Simon Grayson, Steve Bruce, Ahmed Elmohamady, David Meyler, Paul McShane: a Hull of a connection

Jake: looking back

John McCormick writes Did we get rid of Simon Grayson too early? There are some stats that say we could have and you might want to look back on my end of season review before reaching a conclusion. And what about Steve Bruce? It’s just on ten years since he was appointed by Sunderland, only to be sacked some 2½ years later when we were mid-premiership. Only ten years? Mid-Premiership? It seems like a lifetime.

Bruce then went to Hull, where he became a hero before walking out, which appears to be the norm for Hull managers this past decade, with Nigel Adkins having followed Marco Silva and Leonid Slutsky in not completing or renewing a contract (Mike Phelan is the exception, he was sacked).

After Nigel Adkins announced his departure Simon Grayson seemed to be an early favourite to take over. Perhaps he still is, although I haven’t seen his name for a couple of days. Personally, I wish him well although Hull could prove to be a poisoned chalice, and he’s drunk enough from them recently.

We’ve exchanged a few players with Hull, too. Frazier Campbell is still with them, having re-signed in 2017, and others who have worn both sets of stripes are still plying their trade in various leagues (even Paul McShane until his  release by Reading at the end of the season), so I thought I’d dip into the archives and take a trip back to June 16th 2013, when our guest, Sam Campbell, looked back on a few tempestuous years, for Hull, not us.

Will Hull’s tempestuous years continue? Assem Allam is still there, apparently holding out for better offers, so they might  Until we know, here’s the excellent piece Sam wrote exactly, and only,  six years ago, with an introduction that also reflected our status at that time:

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The Salut! Sunderland Haways: Hull, Brentford and Derby fans edge out Bolton

Jake: ‘thanks to all who participate’. Click this image to see all interviews from the season just ended

It’s that time of year again and Monsieur Salut unveils the Salut! Sunderland equivalent of the Oscars …

And the winner is: Kathryn Townsley. Click on her photo to read her interview

Salut! Sunderland is delighted to bring you the results of our annual awards for the best interviews of the season with fans of opposing clubs. We call the award the Haways – the Highly Articulate Who are You? (s).

One of the few bright spots of the season was the continuing high standard of responses from our interviewees. Remember, people have to be found, they have to agree to do it and they must then answer a lot of questions (maybe too many; if the series continues into League One, that may change).

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Salut! Sunderland’s HAWAY awards: the 10 Championship clubs with fans battling for honours

Jake: ‘thanks to all who participate’. Click this image to see all of this seaon’s interviews
With nominations about to close in Salut! Sunderland’s annual HAWAY awards – the prizes offered for best interviews with opposing fans over the season just ended – there is a clear front runner.

Since judging is not quite complete, and readers may still take part as previously invited simply by adding their choices in order of first-second-third in the Comments below, it would be premature to give away more.

Nominations close at midnight UK time so there is not much time left for stragglers, and we do have a quorum with votes already cast by several contributors.

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A champion Championship series: the first time Sixer saw your ground or your team

Sixer tastes the tropical flavour of a County Durham winter as he delivers the papers

Most weeks, readers of Salut! Sunderland drop by on Friday morning to catch the latest instalment in Pete Sixsmith’s twin series, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Ground (if the game in question is away), Team (if it’s at the Stadium of Light).

This week, the Millwall edition was posted earlier than usual – namely at this link.

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Sixer’s Soapbox: Strange goings on as Hull City come to town

John McCormick asks: Did you go to bed, or perhaps wake up, singing “The young ones”? Or maybe Bob and Marcia sprang to mind with “Young, gifted and black”. The old rockers among you might have thought of the Who and “The kids are alright” but not, I venture, “Happy Jack”.

I don’t know if Pete Sixsmith was singing at any point but here he is waxing lyrical, and isn’t it good to read:

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Sixer’s Hull City sevens : Cliff Richard sang it in 1961 – will you be singing it tonight?

Jake: ‘it’s not always pretty’

Pete Sixsmith’s seven word text, fresh from the Stadium of Light, makes it clear that this was not just a team effort but also that our manager’s choice of young players, indeed his whole ethos, is the way to go.

The fans  probably won’t be singing a Cliff Richard song as they stream out of the Stadium of Light. However, as Sixer pays tribute to an oldie as well as the young ones why shouldn’t I do the same, and I bet I have some of you singing it later tonight:

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The first time ever I saw your team: Hull City

Sleek Sixer

John McCormick writes: I’ve never been to the KC stadium but I have been to Boothferry Park, more than once. I’ve seen us play Hull City there, I’ve even seen Hull City play other clubs there. However, I have no memory of ever seeing us play Hull at home. Not so Pete Sixsmith. He’s been there and here, old grounds and new, serious and not so serious games; and Hull City, home and away, are yet another team in his long list of memories:

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SAFC vs Hull City Who are You?: (2) poignant Wembley memories

 

Monsieur Salut writes: Kathryn Townsley, our Hull City ‘Who are You?’ interviewee, talked here yesterday about all sorts of matters affecting her club and ours. Hers was such an interesting and detailed interview that I decided to divide it into two parts. Today, Kathryn – who chairs the Hull City Official Supporters’ Club (I still cannot bring myself to call someone a chair), – reminisces movingly on four trips to Wembley. …

 

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SAFC vs Hull City Who are You?: (1) who will avoid the drop?

Kathryn Townsley

Monsieur Salut writes: although we sometimes – OK, often – go back to familiar faces for the Who are You? series, we also search constantly for new blood. Kathryn Townsley, who chairs the Hull City Official Supporters’ Club, is a breath of fresh air with a terrific set of answers that work best if divided into two parts. Today, she reflects on the prospects for our clubs – prepare for some more gloomy thoughts on ours and who can blame her even though she offered her views before our humiliation at Cardiff? – and tomorrow, she’ll be back with some brilliant memories from four visits by her team to Wembley …

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SAFC vs Hull City prize Guess the Score: the annual relegation scrap

Jake: ‘have a go and just hope M Salut’s feeling generous if you win’

Oh dear, muses Monsieur Salut. The piece below was prepared before the Cardiff debacle. Will anyone be left to predict a Sunderland win? Will my absence on hols in Cuba coincide with the first entry-free Guess the Score (save for the Hull fan’s automatic one)? Or will blind faith triumph yet again? …

 


The first entry
in this week’s edition of Guess the Score is, as a consequence of the rule introduced this season, taken. Kathryn Townsley is our Hull City interviewee for Who are You? and reckons her lot will win 2-1.

She also thinks, as you shall read tomorrow, that we may well go down but that Hull will not. That is the basis on which she feels confident that this is not going to the second of three fixtures between the same sides played in different divisions in successive seasons.

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