Wrinkly Pete’s Crystal Ball: it may be causing hallucinations

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Peter Lynn, aka Wrinkly Pete

Peter Lynn, also known as Wrinkly Pete, has an an imaginary crystal ball that enables him to predict the outcome of each game and check how it affects his once-firm belief that Sunderland would survive on 37 points. That tally is now pretty much impossible but Pete still sees us finishing on 35. Probably not enough and there’s also a health warning: some of those predictions look a little optimistic – as well as pre-supposing that Hull and Swansea take no more than five and seven points respectively from their remaining games…

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David Moyes: serial boor or living up to the football manager caricature?

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Jake: ‘can I ask a question, boss?’


More than 45 years ago, a gas explosion in David Moyes’s native Scotland – Clarkston, East Renfrewshire to be precise – killed 22 people. It was a terrible event but one, happily rare occurrence ensured that every gas leak or minor explosion for weeks, anywhere in the UK, was reported as if part of a trend.

Much the same happened, in the 1980s if I remember correctly, after a child was killed by vicious dog masquerading as family pet. However minor subsequent incidents involving dog attacks, the sort that happen all the time, they were described as a “spate”. I have spent almost all my working life in journalism but this was not the media – print or broadcast – at its finest.

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Sixer, spotting flying pigs, presents five ways Sunderland can avoid relegation

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Sixer: ‘summertime’s approaching. What more could any Sunderland fan wish for? ‘

Pete Sixsmith was as stern with Sunderland after the 3-0 drubbing at the hands and feet of Manchester United as the fiercest of his masters at King James I grammar. But does he see light at the end of this bleakest of tunnels? He does, but then again does he? …

Here, I put forward five ways in which we can bring off Great Escape V. Only one of them is impossible. Which one do you think it is?

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Olivia’s leap of faith for Bradley Lowery

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Olivia: before her jump

Olivia Hutchison made her parachute jump in aid of Bradley Lowery’s fight against cancer on Saturday, her marvellous gesture raising £1,515 – just over three times the target she originally set.

… and after

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Sixer’s Manchester United Soapbox: tumbling from the Premier League without a whimper

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Sixer suffers

Poor old Pete Sixsmith can barely remember what it is like to write about an encouraging losing performance by Sunderland, let alone any kind of winning one. With a little help from Craig Pawson, Manchester United strolled to victory. And Sixer saw nothing, beyond Jordan Pickford’s accomplished goalkeeping and some sparks of effort and drive from Ndong and Cattermole, to persuade him we will even reach 25 points …

Another match, another dismal defeat with no goals, no excitement and no hope for the future. Throw in an awful decision by a referee who appeared to favour the visitors throughout the game and it is well nigh impossible to drag any positives out of this.

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Moyes on the boys v Manchester United: in mitigation….

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Moyes on the boys

John McCormick writes: I wasn’t there and I missed the first 40 minutes on TV so I’m not the best person to offer a comment. That said, I think  we played without heart, and I suspect the sending off made little difference; Man Utd looked like they took their foot off the pedal after the first goal and could have stepped up the pace at any time. David Moyes says much the same, only in a different way:

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Sixer’s Sevens: SAFC 0-3 Manchester United. Pawson’s folly, our failings

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Jake: ‘the gloom deepens’

Monsieur Salut writes: No referee, however bad, makes as many mistakes as those routinely committed by footballers. But Craig Pawson’s dismissal of Seb Larsson seemed an atrocious call and one he must have known would end the game as a contest. It did. And we lost as maybe we would have done anyway. Pete Sixsmith gets it right in his seven-word verdict and will be back with more …

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Brian Matthew RIP: farewell old mate, you got me through Sunderland matchday mornings

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Brian Matthew: picture from the BBC

 

A few days ago, the BBC announced that Brian Matthew, owner of one of the great radio voices, had died. It was their Dave Swarbrick moment for he had not died after all but was critically ill. In the meantime, Pete Sixsmith had written this superb tribute … and now Brian has passed away, it is time to publish it

 

Recently I have been suffering from illness and fatigue in that I am sick and tired of Sunderland AFC. The abysmal home draw with Burnley confirmed relegation number 9 (for me) and the subsequent hoo-ha over the managers comments to Vicki Sparks made me squirm with embarrassment for the club that I have stuck with for 50+ years.

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Rooney, Lewandowski and Tevez but no Sunderland men in top 15 most-travelled stars

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Alf Common: soyrce http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/images/alfcommon.jpg

Alf Common, the first footballer to attract a fee in four figures when Boro bought him from Sunderland in 1905, had to cover the length of what is now the A19 to make his move. More adventurous later travels took him to Sheffield, Arsenal (then a sarf London club) and Preston. Charlie Buchan played only for Sunderland and two London clubs (Arsenal and Leyton). In 17 years, Jimmy Armfield never made it out of Blackpool …

Charles Buchan, courtesy of a Wikipedia file

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The Manchester United Who are You?: ‘keep Moyes, he’ll bring you back up’

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Nick Duckworth: ‘me and my lad at his first visit to Old Trafford’

Colin Randall writes: I’ve seen us beat Manchester United at home, at least – but probably only – once, unless I’ve forgotten another one, at Roker Park and once (League Cup) at the Stadium of Light. Others will have seen more, plus those crucial away wins and the League semi-finals home and away. I cannot pretend to be optimistic about Sunday, but who knows? Our United man of wit, warmth and wisdom is Nick Duckworth, who feels we will profit from a season, maybe two in the Championship and that Moyes would be the man to get us back. Interesting responses all round; how many of us, asked to name the best United player in a recent history that includes Cantona, Scholes, Ronaldo (who gets an honourable mention) and David Bellion, would have said Ryan Giggs? …

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