MICK McCarthy will hope his childhood memories don't come flooding back when the Sunderland crowd pay tribute to Bob Stokoe today.

The Barnsley-born Sunderland boss was a Leeds fan back in 1973 when Stokoe had his finest hour as a manager.

On that May afternoon 31 years ago, Sunderland tamed the might of Don Revie's side thanks to an Ian Porterfield goal and the heroics of Jim Montgomery.

But the abiding memory is of Stokoe, resplendent in mackintosh, trilby and tracksuit, sprinting across the Wembley turf to embrace Montgomery.

While that may not be the greatest memory in McCarthy's childhood, the Sunderland manager will be the first to stop and lead all in the Stadium of Light in a two-minute silent tribute for the last North-East manager to win a major trophy.

He said: "I was a 14-year-old Leeds fan and it broke my heart.

"I've always been a Barnsley fan, but Leeds, that team at the time - Reaney, Cooper, Charlton, Hunter, Lorimer, Gray, Bremner, Giles, Jones, Clarke, Madeley, Sprake, all those lads.

"It doesn't stick in my memory much.

''It's what you learn to love about the cup, love or hate, I guess, because when it's your team that's getting beaten by the outsider, you don't like it; when it's somebody else, you're kind of laughing up your sleeve.

''I wasn't happy at that time.'

"Everyone was supporting Sunderland as the underdogs, and when it's your team that are the favourites you have to learn to live with it."

The faces of 73 will be also be out in force with a number of the Sunderland players - led by Montgomery - guests of honour.

The trophy itself - lifted by Bobby Kerr in 1973 - will also be there on what is sure to be an emotional day for all Sunderland fans.

While McCarthy is keen to celebrate the life of a North-East legend, who also won the Cup as a Newcastle player, he does not want sentiment to get in the way of his side's performance.

"Obviously the game is more poignant under the circumstances," said the Sunderland manager

"There's going to be tributes to Bob Stokoe before the game and there'll be a lot around the match itself.

"I didn't know him but he was obviously a fantastic guy. He plied his trade with two of the big clubs, Sunderland and Newcastle, and he was loved by both. It's quite unusual.

"Having said all that there'll be no sentiment shown by Birmingham City. Bob Stokoe being a football man would have wanted that as well.

"It's nice to pay the tributes but there's still a game to play."

On the pitch skipper George McCartney will lead his players in the two-minute silence.

While he has no real knowledge of the events that occurred eight years before he was born, the 22-year-old appreciates the historical significance of Stokoe's achievement.

He said: "I don't really now that much about the 1973 Cup run but I do know what it means to the fans."

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