SAFC - FA CUP 1973 TRIBUTE

MOMENTS
-On the right sleeve is a list of the teams Sunderland beat on the way to being Champions.
-On the left sleeve is the score, date & attendance.
-On the back of the shirt is a subtle emblem of the FA Cup and the numbers 73, which celebrate the year it happened, Porterfield's Goal & Jim Montgomery's Double save are also celebrated.

I support Sunderland, but I was born over a decade after we last won anything. The thing we won was the FA Cup in 1973 & it was against reigning FA Cup Champions Leeds United who were a League above us, so were the very heavy favourites. Leeds weren't just in the League above us, they had just finished 3rd after the previous 4 Seasons finishing in 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd & would return to being English League Champions in the next Season, 1973-74. They were well in to the Don Revie years by this point. My Club Sunderland were in a position similar to it's current one where they spent the whole of the 70s, bar one Season, in the Second Division. The one Season spent in the First Division was spent at the foot of the table and unfortunately it was an indication to where the Club would spend most of the next 40-50 years, mainly between mid-table Div2/Championship & mid-table Div1/Premier League. This context makes the outcome of the 1973 FA Cup Final, where Sunderland won 0-1 with an Ian Porterfield strike in the 31st minute all the more historic & is legitimately one of the greatest Cup upsets in the History of the game.

As I mentioned, I was born 13 years later, so I have no memories of living the moment, but I was given a VHS of the game as a Birthday Present one year and I lived the moment many times in the late 90s and early 00s, and even knowing the score would still cower as Jim Montgomery pulled off his famous Double-Save. I'd also cower at the tackles, which were flying in left, right & centre almost every minute of the game and each and every one would be an easy yellow at the very least in this day & age. A few reds would be issued too, and "Dirty Leeds" definitely earned their moniker.

It is unfortunate that I'm pushing 40 and as of yet haven't witnessed my Club lifting aloft a Major Trophy, the EFL Cup just doesn't get your juices flowing. The closest I've gotten to the pure euphoria is Fabio Borini giving us the lead vs Man City in the 2014 League Cup Final after 10 minutes. We held on to the lead up until 55th minute when Yaya Touré scored a wonder-goal and somewhat frustratingly by the 56th minute we were trailing & were killed off 3-1 by Jesus Navas in the 90th.

Because of this now never-ending frustration and perennial underperforming, the 1973 FA Cup Final Win gives the whole Sunderland fanbase an immense sense of pride that even eclipses all the other Leagues & Cups won combined during our Golden Age from our inception in 1879 to the FA Cup Final Win in 1937. This is mainly because it is the one title win that is in living memory in minds of fans that were alive during that historic moment & it being the ultimate underdog story. Those players are still treated like deities around these parts and this shirt is my tribute to that. The design isn't indicative of the shirt we wore, the "boat" badge concept hadn't yet been used on our kits, but I've celebrated that historic moment in the Club's legacy by trying to tie in the Club's past, present & even future in a single essence, with nods to that Cup run and the Final across the design.

The design is a simplified large stripe pattern which was my attempt to merge the thin stripes the Club normally uses with our original Red & White shirts which were halved Red & White affairs.

I used thin horizontal stripes in the collar and on the sleeves to give that 70s look. It's a nod to a collar we used later on in the 70s for an away kit that was horizontal Red & White Stripes.

The logo I've used is a concept I designed that mixes the iconography used in the centre of the Club's current crest (introduced in 1997) with the boat emblem used in the Club's "Boat" crest (introduced in 1977). This logo concept is actually the genesis of this whole website. There's a longer explanation here on the site, but cut a long story short, I created the logo to show fellow fans what I feel the Club could use to where we have the landmarks of the Wear Bridge and Penshaw Monument displayed to show the greater reach of the Club rather than just within the City & also an iconic emblem of the Club that does not look like a knock-off of our rivals Newcastle's badge, which sadly our current badge simply is. After photoshopping it on to a picture our current shirt at the time I then wanted to see how it could look, therefore found a service where I could design my own shirts and have them printed on demand. This very moment lead me to realise a lifelong ambition, to actually be able to sell Football Shirts that I have been designing since the day I could draw. And thus, this site was born and I'm chasing my dream.

This shirt is breathable, moisture-wicking, and has a double-layered v-neck collar that creates a premium look.

• 100% recycled polyester fabric
• Fabric weight: 4.7 oz/yd² (160 g/m²)
• Two-way stretch fabric
• Moisture-wicking material
• Regular fit
• UPF50+ protection
• Double-layered v-neck collar
• Blank product sourced from China

This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it takes us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions!

This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it takes us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions!

Size guide