A competition to steady the nerves

The Lads drew 40,000-plus to the Stadium of Light on Saturday. A look down the Premiership attendances shows how impressive that was.

Salut! Sunderland has a long way to go, but will very soon – today? tomorrow? by the time I finish typing these words? – pass another little milestone. We didn’t get going until mid-January so it’s an encouraging response in such a short time.

To mark the first 5,000 “hits” to this site, and to stop me thinking too hard about the match at Southampton, I today announce the details of a modest competition.

The prizes: a copy of Alice in Sunderland, Bryan Talbot’s fascinating book mentioned in an earlier posting AND a guest column, on any football related topic, on Salut! Sunderland*.

If you get the answer to the question that follows, send it by e-mail _ NOT AS A COMMENT TO BE POSTED HERE – to colinrandall@yahoo.fr or to the address that appears on the e-mail link on this page (top left). I will keep the competition open until Saturday April 14 – let’s make 3pm, kick off time for the QPR game, the deadline for entries.

The winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries received. My decision will have to be final.

To enter, READ ON………..after first taking in the news that Birmingham have lost, Derby could only draw. What an incentive for the Lads at Southampton. Top tonight in they win, and the last two sentences removed if they lose (even though we’d stay second).

Competition question

Imagine I am an acclaimed actress. Now read the clues and tell me by e-mail who I am.

1) I was born into a Red and White household in the North East

2) I have won awards for my work and my roles have included a nurse, a woman in a wheelchair and a store detective

3) Whether – or how much – I support Sunderland is a bit of a mystery. But a fly on the wall would make you think I was passionate

4) That’s not me behind the mask

* Jonathan Cape, the publisher, has kindly agreed to supply a copy of the book as a prize and this should be on its way to me now. If, for any reason, it does not arrive, I will replace it as the prize with another book. The guest column does not have to be about Sunderland and should be written to a maximum of 400 words. I will make changes only if required by legal or taste concerns and will let the winner see any such changes before publication.

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