This, as I may have been heard saying elsewhere, is nothing special as a T-shirt. It is old, a bit faded and not even in red and white colours.
It repeats the name of the fanzine A Love Supreme, from which I bought it ages ago, and bears ALS’s name in white lettering on a green background. And beneath that is the modest slogan: “Probably the best fanzine in the world.”
Not often this season has Pete Sixsmith had so much cause to smile, let alone contemplate drinking perfumed tea from a Meissen cup. Cardiff at home was such an occasion, if without the porcelain. No better time could have been chosen for a thumping, morale-boosting, point-winning display. With nearly 46,000 in the ground, Monsieur Salut wonder how many more Sunderland fans near and far were watching it live, or live-minus-a-few-seconds via internet streams or listening to Nick Barnes and Gary Bennett’s Radio Newcastle commentary via the SAFC website (usually a good way of following the match, maddeningly stop-start on my Mac in the first half). But it’s fair to say the warm glow of relief and h*** will have been felt around the world …
Monsieur Salut writes: we fretted all week, tried all means of bolstering our own confidence, worried as usual about Sunderland’s habit of shooting self in foot – but kept believing. With good reason. An emphatic win lifts the Lads out of the bottom three, an achievement considered all but impossible less than two weeks ago. Pete Sixsmith said beforehand ‘most important game since the last most important game. Ah, well, here goes’. He was a happy man afterwards as we shall hear more of in due course. There is work still to be done but this was a great start to the last lap …
Phillip Nifield seems a decent character. He and Monsieur Salut pursued the same, now dying trade; he found life after newspapers so must remember to send a begging letter. But he’s always been a Cardiff fan, with lots of memories as you’ll soon see. Surely he’d be grudgingly happy for us to win. Surely we will anyway. No chance. Phillip, a board member of the Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust, expects the result that will please no one – a draw …
It seems odd, rather too soon and unnecessary to be naming players as best of the season.
With four immensely important games to go, and survival at stake, I’d say we should also avoid Villains of the Season awards.
Monsieur Salut writes: I have long envied Sobs. Paul Dobson, that is. We tend to meet only at away games, in the company of Pete Sixsmith though we also had a beer in Charleroi before England vs Germany during Euro 2000 and saw each other at the retirement do of the Northern Echo’s Mike Amos. But Sobs gets to pretty much every game whereas I get to only a few.
I suppose my dream, post-Lottery win, would be living half the year in France, as now, but flying back for every single game, preferably joining the London branch whenever rail travel is on the cards for home or away. With the Lottery win, I’d happily pay for everyone to travel in first.
But Sobs never told me that he is a published author. Until today that is when, inspired by my flippant suggestion that such an important game as SAFC v Cardiff merited more than a mug as the prize in Guess the Score, he offered a signed copy of Ganterbury Tales. Not Chaucer on strong medication, Sobs and a much-missed pal on journeying the country in the cause of Sunderland support. Let him explain …
No one correctly guessed the score at Chelsea.
That does not mean no Salut! Sunderland reader could bring himself or herself to predict an away win: the thin entry offered 1-1, 2-2 twice, 2-0 along with 2-1 and 3-1 to Chelsea but also, heroically, “William C” with 1-0 to the Lads. I also give credit to Terry, whose forecast of 3-1 was presented as an example of reverse psychology and turned out to be one that worked.
Nic Wiseman, fresh from being told on Twitter by Sky’s SAFC-supporting David Jones that It’s The Hope I Can’t Stand – co-created and co-edited by Nic – was ‘the best name for a SAFC fanzine ever’ – tonight made his debut in the Salut! Sunderland editorial set-up, editing and posting Keir Bradwell’s Easter-delayed ratings from Man City and Chelsea. Welcome on board, Nic …
Salut! Sunderland readers are generally too sensible to get carried away, says Monsieur Salut. Maybe because I need something to take the mind off Sunday, I cannot get enough of the post-Chelsea reflections. Keir Bradwell has been on detention, aka a wifi-free Center Parcs break (do they really spell it that way?), but keeps promising his ratings, now amounting to a mini-backlog. While we wait, here is what our old friend Rob Hutchison made of it. I love his opening three words as much as anything that follows them …
How Jose Mourinho must have salivated at that Gareth Bale goal for his old boys, Real Madrid, and wished he had a player remotely capable of similar at Chelsea FC.
But it’s all very well for Sunderland supporters to mock. After all, we may not have many points but we have got Adam Johnson, Connor Wickham and Fabio Borini. They only have the likes of Demba Ba and Eden Hazard.