Monsieur Salut writes: in a sign of age, I imposed ‘Hayley Mulls’ on our charming young writer Hayley Penman as the generic title for her occasional offerings here. And how welcome those contributions are. With gentle paternal guidance from our old friend John Penman, Hayley – just 12 on November 14 – came up with the idea of interviewing two men associated with the clubs that matter to her, Sunderland and Dunfermline. One day, we (or she) will come up with ideas for a better collective title for her articles than Hayley Mulls – and one day David Moyes, who admittedly has had more pressing matters on his plate, may add the missing responses to her questions …
Hayley Penman
Hayley Penman, supporter of Sunderland and Dunfermline: a young star rewarded
This is an article Hayley Penman, then aged all of 10, wrote for Salut! Sunderland back in February of last year. It was warmly received, and rightly so. Recently, another supporter of Sunderland AFC, Jennifer Lowery, though not of Hayley’s generation, asked that a prize mug due to her for coming up with the title of the manager’s post match e-mail “Moyes on the Boys”, should go to a deserving young reader of our choice. We invited suggestions and Hayley’s name popped up in the replies. The mug that is on its way to her is well deserved. It will not change her life but I hope it will encourage her to write over and again for this site and to develop what is clearly a real talent …
Hayley Mulls: forget One Direction, give me my new Sunderland book
We must all be having our different ways of trying not to think too hard about tonight. A friendly Hammers voice on Twitter – @whustuff – offered a deal: they win, we still stay up. I declined on the grounds that we probably couldn’t do the last but without the first.
Instead, I called up this lovely account of a typical day spent at the Stadium of Light by 10-year-old Hayley Penman, a Scots lass I occasionally see with her dad in the East Stand concourse. I also sat with her dad at Wembley – Hayley settled for the promise of a ticket for One Direction, though I am not sure which Scottish league they play in. Ah for the innocence of youth …
Over to Hayley …