Bristol Rovers Who are You?: ‘only one team in Bristol, isn’t there?’

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Doug Shields before Rovers 0-4 Doncaster. ‘The only time I smiled on Saturday.’ Click on the photo to see all Who are You?s this season

The curse of Who are You? A frantic call from Doug tells M Salut the manager has left today ‘by mutual consent’

Monsieur Salut writes: Doug Shields* is a friend of a friend, my Leeds-supporting, Bristol-based former colleague Richard Savill. He came up with some splendid gallows humour to describe the plight of his beloved Rovers and his life as a fan. He expects a severe beating when he visits the SoL – a common Rovers view that gives me very bad vibes – but looks forward to the delights by night of a certain other city where, he’s been told, ‘all the lads look like Jimmy Nail and all the girls have been on Geordie Shore’ …

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Sixer’s Walsall Sevens: Third time unlucky? Maybe not.

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Ho ho howay the lads

Pete Sixsmith may be busy on the Saturdays before Christmas but on the weekdays he leaves the work to his helpers and heads off to find a game. Luckily for him there are a few coming up. This one, though it might give Pete a break, is one the rest of us didn’t really want. Was it worth his time? Come back tomorrow for a full report; and while you’re waiting you might ponder on his post-whistle seven word text:

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Walsall Who are You: Sunderland ‘pretty useful going forward, less convincing off the ball’

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Click the image to see all Who are You? interviews so far this season

Monsieur Salut writes: this is a Who are You? with a difference ahead of tonight’s FA Cup 2nd round replay at home to Walsall.

Richard Hall’s Q+A for the first two games – both drawn – between our clubs this season, league and cup, were mightily impressive. Our own star writer Pete Sixsmith thought they were good enough for us to bring forward the annual HAWAY awards (Highly Articulate Who are You?s) since no one else was likely to emulate the standard he set.

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Sixer’s Accrington Stanley Sevens: abandoned at 1-1

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Jake: ‘that wasn’t in the script’

No, Pete Sixsmith is not reporting from either of the  towns of Stanley in County Durham. Nor is he reporting from the exceedingly wet town of Accrington as he has been assigned other duties for the duration (call Lapland for further information). But Salut! Sunderland‘s deputy editor Malcolm Dawson and associate editor John McCormick  made it to the Crown Ground or Wham Stadium, according to choice, and even met our much-missed one-word player ratings maestro Rob ‘I ran out of adjectives’ Hutchison and his daughter Olivia over pre-match drinks. They all saw Chris Maguire put the Lads ahead, only for Stanley to equalise and then for the ref to gaze at the skies, see yet another torrential downpour and abandon the game. All to be done again. Meanwhile, for thise following via Barnes and Benno, there was the consolation of news from Gateshead of the man of their match (2-0 up when Monsieur Salut switched off), Luke Molyneux, on loan from SAFC.

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The First Time Ever I Saw Your Ground: Accrington Stanley and the Crown Ground

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‘Believe in me’

John McCormick writes: all being well I’ll be there. Given the chance, what self respecting football supporter wouldn’t go to see his team play Accrington Stanley. This is history. Proper history.

Forget your Etihads and your Emirates, your millionaires and billionaires, this is what it’s all about.

As Pete Sixsmith makes so eloquently clear

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