Sunderland have had plenty of exceptional players throughout their rich history, from Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn to Jimmy Montgomery and Len Ashurst.
And every Black Cats fan will have their own most memorable moments for each legend they cheered on from the stands.
But they all seem to remember the same thing about one legend, even though he made 443 appearances in 11 seasons with the Wearside club.
Sunderland fans remember Gary Bennett for one red card
Gary Bennett, who now regularly offers his thoughts on Regis Le Bris’ side on local radio, represented Sunderland between 1984 and 1995.
He played 369 league matches across the First, Second and Third Division and will always be a fan favourite on Wearside.
The defender recently spoke about his career and revealed that, despite his prolonged career at Roker Park, he’s always asked about one specific moment – and it wasn’t his finest.
Bennett was sent off against Coventry City on January 17, 1990, after he retaliated to David Speedie’s challenge rather forcefully.
“That’s something which a lot of people come up and talk about,” he said on Jeff Brown’s Sporting Greats podcast. “They don’t talk about the goals I scored, the ones I conceded, or the challenges. It’s the David Speedie incident.
“You get the dads or the grandads saying ‘go on YouTube and have a look at this’. David Speedie [was a] good player, but he was one of those players who annoyed or pestered you. We always had a clash every time we played. It was always me against him.
“It got to the point where, in a cup game against Coventry City, I had just passed a fitness test and a few minutes in he came in for a challenge. I could see him out of the corner of my eye. He caught me on my knee, which I had just gotten passed fit for and I lost it a little bit.
“I got hold of him and flung him into the Clock Stand. I thought the supporters would finish him off but they didn’t, they pushed him back out again. So I picked up a red card for that.”
“The Clock Stand at that time held about 8,000 people and I’ve had 80,00 people say they were there that night.”
Gary Bennett’s Sunderland career by numbers
Gary Bennett rejected Crystal Palace to sign for Sunderland in 1984 and became only the second black player in the club’s history after Roly Gregoire.
Within three seasons, the Black Cats fell from the First Division to the Third Division but Bennett was instrumental in leading the team back to the top flight in 1990, and again in 1992.
Most appearances in Sunderland history
| Position | Appearances | Goals | |
| Jimmy Montgomery | Goalkeeper | 627 | 0 |
| Len Ashurst | Defender | 458 | 4 |
| Ned Doig | Goalkeeper | 457 | 0 |
| Stan Anderson | Midfielder | 447 | 35 |
| Gary Bennett | Defender | 443 | 25 |
Bennett scored 25 times in his Sunderland career, including on his debut in a 3-1 win over Southampton at Roker Park.
He won the club’s Player of the Season award in 1986/87 and 1993/94 and over 20,00 people attended his testimonial match against Rangers.