On This Day (10th March 1900 and 1939): A birthday double for two Sunderland stalwarts

Strangely enough, these two men—who managed and played for Sunderland—were born on the same day!

On this day in history, two legendary Sunderland players were born, and although they were born thirty-nine years apart, their Wearside careers had a lot in common.

Bill Murray, a Scottish defender, was the first player to leave Sunderland and take a permanent managerial position in 1900.

It would take him nearly ten years to move from Cowdenbeath, where he had been demobbed and won a promotion, to Wearside after serving in the Gordon Highlanders during World War One.

By then, a seasoned veteran, Murray was chic off the pitch and on it, always well-groomed and sporting combed hair.

Throughout his first seven seasons at Roker Park, Murray was a mainstay as Johnny Cochrane transformed the squad from also-rans into the best team in the nation. In his final season, Murray was awarded a Football League winner’s medal.

After his final appearance, he was signed on for seven more months before moving to St Mirren in early 1937. Despite this little period away from Love Street, he would go on to have an incredible fifty-year relationship with Sunderland.

He was back at the club in March 1939, taking over as manager from Cochrane, and he would hold that position until 1957. Murray developed a glamorous side during the game’s boom time, and it frequently came dangerously close to replicating the success of the 1930s, despite the fact that three years were lost to World War Two.

If wartime fixtures are taken into account, he participated in well over 1,000 Sunderland games and was an FA Cup semi-finalist both as a player and manager.

After returning to his birthplace of Aberdeen, he passed away in 1961. The Lads celebrated his passing the next day by defeating Walsall 3-0. On that particular occasion, Len Ashurst—who was born just two weeks before Murray was initially named manager—was included in the starting eleven.

Ashurst was also a dependable and long-serving member of Sunderland’s football team. Originally from Liverpool, he would eventually retire to the North East following a lengthy and successful career in football as a player, coach, and match delegate.

Like Murray, he played full back and was a part of the 1964 promotion-winning team, which is among the most iconic teams in our history.

After leaving in 1970 to take on the role of player-manager at Hartlepool United after amassing an unprecedented amount of outfield appearances for the club, he too would eventually become the manager of Sunderland.

Arriving back at the end of the 1983–1984 season to succeed Alan Durban, he made a summertime raid on his former team, Cardiff City, in order to bring the one and only Gary Bennett to Wearside.

Another individual with a long and passionate association with the club, Benno is now an MBE and has inspired many people in society. In terms of Ashurst, he outperformed Murray in cup football during his one and only full season in charge, leading the Lads to the Milk (League) Cup final.

Before he passed away two years later, Ashurst was one of the first people inducted into Sunderland’s Hall of Fame in 2019.

We recall with fondness two great individuals in the club’s history on their shared birthday, as evidenced by the outpouring of grief from those who had witnessed him play in red and white.

 

Bill Murray

10 March 1900- 15 December 1961

Sunderland appearances: 328

Sunderland games managed: 510

 

Len Ashurst

10 March 1939- 25 September 2021

Sunderland appearances: 458

Sunderland games managed: 66

 

And then back in front of it as manager…as seen in the The Black Cat, Gary Bennett’s football scrapbook

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