Contention Reigns With Sunderland’s Legends’ Way Honorees

SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 22: Fans of Sunderland walk along the The Keel Crossing prior to the Premier League match between Sunderland and Fulham at Stadium of Light on February 22, 2026 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images) | Getty Images In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the news broke that after fifty years of innovation, all-time great live performances and the development of a catalogue of classics that would put most bands to shame, Iron Maiden — for years apparently seen as a poor fit and shamefully overlooked — are to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. It was an honour that was long overdue and with which few could seriously argue; an example of an iconic institution finally getting its due, and closer to home, as Sunderland saw off Tottenham to give their European credentials another boost, it was our turn to look to the past as the recipients of placings on the club’s newly- created Legends’ Way were announced at half time during Sunday’s Premier League clash.

Now, before I go any further, I must say that I genuinely believe this is one of the best initiatives the club has pressed forward with for some time. Perhaps taking our cues from American sports teams that generally commemorate their former players in the grandest manner, it’s a major statement of intent as we continue to establish ourselves in the top flight — and a superb way of remembering those on whose hard work and sacrifices the club was ultimately built. Once it’s all in place, complete with new signage, fan-created stones and a statue of Jimmy Montgomery, there’s no doubt it’ll look superb and will make for an experience to be enjoyed by both home and away fans during their trips to the Stadium of Light, but in the meantime, I think there’s cause to look more closely at the former club figures who made this particular cut, as well as those that didn’t.

Ostensibly the result of a public vote after a heavily-hyped PR campaign, some of the names announced at half time on Sunday were rightly beyond criticism. From the mid-twentieth century, title-winning skipper Raich Carter, ‘The Clown Prince of Soccer’ Len Shackleton and Irish powerhouse Charlie Hurley were absolute musts. From more recent times, Gary Rowell, Kevin Phillips, Kevin Ball and Niall Quinn felt like natural fits too.

Hugely influential figures, terrace heroes and players about whom stories, timeless moments and ‘I was there’ anecdotes will be shared for years to come. However, as well-intentioned as this idea may be and for whatever reasons the votes were cast, I found the inclusions of Bob Murray, Jermain Defoe and Jill Scott in particular utterly baffling, and the absence of the likes of Bobby Gurney, Dave Halliday and Charlie Buchan — among others — equally perplexing. Of course, the word ‘legend’ (a word which, strictly speaking, should be used to define something or someone whose existence has neither been confirmed nor debunked — the Lambton Worm, Jayden Danns’ spell as a Sunderland player, and so on) has always been hazardous when used in this context.