Eric Gates
Eric Lazenby Gates
is an English former football player born on 28 June 1955 in Ferryhill, County Durham. He was a
striker.
He
would start 345 times for Ipswich Town with another 39 appearances as a
substitute, under Bobby Robson, scoring 96 goals and winning the UEFA cup in
1981 and FA Cup in 1978, and received two caps for the English national side in
1981. In 1985 he moved to Sunderland for the sum of £150,000, making 167 league
appearances (19 as substitute) and scoring 45 goals. He also made 7 appearances
in the FA Cup for the Black Cats, with 2 goals, and 18 in the Football League
Cup with 6 further goals.
During
his time at Sunderland, they were relegated to the third division. The worst
ever position the club has ever suffered. Eric was remembered for his strike
partnership with Marco Gabbiadini, the pair scoring 42 between them as
Sunderland bounced back from this low point the following season. He scored 4,
in a 7-0 rout of Southend United in November 1987. Eric's final goal for
Sunderland came in the 1990 Play-off semi-final win at Newcastle United, where
he then set up his strike partner to seal a 2-0 win.
In
1990 he left Sunderland for Carlisle United for his final season in league
football.
In
all, Gates played 515 games and scored 124 goals at league level.
He
worked, until recently, for Century FM on The Three Legends show.
Eric
has now become one of the North East's most popular after dinner speakers with
his entertaining personality and stories from his football career.