Jake: ‘Sixer does it in seven words, no more, no less – unless he miscounts’
Monsieur Salut’s younger daughter Nathalie was hailed in this week’s Ealing Gazette for a ‘stunning 30-yard volley’ for her team in a cup win. How we longed for one of those from SAFC. But Pete Sixsmith saw clinicial finishing of a different kind as Steven Fletcher scored twice and Connor Wickham once to deliver a first Premier win of the season, each also clocking up superb assist. Stoke’s goal was a sloppy one to concede and Sixer saw more anxious moments than he’d have liked, but this was a massive boost to the team and supporters’ confidence …
Jake: ‘our strikers swung their banjos with accuracy today and gave the cow’s backside a reet battering!’
For Sunderland supporters of a certain age, and others with a finely developed sense of the club’s history, Johnny Crossan is something of a legend.
Crossan played 82 times for us between 1962 and 1965, scoring 39 times but – as memory plays its customary tricks – it sometimes seems as if the record was three times as long, the goalscoring three times more prolific. “Before him, all my heroes were those of my dad,” Pete Sixsmith recalls being told by another fan, Keith Scott, a few years ago. “Johnny Crossan was the first who was my own.”
The idea of tracking down Johnny for a Salut! Sunderland interview was formed very early in the site’s seven-year existence but did not materialise until 2011. Too late for the Summer Gold series, but at the suggestion of one of our older readers, it seemed worth repeating for the many new readers who have come this way since then. Here, with very nearly half a century gone since he last played for us, is the first part. We may try to locate Johnny again for an update before the process of reproducing that interview is complete …
What you could win: a mug with this design and your own name as No 12, from Personalised Football Gifts
Everyone knows the drill by now, or should.
Accurately predict the score in SAFC vs Stoke City Round Two, Premier League on Saturday, be the first to post that prediction and do so before kickoff and you win a prize.
South West Stokies can talk for England. Before the league cup game, we had Mike Alderson, the branch chairman, with some fascinating thoughts on all matters Stoke City that brought him a mixed response on a Potters’ message board (see below). The lines will be buzzing again when they see that our volunteer for the Premier game, Dave Shenton*, the branch travel officer, largely shares Mike’s views on Tony Pulis’s reign. Maybe one of the Oatcake critics will offer to chip in for the return league game (last time I tried to find a candidate there, I was invited to eff off). But let’s hear from Dave. Prepare for another great read with passing digs at Joey Barton, the Mags and Jack Wilshere …
Monsieur Salut writes: Keir Bradwell got it the neck here when plonking a 10/10 on Jozy Altidore after the low-scoring American produced a 20-goals-a-season strike against Stoke City. I detected irony but Keir, busy preparing for his 14th birthday tomorrow, hasn’t let on. Happy birthday, old man. Your ratings will never please everyone but nor would anyone else’s. I liked Alvarez, too. I also thought Cattermole had another good game and that Buckley and Jones showed a fair amount of style. So you got at least some of it right according to my own subjective assessment. Apologies to Swansea supporters; Keir’s brief is to mark our players, not yours …
Jake: ‘you’re so fine, you’re so fine you blow my mind’
Of the Salut! Sunderland editing team, one started the day in Spain, one was heading for Kendal (though he had been to Saturday’s goalless draw with Swansea), one is in Spain, one was working out a route to the Presqu’île du Gaou and the other was probably beating his own jogging record in Richmond Park (update: wasn’t far off – having driven back from the match, Nic Wiseman was doing a half-marathon). Even Pete Sixsmith beetled off to Tynecastle once he’d written this account of the game. Eventually someone returned to post his thoughts …..
Jake: ‘Sixer does it in seven words, no more, no less – unless he miscounts’
Pete Sixsmith saw a vastly improved Sunderland performance, another clean sheet for Vito Mannone but no goals and therefore yet another draw. As this was a game many supporters feared would end in disappointment of a harsher kind, that is a perhaps some way short of disaster. Except, as Sixer’s instant seven-word verdict makes clear, we still show no sign of being able to make the most of our chances …
Our own Nic Wiseman, who has been helping out on editing for a few months, was co-editor of one of those fanzines that deserved to prosper but didn’t. Salut! Sunderland reproduced highlights in a half-decent series, but one key item was missing – a piece about Kevin Ball that initially had the man himself feeling rather cross before peace was made. Nic has located that article. Let him introduce and then reproduce it, as well as plugging a new site all Sunderland fans should visit: https://ithics1.wordpress.com/ …
