Some write, some edit, some illustrate. All do their level best, with whatever time they can beg, borrow or steal, to bring you as good a fan site service as you’ll find anywhere in football. That is not the same as saying we succeed in that aim, but it’s our aim all the same.
There is no admission fee to Salut! Sunderland, no Murdoch-style paywall to climb before you reach the delights of Sixer, Jake, John McCormick, Malcolm Dawson, Ken Gambles and so many others. But we need help to stay afloat. Hosting costs threaten to rise and we need to pay the bills and, with a bit of luck, find it possible to reward – however modestly – those who give their time and effort to making the site what it is …
Week after week, a diehard Sunderland supporter Simon R – @sie_ftm at Twitter – includes @salutsunderland in his #FF (Friday follows once tweet abbreviations are converted to tweetspeak). Most Fridays, I thank him.
Today I added my eve-of-season thought: “The usual mixture of excitement, hope and apprehension!” To which Simon threw trepidation into the mix.
Malcolm Dawson writes….back in the not so dim and distant past, I was enjoying a pint in the Kings Arms …
It is time for that rarest of things, Salut! Sunderland beating its own drum and asking readers to apply their own percussive accompaniment.
From the Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF) comes news of its 2013 Writers Awards ceremony, in association with William Hill, which will take place on Monday December the Emirates stadium. Monsieur Salut feels able to proceed with what it could mean for this site on the firm understanding that Paul Danson will not be among the judges.
After last week’s lapse with the podcast, not posted here until after the Fulham game, the lads have made no mistake this time. M Salut has just listened to it and it’s cracking stuff with the panel talking in front of, and to, a live audience. See the link below …
The rewards, as ever, must await you in heaven. No one makes a cent; such advertising as there is covers only part of the outgoings.
But Salut! Sunderland is in expansionist mood all the same. Hard on the heels of our recent milestone – two million “hits”, the second million having been accomplished twice as fast as the first – we are looking forward to a new season in which our performance improves as much as, we hope, the team’s does.
The milestone has been and gone. But you have a last chance this weekend to try for a prize in the grand Two Million hits competition … the deadline in midnight (UK time) tomorrow, June 30 …
Welcome to Salut! Sunderland en fête, on the day – or, at worst, the day before – it finally clocks up its two millionth visit. Cast your eyes to the right where you find the heading “The Salut! Sunderland Readership Count” and you will see the little figure beneath it. Fewer than 900 further visits to the site today and we’re there. If you happen to spot that you are the reader making that milestone visit, try to photograph or screengrab the vital statistic and send it to Monsieur Salut at salutsunderland@gmail.com. If I receive one such e-mail, and it appears genuine, a commemorative mug will be on its way (soon). If I receive two or more, I’ll know it can be fixed and all entries, sadly, may have to be disqualified unless I find a way of verifying the true winner. And don’t forget the Two Million Hits competition; closing date is June 30 (https://safc.blog/2013/06/salut-sunderlands-two-million-hit-party-even-newcastle-are-invited/)
Now read what the Daily Mirror, Sky, BBC and LBC journalist Kevin Maguire* has to say about a site devoted to his lifelong footballing passion …