‘Surreal’ find of 1966 World Cup USSR dinner poster at fire-hit Sunderland social club | OneFootball

A ‘surreal’ discovery at Redhouse Boxing Club has unearthed a 1966 World Cup gala dinner poster for the then USSR team, signed by the players, inside its fire-hit former social club in Sunderland.

According to Sunderland Echo, the club returned this month to its old Redhouse Workmens Club base after months of community-backed repairs following a suspected arson attack in August 2025. The social club had been shut for about eight years and was badly damaged by the blaze.

After reopening the gym upstairs, founder-coach Frank Bagley began clearing the ground floor to create a youth club. He found a wooden frame behind the old bar and was stunned by what it contained.

Inside was a large poster dated 17 July titled “Redhouse Workmens Club 1966 World Cup Dinner”, carrying a message welcoming the USSR to a special banquet. It was signed by the entire team.

Bagley later established that the USSR played four games at Roker Park during the tournament, including a quarter final win over Hungary.

Beneath the poster, he and his wife Kerry found an intact Sunderland Echo dated 6 April 1981. Its front page reported ship-workers taking industrial action, a £13,000 jewellery theft and a photograph of a child with spring lambs, while sport covered Sunderland’s 0-1 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Bagley plans to frame both items in glass and show them to youngsters at the club. He is also keen to hear from anyone involved at Redhouse Workmens Club at the time of the gala dinner.

Source: Sunderland Echo