Not so cool at the Pool, said Peter Sixsmith. Benji Kimpioka was cool, as were others of the young players at Jack Ross’s disposal. Catts and Honeyman, despite Ross saying the right things about how they were working for him, were distinctly uncool. What we all think of their agent, the club’s former CEO Margaret Byrne, may be best left unsaid. Sixer’s report – he chose the Victoria Ground over pub or armchair view of England losing decisively to Belgium – fills in the gaps while Monsieur Salut happily fetes France’s World Cup success, broadly deserved …
The 2018-19 edition of Sixer’s Sevens, in which Pete Sixsmith or a super-sub sums up each Sunderland game in seven words, gets properly under way today. Yes, he had a first pre-season friendly the other night, when Darlington beat us 1-0. But Pete may have been keeping one eye on news from St Petersburg, when France were beating Belgium by the same score, and offered only a Sixer’s Four – ‘a rather embarrassing defeat’ – so we made do with his Soapbox match report next day.
The game at the Victoria Ground was heading the same way until, with almost the last kick of the match, when our young Swedish prospect Benjamin Mbunga Kimpioka equalised. He’s having a great pre-season, with two hat-tricks for the Under 23s already. Their opener? ‘One down to sloppy defending,’ wrote Pete,’there’s a change then’.
So here we go with Pete’s first (written seconds before our goal) plus – for those not of a nervous disposition – a reminder of how Sixer and others captured each game last season. The squeamish should stop at the final game (when we improbably beat the champions, Wolves, 3-0) …
UPDATE: we saw the poll had grown, improbably, to 11,000+ votes with Coventry way out in front on 26 per cent. Couldn’t blame Jimmy Hill this time but something was clearly up. For the culprits, go to the Coventry site Sky Blues Talk … but don’t get too cross as our lot would gladly have done the same to them. The poll, unsurprisingly, is suspended …
After Colin reposted our “who’s going up?” poll (on the left, below) in one of the Question and Answer sessions with our owners there was brief flurry of voting, as you might have expected given the number of visitors we had. And then things slowed down until, by the weekend, things were at a trickle, although votes were and are still coming in. Again, this was to be expected as the eyes of the football world were on Russia, where eight or nine ex-Sunderland players were taking part in the World’s most prestigious competition outside the Third Division. We now have over 800 votes cast, which is enough to be going on with, although Colin in his gut feeling poll, had almost as many when only one vote was allowed per person.
Tom Sloanes, commercial director, BETDAQ [left] and Tony Davison, managing director, Sunderland AFC
Salut! Sunderland has had, broadly, amicable relations with Sunderland AFC. It could have been better, it could have been worse.
Stewart Donald and Charlie Methven give the impression of wanting such relations to grow stronger, not weaker. That goes for the mainstream media as well as for the fan sites, big and small.
We are unlikely to see a repeat of the insane Ellis Short line that the media is to blame for misrepresenting him and his actions and/or intentions when the same man admitted he never spoke to the media.
It is time to conclude our series based on (mainly) electronic conversations between Salut! Sunderland writers and Charlie Methven, executive director of the club and a minority shareholder.
We thank Charlie for his time and full, diligent responses. Not every Sunderland supporter is yet convinced, either that the takeover from Ellis Short leaves Stewart Donald, Charlie and their team in a strong financial position or that bargain acquisitions from Scotland will win us League One.
We will see. For now, the right noises are being made and the level of communication between club and fans is healthier than in the past, possibly healthier than at any time in the history of Sunderland AFC.
Laid low by a bad dose of wind.
Pic courtesy of the club website www.safc.com
Can the new lads sing?
legendary
Our question-and-answer discussions with Sunderland’s executive director, Charlie Methven, continues with a series of detailed points put to him by Salut! Sunderland‘s deputy editor, Malcolm Dawson. I called Malcolm’s efforts speeches followed by questions, Charlie thought “lectures” the more appropriate description while appreciating the depth of his thinking.
And each ends with a highly pertinent question. Let the pair of them speak for themselves (and see the series in full at this link). Many thanks to all the readers who came here yesterday to see what Charlie had to say; we wish only that a few more had also taken the trouble to put their own views across or respond to
his comments …
Update: there is also news on possible and thoroughly welcome departures . Neither Papy Djilobodji nor Didier Ndong reported back for duty as expected – and, presumably, contracted – so while they or their agents hawk their services around other clubs, SAFC can perhaps save a little money by fining them each two weeks’ wages for any indiscipline that cannot be explained by the need to visit sick aunts. Lamine Kone was also absent from the team’s training camp trip to Portugal, also having no wish to prolong his stay at Sunderland, though he did at least make it back to Wearside. Which of them, in all honesty, will be missed?
The day started with a great series of questions and answers with Charlie Methven – check it out here and for the next two days – and now we have news of further signings.
It began with news of the arrival of the Scottish international and former Hibs midfielder Dylan McGeouch and, for Elliott Dickman’s Under 23 squad, Jordan Hunter, on a free from Liverpool. And it continued – see below – with the announcement of another import, defender Reece James from Wigan.
Salut! Sunderland writers posed the questions and Charlie Methven, our chairman Stewart Donald’s right-hand man, answered then.
In the first round, our star writer Pete Sixsmith – teacher, 50+ years a supporter and as knowledgeable about football as they come – dealt with perceptions and realism. His questions can be summarised in this way: it’s all very well having a good, encouraging start for the new regime, with bags of enthusiasm among the fans, but what if things go wrong?
Our leaders, Charlie Methven (l) and the chairman, Stewart Donald
Salut! Sunderland was asking the questions. But Charlie Methven, Stewart Donald’s executive director and minority shareholder in the post-Ellis Short SAFC, had one for us: ‘How are we doing so far?’
Monsieur Salut, who worked with Charlie and has been delighted to renew an amicable acquaintance, gave the truthful response. On balance, a fine and encouraging start …
appointing a manager who seems the right fit for the club, a man with the ability and character to bring the best out of a revamped squad
managing to see the back of Jack Rodwell with a payoff that represents a fraction of what he would have cost the club had he seen out his contract
making players and one key official feel Sunderland was the place they wanted to be – even if it meant taking a pay cut
engaging with supporters and treating fanzines as important, not because their editors need or deserve to have their egos massaged but because they represent so many thousands of the club’s loyal followers
working their socks off to get rid of people who don’t want to play for the club but have absurdly generous and undeserved contractual rights that somehow have to be resolved
stimulating a genuinely optimistic wave of support, with 21,000+ season tickets sold, 23,000 the new target and 1,000 fans already met by Charlie
