Dean Cruddace

Sixer’s Substitute’s Southend Soapbox: Sunderland leave Shrimpers high and dry

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Sunderland 3 Southend United 0

Malcolm Dawson writes……don’t be deceived. This was no walk in the park, though we did finish the game as comfortable winners.

More comfortable than the Sunderland supporter who appeared on Friday’s edition of Mastermind, anyway. If you didn’t see it and want to catch up on the i-player I won’t spoil it for you but I managed to get 11 of the specialised questions right to his 12 and beat him on the General Knowledge round, though admittedly I was sat at home with a brew and not in the “chair of doom” with a spotlight and a studio audience focused on me.

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The First Time Ever I saw Your Ground: Coventry City, the Ricoh Arena and a glimpse of Highfield Road

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John McCormick writes: like Pete Sixsmith, I was at Goodison that night. Like Pete Sixsmith I condemned Jimmy Hill for his actions, especially his ‘holier than thou’ attitude afterwards. But, like Pete Sixsmith, I’m old enough to know it serves no purpose to harbour grudges against clubs or fans. It’s better to share some decent beer with them in a decent pub because, when it comes down to it, we supporters are pretty much the same in our hopes, our passions and our disappointments. And maybe in our genes as well; my aunt and uncle moved to the Midlands many, many years ago and there’s a good contingent of McCormicks down Coventry way.

So, like Pete Sixsmith, I hope that those Sky Blues supporters who have kept their faith and regularly make the trip to the Ricoh manage to get their club back.

After we’ve beaten them, of course. There’s not just empathy, there’s rivalry, and long may it continue. Here, Pete’s magnificent twin series on Sunderland’s opposing teams and heir grounds reaches Coventry …

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