Soapbox: admiring FC United of Manchester, recalling our past glories

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The latest chapter of Pete Sixsmith’s own version of Notes from a Small Island takes him to Gigg Lane, a ground where Sunderland have enjoyed happy times, but for an FA Cup tie featuring neither SAFC nor Bury …


There are certain grounds in the pantheon of Sunderland’s success that you just look back at with fondness and nostalgia.

Hillsborough for ’73 and ‘92, Sid James Park for that wonderful night in 1990 when Marco put the ball past Fat Burridge and, for me, Gigg Lane, Bury, where we cemented promotion in 1999 with an emphatic 5-2 win.

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Soapbox on beating Aston Villa: Dunne and dusted

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It was nerve-testing, but three points took us into hallowed Peter Reid territory (seventh top or, as one wag put it, two wins off second place, two defeats off second bottom). Pete Sixsmith reflects on our victory – and joins heaven knows how many other headline writers in coming up with the Dunne & dusted pun …

Twelve months ago, we went to Villa’s next door neighbours and lost 2-1. It wasn’t a great performance and for me, it marked the beginning of the end of the first phase of that season. We had performed well up until then, with a mixture of decent home wins (Hull City, Wolves, Liverpool), an excellent performance at Old Trafford, where we should have won and a couple of away stinkers (Burnley and Stoke).

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Another voice: on coping with Newcastle

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After each game, Ian Porter offers fellow Sunderland fans his analysis at the Blackcats e-mail loop. Agree or disagree – some would say he’s spot-on about Mensah, utterly wrong about SuperKev – his views are sharp and well argued. Luckily, Ian has given Salut! Sunderland permission to reproduce them here from time to time …

There’s already been some debate on Turner v Mensah v winning team etc. These are the decisions that managers have to take & getting them right is what separates the top managers from the rest.

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Wayne Rooney and the snarling face of Manchester United

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The Wayne Rooney saga has elements of farce, suspicion of greed and clear evidence of breathtaking arrogance. The Grand Central train towards Sunderland v Aston Villa seemed a good place for some thoughts on another, more disturbing aspect …

If Brian Clough, Charlie Hurley, Jimmy Montgomery or Kevin Phillips had moved from Sunderland to Newcastle United, I would have been angry and annoyed, more so than if the transfer had been to any other club.

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Sunderland v Aston Villa: the Villa fans predicting Toon gloom

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Image: Ben Sutherland

So, we put the same questions Gordon Nicoll answered yesterday to a younger Villa fan, 15-year-old karate star Andy Summers*, whose dad, Colin, couldn’t resist chipping in too. Highlights include fond words for the Ace Diver Gary McAllister (sorry lads, but he was with Liverpool anyway then), transfer bids for Bent and Cattermole and two more Villa votes for Toon Doon …

Salut! Sunderland: How could you go to St James’ Park and lose 6-0 and how do we avoid it when we go there a week on Sunday?

Unfortunately we played the Magpies too soon. First home game back in the Premiership they were obviously high on adrenaline and still had some momentum from their promotion. We think
it’ s best to play newly promoted sides a little more into the season
when they have had a few chunks knocked out of them and begin
to feel the pace a little bit. Having said that, Villa pressed the self
destruct button after missing a penalty. They lost their shape and
in some areas commitment was sadly lacking. Only one result after
that. For the Black Cats to avoid a similar result it shouldn’ t be too
difficult. North-east rivalry will have all players “ pumped up” and
this usually ends up with sides cancelling out each other. Steve
Bruce is a canny manager and we are sure he has firm ideas on
how to suppress Newcastle’ s flair players and exploit their lack of
pace at the back.

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Who are you? We’re Aston Villa

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Gordon Nicoll*, (in the white shorts), who runs the Studley and Redditch branch of the Villa fan club, is welcome back to Salut! Sunderland and also to the Stadium of Light. He’ll be at the game on Saturday after stopping off for a drink at Osmotherley where he has vowed not to make the mistake of Monsieur Salut many, many years ago of following that/those drink/s with the Lyke Wake Walk over the moors to Ravenscar …

NB: Click here for a younger Villa view …

Salut! Sunderland: How could you go to St James’ Park and lose 6-0 and how do we avoid it when we go there a week on Sunday?

Can’t see it happening to anyone else this season so you should be fine. Derbies are always tight affairs so always difficult to predict! Just think that 6-0 was a freak result, especially against such a poor side- we should have been one up with the penalty miss, and Ashley Young was running through at 1-0 down and got pulled up for Lord knows what so could have been a different story completely if the footballing Gods had been kinder to us.

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Sickbed blues, and never having to say sorry

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Image: Mrs Logic

We have the sterling assistance of Pete Sixsmith, Luke Harvey, Bill Taylor and our Who Are You? contributors to thank, along with the good fortune of a long break without proper football.

But one way or another, Salut! Sunderland has done its utmost to keep up a decent stream of of interesting, amusing and plain daft articles despite Monsieur Salut’s severely reduced activity in his immediate post-op phase.

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Soapbox in Blackburn: hoofing Big Sam and the timid Brucester

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There was, of course, one thing much worse than staying in and watching Blackburn v Sunderland on the box: going to Ewood Park to see it. Pete Sixsmith presented apologies for absence from a meeting at work to make the transPennines journey on a wet, miserable night and is grateful he can at least look back on the fish and chips, the pie, the Wagon Wheels and the ale …

Let’s start with the positives from our epic clash with those footballing maestros from Ewood Park Monday night.

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