Pete Sixsmith gets to a lot of Sunderland games home and away – though he’s introduced a ban on matches south of Lincoln this season – and whizzed across the Pennines to show solidarity with Bury and Bolton and watch the Lads at Turf Moor. Only the Carabao Cup. But up against Premier League opposition again.
In his instant seven-word verdict – a full account of the game will follow – Pete didn’t say that we have three more scorers this season, or that Will Grigg got the first. Instead, he just happened to express a little bit of pleasure at yet another win across the Pennines, then an even more pleasing summary of a game that went our way and set up another test against Premier League opposition, away to Sheffield Utd in the next round:
STOP PRESS: from the BBC … Bolton Wanderers: Football Ventures completes takeover to save League One club
We think of Bury and we think of Paul Butler, Chris Maguire and SuperKev’s four promotion-winning goals. Bolton will stir older memories (Nat Lofthouse in Bolton minds, Charlie Hurley in ours). Here are Pete Sixsmith‘s reflections on a social and sporting tragedy …
In their breakthrough hit Letter from America, The Proclaimers charted the destruction of Scottish industrial towns like Methil, Bathgate and Linwood. After the events of yesterday, those towns could well be replaced by the names of old established football clubs on this side of the still invisible border.
Bury are first on that list. They went yesterday after a prolonged period on a deathbed that was created for them by two men with similar names.
Stuart Day was the man who mortgaged the ground, the social club, the historic trophies and memorabilia and who offered contracts to players that were unrealistic.
Burnley fans who recall straying here in the past may also remember we would preview each game between our clubs with comprehensive question-and-answer interviews with one of their fellow supporters.
That has changed, not because we are now two divisions lower than the last time we met but because we have introduced a simplified version of Who are You? this season.
Instead off hunting down Alastair Campbell, as we did once at this link, or another Burnley fan and firing off questions at him (or her), we now – as with all other games – post a shorter list of questions here and invite responses in the Comments below.
Answer as many or as few as you wish. Sometimes the new way (and indeed WAY) works, mostly – it’s early in the season but on the evidence so far – it doesn’t but we’d welcome responses from as many Burnley fans as possible …
Sunderland’s record against Burnley was at best patchy even when we were also in the Premier League. Now two divisions separate us and we travel to Turf Moor for a Carabao Cup tie.
There are different ways of looking at the game. Chris Maguire’s fine hat-trick in the 3-1 win against AFC Wimbledon will have done team confidence a power of good as did the notching up of four wins in a row. A fifth would be welcome, especially in this test against a much smaller club that has a rather bigger team just now.
But losing – narrowly by preference if it has to happen – would not be the end of the world in a season where promotion is the priority over all other matters.
Jake: ‘any win does the job but a thumping victory would do wonders for morale’
If you followed the game one way or the other, or saw Pete Sixsmith’s splendid match report here, you’ll know we gained three massive points at Rochdale without covering ourselves in glory.
Perhaps we should take comfort in the fact that successful teams have always had a knack of grinding out or snatching results when playing well below par or just being matched in all respects save goalscoring by opponents.
It is not sycophantic but a sheer matter of common sense to applaud a disappointing but winning performance, especially when it happens to be the third victory in a row. That level of consistency in results has been sorely lacking in recent seasons.
So without further ado, let us be having your feelings on whether, on paper, another highly winnable game – at home to AFC Wimbeldon on Saturday – will go to script.
Jake: ‘Click the image to reach Salut! Sunderland’s home page’
The most important point to be made about tomorrow night’s game at the Spotland Stadium is that we must aim to remain unbeaten.
But a draw would be a disappointment. Sunderland really need to maintain the momentum, indeed the winning feeling, after a comfortable league cup visit to Accrington Stanley and a gritty home victory over much-fancied League One promotion rivals.
The spirit that helped secure the three points against Pompey, plus the quality that Jack Ross has in his squad, should in theory be enough to bring us a first away win in the game at Rochdale, against whom we achieved a league double last season.
Jake: ‘a home win on the board so let’s start doing it away, too’
Ahead of another important test for Jack Ross’s new-look squad, Salut! Sunderland poses a few questions to Rochdale fans in our own new-look Who are You? format.
We no longer launch searching parties for suitable candidates for each Sunderland game but are this season throwing open the exercise to all opposing supporters who stray on to our pages.
NB: the official web address of Salut! Sunderland is now https://safc.blog for those who like to bookmark the site. Using https instead of http should eliminate the annoying ‘site not secure’ warnings and, worse, re-direction to a dodgy Turkish site …
Our usual pre-match buildup has been disrupted by a technical issue, now resolved. This was how we invited Pompey fans to take part in our lazy new version of the traditional Who are You? series. Apologies to readers who found a way here despite our problems and have already seen what follows …
Playing the same team five times in one season, in the case of away trips as far away as is possible without falling into the sea, should be like one of those long trials after which 12 good men (and/or women) and true are excused further jury duties for life.
But no, Sunderland must face Portsmouth at least twice season, starting with Saturday’s early kickoff and not in the league we both fancied ourselves playing.
Salut! Sunderland has run a Who are You? series for most of its 12 years of existence. It has yielded superb interviews with followers of opposing clubs, whether celebrities, churchmen, writers, politicians. broadcasters, former players and managers or “ordinary” fans.
But setting up interviews is hard graft and this season, we are posting a shorter list of questions here and inviting supporters to answer as many of them as they wish.
If the quality of the answers we received for the Ipswich Town game is maintained, we will keep the annual Haway (Highly Articulate Who are You?) awards going. If the response is more like readers saw for the Oxford and Accrington games, our kind prize sponsors will not be troubled next May.
A technical fault means our headlines are not currently being picked up by NewsNow. This will seriously affect readership levels and it will be a struggle to attract Pompey fans to answer the questions below. So the Who are You? exercise is combined with Guess the Score – just for fun because the fault is proving very expensive to fix.
Playing the same team five times in one season, in the case of away trips as far away as is possible without falling into the sea, should be like one of those long trials after which 12 good men (and/or women) and true are excused further jury duties for life.
But no, Sunderland must face Portsmouth at least twice season, starting with Saturday’s early kickoff and not in the league we both fancied ourselves playing.
This posting is aimed in particular at Pompey supporters. Salut! Sunderland has run a Who are You? series for most of its 12 years of existence. It has yielded superb interviews with followers of opposing clubs, whether celebrities, churchmen, writers, politicians. broadcasters, former players and managers or “ordinary” fans.
But setting up interviews is hard graft and this season, we are posting a shorter list of questions here and inviting supporters to answer as many of them as they wish.
If the quality of the answers we received for the Ipswich Town game is maintained, we will keep the annual Haway (Highly Articulate Who are You?) awards going. If the response is more like readers saw for the Oxford and Accrington games, our kind prize sponsors will not be troubled next May.
And while you are here, Guess the Score. Just for fun.
