Colin Randall

Salut! Sunderland was edited by Colin Randall up until December 2019 - read more

The Wembley slideshow: see the finished product as Sunderland prepare to face Burton

by


It grew and grew. Salut! Sunderland invited readers old and new to contribute their photos from a great if ultimately disappointing weekend in London for the Checkatrade Trophy final against Pompey at Wembley, writes Monsieur Salut.

Slowly, pictures started to arrive. And then our associate editor John McCormick chipped in with his more advanced techie skills to turn a spur-of-the-moment idea into a project, creating the slideshow you can see by following the link in my tweet above to the Salut! Sunderland Facebook group.

(John Mac adds – I’ve now managed to embed the video at the bottom of the page too, but our facebook page is always worth a visit)

Read more

The Burton Albion Who are You? ‘Pieman’s highlight of the season – losing 9-0 at Man City!’

by
Dave the Burton Pieman and broadcaster with one of his celebrity interviewees


Monsieur Salut writes: Burton Albion are a club with lots of virtues but the size of the fanbase is not among them, unless small is beautiful. Finding a Who are You? interview volunteer who isn’t the one we had before, and also the one before that, is not easy. Hence, our latest cap-in-hand approach to the admirable Dave Child*, who combines home-and-away support with a mini-career as a radio pundit on all things Burton Albion and also the quality of football ground pies.

It is no hardship to turn to Dave once more for a look at the season our two clubs have had in the third tier after going down together a year ago. And he will collect a Salut! Sunderland mug in honour of of his services to this series …

Read more

Sunderland vs Burton Albion Guess the Score: a night to go second?

by
Jake: ‘what a night this could be’


Towards the end of last season, not quite a year ago so not at the very end, Burton Albion visited the Stadium of Light, won 2-1 and sent Sunderland down for the second successive season.

The fact that most of us were already resigned to relegation made it little easier to stomach and the Netflix documentary Sunderland Til I Die captured the misery in all its raw intensity.

Read more

Sixer’s Sevens: a good day for Sunderland at Rochdale, Burton and Luton

by

John McCormick writes:

do games get much closer than this? To come from 1-0 down to win 2-1 away, with a last minute goal from a captain who came on as a sub. And this on a day when Barnsley lost and Luton only managed a draw at home. And, if my maths is correct only Peterborough can deny us a playoff place. They need to win every game and overturn a 26 goal deficit to do it, though with results elsewhere going our way we’ll be looking to not need that chance.

Pete Sixsmith’s report will be here tomorrow with an introduction from Malcolm, who was also there, so that’s something not to be missed. Here’s a taster, in seven words, no more, no less – plus Jake’s essential scoreline banner …

Read more

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Ground: Rochdale and Spotland

by

John McCormick writes: My mam worked in a munitions factory during the war, so I suppose she was – “the girl who makes the thing that holds the oil that oils the ring that works the thing-ummy-bob that’s going to win the war.”

You might ask why I’m telling you this.

It’s because  Pete Sixsmith resumes his journey around football grounds and his “First Time” series with a visit to Rochdale, home not only of the Pioneers, Cyril Smith, Lisa Stansfield and a football ground once known as Spotland but also Gracie Fields, who sang some excruciating songs before heading off to Capri, much to my mam’s relief.

Over to Pete…..

Read more

The Rochdale Who are You? Sunderland should be too good to let Wembley affect them

by

Jake: ‘more of the same, Lads’


Monsieur Salut writes: we had to bounce back from Wembley and we did, in some style as you’ll know if you were there or have read Pete Sixmsith’s rousing account of our 3-0 win.

Now another Lancashire test awaits. We need to do something similar at Rochdale on Saturday. Over to Ian Wright*, our Dale stalwart, with answers to Salut! Sunderland‘s questions. Even before the win at Stanley, he reckoned we should have enough quality to overcome any post-Wembley doldrums….

Read more

Sixer’s Sevens: Accrington Stanley don’t bog us down after Portsmouth

by

John McCormick writes: put yourself in my place.

0-2 up away from home, with 15 minutes left. If Accrington score and we win 2-1 your “guess the score” is correct and you win a shirt. Do you want Accy to score?

It took me less than a minute.

“sod it” I thought “get a third”

And we did, a minute later. So I thought “get a fourth, and a fifth. Haway the lads!” But we didn’t. So much for the power of positive thinking.

Pete Sixsmith’s report will be here tomorrow. Until then you’ll have to make do with the knowledge that this win did us a lot of good just when we needed it, and very positive seven word post-whistle text.

Read more

The Accrington Stanley Guess the Score: now for the bigger prize

by

It is obvious enough. Time to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and put together the run we need to overtake Barnsley and leave Portsmouth and Charlton behind, says Monsieur Salut.

Of course Sunday was a great occasion and a game we all wanted to win. But promotion is – for me – by far the bigger prize.

Guess the Score.

Read more