The North East Film Archive is one of a network of regional film archives established to collect, preserve and show film made in, or about the North East of England. Our collections are non-fiction, and date from the early 1900s to the present day, providing a rich record of life in the region over the 20th century. Many of our films are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
This film is part of Free
Sunderland vs. Swansea
Football teams from two working class towns face off at Sunderland’s Roker Park in the 60s.
From the collection of:
Overview
Positioned in the stands, this football fan’s silent film captures lively match action, but only the one Sunderland goal by Stan Anderson in a Division Two game against Swansea on 1 September 1962. The crowd are part of the spectacle, although the Roker roar is not heard during this convincing 3-1 victory for the home team, in which the charismatic Black Cats striker Brian Clough also scored.
As cheaper cine cameras came onto the market in the 1950s, amateurs were drawn to recording their football heroes in action, often editing in camera as an economy, but consequently failing to record some of the all-important goals. This film by a Roker resident, Ronald Torbet, unusually shot with an anamorphic lens, missed one by prolific Sunderland goal scorer Brian Clough, whose career was cut short at an icy Boxing Day match later that year when he sustained a serious knee injury that soon forced him to retire as a player at the age of just 29.
Related
Watch for free
Lord Durham at Sunderland (1901) Lord Durham at Sunderland (1901)
Non-Fiction 1901 3 mins Silent Location: Sunderland
Durham Light Infantry veterans collect their medals for valour in the Boer War.
Watch for free
The Big Country The Big Country
Promotional 1970 16 mins Location: Newcastle upon Tyne
Tuning into the biggest consumer market for television advertising in Britain with Trident TV.
Watch for free
Son of Plain - Advertising Man's Guide to Tyne Tees Television Son of Plain - Advertising Man's Guide to Tyne Tees Television
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1964 11 mins Location: Newcastle upon Tyne
Is comedian Clive Dunn the Don Draper of the British advertising world? Watch this imaginative Tyne Tees TV marketing film and decide.
Watch for free
Just Us Just Us
Home movie 1958 9 mins Silent Location: Roker
An intimate portrait of domestic life in 50s Roker featuring family, football and cricket.
Watch for free
Tommy Steele Returns to the Sunderland Empire Tommy Steele Returns to the Sunderland Empire
Magazine and Review show 1976 7 mins Location: Sunderland
Tommy Steele returns to Sunderland Empire in the 1970s and recalls his early years as Decca's dynamic new star of the rock 'n' roll era.
Watch for free
Ships Arriving Ships Arriving
Amateur film 1957 8 mins Silent Location: Sunderland
Watching the days go by on the rivers Wear and Tyne in the 1950s.
Watch for free
Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.
Watch for free
Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of children’s palliative care.
Watch for free
Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.
Watch for free
Police Story: Panel Discussion Police Story: Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 24 mins
Panel discussion on Jackie Chan's 1985 action classic Police Story, with Chase Armitage, Sam Mak and Jadey Duffield.
Watch for free
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Watch for free
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.