Newcastle United - SAFC Blog

SAFC-Newcastle Who are You?: (2) ‘tribalism good; witless, unfunny excess bad’

October 24, 2013October 24, 2013 by Colin Randall

CR writes: 15 years ago, a bright spark on the Telegraph news desk decided a Sunderland supporter was the best man to cover the Shepherd/Hall/Dogs/Mary Poppins fallout. One of the first people I interviewed was Kevin Miles*, prominent in a Toon campaign to force the two culprits out. I liked him a lot, enough to say ‘of course’ two years later, despite the head thinking ‘no way’, when asked to join his team of England supporters for a friendly against Germany before the minor storm of Charleroi at Euro 2000. Now he’s a big wheel at the Football Supporters’ Federation and, as an unreformed Mag, offers a mixture of wit, wisdom and partisanship ahead of the Wear-Tyne derby …

SAFC vs Newcastle United: Q+A with ‘Geordiedoonsooth’, scholarly analysis from Ordinary Jon

October 24, 2013October 23, 2013 by Colin Randall

Jake asks the Lads - ours - to get the season started, just nine games in — Jake asks the Lads – ours – to get the season started, just nine games in

Ahead of the Wear-Tyne derby, you can read the first of two “Who are You?” interviews, with our regular Toon mischief maker “geordiedoonsooth” at https://safc.blog/2013/10/the-sunderland-v-newcaste-united-who-are-you-geordiedoonsooth-unmasked-and-smarting/.

The Sunderland v Newcastle United ‘Who are You?’: (1) Geordiedoonsooth unmasked and smarting

October 24, 2013October 23, 2013 by Colin Randall

It’s a Sunday match but it is also the Wear-Tyne derby – and we have a Saturday match to try to forget. This may also be the first of two Wear-Tyne derby Who are You? features, so let’s start early. And the first man in the hot seat is none other than Geordiedoonsooth, whose regular visits to Salut! Sunderland provide a fair amount of mild banter. He reveals himself as Ray Mossom, a Geordie of the long-exiled variety (Monsieur Salut, away from the North East since the rather important year of 1973, cannot get too sniffy about that). You will decide what to make of his replies, his views and his predictions -you’ll all be pleased to see he stills feels the pain, very acutely, of last season’s SAFC romp at SJP – but I’m chuffed he agreed to do it …

Durham CCC: a magnificent achievement Sunderland and Newcastle fans cheer together

September 19, 2013September 19, 2013 by Colin Randall

Sixer photographed by M Salut, framed by Jake

County cricket tean = Durham, county football team = Sunderland. OK, you have to be nearly 40 to have been alive when Sunderland was a proud part of County Durham. All the same, that’s how lots of people still see things. But at the Riverside ground (can we still call it that?), Pete Sixsmith saw today how that cricket team soothes the mutual antagonism of SAFC and NUFC supporters. The tribes came together to celebrate and acclaim another wonderful county championship title for Paul Collingwood and his men. After just four Premier League games, it might be harsh to write off PDC’s team as County Chumps. Durham CCC, however, are absolutely County Champs …

Responding to that Newcastle view of PDC: ‘our SAFC commitment comes first’

September 19, 2013 by Colin Randall

Monsieur Salut writes: yes, Drummer (comment yesterday), we ALL hope to win some football matches soon. But the piece by a Newcastle United fan writing under the nom de guerre of @BallstheCat, describing PDC’s appearance in the Steve Harper testimonial and analysing his controversial political utterances and gestures, was interesting, conscientiously researched and well written. It has attracted a lot of attention among Sunderland supporters and, in my view, deserved an airing here. An occasional Salut! Sunderland writer, Mick Goulding, who contributed an excellent, balanced article* during the PDC appointment furore, made a response that cries out to be reproduced, too …

PDC, fascism and the Newcastle fan with brains (& Hull-supporting wife)

September 18, 2013 by Colin Randall

Jake suspects a fondness for making mischief

All week, I’ve been urged to read this article written by a Newcastle United supporter inspired by Paolo Di Canio’s part-heroic, part-pantomime appearance in the Steve Harper testimonial. Yes, that’s Seaham-born, Sunderland-supporting (later corrupted, possibly) Steve Harper, now in fine Mag company at Hull City. The piece has been loudly applauded by Sunderland supporters, so may cost Bolde Katten aka @BallstheCat*, the nearest I have to a name, any friends in on the identity secret. It’s scholarly, witty, even friendly at times – three qualities we would naturally attribute as a matter of course to a Mag. Monsieur Salut is even prepared to bet he can spell boycott. Here it is, courtesy of Bolde Katten and his site, Anywhere Like Heaven

Three cheers as Ellis Short’s publicists show contempt for contrived Newcastle row

June 20, 2013June 18, 2013 by Colin Randall

Frightfully Tactile, Men (if I may say so) ... — Frightfully Tactile, Men (if I may say so) …

Let’s hear it for the lad/s and lass/es of the Sunderland corporate publicity machine.

Those are not words that trip lightly off the Salut! Sunderland laptop. We’ve had our ups and downs and it’s fair to say the ups must have faded from memory.

But credit where it’s due. This sentence, from the Shields Gazette, quoting the SAFC press office after it was asked about Ellis Short, the club owner, wearing an FTM badge when meeting the President of Tanzania, sent my estimation of Louise Wanless and her team rocketing:

Sunderland AFC declined to comment.

Salut! Sunderland’s two million hits party: even Newcastle and Middlesbrough are invited

June 16, 2013June 14, 2013 by Colin Randall

Stop Press: Enter the great Salut! Sunderland Two Million hits competition. Read about the first prize – £200 towards a holiday from Sunderland-based Hays Travel at https://safc.blog/2013/06/attention-safc-newcastle-middlesbrough-even-scarborough-supporters-2m-hits-competition-prize-announced/ BUT POST YOUR ENTRY HERE IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW

It took four years to reach the first million but only two more to double the tally.

Cast your eyes down to the very bottom of the home page – https://safc.blog – and, in the right-hand corner and up a bit, you should see a figure recording Salut! Sunderland‘s hits, that is the number of page views since the site was launched in January 2007.

When I checked a minute or two before posting this item, the total stood at 1,977,812. That left 22,188 to go. During the season, you could bet that would take no time at all. The fickle nature of readers when nothing much is happening means it could take for ever.

Sixer’s Sentiments: no relief for the Newcastle fan staring history the face

June 4, 2013 by Colin Randall

Sixer offers Mag builder a history lesson

Haven’t bestsellers been written about the books and art people put in the toilet, to read or gaze at on the wall? Pete Sixsmith‘s WC is a small library and art gallery as well as fulfilling its main function …

French Fancies: how L’Equipe saw Liverpool’s demolition of Newcastle

April 29, 2013April 28, 2013 by Colin Randall

Salut! Sunderland is, of course, a gloat-free zone. We recognise that no mature Newcastle United supporter ever mocked Sunderland after the 7-1 defeat at Everton, 7-2 at Chelsea or indeed 5-1 at St James’ Park.

So, not least in the knowledge that bad results lie ahead for us as well as them given the nature of football, there is no specific intention to rub salt in the wounds of yesterday’s mauling by Jordan Henderson and Liverpool of the Mags.