Colin Randall

Anyone who followed my link to the Chelsea FC Blog will know Blues fans were already feeling demonised enough without Pete Sixsmith seeing the need to share cruel memories of encounters with nastier fringes of football support. Meanwhile in Abu Dhabi, Salut! Sunderland perhaps allowed itself to become so confident about the game that colleagues were invited for a meal at 7.30pm, a stupid oversight since it kicks off here at 7pm and can be seen live across town

It’s not exactly the hardest subject to write about, is it? Well about as difficult as explaining as why you don’t like Jeremy Clarkson or why George Dubya isn’t quite as good a President as FDR.

So where to start……

Let’s go back to 1967. I had been to see us at Stamford Bridge on a warm April day. As usual we had lost (1-0, I think it was) and I was heading for Brentford’s Griffin Park for an evening kick off against Workington.

As Don Coupland and I descended the escalator to the Tube, we were surrounded by a group of Chelsea bovver boys who demanded our scarves.

They grabbed Don’s, but they did not get mine. I would like to say that I fought them off and gave them a good hiding. But I didn’t. Being a coward from a very early age, I beat a hasty retreat to the bottom of the stairs while Don gave his trusty scarf over to some Steve Marriott lookalike from Surbiton.

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Salut! Sunderland desperately hopes he is proved wrong, but the punch-free drabness of our performance against Everton confirmed Pete Sixsmith‘s worst fears. Down we go again…………

Weekends are very important for me. After a hard week at the white board face running tombolas, writing articles and spending money on Amazon, the two day break allows me to recharge my batteries, usually through the medium of sport.

This weekend I had four competitive events to watch or participate in. All four were winnable and I had high hopes of achieving a very desirable and much needed foursome. As it worked out, it was an absolute nightmare.

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Pete Sixsmith prepares for tombola duties at Ferryhill market today with a look back to last night’s disappointing youth team game – and forward to what Everton’s European setback may mean for our prospects on Sunday

A good turnout by fans at the Stadium of Light last night for the FA Youth Cup semi final first leg against Manchester City. This was a real opportunity for mums and dads to bring their offspring along to sample the delights of a Balti Pie and a Bobby Kerr-burger. And boy were those snack bars busy.

It was also an opportunity for Rebecca to scream and squeal down my left ear for 90 minutes.

As it happens, I am rather partial to females involving themselves with my ears (see Dr. Alex Comfort, p56) but a 10-year-old with an amazingly high-pitched voice who parrots her father at every opportunity is a bit too much.

The height of Dad’s humour was to suggest to the referee that he should have gone to Specsavers. This had the aforementioned Rebecca in fits of hysterical 10-year-old laughter. Unfortunately, my ear drums were its main recipient.

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As reported by Joan Dawson last night, Sunderland’s Under 18s found Man City too tough a hurdle in the first leg of the FA Youth Cup semi-finals, losing 2-0 before a decent crowd at the Stadium of Light. Pete Sixsmith was there for Salut! Sunderland, and of course for himself, and is likely to offer his thoughts on the game later. In the meantime, let us hear what other SAFC fans made of it at the Blackcats forum

Ian Todd

Lost 2-0 in front of 4191 crowd. Seemingly lots of pressure but couldn’t score. Now where have we seen that before?

Mike Hillam

Man City were the better side overall but we pretty much equalled them on chances and could easily have had a couple second half. Sufficiently impressed that heads did not go down and we continued to try and have a go.
Crowd quoted only includes paying spectators as gates were opened around ten past seven with at least another three or four thousand then piling into the ground pretty much filling the west stand and into the corners.

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Every Sunderland supporter, and probably quite a few neutrals, will be rooting for Kevin Ball’s Under 18 side tonight when they take on Man City in the first leg of the FA Youth Cup semi-finals after a heartening run of great results.

The venue, rightly, is the Stadium of Light, where several of Bally’s squad – (picture credit: BBC) -have excelled already this season, giving real hope that the Academy is producing stars for the future, our future. The two-leg clash will be decided at the return fixture, to be played next Tuesday at the City of Manchester stadium.

Thanks to Pete Sixsmith’s voracious appetite for football at any level, Salut! Sunderland has charted a little of the progress of the team and will be represented at tonight’s game. His verdict should appear here tomorrow.

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