FA Cup - SAFC Blog

Beauties and beasts: simply red and glowing with pride after Leeds epic

January 27, 2016 by Colin Randall

Buy now at — Check out the Classic Football Shirts Sunderland AFC collection at http://bit.ly/1MEMc5Z

Ken Gambles was admirably prompt in his response to requests for contributions to the Beauties and Beasts series on Sunderland kits past and present. But Salut! Sunderland proceeded to lose or at least overlook his affectionate reminiscences on a special away strip from his youth. The search party has now reported back and we can make amends. What we cannot do is direct you to our friends at Classic Football Shirts to buy the shirt; they have 300,000 in stock but the SAFC range starts in 1981. And the YouTube clip below is in black and white …

SA’s essay: Flattering to deceive? Deceiving to flatter?

January 9, 2016 by Colin Randall

Jake’s take on Big Sam

John McCormick writes:

Here’s the final part of this evening’s trilogy. It’s the highly personal letter written by our manager and sent by courier to M Salut (and maybe one or two others). We only put it on this page because we know Ellis Short make our site his first stop after the Tram Car in Southwick on the way home.

What does our manager have to say this time? Is he telling the truth, as he sees it, or is he emphasizing some players in order to move them or motivate them? Is he more informative than Hutch’s one-word verdicts? You’ll have to make your own mind up. Here’s what he said:

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Not a hiccup, just Hutch’s Cup: Arsenal 3: SAFC 1, the instant verdict

January 9, 2016 by Colin Randall

John McCormick writes: As is the norm, first we get Sixer’s seven. Then we get Rob Huchison’s instant verdict. Both are brief. The question is, are they more informative than the manager’s private missive which will follow shortly.
Judge for yourself as I give you part two of three:

Sixer’s Cup-tie Sevens: Arsenal 3, Sunderland 1, as we expected

January 9, 2016 by Colin Randall

Jake: catch Sixer's instant seven-word verdicts throughout the season — Jake: catch Sixer’s instant seven-word verdicts throughout the season

John McCormick writes: no-one expected much from this game after Sam played it down, which was just as well, I suppose. I did think we were going to score a second but then I realized it was Danny Graham against Petr Cech.

Pete Sixsmith appears to think similarly; here is his instant seven-word verdict, straight after the final whistle.

Sixer’s Arsenal Who are You?: ‘sorry dad, sorry uncle, I’m a Gooner’

January 8, 2016January 6, 2016 by Colin Randall

Jake: 'should I be booking my flight from Spain for the final?' — Jake: ‘if we beat them 3-2 away in a cup match under Howard Wilkinson, surely we can …’

The allegiance of our second Arsenal ‘Who are You?’ interviewee of the season is the product of boyhood rebellion. With a name like Sixsmith, you’d naturally expect him to grow up Sunderland through and through. But Andy Sixsmith*, sports presenter for Made in Tyne and Wear TV, is not made of the same stuff as Uncle Pete, Uncle Phil or his old dad, Michael (not to mention a maternal Mag). Peering into a crystal ball as a lad, he clearly saw it coming and wanted nowt to do with our chronic misery. Uncle Pete nominated him for this slot so let’s see what he makes of the questions …

Sixer’s Bradford broadside: it was an awful performance

February 17, 2015February 16, 2015 by Colin Randall

John McCormick writes: When I saw the starting line-up I thought we had enough to win. At 1-0 down I thought we’d come back and score two. Even at 2-0 I hadn’t given up hope. Why didn’t we do any of this? I don’t know, I wasn’t there. Pete Sxsmith was, however, and here he is, sharing his view on a result that ends our dreams of another walk down Wembley Way:

Rob’s Fulham ratings: Stand up and be counted

February 4, 2015 by Colin Randall

Rob Hutchison is first this week to give us his player ratings.When I say players, I don’t just mean the fourteen on the pitch. Read on:

Pure Poyetry: Fulham 1 Sunderland 3: Gus getting the fans back onside

February 3, 2015February 3, 2015 by Colin Randall

Jake captures the Bard, with thanks to Owen Lennox

John McCormick writes: I didn’t expect the lineup that started this game and for the second time this season one of the manager’s initial XI was injured in the warm up. A bench which was supposed to have only six ended up with only five and the manager’s choice was limited. But those who made it got the job done. There are those who feel the F.A. Cup is no longer a priority but Gus has stated that he loves this competition. Bradford next. Get through that and we are one game from Wembley but is Gus counting any chickens? Tonight he is upbeat in his post match e-mail to M Salut and maybe to some others and pointedly credits the fans and recognises what they wish to see.

Sixer’s cup tie Sevens. Fulham 1 SAFC 3: Got there in the end

February 3, 2015 by Colin Randall

John McCormick writes: I thought Pete Sixsmith was giving up on trips to London. Apparently not, at least when it’s a cup match. Just when I wasn’t expecting it he sent a text giving his seven word (no more, no less) verdict on a match that could have been a banana skin, but wasn’t:

Wembley beckons distantly; will anyone bother to go?

January 31, 2015January 27, 2015 by Colin Randall

John McCormick: glass half full; cup – half empty

As the new year got under way I began speculatively looking at ticket prices. I didn’t get as far as train timetables before a virus crept up on me and knocked me sideways. Today, I went out for the first time in over a week. I’m back now, obviously, and feeling the better for it, but any lingering thoughts of Burnley, or even Southport-Gateshead are gone.

If I lived in the North East I’d be going to the Burnley game, and I’d have been there against Leeds and Fulham, but that’s easy for me to spout. To paraphrase the late Mandy Rice-Davies, I would say that wouldn’t I.