I’ve no family connections to Sunderland and I’ve never lived closer than 70 miles from the city - yet in 60 years of supporting Sunderland AFC, I’ve watched almost 1,500 matches and seen the Lads at more than 80 grounds. It all started on 2 January 1965. As a teenage goalkeeper, I was fascinated by Football League keepers, so when a school friend from Sunderland suggested a trip to Elland Road to watch Leeds v Sunderland, I jumped at the chance to see Jimmy Montgomery. Ironically, Monty was injured and Sandy McLaughlan played instead, but what truly hooked me was the incredible Sunderland support. From that day on, I was all in. Since then, it’s been some ride: 10 relegations, 10 promotions, 10 Wembley trips (with three wins!) and five seasons in the third tier. Never dull. My daughter Claire first came to a Sunderland match in 1988 and has been hooked ever since - even choosing Sunderland University. We’ve had season tickets since 1994 and sat in the same seats since the move to ...