Sunderland

Sixer’s Arsenal Soapbox: bagels, Bergkamp – and a good trip ends badly

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Jake: 'did we even turn up?'
Jake: ‘did we even turn up?’

Colin Randall writes: from my position just in front of the disabled Sunderland fans’ section, I could spot pre-match drinking companions: Pete Sixsmith and Sobs down a bit to my left, Bob Chapman down a bit to my right and the Wood brothers directly ahead a few rows down. Ian Todd, creator of the SAFCSA London branch had been in cheery mood in the concourse before kickoff. The players warmed up near the Sunderland contingent and acknowledged the support. Everyone was in good spirits. Then, it all went wrong. The game kicked off. Sixer wishes they hadn’t bothered …

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Countdown to Wembley: the long and short of Sunderland’s big day out

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Jake: 'que sera sera'
Jake: ‘que sera sera’

Salut! Sunderland offers all readers, contributors and stray visitors the chance to have their say about reaching Wembley again for the first time in 16 years, the first cup final in 22. Kevin Maguire, associate editor of the Daily Mirror, political pundit and a familiar voice on radio and TV, is a lifelong Sunderland fan. To prove that any contributions to this series will be welcome, long or short, he is distinctly economical with his words. They’re heartfelt all the same …

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Arsenal vs Sunderland ‘Who are You?’: post-Bayern FA Cup final warm-up

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Jake demands answers
Jake demands answers

With the big teams – Sunderland and Arsenal – kept apart for the quarterfinals, the road is still clear for them to meet again in the FA Cup semis or final. This weekend’s dress rehearsal is on their territory, the sedate setting of the Emirates, as Sunderland warm up for all that cup glory to come. Wembley three times this season or just the once and survival? Better still, of course, would be three trips and 17th bottom or higher. Brad Smith* is our Arsenal volunteer – or was he volunteered? – in the “Who are You?” hot seat. Brad is the creator of the active and up-to-date forum of the less active Arsenalview.com blog. He sees us in dire danger but rates Gus Poyet. Let’s hope his prediction is right score, wrong way round …

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‘Sunderland v Southampton Who are You?: 1,000km round trips ‘like scaling Everest’

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Jake demands answers
Jake demands answers

Pete Sixsmith’s phone and mine have compatibility issues. He sends goal texts and his Sixer’s Sevens match verdicts and nothing appears. I try to make sure he’s not stranded on on the Pennines by road closures and howling gales on the futile trip towards Man City and he sees nothing on his phone. Then a seven-worder arrived all the same: ‘No football but lots of Hydes bitter’. Since it’s a Manchester-brewed ale, we can safely assume the Durham branch coach made it before the match was postponed and that its occupants then celebrated avoidance of the defeat every pundit confidently predicted.

And so to Southampton in the FA Cup 5th round. Nick Gregory* runs Southampton away travel and transports Saints fans on their journeys around the country (though the long hauls to Wearside or Tyneside – likened by Nick to climbing Everest – are offset by several annual sprints to London0. He had to fit these answers into a hectic week that involved the game at Hull, which explains the terse answers. It’s more of a quickfire Q+A than the customary long read …

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