EFL Championship - SAFC Blog

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Ground: QPR and Loftus Road

March 9, 2018March 9, 2018 by Colin Randall

John McCormick writes: I had to check with the Statcat when this one came up – why did I not see us play at QPR when I lived in London? It transpires they were promoted in 1973. I was busy that year and didn’t notice them going up, just before I moved to London, and by the time we joined them in Division One I was on my way to Liverpool.

Did I miss something special by not going to see QPR when I had the chance? In the early 1970s they were quite a team, with the likes of Stan Bowles, Gerry Francis and Rodney Marsh exciting the crowds. However, Rodney Marsh moved on in 1972 and there are those who argue QPR were never the same without him so I probably didn’t.

What about Pete Sixsmith? I rather get the feeling he visited Loftus Road too early and missed QPR at their peak, even though they had recently lifted neutral hearts. It’s possible, though, that more pressing things required attention at the time and the wider world of football had to take a back seat for a while:

Sixer’s Sevens: Aston Villa rebuilt, SAFC not even a work in progress

March 6, 2018 by Colin Randall

Pete Sixsmith was there and we’ll have his full report tomorrow. For now we have a choice of three seven-word texts, sent at various times during the game.

At 8.36 pm “Coffin lid on. Justwaiting for nails”

At 9.23pm “Undoubtedly the worst performance I have seen”

And at the final whistle:

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Team: Aston Villa

March 6, 2018March 5, 2018 by Colin Randall

John McCormick writes: Like most others I have been to see League games that didn’t involve Sunderland. Like a few, I have written about it – my first piece of writing for this site was about Newcastle v Leyton Orient and a player called Dick Keith. If I had known then that I’d be posting pieces like this one from Pete Sixsmith I might not have bothered.

The man is a master. Read on and you’ll see what I mean:

Sixer’s weekend off. Snowfall, no football but Millwall

March 5, 2018March 3, 2018 by Colin Randall

John McCormick writes:

I had one of Millwall or QPR pencilled in as my London weekend away. Circumstances meant neither could be but those circumstances also meant we could book some time away at the back end of winter. We chose to visit the Lake District as February changed into March.

I took the photo of Newlands on the Wednesday. I’d have taken one of Shap on the Thursday but I didn’t dare take my hand off the wheel.

Pete Sixsmith, in contrast, was looking forward to a weekend at home. Like my week away, it turned out out to be not quite as expected:

Hutch’s one word ratings from Millwall, with a message for Fletcher

March 3, 2018 by Colin Randall

Rob Hutchison – on the edge of the abyss

John McCormick writes: Rob Hutchison, or maybe his daughter Olivia, sent his post-match verdict to M Salut, who sent it on to me. Short and sweet it is; like the aforementioned Olivia and certainly not like me or that other Short we’ve come to question.

And all the better for that:

Sixer’s Sevens: Millwall expected to win, we needed to. An underwhelming draw

March 3, 2018 by Colin Randall

Pete Sixsmith wasn’t travelling to this match and what appears here is likely to be a joint effort with John McCormick, Pete Sixsmith and Monsieur Salut – all from afar – and maybe Bob Chapman from the Den all chipping in. As M Salut writes, Sunderland’s failure to respond to Millwall’s second half pressure after taking the lead in the first half has led to an inevitable equaliser. ‘Have we enough character to weather the storm and see the game out?’ an increasingly exasperated Benno asked and the feeble resistance since the interval suggested worse was to come. Benno’s comments, and the commentary of Nick Barnes, exposed all our failings in a game that had to be won, not drawn, not because in-form Millwall are a soft touch but because our need is desperate. The seven-word verdicts are a) M Salut’s contingency offering and b) Bob’s view from the Den …

Sixer’s sevens: Middlesbrough take one point. Do our players get another?

February 24, 2018 by Colin Randall

We were 1-0 up when I started setting this up, just after half time. By the time I’d got the page ready for Pete Sixsmith we were 1-2 down, with the second being a Grant Leadbitter penalty.

Could we overcome being struck by the curse of the former player? Yes and no. Yes because we scored to equalise but no because they scored a third shortly afterwards.

But yes again because we came back strongly, which led to Pete changing his text at the very last minute:

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Team: Middlesbrough FC

February 24, 2018February 23, 2018 by Colin Randall

John McCormick writes: I’d really have to think hard about whether or not I’ve seen us play ‘Boro at Roker. Away, yes – I’ve been to Ayresome Park – but I have no recollection of any game against them at home. I wouldn’t have been at the 1961 game Pete describes below, being only 10 at the time (my SAFC career began about the time Cloughie’s ended and I never saw him) and for much of the sixties I think we were were in different divisions.

Even so, this series by Pete Sixsmith is beginning to make me think my memory is seriously deficient.

I blame the drink. I’m clearly not getting enough

Post-Bolton thoughts: as Brian Clough said…

February 22, 2018February 21, 2018 by Colin Randall

By now you’ll have read Pete Sixsmith’s report from Bolton. I can’t find fault with it and there’s no point in my writing something similar, not that I could. It has been almost six months since I saw Sunderland play live, during which time they have changed manager and a host of players. Instant recognition of most is lacking and the contrast is so poor on our away shirts that I couldn’t read numbers and names from my seat …

Nor can I instantly identify a playing formation, assuming we have one.

So I’m trying to give you something different…

Sixer’s Bolton Soapbox: Sunderland lacking up front after going behind

February 21, 2018February 21, 2018 by Colin Randall

John McCormick writes: the only pleasure associated with last night was that I met up with Pete Sixsmith and Pete Horan prior to the game. Not over a pint, of course, given that the only pub nearby wouldn’t let me (and by extension us) in. We weren’t together at the ground so my view of the game, which I’ll give you some time in the next 24 hours, might be different from his.

Do you really think it will be? Here’s a clue – look what I put on the SAFC facebook page when I got in last night.