AMONG the many bits and pieces I have accumulated over the years is a framed back page of The Journal dated Thursday, July 5, 1990.
‘Shoot-out agony for magnificent England’ screams the headline above the World Cup semi-final match report written by Brian McNally, who died earlier this month, in Turin as Bobby Robson’s England were knocked out of Italia 90 on penalties by West Germany.
I was a teenager at the time but that game remains indelibly etched in my memory.
However, it was a much smaller, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it, paragraph near the foot of the left-hand column on that same back page that caught my eye this week.
Sandwiched between a story telling of Sunderland boss Denis Smith’s attempt to persuade German striker Thomas Hauser he still had a future on Wearside, and the impending departure of transfer-listed defender Mick Heathcote, came a throwaway line about a potential signing.
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‘The transfer of Kevin Ball from Portsmouth has hit a stumbling block and the Sunderland manager says he has no further talks planned for the moment with the 25-year-old centre-half, who is now out of contract at Fratton Park.’
Well - spoiler alert! - that stumbling block was overcome allowing talks to resume.
And within a week the man now known universally by Black Cats fans as ‘Bally’ had swapped the Pompey Chimes for the Roker Roar, and he would go on to become a legendary figure at Sunderland and an inspirational captain.
Thirty-four years later, Bally was this week awarded the Freedom of the City of Sunderland in recognition of his service to the club and to the city.
After 388 appearances, 27 goals, two second tier titles - including skippering the side for the record-breaking 105-point season in 1998-99, which he and I spent an hour reminiscing about earlier this summer - one FA Cup final, one play-off final, two spells as caretaker-manager, not to mention his work as a coach and mentor within the academy, no-one deserves the Freedom of the City more than Bally.
Bally also spent eight years working for Sunderland as a club ambassador.
That role came to an end in 2022 - officially, at least. In reality, it is a role Bally will never relinquish.
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SUNDERLAND have swapped the Costa Blanca for the Costa Blackpool as preparations continue ahead of the start of the new Championship season at Cardiff City in a little over a fortnight’s time.
The Black Cats’ sojourn in Spain saw Regis Le Bris’ side draw 1-1 with Premier League Nottingham Forest and defeat Spanish Segunda Liga side CD Eldense 2-1.
Tomorrow it is on to Lancashire to face the League One Tangerines, before a midweek visit to Bradford City.
The transfer preparations are picking up pace, too, with the talented former Leeds United winger Ian Poveda becoming the club’s third summer addition when he joined this week, while the news that Dan Ballard has signed a new contract running to 2028 means his name can be removed from the list of key men whose futures are uncertain this summer - although there remain question marks over the likes of Jack Clarke, Dan Neil, and Anthony Patterson.
Of course, at the time of writing, Sunderland have still to sign the striker they so desperately need.
Talks are ongoing with Caen frontman Alexandre Mendy who, at the age of 30, would offer some much-needed experience at the top end of the pitch and would also come with a proven goalscoring record in the French second tier.
But Sunderland fans will only feel able to relax when that elusive striker, be it Mendy or someone else, is pictured holding aloft a red-and-white scarf.
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