Vito Mannone

Barnsley vs SAFC Who are You?: ‘not a plaything for the mega-rich’

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Dan Tate: ‘what it feels like when Adam Hamill scores our second goal in the 3-1 playoff final defeat of Millwall – at least I think it was the second goal because the first was so early I’d have had a pie in my hand’

It may never have been quite like watching Brazil. But fans of big clubs can have no real concept of what it means to be part of the sort of occasion that gripped Dan Tate 14 months ago. As part of a 51,000-strong crowd, Dan experienced a great afternoon in the history of his club. He had willed himself to believe in a playoff final victory whoever his team, Barnsley, came up against and so it proved. Barnsley 3 Millwall 1 after a comfortable dismissal of Walsall in each leg of the League One semi-final. Dan is a season ticket holder at Oakwell and needless to say, will be there when Sunderland visit on Saturday. He ‘diplomatically’ predicts a draw …

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Vito Mannone’s proud, emotional farewell to Sunderland (fans) as he joins Reading

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Vito: the sweetest of parting messages …

The news that Vito Mannone was leaving came as Sunderland prepared for the friendly win at Hartlepool. In itself, it was not surprising; nor, given our club’s wretched history in the transfer market in recent years, has been the realisation that we did not appear to have had anyone lined up. With the start of the season so close, that might have seemed a given  but then this is SAFC.

Mannone himself leaves after four years with heaps of goodwill. That penalty shoot-out save at Old Trafford that took us to a Wembley final stands out. So do his heroics in a number of vital survival games.

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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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Our best defenders: Part 1, individual comparisons

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When I did my analysis of our midfield I said it would probably be one of two posts but there was so much to collect and compare that I decided to split the second part into two.

To begin, I’m using stats from  hosted stats.com, Squawka.com and my own sums to look at individual performances.

Who do you think is better – Coates, Kaboul or Koné? How do they compare to John O’Shea?

And would you rather have Billy Jones than DeAndré the Throw-in Slayer?

Read on, and all will be revealed.

Or maybe not.

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Gambles’ Rambles: Yes to Mannone’s humility, a resounding No to moneyback culture

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Ken Gambles: 'charity begins at home to Arsenal'
Ken Gambles: ‘charity begins at home to Arsenal’

Just as old cynics – step forward Ken Gambles and also M Salut – were wondering what sort of reception Vito Mannone got in the dressing-room when he took the hat round for refunds for the fans (£50,000, £60,000, £70,000 in all or am I way out?), safc.com put out a statement saying this grand gesture was on. Ken, though, disagrees completely with idea of fans demanding their money back after wretched performances and would doubtless go along with the idea floated here of allowing their refunds to go to the Grace House children’s charity. All you need do is miss the deadline of Nov 5 for claiming the money. But let Ken have his say on the principle anyway …

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