Sixer’s Sevens Special … SAFE!!!!!!!!

Sixer?

***** see also Toon truly Doon *****


AND some restrained, non-gloating images – utterly priceless – at Ready to Go

SUNDERLAND SAFE … TOON DOON with BORO …

… from the SoL and the south of France, both Pete Sixsmith – surely, I thought, that’s him above but it’s not* – and Colin Randall did their bits to keep Salut! Sunderland abreast of momentous events.

But Villa earned our undying affection by sending Newcastle United crashing deservedly out of the Premier League.

Doon

Minutes after the final whistles sounded everywhere, Salut! Sunderland passed the 1,000 mark for hits so far today – helped hugely by visits from fans of other clubs after our feature on the Who Are They? awards – and then Niall Quinn announced that Ricky Sbragia had stood down as manager but had a guaranteed future at the Stadium of Light if he wanted it …

Brief resume of our game: we played well but lost 3-2, having clawed our way back after going behind at the start of the second half.

But with things elsewhere staying as at half time, Newcastle and Hull both losing, we were spared relegation, Villa’s 1-0 victory condemning Toon to a character-building spell in the Championship.

FULL TIME

SUNDERLAND 2 Chelsea 3

Villa 1 Newcastle 0

Hull 0 Man Utd 1

and, though it didn’t matter, West Ham 2 Boro 1

leaving the final table like this at the bottom:

16 Sunderland 38 6 3 10 21 25 3 6 10 13 29 -20 36

17 Hull 38 3 5 11 18 36 5 6 8 21 28 -25 35

18 Newcastle 38 5 7 7 24 29 2 6 11 16 30 -19 34

19 Middlesbrough 38 5 9 5 17 20 2 2 15 11 37 -29 32

20 West Brom 38 7 3 9 26 33 1 5 13 10 34 -31 32

And here’s how Sixer saw the first half:

10 mins: Outplayed
Next 10: A bit better
Next 10: Much better
HT: Worked hard. Other scores helpful ….

His next texts, with rough times, read simply:
48 mins Anelka
53 mins Kieran
68 mins Matching them
74 mins 1-2
86 mins 1-3 (immediately after) pen turned turned down
90 mins Jones


FULL TIME: Better performance but Villa are the heroes

And me?

Scores
Watching in my den in France – it has been a beautiful day outside but might as well have be bucketing down for all I care – I took the early surrender of possession, and easy corners given away, as signs that we’d need to rely on elsewhere.

But Sixer was right. We steadied, began to play a lot better and – to mighty relief felt on the shores of the Mediterranean – picked up fantastic news first from Hull, then Villa Park.

The commentator thought it was West Ham’s goal v Boro, as if that mattered to us. The sound of our crowd, even heard on dodgy earphones, told me even before the BBC website confirmed it – and long before the commentator realised – that Toon had gone a goal down.

To cap it all, the bar saved us from going in one down – with the last kick of the first half.

Then it began to go wrong for us. Anelka scored early in the second half and despite Kieran Richardson’s equaliser, we went behind and then further behind before Reid’s great cross was met by a powerful Jones header to give us a little respectability but not the pride of having done it for ourselves.

We have – by default – kept our heads above water and will start next season in a place that will seem, for Newcastle United, like history.

* I was nearly convinced that the first picture was of Pete Sixsmith. But wrong beard, wrong top. Let us know if it is you …

14 thoughts on “Sixer’s Sevens Special … SAFE!!!!!!!!”

  1. It was lovely to read Emma’s post (Peter’s daughter). I recall vividly the derby game against the Mags when their fans were banned from Roker. I was stood next to Emma and Peter and Emma disappeared to go to the toilet. She’d been back for a good ten minutes and I said something like ‘I can’t see us getting two goals back bow,’ to which she replied, ‘They haven’t scored again have they, and burst into tears.’ I think that might have been the last time I saw you Emma. I hope that yesterday makes up for all those tears. J.

  2. What a great feeling to wake up this morning and know we’ve stayed up and they are DOON! As Geoff said, could so easily have been a nightmare scenario, but we can all have sweet dreams.
    Going downstairs now to sit in the garden with a bottle of something bubbly (not coca-cola) to watch the bodies floating down the Tyne

  3. 51 and a lifetime fan, now living in new zealand originally from Birtley
    My sons are 24 and 10
    and we get up at rediculous hours of the morning to watch Sunderland ……………..by far the greatest football team the world has ever seen ( from the song not reality )
    which usually turns out to be both convoluted and frustrating
    but they maybe unknowingly make me shed a tear in our twilight world for the ideals of many a pit miners son!
    today is our time…………..but to the genuine supporters of newcastle united………..see you next season wihout the plastic mags

  4. Not letting Pete claim the credit for that Sobs!
    All my work, research, love, loyalty (and piracy?)
    Him? Probably out on the slosh

  5. Pete – thanks for pointing me at the RTG thread. I’ve been giggling like John McKrirrickickick at those pictures. Thanks also to Villa for doing football a great service.

  6. Jeremy’s post is interesting because 3 of my 4 boys also all want to be Bish lads and support the Lads with the right accent. We watched in high tension back in Essex – one of the few times we’ve watched them live on Sky and not been seriously depressed. Why didn’t they show this heart when I drove up for the Wigan game?
    I also thought it was Sixer in the crowd – but that is how he looked in Bish Grammar VIth Form back in ’68/69.
    I’m pasting the last para of my ParentMail to 1,245 Essex parents who all (well, most) now take a serious interest in the Lads. There are also a couple of ‘Championship Mag’ fans amongst them, so I’ll have to wait until after half term to grin at their kids.
    “The difference between success and failure is a very fine line. The difference between a dream and nightmare this weekend is also a very fine line (a split second referee’s decision, a ball hitting the inside of a post instead of the outside). The balance between success and failure can, of course, be changed for the worse by simply wearing red and white striped shirts.
    The dream scenario is us staying up at the expense of a Shearer-led Newcastle going down; however the fine line could see the nightmare scenario of the reverse happening. You just couldn’t write it.”

  7. Doon! Doon! Black&Shite Army! Doon! Doon. . .
    Sweetness was added by the fact that the Maggotpies did it to themselves with an own goal — Duff by name, duff by nature. Nor did it hurt that Alan Sims is visiting me. He was a lot less rambunctious than when he wrote his :”Who are you? We’re Newcastle” in April last year.
    The BBC said Sunderland were unlucky not to be given a penalty for handling, so it seems we could actually have won this one were it not for bad refereeing. Plus ca change….
    But all credit to Ricky Spragia for tackling a job he didn’t really want and seeing it through. I’d take the likes of him over the likes of Shearer any day.

  8. They all went down to villa,Twas the 24th of may.Hoping god would smile on them,upon the Sabbath day.Proud as punch in stripey shirts,cream of the Geordie nation. Ganning along to to Birmingam,To see the relegation. Ohhhh me lads, you should of seen them crying,watching the shambles on the pitch premier dreams a’dying.All the lads and lasses there,All had gloomy faces. Ganning to the champship with Shearers Aces!!!!

  9. Tears were brought to my eyes when I picked the phone up and my little lad was singing ‘Keep the red flag flying high.” He was running round the living room with his shirt off he was so jubilant. He said to his sister ‘I wish I was a Mackem’. She told him that he IS a Mackem because he’s a Sunderland supporter. He said ‘No, I wish I was BORN a Mackem. In Sunderland.” It makes your hear swell!

  10. The nets will be out on the Tyne this evening.
    This is a sweet day – and I will savour, however this is a sad day for North East football ( muffled laughter ) –
    The mags will no doubt go out and smash there own city up as is customary with these types of occasions.
    Ricky – stepped down and thats a good thing as he has tried but lets face it – he is worse than the bloke that kept the pigeons who’s name escapes me.
    We need to re-build and remove the legacy of Keane — ie Cise (who has a heart the size of a pea (to quote Peter Horan)).
    Can’t wait to see all the crying mags on the TV later on this evening…. !!
    Colin – I hope you are well and hope to see you soon ..
    LOL
    Emma – ( Peter’s daughter – who feels at the moment 15 again … xx )

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