Crabbers and Rowell are a partnership synonymous with Sunderland as Quinn and Phillips and promotion and relegation. All the more remarkable then, is the fact that this duo are best remembered for their antics off the pitch. The pair starred as commentators for Metro FM during hedonistic times of two seventh placed finishes. A radio show full of banter, this era captured Crabbers' crazy pinnacle in all its glory. NUFC 1 SAFC 2, cue Crabbers' 'Your boys took one hell of a beating' impression. Cue Geordie death threats. How we laughed, how Crabbers hid.

I had the pleasure to see Sean in action on a night out. A typical Irishman, who possessed all the lively Scouse attributes. He was never far from trouble, whether it be annoying bouncers or attracting attentions of female admirers. His outlandish haircuts were as hideous as his Vanilla Ice outtakes, suggesting he burnt the red and white candle at both ends. A kind of Kieron Brady on cocaine, Thornton missed training at Forest in 2003, resulting in a love hate saga with him and big Mick. Sean still loves the club though and we'd have him back anyday, nuts or not.

Gates like Gary Rowell ended up on the wireless as summarizer to great effect. As part of the G force with Marco Gabbiadini, Gatesy was a fan's favourite on and off the pitch. A feisty terrier in his playing days Gates' mullet was inspiring. His passion for the club was plain to see and can still be heard on numerous radio chat shows, defending the club in his usual abrupt style. Coupled with the fact that he's a pigeon fancier and its clear Gatesy's one feather short of a parrot.

The first time I had the pleasure of witnessing the Gallic Frenchman in action, was in Sunderland Reserves' first game of the 1996/97 season v Villa second string, when these games were played at Roker. Lionel shone in a 3-3 draw by miskicking a back pass, resulting in a Villa goal. Not the best start, but it was to be part of the course for Perez. Brilliant one minute, the next a buffoon. His Wearside CV includes setting off fire extinguishers in bars, Montgomeryesque saves v Sheffield United in the play offs, eccentric hair styles and running into the crowd in the same game - his farewell at the SOL. The list is endless, the memories are priceless.

The ex-England captain has always been compared to an outside toilet made of bricks. His brief playing career at Sunderland justified this, with Terry playing through the pain barrier on several occasions. He took over the reins as manager when Malcolm Crosby was sacked. His team tactics were as idiotic as his media interviews. Throw in the after match celebrations, in which Butcher would emulate a stark crazed raver, pointing to the adulant crowd with lofted arm at every beat and it's no wonder the Sunderland board sacked him via a radio press conference. Would you confront this psycho face to face? Me neither.

Surely a player of this mentalist caliber should be a contender for the top ten? I hear you cry. The legendary full back would run through the perverbial walls for the team and for that matter several opposition wingers. Bolton would have been further up the list, however his level headed approach to the game, ensures the 70s hardman sits outside the top 20. Joe none the less remains one of Sunderland’s all time terrace heroes, wearing his heart on his shirt, never shirking a tackle, mixed with a fierce shot, struck with more venom than a cobra with a hangover.

Comically depicted way back in issue number 2 of ALS, in a spoof Vaux advert, Hesford was labeled as ‘Another North East legend’. Originally classed as a spot of fun, the feature was not too far wide of the mark. Hesford was definitely a legend in his own right. Without mentioning his lack of prowess in goal, the larger than life keeper wore a trademark Falklands veteran tache, combined with extra large shorts which could stretch around the equator, usually wrapped around his chest in a twisted tribute to Simon Cowell. Add to the mix, Hesford’s strolls to the half way line, when Sunderland were on the attack and it becomes quite clear that Hesford whilst not a quite outright nutter, was certainly a front runner in the loony stakes

Hardly worth the ink required to mention the following subject, so we’ll keep it sweet. The pizza faced barcode sits at number 23 for having the audacity to publicly humiliate Sunderland Association Football Club. By joining in with the rabble on another Cup Final misery, the afore mentioned displayed the kind of inept brainwave we’ve come to expect of his ilk.

Another waste of space and talent continues the theme of idiots with no disregard for the game. Butler stakes his place in the top thirty, due to the pathetic demise of his career, by shunning a stake at the chance of glory, proclaiming he’d had enough of football. Some may argue Butler should be top of the chart due to these high standard inadequacies, but in similar vein to the previous subject, he just isn’t worth the ink written on the subject of Wearside Football.