One way or the other, we neglected to offer our customary greetings to the final signing of the transfer window: the Belgian left back Laurens De Bock on a season-long loan from Leeds United.
80 years ago: the last day of peace
John McCormick writes: Wikipedia had an interesting page on the 1939-40 season but I can’t find it any more, and I do have to ask why do we need it when we have the statcat.
The Chapman Report from Peterborough: alarm bells or just a wake up call?
Malcolm Dawson writes…..with Pete Sixsmith having set himself a southern limit of Lincoln City for away days this season, Bob …
Sixer’s Peterborough Sevens: Posh spice too hot for Sunderland.
Pete Sixsmith didn’t get to this game (I bet he’s glad about that) and we’re relying for Bob Chapman for tomorrow’s report. It might be a little later than usual but, as all things Bob, it will be very welcome.
Unlike the result, the red cards and the 7 word text that winged its way northward immediately following the final whistle.
Peterborough United vs SAFC ‘Who are You?’: an open invitation to Posh fans
Sunderland’s games again Peterborough United last season epitomised the problem with our Who are You? series. As happened all season, we were able to publish terrific interviews – but with the same opposing fan each time. For his efforts, James Bloodworth went close to winning a prize in our annual HAWAY (Highly Articulate Who are You?) awards.
But it is embarrassing to have go cap in hand to the same candidates. And finding new ones is a time-consuming and often frustrating exercise. Salut! Sunderland’s limited resources are constantly stretched and no one, in honesty, has time to pursue opposing supporters, cajole them and then set up and publish the interviews.
So as with all other games so far this season, we present a shortened version of the customary questions to Peterborough fans in open letter format*. Please use the Comments field to answer any or all the questions posed.
Peterborough Utd vs Sunderland. Ross’s dilemma as he seeks seven in a row
An interesting dilemma faces Jack Ross ahead of Peterborough away.
He made eight changes for the Carabao Cup visit to Burnley and watched in admiration as the team came from behind to secure a marvellous 3-1 win and a third round trip to another Premier League side, Sheffield United.
There were excellent individual performances – Denver Hume, Luke O’Nien, Jack Baldwin and George Dobson being among the names that stood out in the commentary – but above all it seems to have been an exemplary team display.
So the winning side picks itself for Posh? It does not. The team Ross played in the last league game, at home to AFC Wimbledon, also won 3-1. Aiden McGeady and Chris Maguire, absent on Wednesday night, will surely be among the first names on the team sheet for this Saturday and it is difficult to see other than a return in goal for Jon McLaughlin,well as Lee Burge played at Burnley.
Sixer’s Burnley Soapbox: Hart’s chocolate hands help but all-round quality sees Sunderland through
Pete Sixsmith cannot believe his luck. Another trip to Lancashire and another Sunderland win, this one the most impressive of …
Sixer’s Sevens: Grigg’s off the mark and Burnley are turfed out of the cup
Pete Sixsmith gets to a lot of Sunderland games home and away – though he’s introduced a ban on matches south of Lincoln this season – and whizzed across the Pennines to show solidarity with Bury and Bolton and watch the Lads at Turf Moor. Only the Carabao Cup. But up against Premier League opposition again.
In his instant seven-word verdict – a full account of the game will follow – Pete didn’t say that we have three more scorers this season, or that Will Grigg got the first. Instead, he just happened to express a little bit of pleasure at yet another win across the Pennines, then an even more pleasing summary of a game that went our way and set up another test against Premier League opposition, away to Sheffield Utd in the next round:
Bury buried, Bolton cling on by fingertips in a tragedy to focus Sunderland minds
STOP PRESS: from the BBC … Bolton Wanderers: Football Ventures completes takeover to save League One club
We think of Bury and we think of Paul Butler, Chris Maguire and SuperKev’s four promotion-winning goals. Bolton will stir older memories (Nat Lofthouse in Bolton minds, Charlie Hurley in ours). Here are Pete Sixsmith‘s reflections on a social and sporting tragedy …
In their breakthrough hit Letter from America, The Proclaimers charted the destruction of Scottish industrial towns like Methil, Bathgate and Linwood. After the events of yesterday, those towns could well be replaced by the names of old established football clubs on this side of the still invisible border.
Bury are first on that list. They went yesterday after a prolonged period on a deathbed that was created for them by two men with similar names.
Stuart Day was the man who mortgaged the ground, the social club, the historic trophies and memorabilia and who offered contracts to players that were unrealistic.
Burnley vs Sunderland: how important to them is winning on Wednesday?
Burnley fans who recall straying here in the past may also remember we would preview each game between our clubs with comprehensive question-and-answer interviews with one of their fellow supporters.
That has changed, not because we are now two divisions lower than the last time we met but because we have introduced a simplified version of Who are You? this season.
Instead off hunting down Alastair Campbell, as we did once at this link, or another Burnley fan and firing off questions at him (or her), we now – as with all other games – post a shorter list of questions here and invite responses in the Comments below.
Answer as many or as few as you wish. Sometimes the new way (and indeed WAY) works, mostly – it’s early in the season but on the evidence so far – it doesn’t but we’d welcome responses from as many Burnley fans as possible …