Sunderland started the season Managerless, and in trouble.

With Jimmy Montgomery injured, Sunderland started their first game of the season, at home to Leicester City, by breaking a football league record. With only Derek Forster to replace Monty the former became the youngest player ever to appear at the age of 15 years and 185 days. He played in the first 3 games of the season, but conceded 10 goals.

It was evident that the lad was struggling and so the club went to Kilmarnock and signed Sandy McLaughlan as cover for Monty, and promptly conceded a goal in the first minute of his debut!

If the 1963/64 season was synonymous with an excellent away record, the opposite was true of 1964/65. Sunderland lost their first 11, travelling very poorly until mid December. Our stay in the top flight would last for 5 seasons, mainly on the back of good home form, and an interesting development occurred relating to the clubs loyal fans.

Close season a very important supporters meeting took place in the main stand at Roker Park. The Sunderland AFC Supporters Association was formed. The exact date was 31 July 1965. Within one year they would have over 7,000 members. Famously John Tennick was at the centre of the initial setup. Stories are legion and legendary about this man. Early branches appeared at Stanley, Consett and Gateshead; and in time Billy Simmons and George Forster would become synonymous with the Association. Their first contribution to the football club was an ambulance station under the Roker End. Many supporters will still remember this. The souvenir shop was opened in August 1969 by Colin Todd, although tragedy struck some 3 years later when founder chairman Stanley Lambert died in 1972. The Supporters Association still thrives to this day.

Whilst the season started relatively poorly, it marked the return and final retirement of Brian Clough. Returning for 3 games, scoring in 1, he eventually hung up his competitive boots after the Roker Park fixture with Aston Villa 9 September 1964. A testimonial game would be arranged for Clough, Sunderland taking on a Newcastle United side on 27 October 1966. The crowd was an impressive 31,828.

Without a manager, Sunderland appeared rudderless and won only 1 game until the Brown vacancy was filled. The managerial suspense ended on 13 November 1964 when George Hardwick agreed to take over. Sunderland promptly beat Burnley 3 v 2 at Roker Park. It is always difficult for a manager to take over a struggling side and so it proved. We never really recovered from a shocking start, or put anything like a decent run together and we paid the price. Sunderland ended the season 15th and from here on in, the managerial merry go round started.

Funnily enough we played quite well in the League Cup, thrashing both West Ham United and Blackpool by the same 4 v 1 scoreline, before our poor away record that season took over. The first game away from our beloved Roker and we went out of the competition 2 v 4 at Coventry City.

In the FA Cup a surprising away win at Luton saw us capitulate at home to Nottingham Forest.