On This Day (13th May 1963): Sharkey’s Sunderland Double Makes The Hatters Mad!
This was a crucial game for Sunderland’s promotion hopes, but since 1955 Sunderland had conceded twenty-five goals at Kenilworth Road and scored only ten. To add extra spice to the contest, Luton were embroiled in a relegation dogfight!
(L-R) William McPheat and Nick Sharkey, Sunderland (Photo by Barratts/PA Images via Getty Images) | PA Images via Getty Images For Sunderland, Alan Brown kept faith with Nic Sharkey up front, despite calling expensive mid-season signing Andy Kerr (along with Cec Irwin) down from Sunderland to link up with the team that played so well at Swansea two days earlier. Colin Nelson continued at right-back despite Irwin’s presence in the squad. The team retained a settled look to it despite the hectic three-games-in-seven-days schedule.
Sunderland went into this game in second position in Division Two on fifty points. Stoke were top on fifty-one points but having played one game less. Chelsea and Huddersfield were tied in third and fourth position on forty-eight points, but the Terriers had a home game with lower-table Portsmouth this same evening.
If they won and Sunderland lost they would go up to second place. Chelsea were not playing and, after playing Sunderland at Roker Park the following Saturday, would then play Portsmouth at Stamford Bridge in what looked like a promotion decider. It was extremely tight at the top.
Sunderland arrived at this game unbeaten in four games with two wins and two draws. Johnny Crossan was in rich goal-scoring form with six goals in the previous three games. Luton were fighting for their Second Division lives alongside Charlton and Walsall and needed the win to at least take their fight into the last game of the season.
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