to leave McCappin understandably ‘surprised’.
• With a comfortable advantage and superior fitness levels, Sunderland were able to press ahead further in the second half.