Spring in the step

Pryde From Wearside to the Amazon and Antipodes, locations mentioned by BBC Radio Newc**tle’s Simon Pryde (left) during his commentary from the Stadium of Light on Saturday, people will be going back to work with smiles on their faces today.

If, that is, they are Sunderland supporters and witnessed, heard or just heard about the last-gasp but phenomenally important win over Derby County.

The result even makes it possible to appreciate the superb skill by Giles Barnes that brought Derby their equaliser. But if you prefer passion to slick footage, read on.

Regulars might expect me to be a little disappointed that the crowd fell, in the end, well below 40,000, especially since there was that rare thing in the Championship – a good away following to make the south stand look like a proper end instead of an embarrassment.


Doesn’t matter where you are…
Picture: indestroy.

But for the previous two homes games, concessions for young fans gave an artificial boost to the attendance. Saturday’s 36,000 was a real 36,000 gate, even if the recent run deserved better still.

What Keano is slowly achieving is remarkable given how low we’d sunk in performance and self-esteem before his arrival.

Yet he needs no one to tell him that the win over Derby still leaves us a point short of the absolute minimum return of five required from that game plus Birmingham and WBA away.

Many people feel West Brom are the strongest side in the division. But we have at last shown that we can compete with the best at this level and a draw or even victory should not be remotely beyond us this Saturday.

Oh, and you wanted that passion? Voila!

2 thoughts on “Spring in the step”

  1. When our second goal went in I looked over at the North Stand and there was a whole rippling effect as people weren’t just shouting and punching the air but jumping up and down. The bad times make us appreciate the good ones so much more. I remember being at Old Trafford a few seasons ago when I think we lost 4-1, or was it 4-0? Some of their supporters were just applauding – it wasn’t anything unusual to win like that, we were just Sunderland. I hope, as you say Ian, that Roy Keane was enjoying what it meant to us to feel that excitement and hope again.

  2. I may be wrong but I got the impression that at the end of the game on Saturday Keane was not concentrating on congratulating his players as they left the pitch but instead just soaking up the incredible atmosphere the crowd (well those who hadn’t left and missed the grand finale!)were creating. Perhaps he was just thinking “Well they told me it could be like this but I haven’t experienced it before. Now I know I was right to take this job” Or am I deluding myself?

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