Tomorrow is the day Salut! Sunderland starts looking forward, if that is the right verb, to Sunday’s Tyne-Wear derby.
I hoped a few weeks ago that little but regional pride would depend on the outcome since I expected both clubs to be in positions of relative safety.
In one sense, little does even now. Sunderland could lose at whatever the NUFC ground is properly called these days and still be outside the bottom three – and stay there. A win would not guarantee survival.
Much more, in other words, depends on other results, this weekend and in the games to come. A win, for all that, would be rather handy. I suspect United fans feel the same, with less immediate pressure.
This is a belated invitation to any supporter who wishes to contribute a piece for publication. You’ll need to get cracking, though and send your finely polished contributions to me at the Salut! Sunderland email address by mid-afternoon tomorrow. Later arrivals will be considered according to time available to post them.
If you know the site, or take the trouble to look at it, you’ll quickly see – whoever you support – what kind of thing we would use – and what we would not.
In the meantime, expect a superb “Who are You?” some time tomorrow, a podcast when the lads get round to it and more besides.
Of course he gets it,he has played in the Lazio Rome derby.I can imagine the hatred and venom generated by those two sets of fans far exceeds anything we would want to be involved in.
I’ve just watched PDC’s interview on SAFC TV. Regarding the derby, he understands, he gets it, he knows what it means. Also, how about this for a quote “Fortunately we are Mackems, we are not Geordies”. That’ll do for me.
Who will be our Phillips and Quinn? Our Gary Rowell? Our Marco Gabbiadini? Because this is what we will need.
I would settle for a Kevin Ball type leader on the pitch.