Sunderland's FA Cup final hero Jimmy Montgomery last night paid tribute to the man who helped him write his name into Wearside folklore.

The abiding image of that day at Wembley in 1973 is manager Bob Stokoe's rapturous sprint on to the pitch at the final whistle to embrace the goalkeeper who had pulled off a spectacular double save.

Stokoe died on Sunday at the age of 73 a few days after being admitted to the University Hospital of Hartlepool a few miles from the Elwick Grange Nursing Home where he had lived for the last two years.

The former Newcastle defender, who had been suffering from dementia, is understood to have died of kidney failure.

Montgomery, who along with Cup-winning captain Bobby Kerr, had visited Stokoe recently, paid tribute to a man who revitalised the team after his arrival in 1972.

''It's very sad,'' he said. ''Bobby and I went to see him three months ago and he didn't recognise us. It was very, very sad indeed.

''He transformed the place from Alan Brown's days in what he did for the club. The biggest thing he did was to allow people to express themselves. That was one of the biggest differences.

''And he made it a family club. Bob was a great family man and he took that into work as well.''

Stokoe, as well as every man who pulled on a red and white shirt that afternoon in May 1973, has been regarded as a hero in the city ever since. But it's the image of him racing to embrace Montgomery which springs most readily to mind.

''People have just been looking back on that recently, and for him to do that was something special,'' Montgomery said. ''That will always be remembered.

''For somebody to do that on an occasion like that was really something.''

Stokoe was born in Mickley, near Gateshead, in September 1930 and made his name as a player at Newcastle, where he was part of the side which won the FA Cup in 1955.

''He had a long career in management and brought a lot of joy to a lot of people. He was a superb man,'' Montgomery added.

Sunderland chairman Bob Murray also paid tribute to a man who remained in close touch with the club.

''He was a total friend to me. The 1973 FA Cup win is the club's greatest achievement in living memory. It's a very sad day,'' said Murray.

Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd added: ''We were all saddened to learn of the death of Bob Stokoe. He was a fine man, and a footballing man who gave great service to Newcastle United in the 50's.

''He was a true gentleman of the game and we will all miss him very much.''

Flags at the Stadium of Light are flying at half-mast and Sunderland will hold two minutes silence before the next home game against Birmingham City on February 14 to allow all Sunderland fans to pay tribute.

Any supporter wanting to lay floral tributes can do so either now or on the day of the game by laying them outside of the main reception of the Stadium of Light.

The FA are considering Sunderland's request to have the FA Cup at the Stadium of Light for the fifth-round tie with Birmingham a week on Saturday.

Sunderland want the trophy for the game as the centre piece of a tribute to Stokoe