Back to work. Sunderland v Hull City is the first of three games against clubs whose own supporters would probably settle for the top half of the bottom six. Gary Clark epitomises the Tiger spirit of Hull. He wrote a book about the road to the Premier, From Boothferry To Wembley, and now has copies of the follow-up, This Is The Best Trip We’ve Ever Been On, available on Paypal or by Googling Gary Clark Hull. Better still, he also writes for Salut! Sunderland, but at such great length that we should really split his epic into two parts …

As widely predicted by those stalwarts in Hull, the Tigers finished 17th in the Premiership last season, a position achieved on the last day of the season after the last ball had been kicked.

Everybody else had us relegated in August. We kept our rightful place in the top flight by gaining one more point than Newcastle, who lost on the last day via a solitary, wickedly deflected goal at Villa Park. Which was hard luck on them. But they had been rather s—- all year and probably deserved to go down more than we did.

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The next three Premier games seem not just winnable, but the sort of matches we must take maximum points from if the SAFC owner Ellis Short is to get his wish of a top 10 finish. Colin Randall aims for gold …

Salut! Sunderland is settling slowly into this, its new home. It is not a commercial enterprise so we can afford to be philosophical about how long it is taking to build the links and other features in the sidebars that were a popular attraction at the old site.

Steve Bruce suddenly finds his rebuilding project – Sunderland AFC – has a little more urgency.

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Pete Sixsmith does not feign interest in mere internationals. he seizes a Premier-free Saturday by the horns and seeks out some real football, though first there was the sad business of bidding farewell to Squinny – friend, fan and all-round good fella …

The first weekend of the season without a Premier League game. The first weekend of the season where I have the opportunity to delve into the lower echelons of English football looking for a decent game, a day out, a couple of pints and to continue my search for the perfect pie. No worries about whether Richardson will do the business or will the defence buckle; just football for fun.

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So, the transfer window slammed shut, the transfer gate was bolted and the transfer deadline has been passed with about as much excitement as the latest Ant and Dec extravaganza causes here at Sixsmith Towers.

The Brucester is now stuck with what he has until January and it is up to him and Eric Black to make something of an expensively assembled group of players. We are the third biggest spenders in the window after Manchester City (surprise, surprise) and Aston Villa (who appear to buy nothing but defenders, crocks and children).

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No last-minute surprises in terms of new men coming in, despite a flurry of rumours about a loan exchange with Spurs involving Anton Ferdinand and Alan Hutton.

So we make do for now with the acquisitions Steve Bruce as made and bid farewell to a number of players who have served the club well.

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Briefly joint leaders last weekend, we had our balloon well and truly burst by a much more determined Stoke (who did the same to us last season after that heartening victory over Newcastle). Pete Sixsmith tries very hard to sound positive but cannot hide the doubts…

The mantra we have chanted so far in this fledgling season is “That was different from last year – we’d have lost/drawn/scraped through/been hammered in the games with Bolton/Blackburn/Norwich/ Chelsea.”

We were beginning to convince ourselves that we were made of sterner stuff and that although we had some weaknesses, the strengths just about outweighed them. And then we went to Stoke …

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Forget Eduardo’s criminal dive, Wenger’s squalid refusal to deplore it and lowlife goings on at Upton Park. Feast instead on part two of the preview by Stoke fans of Saturday’s Sunderland old and new boys’ reunion. We already know what they made of last season and the transfer dealings. Now let’s see what Simon “Northy” Northwood , who runs the Rip Roaring Potters fan site, and Julian Boodell, who has been known to frequent the Oatcake message board, think the new season will bring …

Where will each club end up this season?

Julian:Sunderland top half safely but a good bet for top seven finish. Stoke lower mid table, but I would feel more comfortable with a couple of better players added to the first team.

Northy: I think stoke will finish 15th and reckon sunderland will finish 11th.

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Here at last then is the complete version of Pete Sixsmith‘s account of his visit to Norwich for the Carling Cup game on Monday, a night when several players did their to show Steve Bruce they deserved tio break into the Premier League squad …

Noel Coward once described Norfolk as “very flat”. After our bruising battle with Blackburn, I feared that our performance might echo the words of the Master. Last season, they probably would have done. This season, there was nothing to worry about.

It was a pleasure to re-acquaint myself with the fair city of Norwich. A pleasant drive down (despite the sheer bloody awfulness of the A 17), the B and B found with the minimum of fuss and a pleasant afternoon spent in Norfolk’s only city.

It seemed a city at peace with itself. There have been changes since my last visit in the 80s. Norwich Union has become Aviva, Mackintoshes have shut their chocolate factory and the football club have slid into the third level of English football with barely a whimper. Life is slower here. The accent is gentle and easy going and although the ghosts of the Singing Postman and Sale of The Century reinforce the Partridgeisation of the place, it has a hell of a lot going for it.

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