Sunderland A.F.C

Words of caution ahead of SAFC-Everton: beware the ides of May

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Pete Sixsmith: will he be toasting another season or drowning his sorrows?
Pete Sixsmith: will he be toasting another season or drowning his sorrows?

Pete Sixsmith‘s been there, says John McCormick. He’s done it. He knows the season’s not over until the final whistle blows, and that the gods of football and fortune love to mock us. So join his prayer for what we all want tomorrow night, admire his epic support of the club through thin, thin and the occasional thick – but also heed his warnings and just stop sending tweets to that bastion of good taste, the True Geordie …

And while we’re on, there’s a book signing at the corner of the Central Library occupied by our friends from the SAFC Fans Museum (I really think they need an apostrophe to make it Fans’), between 3pm and 5pm. Nick Barnes and Gary Bennett, whose wonderful BBC Radio Newcastle commentary makes up for stop-start internet streams for exiles, will be there. Sixer will be there, too, which is fitting since we would impartially say he contributed by far the best chapter …

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Sunderland v Everton ‘Who are You’: a Toffeeman deliciously expecting SAFC survival

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Lyndon Lloyd: our Everton guest
Lyndon Lloyd: our Everton guest

Two more Who are You?s to go, including this one, and the judges are already busy choosing the best of the season for our annual awards. Can Lyndon Lloyd*, our Everton hot seat occupant, gain late support from our panel? Have a read of his interview, with thoughtful comments on his team and ours – as you’d expect from someone who runs ToffeeWeb.com – and then pray his prediction for the game turns out to be correct. After all that, settle down if you can for what could, just could, be a great Wednesday to be a Sunderland supporter…

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Sunderland v Everton Guess the Score. Win to make Watford a party

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Jake: 'give us another burst of pride, Lads'
Jake: ‘give us another burst of pride, Lads’

Monsieur Salut says: win on Wednesday and the Lads should be given the freedom of Sunderland, whether or not that still entitles holders to drive their flocks of sheep across Wearmouth bridge. It wouldn’t make a bad season great but it would give us all proper reason to believe the future can be brighter (yes I know) and enable us to breathe freely on Sunday. Read on to see how you can win the prize …

Let nobody be too quick to count chickens. There’s still scope for snatching misery from the jaws of bliss.

Saturday’s outstanding comeback to beat Chelsea, coupled with defeat for Norwich and a draw at Villa for Newcastle, gave us great hope. And that hope that can be turned into reality on Wednesday night. As every schoolboy should know, Sunderland stay up if they win.

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Sixer’s Sevens: Sunderland 3-2 Chelsea. The stuff off dreams. Magnificent, Lads

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Jake: 'One word: magnificent'
Jake: ‘One word: magnificent’

Colin Randall writes: Sensational. After a heartbreaker of a goal at the end of the first half, Sunderland came back from 2-1 down to win with wonderful strikes from Fabio Borini and Jermain Defoe to add to Wabi Khazri’s first-half screamer. The referee Mike Jones had a stinker and at times made it look as if SAFC were playing 12 men with some crazy decision all over the pitch. He should have sent off Cahill in the first half (Terry did go right at the end) and repeatedly got his calls utterly wrong. Never mind. One win – at home to Everton on Wednesday – and Sunderland are safe yet again. Expect Pete Sixsmith‘s considered account to be somewhat upbeat; this is where his seven-word instant verdict appears …

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Jan Kirchhoff: from short-lived villain to cultured hero – and now recognised

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Working well with Catts in support
Jake: ‘great stuff, Jan’

Congratulations Jan Kirchhoff on your player of the month award

At Salut! Sunderland and ESPN, as elsewhere, Jan Kirchhoff came in for some stick after that wretched debut at Spurs. Mitigating circumstances have subsequently emerged and Sam Allardyce has admitted his German signing was not match-fit and should not have been sent on as a sub.

And just look what has happened since. If Big Sam does not deserve to be part of a club facing the grave danger of relegation, nor does Kirchhoff. Monsieur Salut’s view is that we have not seen a better midfielder since Claudio Reyna.

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Bravo Leicester, keep faith with Sunderland and this season’s real champions, Shildon

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Shildon Tunnel
Shildon Tunnel

We can take our hats off to Leicester City, fully deserving Premier champs. We can pray those of us with a God, that Sunderland somehow manage for the last three games what the Foxes did in nine a season ago. And, to lighten heavy spirits, we can share Pete Sixsmith (and Monsieur Salut)’s joy at a great achievement for a home town we both share by adoption …

Amid the feelings of doom that pervade the thoughts of Sunderland supporters, a ray, nay beam, nay blast of sunshine hits some Red and Whites. For those like Monsieur Salut and me who cut our footballing teeth at Dean Street, Shildon there is a title win to celebrate.

Shildon AFC: Northern League Champions 2015-16.

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Hillsborough (2): a Sunderland fan in Leppings Lane End as disaster struck

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Mick Goulding and son
Mick Goulding and son

We have already heard from Pete Sixsmith how the official approach to football supporters that was reflected when 96 people died at Hillsborough also threatened people attending at a Sunderland game, and how it nearly ended his own teaching career. Now, also discussing the historical context in which the tragedy was handled, Michael Goulding, lifelong Sunderland fan and occasional contributor to these pages, looks back on a day that affected all of us in different ways but especially those who, like him, were there …

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Stoke City Who are You?: ‘Fancy Dans with a soft centre’

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angela
angela

Angela Smith*, broadcaster, Supporters’ Council leader and former squash pro, is as Stoke as they come, a fan – she says – from birth, so precocious, too. She was quite enjoying the season until recent bad results, and expects Sunderland to snatch a draw on Saturday. Ideally, we need better than that but we’ll see. Welcome back to Salut! Sunderland, Angela. after an absence of two or three years and good luck after Saturday …

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From West Ham, Bournemouth, Spurs to Wearside: Defoe, Player of the Year

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Arise Sir Jermain, Player of SAFC's Season
Jake: ‘arise Sir Jermain, Player of SAFC’s Year’

We had a reference to Shakespearian tragedies last week and now Pete Sixsmith quotes the Bard in an appreciation of Jermain Defoe, who has been named Sunderland’s player of the year as voted by supporters. Come what may, the striker has done his job in style. Even the Londoncentric pundits are forever reminding us of the extraordinary achievement of scoring so freely for a team that’s been in trouble all season. All at Salut! Sunderland salute his efforts for the club and welcome the award …

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