I can’t remember exactly what season it was, about 1969, but I was having problems with my knee. I bumped into Jackie Errington one day, the Ryhope CW Secretary, and in our bit chat I happened to mention my knee trouble. Without hesitation he told me to contact Johnny Watters, the Sunderland AFC physio, and he’ll have a look at it for you. He went on ‘just say you play for Ryhope CW and I’ve sent you’. Considering I was playing for Ryhope CA at the time I thought it was a lovely gesture from Jack.
Sure enough I telephoned Sunderland AFC and spoke to Johnny Watters and as soon as I mentioned Jack and Ryhope CW he didn’t hesitate in inviting me to Roker Park. I had a couple of sessions of treatment and I felt very privileged to have access to the changing rooms and treatment tables that all my hero’s had been. At one of these sessions the Sunderland right winger at the time, Bruce Stuckey, was having treatment on the table next to me and in our chat there are 2 things I remember most that he told me :-
1. Every one at the club was in awe of Charlie Hurley and when he came into the dressing room there was instant silence until he spoke and finished speaking. Any other room, when he entered, everyone would turn to look at him. Bruce said that Charlie had this aura about him and no matter where he was he was always the focus of attention..
How I wish he could have walked in when I was there. I would have loved to have shaken his hand and told him how much I admired him. That would have been some memory.
2. Out of possible interest the other thing was that the one player Bruce hated playing against was Eddie McCreadie the Chelsea left back. He was an animal.
