It may have been 40 years since Charlie Hurley played for Sunderland, but affections have never wavered.

After the launch of his new biography, Andy Richardson caught up with King Charlie.

EARLY October 2008 and a 72-year-old Londoner is making his way through Sunderland city centre.

A ten-year-old boy, whom the pensioner has never met, approaches the man and says: ‘Hello Charlie.’ Even for an unflappable figure like Charlie Hurley, the incident took him aback.

“Here was this little lad, who I didn’t know, and I’d have thought wouldn’t have known me from Adam,’’ recalled Hurley. “Yet he stops me in the street to say hello.

I said to the little fella ‘how do you know who I am? you never saw me play.’ The lad said ‘no, but my granddad did and he’s always talking about how great you were’.”

It’s a scene that encapsulates the special bond Hurley has forged with successive generations of Sunderland people ever since the coaxing words of manager Alan Brown, and a £10 signing-on fee, persuaded the towering centre-half to swap Millwall for Wearside in the autumn of 1957.

The fact that 50 years later Hurley continues to be feted on the streets of the city where he played his greatest football says as much about the loyalty of Sunderland fans as it does the lasting impression he left on their collective memories.

Hurley was back in the North-East to launch his autobiography, subtitled ‘The Greatest Centre Half the World has Ever Seen’, recently published by Sportsbooks.

If you’re searching for a Christmas gift for your Sunderlandsupporting dad or grandfather, then look no further.

The section on his feud with Jim Baxter, that nearly ended with one of them having his leg broken, is particularly compelling.

Hurley admitted: “It’s not a typical football book, its about the times, the tough times the shipbuilders and miners – anyone who lived in that era or has an interest in it will love the book.

“Its such a special feeling to be back among these people who made me what I am.”

And the events that ‘made’ Charlie Hurley make for compelling reading.

While current players’ autobiographies rely on tales of 3am nightclub scandals for their thrills, Hurley’s story, set against a backdrop of Irish politics, the London Blitz and North-East industrial upheaval, has genuine dramatic scope.

After moving from Cork to east London at the age of six months, the man who went on to be voted by Sunderland fans their ‘Player of the Century’ was nearly a casualty of World War II.

“We had our air-raid shelter in the house,’’ he said. “It was corrugated – it was in the lounge. The air raid siren would go and you’d dash home.

“I was out playing with Gordon Smith, a good friend of mine, at the corner of Jersey and Southend Road. My father was a very strong character; you got a whack if you didn’t do as you were told.

“Gordon and I were out playing on an old bogey-cart, a wooden thing with a piece of rope to help steer. We were pushing each other up and down the street.

“My father had said to me on many occasions – ‘whatever you do boy, if you hear the air raid warning then come home, don’t go anywhere else’. ”

So when the alarm sounded, Hurley faced what became a life-or-death choice.

“My first thought was to go to Gordon’s and he was suggesting I did. But I thought my dad would murder me. So I told Gordon I would see him later and off I ran.

“I got into the shelter at home and the doodlebug dropped in Gordon’s back garden and killed him. This was towards the end of the war, it was winter time.”

After surviving the Blitz, coping with first division centre forwards such as Tommy Taylor and Brian Clough was no problem.

Hurley recalled how Clough, on signing for Sunderland, offered his new team-mate the ultimate compliment: “Cloughie said, ‘Joining Sunderland means two things to me – I’m now at the best club in the North-East and I won’t have to play against Charlie Hurley again.’ “Cloughie knew he was good but he was a bit overconfident in my opinion. I used to kick chunks out of him before he joined us but I thought he was the best striker of a ball I saw – always hit the target.”

Hurley’s legendary status on Wearside was founded on his ability as both stopper and scorer of goals.

“It was Good Friday and we played Sheffield United away.

Our captain, Stan Anderson, told me to go up for a corner, you’re good in the air, it can’t do any harm. I went up and it caused havoc. No defender had done that before.”

Thereafter, whenever Sunderland won a corner, the Roker Park crowd would urge their hero into the opposition penalty box with a chorus of ‘Charlie, Charlie.’ “We played Sheffield again on the Easter Monday, drew 2- 2 and who got the equaliser?

My first goal.

“From that day I regretted ever deciding to be a centrehalf because there is no bigger thrill than scoring a goal.

In 358 appearances he bagged 23 goals and laid on countless more for Clough and Nic Sharkey.

And the man supporters still call ‘The King’ became regarded by some as the greatest centre-back in the world.

“It wasn’t true but I’ll take the compliment,” said Hurley who recalled his father’s delight when he earned his first cap for his native Ireland.

“I remember my first international match, it was against England. I was 20 years old, marking Tommy Taylor, who was a great player. Before the game I said, ‘dad what do you think, I’m up against Taylor?’ My dad said: (adopts a strong Irish accent), ‘I’ll tell you what to do boy. Follow him everywhere on that pitch, if he goes for a s*** go with him.’ “I don’t think that’s in the manual!

“First minute and I’m up in the air like a bird heading it clear – Tommy Taylor knew I was there. I just thank god he didn’t go for a . . . !

Hurley showed his generous side when he gave away one of his 40 Republic of Ireland caps.

“Jimmy McNabb was a great friend of mine, superb player but never won an international cap, so I gave him one of mine.

“The newspapers the next day had the headline ‘Hurley Caps McNabb’ As a proud Irishman and Sunderland fan, he’s delighted to see the strong influence of his fellow countryman at the club.

“I love the Irish boys at Sunderland. Every time I’ve been to the Stadium recently I’ve had a chat to Roy (Keane) and Niall (Quinn).

“Roy is a Corkman and I’m a Corkman. He’s a hard bastard and I was a hard bastard. We don’t suffer fools at all.

“My old dad was like that, hard as nails but brilliant for me.

“The majority of the players in the team today, a couple of years after they’ve gone noone will remember who they were.

“Our relationship with the fans was built up over time, I was there 12 years. I don’t begrudge them the money they earn, well not all of them anyway, the greedy so and sos.

But what annoys me is to see players ignore the fans, not signing autographs – that’s just not right.”

And Hurley, who was at the Stadium of Light this season to see Sunderland’s concede a late equaliser to Arsenal, remains a passionate supporter.

“When Arsenal scored I turned to my son-in law and muttered: “Oh hell”. Sitting on the other side was a young lady. I turned to her and said “I do apologise, I’m very sorry,” and she said “not at all, I was just about to say the same myself!”

And his advice to reporters during his playing days was refreshingly honest.

“If I’m crap then say I’m crap. I don’t want any vendettas – thankfully I wasn’t crap too often!

“When I was good I was bloody brilliant.”