Within the corridor of Jimmy Montgomery’s peaceable home within the Sunderland suburbs is a framed black-and-white {photograph} of the save within the 1973 FA Cup closing for which he’ll perpetually be remembered.
It’s a easy image, an iconic second fantastically captured.
The gamers of Sunderland and Leeds are in basic soccer strips, freed from litter and sponsors’ logos. Lengthy hair and black boots. In the meantime a goalkeeper dives low into historical past to parry a header sporting a pair of woollen gloves that appear to be they may have come from a neighborhood backyard centre.
‘I haven’t obtained these gloves anymore,’ Montgomery tells the Every day Mail from his seat on the couch.
‘Once we performed in Lisbon (towards Sporting) within the Cup Winners’ Cup the subsequent season, I put them at the back of the web with my cap as I at all times did. And anyone stole them.
‘Ball boy? Cameraman? I do not know. In order that was one memento gone in a flash.
‘Not that it actually mattered. I hardly wore them. After they have been moist they have been about as a lot use as a chocolate watch!’
Sunderland legend Jimmy Montgomery has fond recollections of the membership’s final European marketing campaign in 1973-74 – aside from having his goalkeeper gloves stolen in Lisbon!
Montgomery has a framed picture of the save within the 1973 FA Cup closing towards Leeds for which he’ll perpetually be remembered
We’re right here on Wearside to speak, for as soon as, not about that gorgeous double save that helped second-tier Sunderland win the Cup at Wembley 53 years in the past, however concerning the European marketing campaign that adopted.
It was the membership’s first foray into Europe and, till immediately, their final.
As Regis Le Bris’ spectacular trendy crew face AZ Alkmaar within the Europa League tomorrow night time, Montgomery will likely be within the stand that, because the begin of final season, carries his title.
‘We performed our first tie in Budapest behind the Iron Curtain and it was the very same XI that had received the cup closing,’ recollects Montgomery. ‘I don’t assume that was sentiment. I believe we deserved it.
‘Nowadays the crew can have a file on the opponents and take their very own chef and workers with them.
‘We had our supervisor Bob Stokoe, his assistant and possibly the membership secretary. That was it.
‘By way of the opposition (Vasas Budapest) we didn’t know a factor about them aside from what the press males on the airplane instructed us.
‘It took us for ever to get there and even longer to get again. However we received 2-0 and in addition beat them at house. Marvellous.
‘It ended for us within the subsequent spherical at Sporting Lisbon. That was a wierd night time.
‘They’d ball-boys throwing the balls on however after they did, the Lisbon gamers would throw them straight off once more, typically straight into the gang.
‘We appeared on the ref and he simply stared again at us. I suppose it was time-wasting. However I’ve by no means seen something prefer it earlier than or since.’
Sunderland captain Bobby Kerr is held aloft by his team-mates, together with Montgomery (fourth from proper) after the 1-0 win over Leeds in 1973
Now, on the age of 82, Montgomery is revered to such a level he actually has his title written all through the trendy Sunderland
Dealing with a shot from Newcastle’s Jim Scott within the Tyne-Put on derby at Roker Park in 1968
Montgomery made a file 627 appearances for his hometown membership throughout 18 years. As a boy he would watch his crew at Roker Park along with his father. As an apprentice, he would later sweep the terraces and paint the seats.
Now, on the age of 82, he’s revered to such a level he actually has his title written all through the trendy Sunderland.
In addition to the stand on the Stadium of Mild, this yr’s goalkeeping jerseys have his signature, variety of appearances and even a top level view of his well-known save embossed in them.
‘It’s arduous to consider,’ he says. ‘I’m only a child from down the highway.’
Montgomery has served Sunderland as participant, goalkeeping coach and labored at its centre of excellence.
‘I’ve really been let go 4 occasions and that was arduous,’ he says. ‘Completely different managers would need various things. So yeah I obtained kicked out.
‘However I stored getting invited again once more!
‘I even had a yr teaching at Newcastle with Kevin Keegan and, as arduous as it’s for Sunderland followers to listen to, Pavel Srnicek was maybe one of the best I labored with.’
A welcome customer to Sunderland’s coaching floor every time his well being permits, Montgomery has talked soccer with the ever-respectful Le Bris and goalkeeping with present No 1 Robin Roefs.
‘They generally carry the goalkeepers over for a chat,’ he explains. ‘I believe the younger ones need to speak. That’s very humbling and typical of the membership now.
Montgomery made a file 627 appearances for his hometown membership throughout 18 years
Montgomery (second left) poses with the Cup alongside (from left) Ian Porterfield, Micky Horswill and Kerr
‘Robin is a wonderful keeper, a superb keeper. Generally I simply want he would not attempt to play from the again a lot. I am not an incredible fan of it. I get wound up.
‘It’s a danger. I’d a lot slightly goalkeepers get it ahead, push the crew up, and begin from there.
‘I am an enormous believer in as soon as the goalkeeper’s obtained the ball, he is answerable for it. He does what he thinks proper.
‘If he would not need to play it brief, he should not need to. Take a look at the Arsenal goalkeeper on Saturday. He dictated the whole lot. He was totally in cost. I like that.’
If Montgomery was impressed with David Raya, he was much less enamoured with Arsenal.
‘I’ve no time for them,’ he says. ‘Goodness I couldn’t watch that each week. What’s that kind of soccer?
‘Their supervisor is complaining like mad about giving the penalty away but when you are going to get combined up in that, it’ll go towards you ultimately.
‘It’s superb what goes on at corners now. They don’t even have a look at the ball. We by no means grappled like that. I simply knew that when the ball came visiting I used to be gonna get smashed.
‘Wyn Davies of Newcastle and good outdated Nat Lofthouse. Each time. Bang. There was no safety. You simply needed to be prepared for it.’
On the finish of his profession, Montgomery spent a season at Nottingham Forest below Brian Clough.
‘I performed with Brian and he was good, although he knew it too,’ he smiles. ‘I used to be taking part in the day he broke his leg on Boxing Day in 1962. So I used to be happy he thought I used to be ok all these years later to be under-study to Shilts (Peter Shilton).
‘I used to be in my mid-30s and coming in direction of the tip. I by no means performed however was on the bench when Forest received the European Cup in Madrid in 1980. I obtained a medal.’
Montgomery – who charges the good Pat Jennings as maybe one of the best goalkeeper he has identified – has a photograph of himself with the European Cup and it feels unusual to see him in one other membership’s colors.
‘I’ve no time for them,’ says Montgomery of Arsenal. ‘Goodness I couldn’t watch that each week. What’s that kind of soccer?
Nevertheless it’s that black-and-white image of his Wembley save that we return to.
The primary effort – the one on the image – was from Trevor Cherry. The follow-up from 5 yards from Peter Lorimer was struck so powerfully ITV commentator Brian Moore shouted ‘purpose’ earlier than it struck the underside of the bar.
Afterwards, it was the late Jimmy Hill who declared it had been the ideas of Montgomery’s fingers that had touched it up on to the woodwork.
Montgomery’s favorite line is to say he wished he had caught the primary shot so he wouldn’t have needed to spend his life speaking concerning the second.
‘However I don’t imply it,’ he smiles. ‘I like what it nonetheless means to folks.
‘It was solely when standing with my pint of milk afterwards that I realised the importance of it. They simply stored exhibiting it.
‘I used to be fortunate it was on TV, thoughts. I had made one from a lad taking part in for Hull a number of weeks earlier than that was even higher…’
