Kevin Ball has good reason to be proud of the effort his team put into the game against Liverpool. Everyone expected us to lose and we did. But we were not as second best as 1-3 suggests and key decisions went against us for the first two Liverpool goals. All the same, that’s one point from six games with Man Utd up next. This is how Bally saw it …
Malcolm Dawson writes:We have become used to our various managers’ post match e-mails focusing on the positives in defeat. After a weekend of turmoil caretaker boss Kevin Ball takes care to emphasise the positives in victory and in stark contrast to his recently departed predecessor, picks out one or two individuals for special praise. Of course when Ellis Short invites the men in charge to clear their desks he insists that M Salut’s personal e-mail address is left in a prominent position so that he doesn’t miss out on the immediate post match reaction. Here’s what Bally had to say after a professional display that may have lacked the drama of the previous round but one which sees us safely in the draw for the next …
Jake’s own three-word verdict: ‘Ooh, Bally, Bally’
Despite the entertainment value of a five-goal match involving Kevin Ball’s young squad, talk turned inevitably to Matters at the Top. Read on for Pete Sixsmith‘s match report – and a tongue-in-cheek look at runners and riders for the nead coach job …
No rebellions at Hetton as the development squad turned out for Kevin Ball and probably had mayonnaise on their chips at lunchtime, now that the sauce salesman has been allowed to call again.
A story I hadn’t heard before. Bears repeating, from Dave Hewitt’s answers in the West Bromwich Albion “Who are You?” ahead of tomorrow’s game at the Hawthorns. Dave is a retired teacher and sports photographer …
In an ideal world, bright SAFC publicity people would have told Pete Sixsmith: “Get yourself along to the Reserves; someone’s due a hammering.” Instead, the 7-0 demolition of Scunthorpe was out of bounds to Salut! Sunderland and practically everyone else. So Pete joined Steve Bruce and others at an FA Youth Cup game – and saw us beaten…
Away from the brouhaha surrounding the continued employment of Steve Bruce and the sadness surrounding the tragic demise of Gary Speed, there has been some football played.
In the afternoon, the reserves demolished Scunthorpe United 7-0 at the Academy (but we’re not allowed in to watch) with Ryan Noble getting a hat trick in four minutes. Pity he couldn’t have done that against Fulham. He must be in line for a place on Sunday and if on the bench, and will with any luck be given longer than last time on the field.
The question is posed by Pete Sixsmith. who detects a subtle difference between your John Terrys and your Kevin Balls …
The big talking point on Sport on 5 last night was the England captaincy.
Mark Pougatch, David Pleat and Mike Ingham had a sustained and intense discussion about who should wear the captains armband against Wales and Ghana next week, what with Rio being injured, Stevie G being out and would JT get it back. Interesting? Not really
One startling revelation that came out was that Terry was “upset” when the armband was passed around during the multi-substitutions against Denmark and it never reached him, poor diddums.
Danny Murphy caused a few feathers to fly when he stuck his boot into dirty play and its causes. Did anyone else find themselves thinking about pots and kettles? …
Back in the days when I started watching football, it was amateur stuff in the Northern League.
My dad was secretary of Shildon AFC. His duties went beyond clerical/organisational necessities, though I do not think he was responsible for “pumping up” players to get stuck in to opponents.
Arsenal fans will pounce on the irony of a Birmingham fan winning something to do with fair play and inspired by Eduardo. But the issues are separate, and Kevin Ball is a deserving winner …
We’re open to accusations of cheating ourselves, that we manipulated the result to ensure yet another Mackem connection to Salut! Sunderland competition prizewinners, if only in name.
But look at the replies people gave and Kevin Ball, who runs the Birmingham fan site Joys and Sorrows fully merits his selection as winner of our Pretend Fair Play league, inspired by rival fans’ responses to the Eduardo question: would you take – gladly or guiltily – or almost wish you could decline a trophy/title/survival won by a penalty scored after a blatant dive?
It sounded a creditable effort, ahead twice – right up to full time and again right up the end of extra time. Then the phrase Sunderland fans have come to dread: the penalty shoot-out. Pete Sixsmith witnessed the inevitable outcome …
Brrr, it’s a cold Wednesday night and there is an interesting Carling Cup semi on terrestrial TV, a bottle of Tullamore Dew on the go, a decent book to read and a warm fire. So bugger all that, let’s go to the Stadium of Light and watch the Under 18s play Preston in the FA Youth Cup.
Image: Shaun Elliott by A Love Supreme
