And thanks heavens for that. I now have a lot of serious saving to do to fund the lorryloads of mugs owed to recent winners of Guess the Score.
I said there’d be a prize for each competition until our fate was determined and it seems churlish to revert to a for-fun-only basis for the last game, especially since it promises to be a great party.
The fabulous Sunderland support – how they’ve managed consistently to back the team with such fervour and loyalty this season is a new Wonder of the World – was given just reward with the victory over West Brom and the Premier safety it ensured. Pete Sixsmith was up in the East Stand as usual to marvel at the Great Escape, savour a man-of-the-match showing from Lee Cattermole and celebrate two goals of exquisite class. For days or nights like these, we support Sunderland AFC …
Salut! Sunderland was going to run a series called Wembley and Bust. That was then. This is now. It will instead be Wembley and Safe, reviews of one of the most extraordinary if also nerve-wracking seasons in the history of Sunderland AFC.
If Tony Pulis deserves – as he does – £1m for keeping Palace up, what should be the size of Gus Poyet’s bonus? Fantastic job, Gus, Bravo the Lads for such a storming finish to the season. And here’s what the boss made of tonight in his customary post-match e-mail …
Pete Sixsmith has suffered all season. Tonight he saw a miracle accomplished. Superb finishes by Jack Colback and Fabio Borino completed the salvation of Sunderland. Gus Poyet deserves a Pulis Times Two bonus for what he has somehow achieved … bravo Lads, you’re 14th tonight …
A spot of fun for this potentially decisive day.
Cast your minds back to the night of April 27 2007 and the closing stages of the Championship-winning season under Roy Keane. Burnley were the visitors and 44,448 were inside the Stadium of Light.,
Young Keir can’t contain his excitement with this latest disciplined performance from the red and whites. Another assured away performance against a top seven side is put to Master Bradwell’s purring pen …
Jody Craddock was a terrific servant to Sunderland AFC. He went on to play as wholeheartedly for Wolves, so much so that the initially unimpressed Molineux faithful sang one of those ‘used to be s****, now he’s all right’ songs in his honour. Salut! Sunderland is delighted his testimonial match – Wolves XI 4-1 SAFC XI, Niall and SuperKev included – drew a 9,000+ crowd. Read about it at the Sunderland Echo – http://www.sunderlandecho.com/sport/sunderland-afc/wolves-beat-sunderland-in-jody-craddock-testimonial-1-6598428 – but let us recall the Who are You? he kindly did with us before the last game of the 2009-2010 season …
Nolwenn Leroy is not only an uncommonly canny lass but a great Breton (not the same, except literally, as Great Briton) singer. On Saturday night, she sang her heart out for the Lads with this superb rendition of Brittany’s anthem, which the Welsh and Cornish-speaking Cornish may well recognise, both sets of Lads being Breton, Rennes and Guingamp, in the French cup final at the Stade de France. Guingamp (Nolwenn’s own preference, believe) won 2-0 against more fancied opponents. I hope and believe we can match that result at home to West Brom and – outrageous point-scoring/deducting challenges from Norwich, Fulham and Cardiff notwithstanding – dodge the arrows for one more season.
OK, it doesn’t precisely come down ONLY to this. We can lose and even fail to win on Sunday but still stay up. We could lose both games and stay up provided Norwich failed to beat Arsenal. But please, Lads, be sufficiently composed and clinical on Wednesday to ensure the happy ending to the football fairytale everyone outside of the Toon Army and Norwich wants to see. Lose and the tension on Sunday will be unbearable, not that we haven’t been there before.
Our West Bromwich Albion interviewer is young Nathan Carr*. He’s been here before and is still only 17. Nathan likes Sunderland, even if he loyally predicts an away win on Wednesday, and has also – mostly – enjoyed seeing Sess in the Baggies’ stripes. Had the questions been posed later, I’d have asked about the ugly manifestation of corporate power that condemns WBA to playing without their famous blue stripes next season …