John McCormick writes: we have a manager and the transfer window’s open. A new chapter in the SAFC story is about to begin. But we also have history, some good, some not so and we would do well to remember it. So here, with the hope that the players running up alps in Austria will find it when they when they plug themselves into their alternative worlds, is some of that history, courtesy of Pete Sixsmith.
Salut! Sunderland likes occasionally to pull an unexpected gem from the ‘Who are You?’ hat. The ‘ordinary’ fans are just as good, often better, but it’s heartening from time to time to have celeb supporters, former players, noted authors, church leaders, broadcasters and, of course, former managers. Denis Smith never played for Sunderland but he can look back with pride on his achievements as our manager. He’s also Stoke City through and through; we must thank John Ruggiero, secretary of SCOBA, the Stoke City former players’ association (find it at Twitter: https://twitter.com/SCOBA1863), for persuading him to enter so gamely into the spirit of the series. Let’s hope his prediction of points plural for SAFC comes true. Pete Sixsmith joined M Salut in conjuring the questions …
After the last edition of Pete Sixsmith‘s series on matchday programmes, and his memories of the games in question, I half-expected a riposte from a stray reader calling himself ‘Watford Gap’ or some such, along the lines of ‘you remember thumping us 5-0 at Roker; will your series be covering the programme on sale on Sept 25 1982, when we pulverised you 8-0?’ Wisely, Pete chooses instead to concentrate on another good day for the Lads – and for one immensely talented Lad. Check out Wikipedia’s description of Kieron Brady: “the skill and trickery he produced lives long in the memory of fans lucky enough to see him and he remains a cult hero among Sunderland fans who continue to marvel at just what a player he could have become but for a cruel career-ending injury”. And check out the clip …