Bob Chapman

Chapman Report: picking up points on the A1, not at Manchester United

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Robert Chapman on the soapbox from Old Trafford
Bob Chapman on the soapbox from Old Trafford

Colin Randall writes: I’m never sure whether to elevate Bob Chapman to Robert for these post-match essays in Sixer’s place. I always greet him as Bob at matches, but maybe it should be different for Chapman Reports. Robert or Bob, he once again steps boldly into Mr Sixsmith’s shoes to tell us how it really was at Old Trafford, as viewed from the noisy away end. Arrogant Man Utd fans, notably of the faraway-across-the-world variety, reacted with typical contempt to my own report at ESPN (Sunderland=garbage, Poyet’s tactics=very negative) and it was hard to quarrel. Bob sees things in rather less damning terms; for his commendable loyalty and stamina alone, this home-and-away regular really has a strong case for asking SAFC to reimburse his speeding fines …

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The Chapman Report from Swansea: relegation a no-brainer for this shower

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Jake presents Bob Chapman, a Sixer supersub
Jake presents Bob Chapman, a Sixer supersub

When Pete Sixsmith misses a game, or at any rate a Sunderland game (he was at Shildon versus Durham suffering news from Swansea by text and Benno/Barnes on BBC Radio Newcastle), the stand-in is often Bob Chapman. Needless to say the poor chap, a home-and-away regular probably since time began, found this one an agonising exercise …

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The Chapman Report from Aston Villa: sheer agony on a night to forget

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Jake's view of the subs' bench
Jake’s view of the subs’ bench

It is tempting to draw a veil over the whole sorry night. As Jimmy Montgomery put it, in 40th anniversary-themed conversation with Monsieur Salut, what was remarkable was that so many players chose to have such catastrophically poor games. And Bob Chapman was left to ponder – even more painfully than most of us – the wisdom of trailing around the country in support of Sunderland ….

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Sixers Sevens: Aston Villa 6 SAFC 1: Paulo’s boys punished by resurgent Villa

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Jake poin Sixer to the wall
Jake captures Sixer’s wall of strength

…The mood going into this game was positive and after the last two victories there was justified cause for optimism. This was to be our Champions League Final, the three points ensuring another year of Premiership football. As Sunderland fans we should know better than to get over excited and tonight showed why. This is the part where Pete Sixsmith usually shares his seven word summation of the game but instead he spent this evening watching Shildon in the Northern League. Good choice! Here’s the supersub’s verdict.

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The Chapman Report from Chelsea: must do (even) better

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Jake's your man, Bob, if young David still needs help with art
Jake’s your man, Bob, if young David still needs help with art

Jamie Redknapp’s bits-and-bobs column in the Mail made depressing reading. ‘Will they (Newcastle) send Sunderland closer to the drop next week? … At Chelsea, PDC went for Wickham to lead the line – a young player I like – and he played well. But I worry where their goals are coming from.’ But there is hope. Robert Chapman is a home-and-away stalwart and left Stamford Bridge feeling a little perkier. Let’s hope his assessment proves truer than Young Redknapp’s and that PDC’s powers of motivation, and his own home tutorial skills with Young David, prevail …

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Sixer’s Sevens: Chelsea 2 SAFC 1 – reasons to be cheerful?

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Jake gives Sixer star billing
Jake gives Sixer star billing

This is where Pete Sixsmith records his instant verdict, in seven words, on each Sunderland game. The result went to script but PDC can take heart from a performance that was far better than most this year. Two wicked deflections cost us; we can but hope that the decent display fires the team for the coming tasks, starting at Newcastle United. This is a quick, emergency and no-frills posting of Sevens and Bob Chapman is the supersub in Sixer’s absence from the game

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The Chapman Report from QPR: watching SAFC needs a government health warning

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Bob gets his very own graphic, courtesy of Jake
Jake asks Bob: a day to remember?

Bob Chapman once again fills Sixer’s outsized shoes to report on a game the master chose to miss. It started as a day when Bob and a friend would impress two young Aussie women with a scintillating show by Sunderland preceded by the delights of a west London gastro-pub. Something went wrong; they endured takeaway KFCs in a foodless boozer near the Bush and the poor Aussies may never set foot in another football ground. Meanwhile, Bob was left feeling there’s something damaging to the health in watching SAFC at this stage of a season …

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The Chapman Report: script rewritten by defensive calamities at Reading and Newcastle’s comeback

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Bob gets his very own graphic, courtesy of Jake
Bob gets his very own graphic, courtesy of Jake

Into Sixer’s shoes once again steps Bob Chapman‘s, our star writer having maintained his pickiness with long away trips (and even a few short home ones). Jon Keen, who writes for the Reading pages at ESPN, thought Sunderland ‘the worst team to visit the MadStad this season’. Supersub Bob could not see us losing from the moment Gardner struck home his penalty equaliser, just as many expected a comfortable Chelsea cruise once they went ahead at St James’ Park. Instead, characteristic defensive lapses and unconvincing finishing by SAFC, and Chelsea’s surrender on Tyneside, left him fearing the worst for his ‘Sunderland eighth, NUFC relegated’ pre-season wager …

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