Image: tonynetone (who had to doorstep William – or is it John McCormick? – for days to get this shot)Out of the Henrys who have ruled England, Henry II would have been of more interest to Stéphane Sessegnon, assuming our Sess shares Lorik Cana’s hunger for cultural and historical knowledge – Henry was born in Le Mans, Sess played there. But for John McCormick‘s lurch into English Lit territory as his prelude to the Wear-Tyne derby, Henry V’s your man. Here’s hoping for no Shakespearean tragedy cometh Sunday …
In Yorkshire near Rotherham, an encounter with Essex’s finest and England’s worst
Internationals weekend means Pete Sixsmith goes out in search real football. A trip to South Yorkshire brought him closer than he might have wished to the flipside of democracy …
The Sunderland-Newcastle buildup: let’s start with a rational view
Any day now, Monsieur Salut will receive replies to the Newcastle United ‘Who are You?’ questionnaire that will – the author insists – pour scorn on the excesses of tribal Wear-Tyne rivalry. At the risk of being ostracised, M Salut already has two if not three cheers ready for those responses. Even if he yearns for a Sunderland win much more than he yearns for a win against Wigan or Spurs or Villa, he is adamant that this essay by his cousin David Athey, first published last season, offers a hugely welcome view and deserves another outing …
Salut! Predictions League: Sunderland and Newcastle thrashed by Manchester clubs
Stephen Goldsmith writes: Thank God for the international break this weekend. Moving house with a young family means that I …
Wonga deal sparks massive interest.
Whatever one thinks of the Mags’ owner it’s a clever trick to orchestrate a deal which brings in a fortune …
McCormick’s Craic: SAFC, Man City, Southport, Liverpool et al alienating the grass roots?
The decision by our club to send a threatening letter to The Fort has drawn widespread criticism from a huge majority of supporters, writes Malcolm Dawson.
It seems ludicrous to us that employees of the club can’t distinguish between fans displaying their loyalty for the team they love and commercial enterprises trying to rip off the public by pretending that they are somehow an official part of SAFC. It is obvious to us that there is a huge difference between someone purporting to be an official outlet, supplying officially endorsed goods and services from someone demonstrating an open display of affection for the club he or she supports, often through the purchase of replica shirts at rip off prices and other goods via the club shop and website.
I myself have an SAFC credit card and each time I use it the club receives a small amount. When I use it to buy tickets or items in the club shop it gets a double benefit. A few years ago Salut!Sunderland had to remove the official club badge from this very website. That’s annoying but fair enough and it is reasonable that the club does not want the users of the world wide web to assume this site is in any way official. 4
But do the executives of the club really think that supporters go to The Fort, The Howard Arms, The Wheatsheaf, The Colliery Tavern, The Jacksons, The New Derby, The Kings Arms etc. and all the clubs in and around the town instead of using the Black Cats Bar, thinking they are official club outlets? A little common sense wouldn’t go amiss and perhaps the club should remember all the free publicity it gets from its fans who always seems to display their flags right in front of the TV cameras at international games, Test matches and other high profile sporting events all around the world. John McCormick adds his weight to the furore and sees it as just another example of business people who have cut their teeth in the commercial world failing to appreciate the passion and loyalty which football clubs attract and insurance companies and supermarkets don’t.
Follow this official link and explain how this can be posted in the same week as “Fortgate”?
http://www.safc.premiumtv.co.uk/news/20110802/show-your-colours_2256213_2407695
Fort control: the ugly face of corporate football
Salut! Sunderland is full of admiration for so much that SAFC does: community involvement, combat against racism, incentives for young supporters, encouragement to players to get out into areas of everyday life where their presence will bring smiles to faces. So it pains us to bring you this wretched tale …
The heart sank when up popped the Sunderland Echo item describing the latest break-out from the asylum of corporate football.
Soapbox: City leaves Sixer kind of blue – Leeds miles ahead
In the second and final part of his Saturday trilogy (OK I know a trilogy has three parts but he had to miss Gateshead’s draw with bottom club Hyde, which was to form the vanilla part of his neapolitan, because there simply wasn’t the time) Pete Sixsmith reveals how his long term relationship with the beautiful game was put to the test by a liaison with his first love …
Lessons from Man City, first look ahead to the Newcastle game
Saturday began with the prospect of seeing nothing of the game and relying entirely on Pete Sixsmith’s excellent stream of beer/pub assessment, goal updates, occasional comment and final score with the inevitable Sixer’s Seven.
Sixer’s Soapbox: Man City brings the Blues – Old Trafford provides the cure
Peter Sixsmith had his perfect day out carefully planned. A red and white win at the Etihad, a quick trip …