Not quite viral (2): a small world mourns Salut! Sunderland’s demise

       M Salut always liked this Jake banner

Monsieur Salut writes: as the world now knows, Salut! Sunderland’s days are numbered. If you missed the news, it’s here: https://safc.blog/2019/11/the-end-of-an-era-salut-sunderlands-journey-will-soon-be-over/ (and no, I didn’t say Brexit was the reason, just that it was one reason – as you’ll see if you read the piece at that link).

The tributes and regrets continue to flow in via their various routes e-mails, Twitter, facebook and probably others I haven’t thought of.

Since we cannot publish comments, for reasons we have not been able to identify and correct, I shall use these pages to reproduce some of those we have received. There will undoubtedly be more …

Peter Lynn, aka Wrinkly Pete:

That is sad if entirely understandable. I shall greatly miss the whole thing. Thank you so much for your encouragement in my fledgling journalistic career which at 75 may never get higher. I look forward to seeing you at a game. Kind regards. Pete.

Wrinkly Pete

Mel Bond, The Eternal Optimist:

A heartfelt message from the eternal optimist , again I am an exile having left Framwellgate Moor in 1982 living all over the UK but have now been in the New Forest for some 15 years. I try to get back as often as I can to watch the Lads as does my brother who has lived on the outskirts of Prague for the last 10 years and who regularly brings 10 or 12 of the Prague branch with him. Some may have seen his flags around the grounds, home and abroad most know him as BONDY.

Anyway enough of that waffle, I am in my 65th year and saw my first game in 1958 for my fourth birthday present a 2-1 win over Sheffield United .

I have only recently (last two years) had a tablet which was bought by my wife for me, while I was in hospital recovering from a series of heart attacks and a stroke, so that I could keep up with the outside world during a long hospital stay and an 11-month recuperation period.

It was during this time I discovered your fabulous site with honest unbiased articles and reports and immediately put the site on my home page (I think that’s what you call it) I have also been a frequent optimistic guesser on Guess the Score but never successful

I would sincerely like to thank you (your wife for being so patient with you) and your fellow contributors, including the away fans for such an excellent site. I wish you both all the best for the future from a very grateful exile (the papers down here don’t cover any team north of London except for the Premier League). A job well done, my friend

All the Best you will be sadly missed

Richard Sillett

I’m really sorry to hear of this. Essential Sunderland reading, though it’s rarely been pretty in the last 10 years. Thanks for all the articles, insight and effort.

*****************

Joan Dawson, sister of Malcolm (deputy editor) and an absolute rock when the site launched in 2007 and was in dire need of technologically unchallenged help

Very sorry to hear about the coming to an end of Salut! Sunderland but completely understandable.

You, and all the contributors, especially Pete Sixsmith & Malcolm Dawson [I’d add John McCormick!- Ed], can be very proud of the standard and consistency of the writing – must be one of the best of any football sites.

For me, the observations about the towns, its famous daughters and sons, and the quality of food & beer on offer were more interesting that the actual match reports. Having found it harder and harder to go to watch in person – especially when I roughly calculated how many Saturdays I might have left and wondered whether I wanted to spend them being made to feel miserable – but the site kept me in touch with goings on at the club. It was a pleasure to be involved in the early days. Good luck with your administrative shenanigans…. hope it’s all sorted soon. Anyone fancy moving to Scotland?

Terry McLoughlin

Very sad to hear of the impending closure of your Salut! site, Colin. Over the recent months it has been apparent that you have had an increasingly difficult time in keeping the site virus-free and viable.

I have greatly enjoyed being a visitor over the years and I regarded Salut! as my go-to site for the excellent match reports and quality articles from yourself and the contributors. As good a bunch of mature, level headed supporters would be harder to find. No expectations of instant success or unrealistic demands on our players. Just 100% effort and commitment which has been sadly lacking in recent years.

I’ll miss it and it will leave an unfillable hole for exiles like myself. I wish you and your family well for the future. You deserve it for your efforts.

Phil Davison

I tried to post on the Salut! Sunderland site, but I don’t know if it fell victim to the gremlins currently lurking there.

I am very sad to read that you are closing down. Salut! Sunderland is the only site where I read almost every article and it is my go to site for SAFC. For me, Salut! Sunderland is by far the best site for all things SAFC.

I find Sixers’ reports to be erudite, well written, amusing with interesting and eclectic references to pop music and about the location of the opposition club. He would have made a very fine journalist, if he hadn’t gone into teaching history to Durham’s finest. And less fine.

I have been lucky and won an indecent amount of mugs as well as pictures and a book.

I use Facebook once every couple of years but I have opened it today, just to write about the excellent Salut! Sunderland group. From time to time I read the Salut! Live folk music pages and have followed the links to YouTube finding some gems as a result.

Thanks for all of the excellent articles over the years. Thanks that they are not just rehashes of articles from other sites, which is the usual fare elsewhere. You will be sorely missed. (Rather like the opposition goal, in recent seasons.)

Monsieur Salut: Matt’s cartoon, adapted by Jake
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