To supplement what already looked like a strong squad, Sunderland signed both Johnny Crossan, from Standard Liege and George Mulhall from The Dons of Aberdeen. With Brian Clough up front, the red and whites had as good an attack as anyone in the country.

That Sunderland failed again to win promotion, again final game heartache, could be put down, in no small measure, to the injury that ended Brian Clough’s career.

On Boxing Day 1962, playing against Bury, he sustained a cruciate injury that in time would force him to retire as a player. Sunderland had just missed a penalty, and as he challenged the Shakers goalkeeper Harker, on an ice bound surface, there was a sickening crunch. Clough never got up and lay prostrate in agony. At this time Clough had scored 24 goals in 24 games and was heading for the record books. All in all he scored 28 that season. Sunderland at that point lay second in the table.

Whilst it was a black cloud for Clough it could be said that a silver lining became apparent for a certain Nick Sharkey, who would replace "old big head" as he became affectionately known at centre forward. In fact just 5 league games later the latter would score 5 in one match against Norwich City.

The season started with 2 home victories, against Middlesbrough and Charlton Athletic. The games drew an aggregate of 85,000 fans.

The beginning of September saw consecutive defeats at Chelsea and Rotherham, before things got back on track with just 2 defeats in the next 16 games.

The fateful Bury fixture came and went, and with no games in January due to terrible winter weather, it wasn’t until the end of February that competitive football started again for Wearside.

March 20, and the visit of Norwich City witnessed a mammoth goalscoring performance from Nick Sharkey. He scored 5, in a 7 v 1 demolition of the Canaries. In doing so he equalled the feats of Jimmy Millar in 1895, Charlie Buchan in 1912 and Bobby Gurney in 1935.

It was probably the minor blip in April which actually put paid to Sunderland’s promotion chances for the season, with consecutive defeats at Stoke and Cardiff, the latter a 2 v 5 thrashing.

The final game of the campaign saw Sunderland at the top of the tree, one point ahead of Stoke on 51, and 4 ahead of Chelsea, but The Blues had 2 games to play.

Sunderland needed only one point to clinch promotion; Chelsea had to win both games, the final match against Portsmouth. As usual the fates would conspire against Sunderland.

Defender Frank Upton played up front and would eventually be fined £25 for persistent misconduct, and the solitary goal which defeated Sunderland was a complete fluke, a Bobby Tambling corner rebounding into the red and white net off Harmer.

Chelsea then beat Portsmouth 7 v 0 and went up at Sunderland’s expense by goal average. Stoke City ended up as champions.

The Football League Cup saw Sunderland’s best campaign yet.

Having thrashed Oldham Athletic 7 v 1, Clough and Fogarty amongst the scorers, Scunthorpe, Portsmouth and Blackburn were defeated before the semi final stage pitted us against cup bogey side Aston Villa.

The first leg at Roker did the damage, a 1 v 3 defeat, all but spelling the end for us in the two legged stage. The subsequent 0 v 0 draw at Villa Park saved face, but no more.

In the FA Cup Preston North End were defeated at Deepdale, before we played non league opponents Gravesend away. A 1 v 1 draw meant a replay at Roker. No mistakes, the gallant side were put to the sword 5 v 2. Our FA Cup adventure came to an end at Highfield Road in front of 40,487.