Born on this day in 1891 was one of Sunderland's greatest ever goalscorers, Charlie Buchan.
The attacker was famous for his immense skill, ball control and his speciality, the glancing header. He was a player with quick-thinking beyond his years - this was often a drawback, as his teammates would struggle to keep up with him!
Buchan made just six England appearances, despite being a world class goalscorer, and scored four goals for his national team. He was Sunderland’s leading goalscorer for seven of the eight seasons he played, scoring an incredible total of 209 league goals- meaning he is also our all-time top league goalscorer.
It is almost unbelievable to think that Buchan was lambasted by the Roker crowd on his debut, for a lack of commitment! After the game Buchan went back to London, with the intention of leaving Sunderland, but a special trip by manager Bob Kyle persuaded him to stay.
Signing in 1910, Charlie would join Arsenal in 1925 at 34 years old, putting an end to an iconic 15-year stint at SAFC. The transfer was unusual at the time, as it was highly publicised and, unlike deals at the time, all the financial details were revealed.
Sunderland wanted £4,000 for Buchan, who Bob Kyle believed would still hit 20 goals the following season. The fee was settled at £2,000 plus £100 every time the 34-year-old scored in his first season (he went on to score 21 times).
After his retirement Buchan went into journalism, covering football and golf. In 1951 he became editor of "Charlie Buchan's Football Monthly" which is one of the earliest long-running sports publications. Charlie Buchan passed away on the 25th June 1960, aged 68, in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
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