Former Sunderland goalkeeper Johnny Bollands died last Friday at the age of 87. Freelance writer Mike Amos recalls perhaps the most bizarre game in the Wearsiders’ long and eventful history.

It was on a cold Saturday afternoon, February 15, 1958, when Sunderland - the Bank of England club - pitched up at Cornsay Park Albion, a small mining village a few miles west of Durham, for a Durham Challenge Cup tie.

Officially the reserves but with two Scottish internationals and seven men with first division experience, they changed in the back room of the Royal Oak - the pub owned by Albion chairman Matty Stephenson - then paraded down the village street to what was called Penwire Park.

A little procession followed them from the pub and an estimated 1,700 gathered around the roped pitch.

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”We were lord mayors of Cornsay that day” Johnny once told me. “Flags and bunting lined the street and most of the village turned out to meet us.

“The landlord threw up the shutters and asked what we were all having. That was even before the match had started.”

The Northern Echo: Cornsay Colliery - Sunderland - Johnny Bollands, Charlie Fleming (with ball), Jimmy McNab, Tommy Robson and Jackie Hedley (with ball)Cornsay Colliery - Sunderland - Johnny Bollands, Charlie Fleming (with ball), Jimmy McNab, Tommy Robson and Jackie Hedley (with ball) (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

Though the Durham Central League side were no mugs – they’d beaten cup holders Bishop Auckland in the previous round – what Sunderland certainly didn’t expect was Alan Scullion’s 16th minute opener for the home side or that “Cannonball” Charlie Fleming, one of the Scottish internationals, would have a penalty saved by Arkwright, the home goalie.

England youth international and Seaham boy Alan Spence equalised before Albion were themselves awarded a penalty, saved by Bollands who was named man of the match. “This chap behind the goal promised me two chickens if I let it in” Johnny recalled.

“After I saved it, I heard him say ‘That’s your bloody supper gone, then’.”

Afterwards the whole lot of them washed in front of the pub fire in a single tin bath, periodically topped up by the landlord.

Johnny had thoroughly enjoyed it.

“It was one of those games you really love, getting close to the public” he said.

The Roker Park replay took place two weeks later. It was also the day that Sunderland’s first team, beaten 3-0 at Preston North End, slumped to the bottom of the old first division table for the first time. They remained in the bottom two, relegated alongside Sheffield Wednesday, level on points but with a worse goal average than Newcastle and Portsmouth – but at least, at last, they beat Cornsay Park Albion.

Born at South Bank on Teesside, Johnny made 63 first team appearances for Sunderland, replaced Eddie Hopkinson at Bolton after the Wheatley Hill born England international had broken his leg and had two spells with Oldham Athletic – the second of which provided an indelible if unwelcome memory.

It was an FA Cup third round tie in 1965-66, the Latics – then bottom of the third division – leading first division West Ham – they of Moore, Peters and Hurst – 2-1 with 20 minutes remaining when a long clearance headed his way.

Johnny decided to let it bounce, failed to factor the frozen pitch but still thought he’d time enough to back pedal and catch it – until instead catching his studs in his tracksuit bottoms, falling in a heap and watching the ball roll into the net. The Hammers won the replay and an Oldham website voted it the biggest goalkeeping howler in the club’s history.

Johnny took it in good part – “but” he said, “I could have crawled through the lace holes of my boots.”

After retirement, Johnny is said to have taken his father’s job at Middlesbrough docks and become a long distance lorry driver.

The Northern Echo: Jimmy MontgomeryJimmy Montgomery (Image: TOM BANKS)

Jimmy Montgomery, all-time Sunderland legend, was Johnny Bollands’s understudy and in time the man who took his place – “a very agile and spectacular goalkeeper who influenced me a lot” said Monty.

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