This Sunderland fan and ex-player (nearly) thinks relegation might be OK

Forget the idiotic media-fuelled and possibly media-created spat between Big Sam and some manager-come-lately on Merseyside. Either the whole thing is a nonsense or one or two men need to grow up if an honest disagreement about fitness is to be seen by either as a row. This is a piece of more significance for Sunderland supporters. David Preece, Sunderland-born, a SAFC fan and on our books until he embarked on a career elsewhere, can write as well as keep goal (he’s currently player/goalkeeping coach at Lincoln City but see that wonderful bit of action in the clip).

His well-argued article for the Sunderland Echo can be seen in full at this link. We reproduce extracts with the Echo’s kind consent …


And this is the posting that took Salut! Sunderland past the milestone of 3 million hits …

Read more

Burnley, Leicester, QPR, Hull, Aston Villa, Newcastle – and us. Who is doomed?

[polldaddy poll=8818549]

It’s fair to say the headline was designed to attract supporters of all the relegation-threatened clubs, not just ours, so be aware that they may well be influencing the early No vote on SAFC’s chances of survival (whatever our own feelings!) …

Not everyone who supports our favourite club – I nearly wrote “only club” but retain a very soft spot indeed for Shildon AFC – lives in Sunderland or the North East.

Happy days
Happier days

Even those who do may not see the Sunderland Echo or Shields Gazette as often as they should. And we do not all, always, follow what the local press is saying online.

So every now and then, it seems a good idea to draw Salut! Sunderland readers’ attention to a piece that seems to capture our thoughts or put present circumstances in some reasonable order.

Read more

Graeme Anderson: a towering figure of Sunderland AFC journalism

graeme anderson

Pete Sixsmith offers a generous but thoroughly deserved appraisal of Graeme Anderson, who has performed with great style and accomplishment the delicate tightwire act of reporting on SAFC for the local paper without falling off either side (self-destruction or obsequious compliance) for a long stint that is now ending as he enters the world of freelancing. See also the comments of Ian Todd*, co-founder of the SAFCSA London and SE branch, who alerted M Salut to Graeme’s departure …

Read more