Colin Randall

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

Sunderland’s win at Bristol Rovers is also a win down Mexico way

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. This is a beauty but click on the image to view all Art of Football’s Sunderland-related treasures

As we all now know, the Checkatrade Trophy has assumed an importance the Champions League, the FA Cup and the Carabao can but envy. The semi-final win at Bristol Rovers, courtesy of Will Grigg’s first goal for Sunderland from open play and a second from Lewis Morgan, leaves us Wembley bound.

There is still much work to do in the league as we strive to take a top-two position. But for now, we can savour the moment and look forward to the March 31 final against Portsmouth. Two grand old clubs at Wembley = a sell-out crowd and a memorable occasion. More from Pete Sixsmith and/or Malcolm Dawson, both present at the Memorial Ground, will follow in due course but may have to await their return from the West Country. So let’s deal with other business …

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Sixer’s Checkatrade Seven: Singin’ in the rain at Bristol Rovers

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John McCormick writes: I thought we never looked like losing, and I like the way this club is shaping up for the end of the season. That doesn’t mean anything’s done and dusted yet, but as Pete Sixsmith’s post game seven word text makes clear, we have at least one pleasant diversion  to look forward to as well as a growing sense of belief

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The North Eastern Programme Club: when home and away means Plymouth to Sunderland

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All Sixer’s own work – whatever it says about who wrote it

Monsieur Salut writes: for those who bought the matchday programme on Saturday, it is worth pointing out that the article attributed to me was in fact the work of Pete Sixsmith. He was reflecting on the distances that have to be covered by supporters wishing to attend away games, obviously a topic of interest to the impressive bunch of Argyle fans who made the trek to Sunderland …

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Sixer’s Sevens: Plymouth Argyle stopped in their tracks

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John McCormick writes:

There’s a busy few days ahead, so the plan is to have a match report up tomorrow morning, though I’ve no idea who will be doing it as Colin, Pete and Malcolm are all at the game. A “Guess the score” will follow the match report some time tomorrow afternoon and then on Monday we have a brief “Who are you?” before Bristol Rovers entertain us once more.

There’s no Bristol “first time ever” from Pete Sixsmith as he did it a few days ago but there is the traditional seven word text he sent on the final whistle today

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The First Time Ever I Saw Your Team: Plymouth Argyle

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There are some famous names on display today as Pete Sixsmith takes us on another of his legendary rambles. If I had to choose one of these players it would be Micky Horswill. I loved the way he lurked outside the box  to pick up and ping in loose balls, not to mention his no-nonsense, take no prisoners style of play.

Is he a legend at Plymouth? I don’t know, but I do know he deserves high praise on Wearside.

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Sunderland-Plymouth Who are You? Argyle’s folk-singing fan on what Tommy Tynan did next

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Photo: Matt Austin. Click on it to read more about the squeezebox king

Monsieur Salut writes: time for another Salut! Sunderland first. The Plymouth Argyle Who are You? interviewee and I will be sitting next to each other at the match we discussed. That hasn’t happened before, though I did once accompany Melanie Hill (Mrs Coco the Scab in Brassed Off) to a Charlton away game some while after her interview – Flirting on the Fulwell – appeared.

It is a necessarily short exchange. Geoff Lakeman and I have known each other since the year Sunderland last won the FA Cup, so he is also a little long-in-the-tooth. But he is still a busy man. We met through folk music; he played regularly at the Herga folk club in Wealdstone and I, newly down south, went there most weeks. After a long and distinguished career in journalism, Geoff has returned to music. Not content with producing three sons – Seth, Sean and Sam – who are all fine musicians (and Sam and Sean are married to superb singers, Cara Dillon and Kathryn Roberts respectively), he is on the road again – this time as a troubadour, not a roving reporter

The Plymouth match coincides with a tour by Geoff of northern folk venues and a day off allows him to attend the SoL. I have sorted his ticket and he promises to be on his best behaviour …

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Sunderland vs Plymouth Argyle prize Guess the Score. Send them back to Devon pointless

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Jake

Another home game and another chance to put pressure on Luton and Barnsley, says Monsieur Salut. Two Sunderland wins in a row have eased the fears that naturally arose after we squandered four points against Blackpool and Gillingham.

I am back from a holiday in the UAE. My flight from Abu Dhabi promised internet but did not deliver. I couldn’t even find out how much it would cost for access long enough to hear Barnes and Benno from Bristol Rovers. I could watch Newcastle-Huddersfield live which might have been fun had the appalling away side put up a better fight and I don’t mean more of the stuff that saw them reduced to 10 men in the first half.

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Sixer’s Sevens: Bristol Rovers can’t stop momentum building

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John McCormick writes:  Another clean sheet, another game with more than one goal. Only Charlton’s last minute winner did anything to mar what was a good day all round. Pete Sixsmith texted at half time that to say that this game was a bit scrappy but his post-game seven worder suggests his full match report will be a bit more optimistic:

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