Many of us know the sensation of being at St James’ Park when we win. Sixer has been at all five victories since 1999 and we can safely assume Rob Hutchison has experienced it, too. Yesterday, however, he was at the Old Red Lion Pub @ORLpub in London and says it “exploded when Johnno put that critter in, 150 London Branch (SAFCSA) members went absolutely bonkers’. Here, ahead of Keir Bradwell’s ratings, are his man-by-man marks and a single word apiece . . . .
Just hit the home page – https://safc.blog – and navigate the site to milk the occasion for all it’s worth.
Gus Poyet rightly hails a fabulous winner and a grand team performance. He cannot quite share our tribal passion but he gets it! Read his post-match e-mail to Monsieur Saliut, and a few other delirious fans, and feel his joy …
Pete Sixsmith – Father Christmas to many in the North East – saw our fourth successive win against Newcastle as Adam Johnson blasted home a superb winner after we’d wasted chances galore and briefly handed the initiative to the Mags. Sixer said at half time ‘the final ball needs to be better’ though Sunderland had still carved out the three best chances, two headers (one a sitter) to Wickham and Fletcher’s magnificent volleyed attempt, hitting the bar from Larsson’s tremendous ball). Sixer also bemoaned referee Anthony Taylor’s failure to send off Coloccini for his wretched assault on Fletcher or to book Tiote until he’d committed four yellow card offences. Gomez missed a glaring chance in the second half, Johnson missed another (not so straightforward) but no matter. The win was deserved …
Dec 21 NUFC (0) 0 SAFC (0) 1 Four in a row brings Christmas cheer
Dec 13 SAFC (1) 1 West Ham United (1) 1 One point better than none. Tight game
For a mid-season review of Sunderland’s performances so far, The Observer turned as ever to Pete Sixsmith. Here’s his verdict …
Previewing the Tyne-Wear derby for ESPN, I mentioned the decision by Northumbria police to treat the game with a less jittery approach to security.
Am I being too cynical in wondering whether the logical outcome, given the sad existence of their horse-punchers and our own minority of not-so-peaceable followers, is that it’ll be back to the ring of steel next time?
Geordie and lifelong Toon fan, Nick Donaldson* was one of Monsieur Salut’s colleagues in London and is now following, long after M Salut’s departure, in his footsteps to Abu Dhabi. But while sorting out visas, medicals, accommodation and other formalities, he thought he’d squeeze one more derby before heading east, though he’s having to settle for a pub telly and mixed Mag/Mackem company. Rise above prejudice and stand by for another gem of a Who are You? I forgot to ask him whether 1-9 had a nice ring to it aa a Tyne-Wear score in December …
I still have a card my mother once sent me. It showed a long-suffering wife looking daggers at her old man as he hands her the most romantic birthday present he could think of getting: “Here you are, pet. Just what you always wanted. A framed pitcha of the Sunderland football team.”
Well, look at the mug above. Imagine it as a smart framed photograph. It will be yours if you are the first to post a correct prediction of the score for Sunday’s derby at St James’ Park.
Sunderland 1 – 1 West Ham: Player Ratings
After being silenced by family commitments – and perhaps a spot of homework from school – young Keir Bradwell returns belatedly to action with his Sunderland ratings from the West Ham game (sorry Hammers, our players only; if I were marking yours, Song would be the star man, followed by Downing – Ed). Compare and contrast with the considered verdict of Pete Sixsmith, and the one-word ratings of Rob Hutchison …
There were other little talking points. Nolan getting away with a clear yellow card offence, the cynicism of the Gomez foul that brought him his card, the nastiness of Downing’s challenge on Reveillere.