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Sixer’s Bradford Sevens: 10-man Sunderland hang on as promotion rivals lose

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If we fail to win promotion at the first attempt this season, it may not be because of our inability to keep a clean sheet or hold onto a lead but through a lack of discipline. For the third time this season we had a player sent off and for the second time our keeper has to save a penalty. Listening to Barnes and Benno, the closing minutes of this game was real heart in the mouth stuff. Would we hang on? The final minutes were made just that little bit easier when the hosts also had a player shown the red card. 

Pete Sixsmith was there and as always will bring us his detailed report of what was a nail biting game tomorrow. But for now make do with his instant seven match summary of a game in a league which is anything but boring.

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The First Time Ever I Saw Your Ground: Bradford City and Valley Parade

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 John McCormick writes: some 15 years ago, perhaps a few more, I almost went to see Bradford play. It was a Valentine’s weekend and the family had decamped to a hotel in the region, 10 of us altogether, mostly from my wife’s side, for a reunion of some sort. We arrived on the Friday and going to the match was one of the possibilities raised while having  a few drinks on the Friday night. Come the Saturday, no one felt like going. Perhaps that’s not surprising, given that my share of the bar bill alone was in three figures when we checked out on the Sunday.

Pete Sixsmith appears to have had no such problems in getting there:

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Bradford City ‘Who Are You?’: it’s grim up north

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Jake wants answers

John McCormick, associate editor, writes…. a century ago Bradford was both a new city and an industrial power, able to compete with anywhere in the world. As befitted its status it had two professional football clubs, one of which had won the FA Cup in 1911 by beating Newcastle United, who had won it the previous year.

Then came decline, of the city and of its football clubs. While close neighbours Leeds United became mighty and cross-Pennine rivals in Manchester achieved great things,  Bradford Park Avenue – Len Shackleton’s first club – went from playing in an Archibald Leitch stadium to Sunday league football before returning as far as the Vanarama League (North).

The other club, cup-winning Bradford City, were relegated in the 1920s and never regained their pre-war glory. But, despite trials and tribulations that make our recent troubles seem trivial, they remained in the Football League.

Jason Mckeown* continues their story:

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Bradford City: Guess the Score. You might win a mug. But then again…

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John McCormick writes:  I was in with a chance of a mug for new baby James for almost an hour on Tuesday, then Oviedo got that red card and everything changed.

And, I suppose, I’d better withdraw myself from this week’s competition as it seems a bit unfair for me to get my guess prediction in before anyone else has a chance. I’d be going for 0-2 (Sinclair and Power) so that scoreline’s open to another reader.

There’s no need for you to feel guilty about taking it and depriving my grandchild; I’m sure James won’t mind waiting. After all, I’ve been saying 2-0 since we were a Premiership club and it still hasn’t happened.  Another two weeks won’t matter.

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Sixer’s Sevens: Peterborough United will be happy with that point

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Pete Sixsmith  sent a text with about 20 minutes to go: “Oviedo red card. Correct and totally unnecessary” and I began to wonder  how we could hold out against a team that scores at will when we have only one clean sheet to our name. We couldn’t, but we did manage to match them and finish with a point. Should it have been three though, and will tonight come back to haunt us? We’ll find out as this season unrolls.

However, Pete’s instant seven word post-match text suggests there will be more talking points and they won’t all be about Brian Oviedo.

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Sunderland vs Peterborough ‘Who are you?’: from Posh Spice to posh football

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James Bloodworth: ‘Don’t know about posh football but it’s certainly effective’

Monsieur Salut writes: as a boy, I briefly loved Peterborough United almost as much as I have most of my life loved Sunderland. There was the romance of a little club battling against official woodentops for entry into the Football League despite astonishing non-league success. Finally, they made it – and continued to excel. I’d even travel to northern grounds to see them – York, Darlo, Newcastle – and I saw them win each time. Now we meet in similar positions at or near the top of League One. Let James Bloodworth* take up the Posh story, including the bizarre tale of Victoria Beckham objecting to a nickname given to the club 53 years before she was born …

Salut! Sunderland:  what a fabulous start to the season, I remember seeing you as a possible promotion contender pre-season, but what has gone right?

James Bloodworth: fabulous is an understatement! Steve Evans has been allowed free reign to bring in his players: a luxury not many of his predecessors have had. It’s not the free flowing football that we became famous for in lower league circles over the past decade, but it’s effective! We had 19 signings over the summer, which is absolutely mental and the fact they’ve all gelled and created a solid, hard to beat unit is nothing short of miraculous.

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The First Time Ever I Saw Your Team: Peterborough United

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John McCormick writes: The time’s right and I saw all of the players Pete mentions below, including George Kinnell, but I have only the most fleeting memories of this game.  So fleeting that the scoreline rings no bells with me, and surely it should.

Could it be that I wasn’t there and I’m suffering from false memory syndrome because I can’t bear to have missed such a score?

There’s no such doubt troubling Pete Sixsmith. He was there. He saw it. And he hasn’t forgotten:

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SAFC vs Peterborough prize Guess the Score: more than a mug at stake

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Jake: ‘Like a cup final? Nah, much more important than that!’

If Sunderland beat Peterborough on Tuesday night, that would be our result of the season so far.

Posh have been playing outstanding football and are still second, two places above us, despite unexpectedly dropping two home points against Blackpool while we, slightly disappointingly, could only draw at Coventry, What greater test of the Jack Ross revolution could there be at this stage of our own season?

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