Newcastle United

Sixer’s Soapbox: Fat Lady (Man) Warbles at Newcastle

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“Thank goodness that’s over” says Pete Sixsmith as we scrape a point against a far better Newcastle side. Talk of getting out of jail, fat ladies singing and clutching at straws dominate these observations on a bitterly disappointing derby performance. We need to do better next year !!!!

At 13:48, with the clock running down, I sent my Seven winging across the seas to M. Salut in Penang. “Once again found lacking when it mattered” were my words as we huffed and puffed against a side who were threatening to score a second, and take a deserved three points home with them.

For the umpteenth time we pushed forward with effort rather than skill. The ball dropped to Bardsley who whipped in a shot, Harper parried it and Asamoah Gyan poked it over the line to level the scores.

Wild celebrations from those around me; much jumping about and a feeling that we had not only got out of jail, but that we had kidnapped all the Prison Officers, burnt the place down and reformed the entire criminal justice system. The Fat Lady (or middle aged Man in this case) was singing his head off at this one. Games last for 90 minutes!!!

Quite frankly, we were awful. Whatever weaknesses we had seen against Blackpool and Notts. County were magnified 100x in this scrappy, bitty and, for us, ultimately disappointing derby.

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The Newcastle fan whose grandpa tyuk the bus fra’ Balmbra’s

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Garry Steckles, with whom Monsieur Salut worked on a newspaper in Abu Dhabi, is not Bob Marley but knows as much about him as most living souls, spending lots of his time in the Caribbean, involving himself in the reggae scene and, a couple of years ago, publishing a biography of the great man. Another claim to fame: his grandfather – Garry’s not Bob’s – once owned Balmbra’s. The Blaydon Races link is appropriate: there’s always a downside to good people and Garry is a Mag. Tomorrow, we get his answers to our questions about Sunday’s Wear-Tyne derby. Today, we recall a brilliant piece he wrote for Salut! Sunderland before the 2008 equivalent, won by us 2-1 …

Before I start, I should point out that I don’t really have any memories of Tyne-Wear derbies.

Most of my Newcastle memories are from the Fifties, and while I might have been at one I can’t honestly recall anything about it.

From 1960 until I left for Canada in 1968, I was working every Saturday during the football season, either in the office putting out a paper or at a match covering it. Since 1968, I’ve been more or less a long-distance fan. Anyway, I think I can write around all of that. Here goes …

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Kate Adie: the naked truth of cheering goals at Newcastle

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Kate Adie at U of BedsGavin Stewart

It was time in any case for another look at Kate Adie*, one of the finest TV news reporters this country has produced but more importantly, for the purposes of Salut! Sunderland, a fan since girlhood of SAFC. Occasionally, someone pops up at 606 or Ready to Go alleging that Kate isn’t really a supporter. All I can say is that it is now 35 years since my first conversation with her about our shared Sunderland passion. She is utterly genuine about it. In due course, I may be able to persuade Kate to update this piece written for my series on celebrity supporters at Wear Down South, magazine of the London and SE branch of the SAFC Supporters’ Assocation. But in the run-up to Sunday’s Wear-Tyne derby, it is worth refreshing memories of the original if only because of a lovely anecdote from one of those delicious 2-1 victories under Peter Reid at St James’ Park …

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Two for joy? Salut to miss the Magpies twice

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MagpiesTony Hisgett


Yesterday’s encouraging news about David Meyler – out for 10 weeks but no new rupture to his knee ligament, which would have meant much longer or even threatened his career – is a great send-off for M Salut, who is off on holiday …


It is not often we play the Mags twice in eight days or – thinking of the way Pete Sixsmith referred to Notts Co in his lovely piece about today’s FA Cup game – the ‘Pies one week, the Mags the next.

And of course, if we stumble later today without quite falling, there may be a third game against black and whites during Monsieur Salut’s badly timed absence from Blighty and these pages. Anyone for a replay at Meadow Lane?

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Alan Shearer is legitimate

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Not the most popular statement a Sunderland supporter can make here, and directly at odds with the first line of the song, but it is the season of goodwill …

Masquerading as a Clio-driving visitor from France, not so far from the truth, Monsieur Salut went undercover after the victory over Bolton.

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Sorry, but Ashley makes Newcastle United a laughing stock again

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Salut! Sunderland believes there should be banter between Sunderland and Newcastle United fans, and that this is entirely healthy and human but should not descend into barbarian tribalism. When we write about the Mags – and why in heaven’s name should a football site not do so? – it is not surprising that United fans should come here to see what has been said, and perhaps to have a go back. Some responses are witty or intelligent, a few are humourless or neanderthal, and I imagine it would be the same the other way round. Here, our mysterious Birflatt Boy makes some telling points about goings-on up the road …

In the world of football it’s rare if not unprecedented for there to be unanimity and consensus about anything.

It might be the performance of a particular player last weekend or whether a penalty decision should have been given the other way, or something more trivial.

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