Under 21s

Winning becomes a habit as Sunderland beat Notts County. Wolverhampton Wanderers next

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Pete Sixsmith and memories of a cup run, as opposed to el Alamein
Here’s one we made earlier: no prizes for guessing which of these gents is Pete Sixsmith

Snow in South West Durham ruled out Pete Sixsmith‘s first choice of football on Tuesday evening, just up Busty Bank and along the road from him at Shildon’s own threatre of dreams, Dean Street, but didn’t stop him making his way up to Sunderland for the Under 21s or whatever number you choose at home in the cup to Notts County …


Two games and two wins.

After the triumph against all the odds in Dorset, the Under 23s, or 21s or whatever they are restored pride to the club by battling back to beat our old friends and rivals from Nottingham in a pulsating thriller of a game at the Stadium of Light last night.

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Sixsmith Says: Eboué impresses but Leicester edge past the Under 21s

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Pete Sixsmith: one of 300 hardy souls watching the Under 21s
Pete Sixsmith: one of 300 hardy souls watching the Under 21s

Staying in is for wimps, at least when there’s a competitive football match to see. Pete Sixmsith took in the Under 21s, hosting Leicester City with a debut for the experience but currently unattached trialist Emmanuel Eboué. the Ivoiran right-back did OK until subbed but Sixer witnessed just the kind of result we do not want repeated tonight …

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Sunderland 0-0 Chelsea: hardly worth delaying the Yorkshire pud

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Pete Sixsmith: football-watching as masochism
Pete Sixsmith: football-watching as masochism

Pete Sixsmith is a hardy soul. Point him towards a match and he’ll be there whatever the time, whatever the weather. Mind, this was one to shake his resolve …


My hope was to bring you tales of derring-do from Eppleton Colliery Welfare, where the Under 21s played Chelsea at the strange time of 11.45 on Sunday.

It necessitated an overnight stay for those who represented the London club, presumably at the Radisson in Durham, although the friendly substitute warming up could only tell me that “it was near a river”. The mention of the nearby World Heritage Site of Cathedral and Castle merely elucidated a shrug of the well paid shoulders and the recognition of the word Radisson.

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Sixer Says: Liverpool overcome Under21s despite Danny Graham goals in stirring fightback

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Sixer: 'winter looms - time to start wrapping up'. But In green? Sobs takes the fashion honours
Sixer: ‘winter looms – time to start wrapping up’. But In green? Sobs takes the fashion honours

From a late cameo role to help preserve the lead at Crystal Palace, Danny Graham – in his 31st year – went straight into the Under 21s lineup to face Liverpool in a league cup tie. Top of the Barclays U21 Premier League, SAFC had already beaten the Scousers once and surely started favourites. Graham taught the young ‘uns a thing or rather two, but it wasn’t enough. Pete Sixsmith braved the cold to bring you this report on what went wrong …

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PROGRESS IN EUROPE

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Pete Sixsmith: ready for continental lager
Pete Sixsmith: ready for continental lager, and you’ll note he’s got his coat

John McCormick writes: Pete Sixsmith wrote this a couple of days ago but for some reason it didn’t reach me.  Not to worry, it’s here now, and it’s up to his usual standard.
Over to Pete:

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Warm post-Newcastle glow resists defeat to Manchester United Under 21s

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Pete: 'maybe I need to stick to playing Santa'
Pete: ‘maybe I need to stick to playing Santa’

Monsieur Salut writes: on Friday I found myself at a London event sitting next to one of the world’s least likely Newcastle United fans, Marwan J Al Sarkal, chief executive officer of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Sharjah, as every schoolboy should know, being next door to Dubai and one of the the seven emirates of the UAE). That Geordie Nation of theirs clearly knows no bounds. Marwan was good company all the same and smiled, with a hint of envy, when I showed him my ticket for Sunday. I can honestly say I wish he had been there with me to see our resounding (at least by the scoreline) victory.

Pete Sixsmith was still beaming when he headed to Hetton for a big test for the Under 21s. Don’t be too hard on him about the slightly grainy photo of pals at the game (M Salut has only basic enhancement tools) – he insists he was ‘playing with a new phone’ …

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Sunderland 1-0 Everton: just the Under 21s but can this victory be an omen?

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Pete Sixsmith: 'is this our future?'
Pete Sixsmith: ‘is this our future?’

Hull were comfortably beaten at home by Arsenal, making it four out of six results from the weekend games, our own included, to go our way. That’s five out of six if Newcastle, their flimsy challenge tossed aside at Leicester, are sucked deeper into the danger zone. Pete Sixsmith decided the Under 21s game last night offered a good way of testing the water ahead of our most vital game since, well, the last most vital game …

Was it an omen? Did the Oracle at Delphi speak? Is Nostradamus on our side?

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Sixer Says: Leicester youth seen off before seniors’ bounceback starts vs Arsenal

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Pete Sixsmith sees a clean sheet, a goal and a win
Pete Sixsmith sees a clean sheet, a goal and a win

Monsieur Salut writes: The last I saw of Pete Sixmith was when he boarded one train, and I another, at Southampton Central. It’s fair to say our spirits were not high. As we await our Mannone payouts – Sixer reckons £500 would cover his extended south coast stay; mine involves diesel and motorway tolls for 1,200km through France and the south-east, one overnight stop, travel and beer on Saturday and the old codger’s ticket but I’d accept even less, say £300) – he takes in a Sunderland return to winning ways, unfortunately at the wrong level to ease our Premier worries …

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