Sixer’s appreciation of Billy Hughes

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/

Sixer’s Gillingham Sevens – Jozy’s looking good right now


John McCormick writes: Although comments are still not being processed, which must put a dampener on participation, Wrinkly Pete did manage to get this into the system after Pete Sixsmith’s review of the Roy Keane era:

What a fitting way for the website to close – a Sixer Series. Fascinating too that he should choose the managers to focus on…. ”the ones what always gets the blame”. I look forward to episode 2.

Wrinkly Pete is totally correct in his appreciation of the other Pete, but not totally correct when he says the site is closing. It is true that the site is winding down but it will be around at least until fees already paid run out, and who knows then? So it’s quite possible there will be posts into 2020, and I’m sure some traditions will continue, one of which is a seven word text at the conclusion of each game.

In Mr. Sixsmith’s absence someone else does the text, which explains the asterisks at the start of each text, but not any superscript numbers.

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Sixer’s Gillingham Soapbox: ‘I worry about the state of the club’

Sixer as an unwanted replay looms: ‘The way we are playing at the moment, we could do without any kind of game’

AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE ARE CURRENTLY UNABLE TO PUBLISH COMMENTS. BUT THANKS TO JEFF BELL, WHO TRIED TO POST THIS: ‘A fabulous report from this fabulous site. We will miss you more than you know.’

Monsieur Salut writes: after our announcement of imminent demise, Salut! Sunderland has the look of the undead. There are a few weeks to go before we cease to function as an active site (Dec 31) and much will continue as before until then.

For Pete Sixsmith, suffering at the Stadium of Light as Sunderland failed to overcome Gillingham and advance in the FA Cup, much continued as before on the pitch. He describes an afternoon he would sooner have spent elsewhere and frets about the state of our club.

M Salut would like to thank the many readers who have left kind messages on social media; these will be collated and reproduced in due course …

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Sixer’s Sevens: Sunderland 1 Gillingham 1 is not a good omen

Pete Sixsmith has sent some interesting seven word texts in recent weeks, many of them on the pessimistic side. The most recent alluded to the probability that we won’t make a trip to Wembley in the EFL Trophy, although our cause is not yet dead.

This weekend’s game also provided an opportunity to travel on the Wembley Wagon. At half time Pete texted “comfortable without being totally convincing”, and how many times have we got to that stage thinking a 1-0 lead wasn’t enough? Of course, it wasn’t as Gillingham equalised almost from the kickoff and then held on for the draw.

So our journey’s not yet over although if Pete’s texts – two of them again – are any indicator we won’t be going anywhere soon. Or will we?

(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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Wimbledon Who are You? Should that West Ham upset make Sunderland wary?

Mark Sturges (right) with his supporters’ group banner

What a result that was, says Monsieur Salut. But why does it always seem to happen like this? A player goes months without scoring, a club keeps losing as if for fun, a manager is sacked … and then we come along. The variation of the theme this time is that Wimbledon,rock bottom of League One, suddenly hit a flash of form and dispatched Premier League opposition in the FA Cup. I heard a Hammers fan on TalkSport yesterday and he was apoplectic that his team – otherwise going nowhere special, upwards or downwards – couldn’t muster the spirit and quality to overcome such a modest obstacle to progress in one competition where glory might just be possible.

Our first of possibly two Wombling Who are You? interviewees, Mark Sturges*, answered the Salut! Sunderland questions before the FA cup tie, but his additional thoughts were invited. It’s fair to say there was an air of grim resignation about his original replies but he now adds ths: “The team played very well- surprising as we’d lost 0-3 at home to Fleetwood on the Tuesday. This team has proved we can compete so must start showing that in the league IF we are to have a chance of survival before it’s too late’ …

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Sixer’s Walsall Sevens: Third time unlucky? Maybe not.

Ho ho howay the lads

Pete Sixsmith may be busy on the Saturdays before Christmas but on the weekdays he leaves the work to his helpers and heads off to find a game. Luckily for him there are a few coming up. This one, though it might give Pete a break, is one the rest of us didn’t really want. Was it worth his time? Come back tomorrow for a full report; and while you’re waiting you might ponder on his post-whistle seven word text:

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Walsall Who are You: Sunderland ‘pretty useful going forward, less convincing off the ball’

Click the image to see all Who are You? interviews so far this season

Monsieur Salut writes: this is a Who are You? with a difference ahead of tonight’s FA Cup 2nd round replay at home to Walsall.

Richard Hall’s Q+A for the first two games – both drawn – between our clubs this season, league and cup, were mightily impressive. Our own star writer Pete Sixsmith thought they were good enough for us to bring forward the annual HAWAY awards (Highly Articulate Who are You?s) since no one else was likely to emulate the standard he set.

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The Chapman Report from Walsall: “That second goal never looked like coming”

Malcolm Dawson writes……..I experienced a touch of deja vu on the trip to the Bescot Stadium yesterday. I drove into Walsall the same way, parked in the same street and saw the same discarded cardboard boxes and other assorted bits of rubbish on the short walk to the ground that I had seen last weekend. There was nowhere near as many people though, with the total attendance more or less the same as the number of Sunderland fans who had filled two sides of the stadium for the league game. Such is the magic of the F.A. Cup these days!

Pete Sixsmith was one who couldn’t be there, but he has an excuse as it’s that time of year when he’s otherwise engaged bringing joy to the children of Weardale and Tyneside, whilst reminding them just why it is that Santa wears red and white and he was ho ho hoing with extra merriment as the news from the Sports Direct filtered his way. Not so much with the updates from the West Midlands and he feels for the Lads who now have another fixture to fulfil, but at least it means he’ll get to the replay.

In his absence and knowing he couldn’t make it, Sixer arranged for Bob Chapman‘s welcome return to the pages of Salut! Sunderland with his view of yesterday’s draw. Over to you Bob.

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