On This Day (1st April 1995): The Jarra Arra Late Show!
It was Peter Reid's first game as manager and he had seven games to save the club from a second relegation to the third tier. The last thing he needed was Dave Bassett’s promotion-chasing Sheffield United first up at Roker Park!
CRAIG RUSSELL, SUNDERLAND (Photo by Aubrey Washington/EMPICS via Getty Images) | PA Images via Getty Images Bob Murray had taken a bold gamble appointing Peter Reid to the Sunderland hot-seat. Peter Reid himself took a bold step in accepting a job considered to be one of the most insecure in football at that time. His brief was simple: he had seven games to keep Sunderland in the second division.
Two days into the job and his first challenge was a game at Roker Park against a promotion-chasing Sheffield United. Twenty-four hours earlier, the news of the very real threat of a points deduction being avoided for illegally fielding a young loanee, Dominic Matteo, in the previous game at Barnsley was a rare bit of good fortune in this difficult season. Matteo had arrived on the final day of the transfer window in a loan deal that saw goalkeeper Alec Chamberlain go to Liverpool.
Reid liked the look of Matteo and the player wanted to stay, but as well as a £2,500 fine, the Football League decreed the player had to return to his parent club. Reid had former England U21 international Brian Atkinson fit and ready to return to first-team action following two lengthy spells sidelined with a punctured lung and knee ligament damage. The new boss was a fan of the midfielder, recalling his partnership with Paul Bracewell earlier in his career.
If Atkinson was the good news, the continued absence of Gordon Armstrong through injury and Kevin Ball suspended was not so helpful. Gary Bennett though had recovered from injury and was available. Also available was Welsh international Andy Melville.
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