EFL

Sixer’s Sevens: Bolton’s Happy Wanderers finish a dark year for Sunderland at the Stadium Of Light

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John McCormick writes: if anyone asked what my worst Sunderland game ever was I’d have to say it was the 1-0 loss at Bolton when we were last in the championship.

Pete Sixsmith was there, so he’ll know how bad it was, but judging from a text sent just before the ed of today’s game he appears to have found this one even worse, although we did manage to keep a clean sheet this time. In his judgement today’s game was “undoubtedly the worst game of the decade”

That wasn’t his final word, though. Pete looks forward just as much as he looks backward and his post match seven words send a January message to our owners, our new directors and our rapidly-ageing manager.

 

Monsieur Salut adds: listening to Barnes and Benno describe what seems to have been an apology for a football match, it was impossible to miss the loud and edgy singing of songs about Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn. This was not because Super Phil Parkinson doesn’t scan very well however you compress the syllables.

I used to love attending Boxing Day games. Ones like the debacle at Bramall Lane two years ago, which I watched with Sixer, and today’s, to which I effortlessly gave a miss, make me grateful Dec 26 offers options. Salut! Sunderland‘s days are numbered as we prepare to hand over to the new regime on New Year’s Day. We’d rather hoped the last Sixer’s Seven from the Stadium of Light would not coincide with SAFC’s descent to another low point in the 140-history of the club: an unthinkable 15th place in the third tier …

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Salut! Sunderland’s 13 years and Sunderland’s 13 managers: getting grimmer by the day

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John McCormick writes: outside the clouds have rolled in and the rain is sheeting down. It’s a grey day. Inside only the heating system is keeping the cold out. Normally an e-mail from Pete Sixsmith would mean a post bringing cheer and warmth, good feeling and heartiness. So the one that arrived but a few minutes ago was more than welcome.

Alas, some times it’s better to travel than to arrive:

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Salut Sunderland’s 13 years and 13 managers: The little general and big Sam

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John McCormick writes: for me, this piece by Pete  Sixsmith brings back many memories. I was at Goodison when we lost, and at Spurs when Kirchhoff came on and a young keeper who would go on to play for England couldn’t hold back the tide.  I saw us come back to snatch that point at Anfield as well. But the game that sticks out, of all the ones below, is one I never got to. The  1-0 win against the Mags. I was intending to go but stayed in Liverpool. My daughter gave birth that day, two weeks late. I have a print of Defoe’s goal ready to give to my granddaughter  when she’s old enough to appreciate what she made me miss…

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Salut! Sunderland’s 13 years and 13 managers: The Poyet Period

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Sixer: ‘oh well, back to the day job’

As Sunderland settle in the lowest position of our 140-year history, 13th in the third tier,  Pete Sixsmith continues his ramblings through the snow in his daytime job and his rambling through his memory in his spare time. But when it comes to his writing does he ramble? No, most certainly not. He does, however, have a fondness for a ’conspicuous repetition of identical initial consonant sounds in successive or closely associated syllables within a group of words, even those spelled differently´ (thank you, Wikipedia). So be prepared for a stirring story, a heartwarming helping, an intelligent interlude, a… … let’s just let the man himself do the business.

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Sixer’s appreciation of Billy Hughes

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Pete Sixsmith’s outstanding tribute to Billy Hughes originally appeared here. For technical reasons this post now appears at https://safc.blog/billy-hughes-rip-with-his-passing-a-bit-of-me-has-gone-too/

Salut! Sunderland’s 13 years and 13 managers. The PDC era – mudslides and mayonnaise

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Ho ho ho(a)’way the lads

John McCormick writes. Pete Sixsmith is still on Santa duty and mad busy. Even so he found the time to compose another epic piece. It’s better than the Labour manifesto or the Queen’s speech and more honest and compelling than anything from Boris.

And we aren’t even half way through Pete’s series, recalling the men in charge at SAFC during the time Salut! Sunderland has been on the interweb!

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Salut Sunderland’s 13 years, 13 managers (4) Martin O’Neill and hopes unfulfilled

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With thanks to Jake for adapting Kartun Malaysia’s caricature

John McCormick writes: Jer posted this comment in response to Colin’s piece on Charlie Methven’s resignation as a director: ‘Stopped reading after the left wing diatribe. Keep your views on Brexit and politics out of football. Last I heard you don’t have to be a Remainer Labour lefty to follow Sunderland I live in a safe Labour seat’

Well, I live in a safe Labour seat in a pro-Remain city and I’m making what I think will be my 23rd hospital visit of the year on election day. I can’t think of anything worse than Boris returning to government. Perhaps people would like me not to say so, and perhaps they would like all of us to be, as Andy posted in  in response to Bob Chapman’s report from Gillingham:

Very mellow and passionless at a critical time ..

Andy did continue … for the football club and its supporters. Why even bother? Hope you have a great holiday and the cat gets to keep the mouse next time.

If we were mellow and passionless we’d never have kept Salut! Sunderland going for 13 years and Pete Sixsmith would never haver formed opinions on the 13 managers we’ve had in that time, the fourth of which is Martin O’Neill.

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Sixer’s Scunthorpe Sevens. Sunderland ironed flat

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Pete Sixsmith sent a bonfire night seven word text concerning the probability that we wouldn’t be making a trip to Wembley in the EFL Trophy.  Tonight’s match provided an opportunity to keep the flame alive. Pete was watching  Spennymoor beat Boston  so I coined a seven-word text of my own not long after  Luke O’Nien crowned  a pathetic display which ended an apathetic group stage.

Then, at the final whistle Pete popped up with his own seven words. You can see his and my thoughts below:

(We still can’t post comments on this site. If you wish to make an after- match, or any, comment of your own you can always have your say at Salut! Sunderland’s Facebook group. Click on any of the preceding four words. If you are told that you need to join the group, you can do so easily. Approval is very quick.)

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Sixer’s Sevens v Leicester U21: no fireworks, just lots of damp squibs

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John McCormick writes:

Readers still cannot post comments. We are continuing to work on it but everything I have tried and suggested to date has failed.

Some might say that’s pretty much the story at the Stadium of Light, although we did manage a clean sheet in the League last weekend. Malcolm and Pete bore witness to it and Pete provided the match report which graced our pages on Sunday. Does this mean Malcolm will be doing the honours tomorrow? I suspect it does but for now we continue with Mr Sixsmith and his seven word texts, the one in the title sent at half time, when we were winning, and two more sent immediately on the final whistle.

(If you wish to make a post match – or any – comment of your own you can always have your say at Salut! Sunderland’s Facebook group. Click on any of the preceding four words. If you are told that you need to join the group, you can do so easily. Approval is very quick.)

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