Time to give readers a tap on the shoulder and remind them to come up with an entry in our Things We Do For Love contest.
You see the prize above – a magnificent print of Roker Park – and we have already had some excellent entries which can be seen at the earlier posts: https://safc.blog/category/salut-competition/ – and Monsieur Salut’s work will have his work cut out when he gets round to choosing a winner.
Monsieur Salut writes: Tim Burke* has Millwall connections and should perhaps be wearing a ‘you all hate us, we don’t care’ T-shirt. Instead, he fell in love with the Foxes after moving to Leicester and much of the footballing world fell in love with his adopted team in May. It was a season he enjoyed for a reason never experienced by a Sunderland supporter who was not alive in 1936. This season? Tim’s happy, even if tongue in cheek, to avoid the drop . Great attitude and great replies – and maybe he can take heart from Sunderland’s history; we won the FA Cup in the season following our last top flight title …
Monsieur Salut writes: in a sign of age, I imposed ‘Hayley Mulls’ on our charming young writer Hayley Penman as the generic title for her occasional offerings here. And how welcome those contributions are. With gentle paternal guidance from our old friend John Penman, Hayley – just 12 on November 14 – came up with the idea of interviewing two men associated with the clubs that matter to her, Sunderland and Dunfermline. One day, we (or she) will come up with ideas for a better collective title for her articles than Hayley Mulls – and one day David Moyes, who admittedly has had more pressing matters on his plate, may add the missing responses to her questions …
All the lads and lasses of Budapest out on the town to celebrate a Sunderland win
Pete Sixsmith is not a man without romance. However, his idea of how to make perfect a romantic wedding anniversary weekend in Budapest – a choice of football games – is not necessarily one Madame Salut would share and risks being overlooked. There is certainly romance in the idea of our beloved club whizzing over to Hungary for a major European cup competition. We did it once, way back in 1973, and our Pete was there, breezing through the Iron Curtain to witness splendid goals from Billy Hughes and Dennis Tueart. Let him set the scene for some powerful memories …
While perusing Sunday’s 16-page Observer Special on “Why The Donald Was Able To Seize The Hearts And Minds Of Millions Of Americans” I was disturbed by the phone. Fearing someone trying to convince me that installing solar power was a good idea (in Shildon? Really?) I answered it with a certain amount of trepidation.
Paul Summerside offers another dollop of his usual upbeatery, though he has also been given to moments of doubt, to explain succinctly why Sunderland will beat Hull City and stop us all looking up road maps to Bristol, Barnsley and Burton for next season (truth be told, he’s as nervous as the rest of us) …
Absolutely nailed-on three-nil Sunderland win.
Guess the Score has never been earlier. But then, there have not been many games as season-defining as Sunderland versus Hull City on Saturday.
Yes, I know we have said that kind of thing before, quite a lot over recent seasons, but this really is a vital test of whether our 2-1 win at Bournemouth was just a momentary, skin-of-the-teeth distraction from a Villa-style descent to the Championship – or the catalyst for instant revival.
This replaces the original posting to take account one important update to the rules (see introduction). Any responses already received will be added as entries here …
Monsieur Salut introduces a sparkling new competition. The deadline for entries is Tuesday December 13 to give plenty of time for the prize seen above to be posted for Christmas (our many overseas readers may be interested to hear that there us no restriction on where you’d want it sent though we obviously cannot be sure of delivery times) …
And right, I have ripped up the rules. John McCormick, our inimitable associate editor, had chipped in with a great anecdote so I shall no longer require the help of other Salut! Sunderland codgers to judge entries and choose a winner. Everyone except me is eligible to enter …
Like it, the image above? Whether you remember starting your Sunderland-supporting days in that wonderful if ultimately decrepit stadium, or have only the handed-down memories of older relatives and acquaintances, Roker Park is a name that evokes pride, passion and history.
The excellent people behind a firm selling a wide range of conceptual prints and artwork, all marketed as products called Dorothy though no one there bears that name, have kindly agreed to put up one print as a prize.
Monsieur Salut says: the international break makes me twitchy. No serious interest in the football, lots of time to worry about Sunderland. So let’s have a poll …
Are we, then, resigned to Jordan Pickford becoming another Jordan Henderson, red-and-white through and through but grasping, understandably, at opportunities higher up the footballing ladder than where Sunderland find themselves placed?
Do we reluctantly accept that pressure from Everton, or West Ham or someone else with pots of money to spend and heads to turn, will lure away Lamine Kone in January?
And could we live with one or both departing provided – are you listening, Mr Short? – adequate replacements are secured before anyone is let out of the door? So not just Vito Mannone fit again – though that matters, too – but people coming in, and coming in as a pre-condition of anyone else’s departure.
Monsieur Salut writes: it was a pleasure seeing Rob Hutchison, purveyor of one-word wisdom, in the away-friendly Sir Percy Florence Wetherspoons – and his charming daughter Olivia – before the game. Olivia, 18, has seen every away game so far so deserved the victory we secured. She sent dad’s one-word ratings as he shouted out his verdicts while driving home. ‘Well that was emotional,’ he told her to add, ‘about time we got a break’. Like everyone in the away end, Rob was taken with the mighty performance of Victor Anichebe …
Sunderland AFC has effectively confirmed to Salut! Sunderland that it is considering the possibility of scrapping the Premier Rate phone numbers, otherwise known as ripoff lines, that hit fans in the pocket when they call the SoL – without producing significant income for the club.
That, at least, is my interpretation – a fair one, I think – of the club’s response to questions I posed earlier this week.