His finest hour as a manager came when Sunderland won the FA Cup with a 1-0 win over Leeds Utd at Wembley in 1973.
Jim Montgomery, the Sunderland goalkeeper and man of the match on that memorable day said: "The news is a shock but we've known he had been suffering from dementia for some time.
"He really is a superb man and absolutely everyone who knows him will wish him the best, including all the team from 1973.
"It's really sad to see him decline since the death of his wife, Joan."
"It's really sad to see him decline since the death of his wife, Joan."