Sunderland v Morecambe ‘Who are You?’ sees Shrimp grilled, apathetic public roasted

Jake wants to know ...

Let us see whether the Stadium of Light is up to staging a game of football in August after all. Tomorrow night, after the humiliation of Saturday’s postponement, Sunderland are due to take on Morecambe in the Capital One Cup (league cup to you and me). We’ll take the risk of running another “Who are You?” with due apologies to our Reading volunteer, Roger Titford, for having wasted his time last week.

If the phrase “long-suffering fan” did not exist, it would need to be invented for Mick Dennison*. He berates fellow Morecambe residents for their lack of interest in the Shrimps, as the town’s football club is known, bemoans the impact on trade at his “traditional pub B&B”, the York Hotel of the club’s move away from the Christie Park and is not even sure he wanted the football season to start post-Olympics. Yet he’s clearly a devoted supporter, organises away travel and will be at tomorrow’s game …

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Captured from Wolves: Steven Fletcher, a hero in the making

After weeks of suspense, Sunderland AFC finally confirmed the signing today of the Wolves striker Steven Fletcher.

It is such a welcome announcement that we will even spare SAFC our customary criticism of the absurdity of seeing all kinds of figures bandied about before coyly saying we paid “an undisclosed fee”. But we will remind all concerned to bite their lips before rebuking anyone who speculates wrongly at £10m, £12m, £14m or, for that matter, below or above.

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Salut!’s Week: on drawing at Arsenal, gloryseeking and guessing the Reading score

Jake downplays the prize value ... ...

Salut! Sunderland’s headlong rush to bankruptcy leads to another outing for the win-a-mug feature, Guess the Score.

Be the first to post the correct final score on SAFC v Reading FC and you win. If you are right, but your comment was delayed for moderation, don’t worry. Time of receipt will be clear behind the scenes and will be honoured. If the winner supports Reading, I will amend the mug design accordingly.

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Goldy’s Logic: how Olympics athletes had it cushy compared with unloved footballers

Jake salutes the golden prose

Everyone has been saying how nice it was to see happy, smiling, approachable Olympics competitors instead of those surly, monosyllabic footballers. Without quite suggesting sainthoods for best fan-avoidance technique – hoods, Ipods, earphones, shades, lowered heads – Stephen Goldsmith offers some balancing thoughts …

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