Sixer’s Sevens: Leicester City 0 SAFC 0. Can’t beat the strugglers

Jake gives Sixer star billing
Jake gives Sixer star billing

Pete Sixsmith, whose seven-word instant verdicts enlighten these pages, saw this goalless draw at Leicester as a win we let go. A touch of sharpness in their box, a little more midfield creativity … that would have made the difference. As it is, we still struggle against newly promoted teams. Two nil-nil draws from visits to all three of them. But with Chelsea and Man City up next, it was a game we absolutely needed not to lose so let us take comfort in small mercies. Look out for Gus Poyet’s own verdct and Pete’s considered view ..

Jake: winter closes in
Jake: winter closes in

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Sixer asks: must we go to Leicester?

Sixer, right in Irish green. with the more conventionally attired Sobs
Sixer, right in Irish green. with the more conventionally attired Sobs

Pete Sixsmith muses over the trip to Leicester which turns out, probably through no fault of its own but more to do with a long-held student grievance, to be less than his favourite city. Incidentally, his item on the death of former Sunderland goalkeeper Iain Hesford now appears here

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Leicester vs SAFC Who are You?: (2) ‘never-ending love affair’

Jake: 'maybe this will draw them in, M Salut'
Jake: ‘maybe this will draw them in, M Salut’

Who’d run a football website? Just as we’d settled into some really good readership results, along comes the dreaded passion killer known as the internationals. Suddenly, the readers disappear, the Facebook group goes quite silent, the Twitter account may as well shut down. Then, with the scent of resumed normality in the nostrils, we present Guess the Score and another good Who are You? interview ahead of Leicester vs SAFC. Interest, I have to admit, has barely recovered from the Euro 2016-induced slump.

Tantrum over, let’s welcome back Sunil Armar* and Chris Moore**, our pair of bright and bushy-tailed Foxes who nobly volunteered to speak for their club. The first part of the double interview can be seen at https://safc.blog/2014/11/leicester-city-v-safc-who-are-you-1-on-superkev-racism-and-survival/. I was going to say it’s very good for those who missed it but there’s no need as nearly everyone missed it (a desultory few hundred hits all day whereas we had previously and regularly been in four figures and would be still if we just filled the space with tosh lifted from sports agencies and websites). Let’s see if we can capture anyone’s attention with their thoughts on Sunderland, star Leicester players (and duds) past and present and how Saturday will go …

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Leicester City v SAFC Who are You?: (1) on SuperKev, racism and survival

Jake has ways of making them talk
Jake has ways of making them talk

Finding a Who are You? candidate is not always easy. With Leicester City it was a cinch. Not one but two possible interviewees replied in quick succession with offers to leap into the hot seat. It seemed wrong to turn either Sunil Parmar* or Chris Moore** away so here is the first part of Salut! Sunderland’s first WAY double-header of the season … the second instalment will appear tomorrow

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Phew, internationals nearly over. So Guess the Score as Sunderland visit Leicester

Greeks take a seafront stroll to get over the humiliation of defeat by the Faroe Islands
Greeks take a seafront stroll to get over the humiliation of defeat by the Faroe Islands


Love them or loathe them,
international breaks get in the way of the normal business of Salut! Sunderland. But for John McCormick’s sterling efforts, there has been nothing new here for days.

But that is partly a result of Monsieur Salut’s own international break, a long weekend in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second city, a port with a momentous history and home to one of our own Pete Sixsmith’s younger brothers, Phil, and his charming Greek wife, Veta.

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Burnley and Leicester saved: our stats man has QPR, Hull City, Aston Villa doomed

John McCormick:
John McCormick: History. Is it all bunk?

This is the latest of John McCormick‘s occasional delve into statistics and logic to weigh up relegation prospects – one day he’ll feel, as Sunderland fan, it’s worth a look at the other end of the table. It has already had an airing and attracted comment from SAFC fans. But what do supporters of the clubs he fears may be doomed think? Is his choice of Hull and Villa harsh, QPR’s inclusion at odds with ‘Arry’s famed powers of survival when given a full season, Sunderland’s exclusion over-optimistic? Have your say …

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Fifty years of Sunderland openers: (1) Leicester City and six goals

Derek Forster: a young with a very grown-up up role
Derek Forster: a young kid with a very grown-up up role

On a day when I caught (via Facebook) my old pal Barry Emmerson “listening on Spotify to Billy Fury (not Halfway to Paradise but Jealousy) – it seems right that Pete Sixsmith should launch a new series on opening games of Sunderland seasons. He’s seen quite enough, but has magnificent power of recall that enables him to bring to life the detail of August encounters of his and SAFC’s past …

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Calling warm, witty or wise Leicester, Burnley and QPR fans: you’re needed

Sunderland: the new away top*
Sunderland: the new away top*

First off, here – with SAFC’s much appreciated co-operation – is the new away strip for 2014-2015. It will be officially released on June 27 but orders can be placed now at www.safcstore.com or at official SAFC stores at the Stadium of Light, in Debenhams, Sunderland or at The Galleries, Washington. Now on to business of our own …


QPR being what we were
and threaten often enough to become again, a yo-yo club, their supporters know the drill. Burnley ones with slightly longer memories will have an idea what is coming, too. For Leicester fans, it is uncharted territory.

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