AAARGH to Crystal Palace, from Queen’s Palace rumpus to today’s Crystal Pulis

Ken by Jake
Ken by Jake

Ken Gambles would love to agree with CSB, who predicts a 5-0 home win at Guess the Score. The idea of playing Palace in such a crucial encounter just fills him with apprehension. Snap out of it, Ken, and keep the faith!


Probably my fondest memory
of Palace is from the 1970s when Gerry Queen played for them, spawning the immortal newspaper headline “Queen in Rumpus at Palace”.

And there the pleasure ends. Apparently we’ve a similar record against each other but it certainly doesn’t feel like that to me.

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From Barnsley to Manchester United and Leeds. Memories of Brian Greenhoff aged 11

 Ken Gambles: remembering the Greenhoff boys
Ken Gambles: remembering the Greenhoff boys

The sad, early death of Brian Greenhoff took Ken Gambles back half a century to the makeshift pitch on South Yorkshire wasteland where the future star paraded his precocious skills. Greenhoff went on to play more than 290 times for Manchester United and Leeds United and 18 times for England. He ended his career as player-coach at Rochdale. Ken’s game was restricted to university, local and finally veterans football. And, of course, following Sunderland. For Ken, reflecting on boyhood pals who did make the grade and those who did not, the phrase that comes to mind is ‘they also serve who only stand and watch’ …

 

One of the more unusual side-effects of growing old is that whenever you read an obituary,the first focus seems to be on how old the deceased was

Older than you and it is only natural; younger than you and it becomes a bit disturbing. When I therefore read that Brian Greenhoff had died on May 22 having barely reached 60, it was a double cause for reflection.

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Salut! Sunderland’s end-of-season reviews: (6) Doors to the past close, another opens …

Jake : 'it can only get better. Can't it?'
Jake : ‘it can only get better. Can’t it?’

Ken Gambles is a regular contributor to Salut! Sunderland. He has endured worse than the season just gone, enough to enable him to pinpoint Sunderland’s varied failings but also to hope for a better future as the PDC broom sweeps clean(ish). This is Ken’s review of a season in which, as Gambles go (sorry, Ken!), keeping MoN would have been more rash than hiring Di Canio …

Yet one more disappointing season in what seemed to be an encapsulation of all it means to be a Sunderland supporter.

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Gambles’ Rambles: referees, inconsistency and final hooters to call time

Time Gentlemen Please, says Ken
Time Gentlemen Please, says Ken

Ken Gambles came up with one the ideas of 2011, the mandatory wearing of bright pink mittens by shirt-pullers and goggles by divers. Sadly, no manufacturer could be found to guarantee keeping up with the likely demand and members of the National Union of Football Divers, Shirt-Pullers and Injury-Feigners besieged Parliament in their thousands. Now, Ken turns his attention to the inconsistencies of match officials ….

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Grounds for divorce: Everton, Leeds and West Ham share the dishonours

Ken: not a fan of Goodison, Elland Rd or Upton Park

Ken Gambles gets around. Sunderland support has taken him all over the country. Worst ground, offering grounds for divorce after a lifelong love affair with football? The old Den probably took the biscuit for Monsieur Salut – a demoralising experience that had you questioning your own sanity for being there – and if we are honest, some opposing fans will point fingers at Roker Park or the SoL. But Ken has a negative batch of medals to award to three other stadiums …

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SAFC v Republic of Ireland: an unforgettable night with Niall, minus Keane

In the latest edition of Gambles’ Rambles, our regular contributor Ken Gambles pondered the worthy title ‘a reflective narrative on the role of altruism in a capitalist hegemony’ before deciding: ‘Nah, just a memory of Quinny’s testimonial.’ Monsieur Salut remembers it, too, as the game for which he bought a ticket knowing he had no hope of being there (remember those non-attendance tickets that boosted the proceeds?). He missed a great occasion, which special connections made greater still for Ken …

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That Molineux sulk: the winner is …

Readers were asked to suggest what Pete Sixsmith, in the much-seen image from Molineux, was saying or thinking at Sunderland slumped to defeat. The invitation produced a sprinkling of replies, but only one winner …

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