Year: 2010

Who are you? We’re Bolton Wanderers, minus the diving Diouf

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boltonchris


Just when we needed a meek bunch of surrender monkeys to come to the Stadium of Light, roll over and remind us of what it’s like to win in the Premier, our opponents go and change their new manager. Will Owen Coyle – still to be officially apppointed as we write – apply the well-known clauses of Sod’s Law and galvanise his new team? Or can, for once, Sunderland play to potential and not only score but score at least one more than the other team, thus taking our first double of the season. Or will, indeed, the grim weather force a postponement in any case? Chris Mann*, from the Burnden Aces fan site, is a welcome return visitor to Salut! Sunderland …

Salut! Sunderland Bolton were the last team we managed to beat away in the Premier. That’s pretty much the story of our season but how has it been for you?

Most of us started the season a little optimistic that we could get points on the board early on, then within five minutes of the first game Darren Bent put an end to it all.

We went on a little run in September but since then struggled and it was no surprise that Gary Megson was sacked (unless of course you work for the media and jump on the anti-Bolton bandwagon). We did all right in December, but we need to stop throwing leads away and turn a few of our draws into wins.

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Recognition for Sunderland’s Spurs reject (and Hull hero)

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ffc

Real fans, real opinions. Sounds a bit like us, but it’s footballfancast.com, which lists 10 success stories from the Premier season so far – “men who’ve done a lot better than anticipated and have an enhanced reputation as a result”. We’re happy to pass the news on with due credit to the site in question …

Guess which club has two players in the list. And guess which position in this unofficial mini-league is awarded to one of those players. Think “striker not as good as my missus, says cuddly ‘Arry” and “defender whose departure broke Hull hearts”.

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Back to Premier basics: does Megson sacking help or hinder vs Bolton?

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Sunderland 3 Barrow 0 had a mildly satisfying ring to it. Sunderland 3 Bolton 0 or Portsmouth/Coventry 0 SAFC 3 would feel even better. Steve Bruce and his team have little time – or cause – for self-congratulation before sleeves need to be rolled up for the more important tests ahead …

On a forced march through Parisian department stores, I felt the mobile vibrate. Salut! Sunderland readers know all about Sixer’s Sevens, Pete Sixsmith’s indispensable seven-word summary of each game. This was what I call a Sixer’s One, a goal alert and, happily, the single word was Steed.

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Soapbox: Barrow boys pushed away

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soapboxSurely we couldn’t mess this one up – or could we?  Would it be a repeat of Northwich Victoria in 2006 – or a reprise of that sad day in Somerset 61 years ago when The Bank of England Club were rolled over by Yeovil.  Pete Sixsmith had an awful premonition at 2.20 ……. but it was not to be.

As we entered a cold and rather empty Stadium of Light on Saturday, I noticed the bucket collection was for the Samaritans. Dropping my pound coin into it, I wondered if I would be calling them on Saturday evening.

No need to worry, as we completed a routine, if rather uninspiring win over the plucky part-timers from the Furness Peninsula. Playing at a level way above their normal one, the collection of plasterers, bus drivers, nuclear physicists and opera singers thrilled their magnificent fans and caused the Premier League big boys an afternoon of potential banana skins.

Right, that’s all the patronising drivel out of the way, so let’s deal with the game, which was an entertaining and enjoyable one, for a change.

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Another chance to shout about your Sunderland passion

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Today – assuming the weather has not affected our part of the fixture list – thousands of Barrow fans, as many as four-and-a-half amore than they draw to home games, will be at the Stadium of Light for their hour-and-a-half of glory. But we know who the best, most passionate supporters in the country are, don’t we? Here’s one of our periodic reminders of the Sky Sports 92 Fans’ League – the video tells you all you need to know about it …


Imagine it. You support Chelsea, Arsenal, Man United or Liverpool. You’ve followed them for ever, or rather since you were old enough to work out they were quite good and won a lot. You may even have been to the city where they play.

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