Derby vs SAFC Guess the Score. We may be mugs but the prizes continue

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In which Monsieur Salut decides to keep the Guess the Score competition running, with prizes, until the final whistle sounds at the end of the home banker against Wolves on May 6 to bring our glorious Championship campaign to a close …

The season began with Derby County on a Friday night. Now that so many of us have written off the season, it seems almost academic that the final spurt to, er, deserved relegation/improbable escape (delete according to choice) should start with Derby on a Friday night.

When it comes to Guess the Score, I’ll adopt the words of Bamber Gascoigne from an earlier television age: I’ve started so I’ll finish. [Update: oops, CSB corrects my memory: it was Magnus Magnusson’s catchphrase on Mastermind]

Despite thoughts of withdrawing the modest prize in protest at the appalling betrayal by Sunderland AFC of its supporters, we shall rise above such pettiness. The mug manufacturers of Weardale – our suppliers, Personalised Football Gifts – need not fret after all. Eight more games = up to eight more mugs to be ordered and delivered.

One or two readers are waiting for recent wins in the competition to be followed by receipt of their prizes. Somehow, it has felt more like a chore than usual, doubtless a function of most winning predictions reflecting losing Sunderland performances. But I shall get round to a little catch-up exercise today. Sorry Phil, sorry Steve, sorry anyone else I’ve overlooked.

On to Derby. Our failure to beat them in the first game probably didn’t have the alarm bells clanging too loudly. I do recall feeling a shudder of apprehension given that we were at home and had plenty of experienced, supposedly Premier-standard players still in the squad, but Derby were at that stage fancied as potentially a top two side and Sunderland did not play badly.

That draw was also the start of our only undefeated run of more than three games, followed as it was by a League Cup win at Bury, and a win and draw at Norwich City and Sheffield Wednesday respectively.

Quick quiz: what do Canaries and Owls have in common apart from being birds? Answer: both visit the Stadium of Light in April and will be expecting to fly home with three points apiece.

So what will happen at Pride Park? We can humour ourselves that a win for SAFC accompanied by defeats that day or on Saturday for Barnsley, Burton and Birmingham City would keep Sunderland survival hopes flickeringly alive. Otherwise, it will look even more like and-pigs-will-fly territory than it does already.

Something like this – you choose the names. And a Derby County-supporting winner would get a design more to his his/her taste

Have a go all the same. You might do something Sunderland have rarely managed for a while and win something. Be first with the right scoreline, post it before kickoff, have a UK delivery address and – whoever you support – you will be sent a mug.

Ha’way the Lads.

M Salut, drawn by Matt, colouring by Jake . Go back to the Salut! Sunderland home page by clicking the cartoon

 

 

34 thoughts on “Derby vs SAFC Guess the Score. We may be mugs but the prizes continue”

  1. Derby 1-1 Sunderland, a first half Mcgeady goal gives us the lead but Derby equalise in the 82 minute. ??

  2. Just to change the subject, Australian cricketers crying because they got caught cheating, disgraceful…..what would W.G.Grace have made of all this, bet he’s spinning in his grave!

    I, there’s the rub!

    • Perhaps the tears were a genuine sign of remorse for the upset he has caused those he is closest to, including his father, but had the incident not been caught on camera and subsequently brought to the world’s attention and had the Aussies won that Test then I’m not sure there would have been any feelings of guilt in the dressing room.

      Mind you W.G. Grace wasn’t averse to manipulating the rules and influencing umpires either or is that what you are hinting at?

  3. I was at that match. We seemed to score with ease and it was one of our seventh place finishes. How times have changed.

  8. Phew, that was close! Someone nearly beat me to it but their lack of conviction in Derby’s ability – only going for a 4-2 win to us – will cost them dear. It will be 4-3 to The Lads, coming back from 3-0 down too.

  9. Despite predicting the correct score last time, some one else had already bagged the score before my entry and won a 2nd mug!
    I’ll go for a Derby victory, 3-1.

  10. 0-2.

    Scorers – Maja (6 mins, left foot). o.g. (23 mins, Central defender slips while diving across the goaline to keep out a Fletcher header and deflects it past their keeper).

    You might ask how I know these things. It’s a secret. All I can say is that Fletcher will head the ball one day and that day is coming.

  15. DCFC 3 SAFC 0. Whatever transpires let’s hope that the unnamed business men of Ireland/N E England are not watching or any takeover will be down the pan.

  16. CSB is right and I have corrected the reference. Also, we have a Derby entry: the automatic one from the Who are You? interviewee, Guy Pearson, who reckons 1-0 to the Rams

    • Bambers catchphrases were (according to wiki) “Your starter for ten”, “fingers on the buzzers”, and “I’ll have to hurry you”.

      • Yes, well he did come from rather posh stock and had that awful manufactured tone. Still, one should never speak ill of the dead (De mortuis nihil nisi bonum – rough translation)………Tony Blair anyone!

  17. Actually, I thought that the quote ‘I’ve started so I’ll finish’ was Magnus Magnusson of Mastermind fame.

    Anyway, back to the predictions after that wander down memory (or lack of it as the case may be) lane.

    Derby 0 – 1 Sunderland, rumors of links with Disco Pants spurs the wasters on to herculean efforts, or I’ll take a lucky own goal, we are desperate now!

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