OTD (24/10/1959): Martin Harvey Makes His Sunderland Debut

Martin Harvey made his Sunderland debut on October 24, 1959, in a 0-0 draw at Plymouth Argyle. A one-club player, Harvey went on to make 353 appearances for Sunderland from 1959 to 1972 and scored five goals. Born in Belfast on September 19, 1941, he began at Boyland FC and had schoolboy international appearances for Northern Ireland before a trial at Burnley, which rejected him due to his 5 ft 3 in height. Sunderland signed him in September 1959. After waiting as an understudy to club captain Stan Anderson, he became a regular in 1963-64 and later took over in Northern Ireland from Danny Blanchflower.