With our regular Boro-supporting visitor Smoggie in mind, this is essentially a repeat of the SAFC v MUFC ‘Who are You?’ (see our exchange at https://safc.blog/2016/02/manchester-united-who-are-you-maybe-newcastle-not-safc-for-the-drop/). If you have already read it, feel free to move on. But Smoggie noticed that while Monsieur Salut had conscientiously chopped away at assorted references to ‘s**t’ and ‘p***’, he had overlooked a stray ‘f***ing’. That meant, as it does in the slightly odd world of the web, that prudishness on the part of A N Other stopped the otherwise excellent Q+A reaching much of an audience.
Which would have been shame as we received a great set of replies from Chas Banks*, a committee man with MUDSA, the Manchester United Disabled Supporters’ Association. He’s Old Trafford born, not remotely a Glazers man and even followed the breakaway FC United of Manchester for a year until he found the just couldn’t give up MUFC. His disability is a result of ‘a weird thing called Transverse Myelitis’ which he contracted in 1996 and is tricky to diagnose. In those days, waiting lists to see a neurologist were running at around 22 months. A ‘natural organiser’ with a history of pop music management – see the Teenage Fanclub above and the Pixies below – Chas has plenty to say, most of it spot-on (we’d part company on the cheating question).
Chas had us down for relegation in his initial response but changed his mind a little after watching Newcastle at Everton on the TV.
So here we are again with Chas Banks, and – promoted to greater prominence – the bands he’s been involved with …
Sunderland A.F.C
Manchester United Who are You?: ‘maybe Newcastle, not SAFC, for the drop’
Another Who are You?, another great set of replies. Step forward Chas Banks*, a committee man with MUDSA, the Manchester United Disabled Supporters’ Association. He’s Old Trafford born, not remotely a Glazers man and even followed the breakaway FC United of Manchester for a year until he found the just couldn’t give up MUFC. His disability is a result of ‘a weird thing called Transverse Myelitis’ which he contracted in 1996 and is tricky to diagnose. In those days, waiting lists to see a neurologist were running at around 22 months. A ‘natural organiser’ with a history of pop music management, Chas has plenty to say, most of it spot-on (we’d part company on the cheating question).
Chas had us down for relegation in his initial response but changed his mind a little after watching Newcastle at Everton on the TV …
SAFC v Manchester United Guess the Score: only four words matter
OK, we usually offer a few random thoughts on the forthcoming game as we invite readers – whoever they support – to Guess the Score.
Cue a break with tradition.
For this week only, our illustrator Jake provides not only the image but the only four words that really concern Sunderland supporters. He repeats them many times, but there are still, essentially, just the four words.
A Canadian Mackem’s diary: Kop that for a comeback at Liverpool
The football part of Martin Bates‘s grand pilgrimage to Sunderland, where his parents were born and raised before heading west to Canada, began with a stirring but losing performance at home to Manchester City. Since he was fearing the worst at Anfield on Saturday when two home goals went in, you can imagine Martin’s joy at witnessing a gutsy late revival. Here is part two of a Canadian Mackem’s trip-home diary …
Liverpool daughter, Sunderland dad. She confesses …
Nathalie Randall is Monsieur Salut’s younger daughter, a very decent footballer (for Old Actonians, who play in quite a good women’s league with Premier in its title), a great mum to Maya but a very disloyal child. Despite being frogmarched to Sunderland games from an early age, she supports Liverpool. She has already explained why on these pages and, believe me, it doesn’t bear repeating.
But here, Nathalie looks forward to Saturday’s game at Anfield.
Yes, her pocket money has been stopped before and it doesn’t work …
Pep Guardiola, Louis van Gaal. These Manchester Men matter, if only a little
Buy from the Salut! Amazon link at http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00NVFNIS2/salusund-21
Monsieur Salut writes: It is not often that Salut! Sunderland‘s parent (or should that be geriatric?) site Salut draws more hits.It got close today because of the magic words in the headline (world-renowned managers of football clubs that have become global brands).
There wasn’t much chance of injecting a link to Sunderland in the Pep Guardiola profile I wrote for The National (decent, joined-up writing paper published in Abu Dhabi), though I considered mentioning his conversation with Boro’s Spanish manager Aitor Karaoke about life in England – though what would he know, being in Middlesbrough?.
But here it is, just in case anyone cares. My profile of Louis van Gaal, when he was appointed manager of Manchester United, still attracts loads of visitors to francesalut.com. Today, I expressed the hope that Pep is a little more mature in his dealings with the press because fabulously rewarded men and women in very public roles simply have to learn the law of rough and smooth …
Liverpool v SAFC Who are You?: Jordan ‘immense’, Mignolet ‘strange’, says man from Anfield Wrap
Neil Atkinson*, our old pal from The Anfield Wrap podcast and site, had to rise above a mountain of typos to make sense of Salut! Sunderland‘s questions ahead of SAFC’s visit to Liverpool on Saturday. Once he’d deciphered them, he came up with these thoughtful and entertaining responses, kindly predicting survival for Sunderland and offering a lyrical, Shankly-inspired appraisal of Jurgen Klopp’s needs …
Liverpool v SAFC Guess the Score: maybe making a point
Can the new-look Lads make our Canadian diarist Martin Bates‘s trip “home” feel all the more worthwhile?
Martin has already vividly described his first few days back on Wearside, where bis parents were born and raised before emigrating, and promises more. He has a ticket for the Liverpool game and also for the next home tie, against Man Utd a week later.
How sweet the flight home would feel if, somehow, it was made after Sunderland’s points tally had risen to 25. Even a draw and a win would send him home happy.
The Canadian Mackem: a Sunderland diary starts with ‘timewasting’ Manchester City
Many readers will recall Martin Bates‘s welcome contributions in words and pictures from Toronto when the pre-season tour reached Canada. From pure Wearside stock, Martin is Sunderland daft and anyone befriending him on Facebook will have sensed his great excitement at starting a trip back home, picking up tickets for the Man City, Liverpool and Man Utd games and soaking up the atmosphere and beer of the city where his roots are found. This, we hope, is the first of at least two slices of his back-to-Sunderland diary …
Sixer’s Soapbox. Deserved more against a Manchester City reduced to MUFC playacting
Monsieur Salut writes: I was wrong. Pete Sixsmith‘s internet woes are over so he was up and about at the crack of dawn to reflect on the 1-0 defeat at home to Man City. I’m busy writing a profile of City’s manager-in-waiting – being contenders for four major trophies being seen as a clear sign of failure in that part of the NW Midlands – so apologies to Sixer for the delay in posting …