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The Beautiful Game? Wrinkly Pete’s thoughts on the power of football

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John McCormick writes: We’re not the only old and famous club to be facing turbulent times and I’m sure our players (some of them, at least) aren’t the only ones to be facing hostility. That said, if you look no further than our own site, then add in the piece I posted yesterday about the World Cup, you could be forgiven for thinking all footballers are money grabbing mercenaries.

But, deep down, we know that not all players are, and to prove it here’s Pete Lynn with a look at some of the beautiful sides of the beautiful game. Just how many sides is something you can decide for yourselves:

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Strangely Unmoved. What World Cup?

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when does League 1 start?

When Colin put up his competition about prediciting the World Cup finalists I had a go.  I chose England because I genuinely think they have a chance and Brazil because “why not?” But when I tried to look up the groups and knock-out stages to see if this pairing was possible I didn’t get far. I just couldn’t be bothered. And that’s why I picked Brazil, I suppose. I’ve no idea who the form teams are, haven’t looked at a betting site (not that I ever do) and didn’t even know who England will be playing in their group until yesterday. So I opted for Brazil.

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Salut! Sunderland’s World Cup diaries: (1) glorious St Petersburg

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Monsieur Salut writes: 0ur summer faithful will have noticed that I invited contributions from any reader who happened to be in Russia for the World Cup. No takers so far until Andy Falconer, not even a SAFC fan (he supports his home town Boro, where his mum – my sister – has lived all her adult life), was more or less pressganged into promising some occasional jottiongs.

Andy is well known to those who devour our Who are You? series, having contributed some fine responses last season – (‘Newcastle fans are noisy; Sunderland’s are noisier’).

This first item is really just a scene-setter. We’ll see how much else my nephew can provide once he starts seeing some football (which doesn’t seem to have happened for him when Russia enjoyed some shooting practice against Saudi Arabia, though he must have found a bar where he could watch it) …

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Guess the World Cup final pair. You may win a prize (two if Australia make it)

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An Art of Football classic, Jermain Defoe scoring that Mag-slaying scorcher. Click the image to check out their range

With Russia kicking off the 2018 World Cup, as has become the norm for host nations, with their opening game against Saudi Arabia tonight, Salut! Sunderland welcomes contributions from anyone who lives there (and I know of at least one SAFC supporter in Moscow) or has travelled/is travelling to support England or Another Country.

“By our own correspondent” in Volgograd, Novgorod or Kalingrad would have an appealing ring to it – and, no expense spared, Monsieur Salut promises a mug by way of reward.

But why not also have a competition? Our friends at Art of Football, all Nottingham Forest fans but generous sponsors of the Who are You? awards and other initiatives involving prizes, are offering a print of your choice if you win this simnple quiz.

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World Cup Memories: France’s version of England’s 1966 glory

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Sixer looks back at a dramatic French victory in the World Cup

Monsieur Salut writes: now we know. In County Durham, Pete Sixsmith has retreated into the GCSE marking part of his year and declares that he will be paying little attention to the World Cup in Russia.

Here in France, the physio trying to repair my dodgy knee cannot wait for Les Bleus’ first game against Australia. As for England, a French pal at badminton told me the other night our problem was we’re too small a nation to be able to compete (maybe beyond quarter finals, maybe an earlier exit). A follow-the-wind friend from the Middle East used to support Brazil, now she roots for Argentina, bless her (mind she also manages to support both Arsenal and Barca and has had a soft spot for not only AC Milan but, ever since she borrowed a book from A Love Supreme in which I had a chapter, SAFC).

And plenty of Sunderland fans will be glued to the screen as the tournament unfolds, and not just because of the two Jordans who both still support SAFC. If you fancy a flutter or two, the place to go may be btts tips.

Back in 2010, Sixer wrote an outstanding series of World Cup memories. In this edition, he looked at the famous French campaign on home territory in 1998, culminating in that famous un-deux-trois-zéro victory over Brazil in the final at the Stade de France, roughly the French equivalent of England’s win against Germany in 1966. Here, from another dip into the Salut! Sunderland archives, he remembers when France were the cultured giants of European football

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Sixer, Stan Anderson and er.. ..some others

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Pete Sixsmith

John McCormick writes: events down here have conspired to keep me apart from all things North-Eastern – I even missed a family reunion that my sister reckons will be hard to beat, and that’s after some doozies.

Luckily, Pete Sixsmith chips in with an update every now and again and allows me to gain a glimpse of what’s going on. Where would us exiles be without him, and what will we do when he takes his impending break?

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As the World Cup looms, we remember why Sixer just loved Brazil 2014

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Barry Emmerson: ‘Just delivered England’s No 1 goalie safely for last training before Russia. Brilliant lad, super confident, proud to know him and our other Jordan – superstars that have come through our Academy. Well done Ged McNamee & Kevin Ball’

The World Cup is almost upon us. Time will tell what Salut! Sunderland’s contributors will make of it. All offerings welcome. Pete Sixsmith always comes up with interesting aspects and at least we have a handful of players to keep our interest up: Jordan Pickford (pictured by his occasional driver, this site’s great friend and massive Sunderland supporter Barry Emmerson) will be there for England, as will the other Jordan, and we even have two not-quite-left-yet players, Wahbi Khazri (will he score for Tunisia against England?) and Costa Rica’s Bryan Oviedo making the trip to Russia.

Sixer wrote an outstanding series of World Cup memories when South Africa provided the setting in 2010. And he again wrote compellingly about his enjoyment of the 2014 event in Brazil. Here is another chance to see what impressed him so much …

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Stan Anderson RIP: Sunderland to the core but captained all the Big Three clubs

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Salut! Sunderland is happy to credit the official site of the SAFC Former Players’ Association, which kindly allows us to reproduce its images: therokerend.com

Salut! Sunderland is deeply saddened by news that Stan Anderson, who will be remembered with special fondness by SAFC supporters of a certain age, has died aged 84.

In a characteristically noble tribute to a great Sunderland captain, the club historian Rob Mason recalls Stan telling him: “I was from a family of dyed in the wool red and whites – playing for the team I supported was always a privilege and a pleasure for me.”

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From the archives: as John O’Shea departs, let’s look back at looking at Paolo

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'You decide,' as Jake used to say. But is there a middle ground?
‘You decide,’ as Jake used to say. But is there a middle ground?

Monsieur Salut writes: Pete Sixsmith’s piece on the departures of John O’Shea, Robbie Stockdale and Adrian Tucker – a fond farewell but measured and excellently argued – got one or two talking about Paolo Di Canio. ‘JoS stood up to the ridiculous bullying of Di Canio,’ Pete wrote. Jeff, in response, felt PDC went ‘because players didn’t want to work hard and John was part of that’.

I have a good anecdote that concerns the infamous drinking culture at the club and supports the Sixer view of John O’Shea, but it is probably not one I can yet share without my informant’s consent. Ken Gambles, however, reminds me of a piece he wrote here back in 2014, at the time of the controversy about PDC’s man-management techniques and that can be repeated ….

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