Malcolm Dawson writes…..the first outings for my thermals today and they meant I could more or less enjoy the game. …
Rob Hutchison says: Decent result not to lose but absolutely sterile in the final third. A goalscorer a goalscorer, my kingdom for a goalscorer. Here are his one-word ratings …
Pete Sixsmith recognised this was a game that could have gone either way, with decent half-chances at either end and both SAFC and West Ham enjoying periods in control. His seven-word verdict reflects that view of a game that vindicated Gus Poyet’s complaint last week that Sunderland lack cutting edge up front. Jozy Atidore’s comical slip from Seb Larsson’s great pull back, in the last act of the first half, will be remembered by many but he was not alone in failing to look much like scoring in open play …
Dec 13 SAFC (1) 1 West Ham United (1) 1 One point better than none. Tight game
Dec 6 Liverpool (0) 0 SAFC (0) 0 Ho ho ho: a well deserved point
Dec 3 SAFC (1) 1 Manchester City (2) 4 City’s hoodoo ended, aided by poor defending
Peter Lynn has been up in the loft again, digging out those old LPs from what DJs used to call yesteryear. His search ended with the Everly Brothers. What you are about to read reminds me of the well-educated friend who, watching fans stream out in the dying minutes as we clung to a 1-0 lead over Arsenal, exclaimed: ‘It’s like leaving a Shakespearean tragedy!’ ….
Even observers beyond the red and white segment of the North East can see that Newcastle United, “Geordie Nation” and “everyone’s second team” nonsense aside, are not an especially likeable football club.
The self-promotion can verge on the absurd. The babyish bans imposed on locally based reporters bring Mike Ashley into disrepute and make the job of honest communications staff a nightmare (even if, on a winning run, some Mags are at last willing to support the Stasi-like assault on free expression).
Graeme Howlett* edits Knees Up Mother Brown, and is not the first representative of that esteemed West Ham fan site to grace the hallowed turf of Salut! Sunderland. He rated Big Sam even before it became OK to do so, worships Trevor Brooking and thinks a 6-0 drubbing at Roker Park (1977) made up for our deep sense of injustice over the first Geoff Hurst goal nine years earlier in one of the 8-0 defeats against us that wasn’t at St Mary’s. Oddly enough, we went down in 1977 but not in 1968. Graeme expects fewer goals on Saturday, a draw or a single goal win either way, so plumps for Hammers 2-1
Pete Sixsmith, currently playing Santa for the children of County Durham, was born in Leeds and is an ardent supporter of the Leeds rugby league side. But we all know him as a passionate Sunderland supporter from boyhood, when he arrived in the North East and saw the light of righteousness. Who better to look at the history of our FA Cup encounters with Leeds United, 3rd round opponents at the Stadium of Light in January? United fans who want to engage in proper banter are welcome to add their own recollections or thoughts on Pete’s musings (one of them might even volunteer for the ‘Who are You?’ interview) …
In his winning stab at 0-0 for Liverpool vs Sunderland, Paul Devine – soon to be the owner of two splendid mugs – said: “One pointer could well be Liverpool’s date with Basel, where winning could mean El Dorado.”
Fat lot of good that did Brendan Rodgers, then, if they really did have an eye on last night’s game as opposed to just being not very good.
While Peter Sixsmith was ho-ho-hoing through parts of County Durham, Robert Chapman was stoically on an awayday to Anfield. Here, delayed a little by internet problems, is his report …
My first visit to Anfield was the last day of season 1980/1. A goal from Stan Cummins ensured a 1-0 win which kept us in the First Division. Since then I have seen a number of draws, more defeats, but no such repeat of that first visit.
Salut! Sunderland awaits two things: a photograph of Pete Sixsmith in his Father Christmas outfit – has any human being ever been more suited to the role? – and a stand-in Soapbox report, which our old friend Bob Chapman may well supply, of the match at Anfield.