West Bromwich Albion

Justice for Jeff: support West Brom for just a minute

February 18, 2015February 10, 2015 by Dean Cruddace

For technical reasons, this posting has been superseded by the following: https://safc.blog/2015/02/still-seeking-justice-for-jeff-as-west-bromwich-albion-visit-sunderland/ where any further comments should be added …

Malcolm Dawson writes……When I was a kid I watched the FA Cup Final on TV religiously. It was virtually the only live televised football available to those of us growing up in the fifties and sixties.

Years later I could still have told you every result and every goalscorer between 1959 and 1978, but I’m not so sure I could now.

Read more

Salut! Sunderland’s Week: looking back at West Brom, forward to Manchester United

August 24, 2014August 23, 2014 by Colin Randall

There used to be a feature here called Salut! Sunderland’s Week. As you see, Jake even came up with an image for it.

In the end, it seemed too much like hard work, regurgitating the best of the offerings from these pages over the previous seven days or so, especially for those too busy or disinclined to visit the site daily.

Rarely, we unearth the series. Today’s an example for the simple reason that the first home game of the season takes places tomorrow and is against Manchester United.

Sixer’s West Brom Soapbox: Larsson settles the nerves

August 17, 2014 by Colin Randall

In half a century of following Sunderland, Pete Sixsmith has seen it all:opening day excitement, hope, nerves, dismay, despair … the list could bump his match report off the site. And he got most of that in one day on his trip to West Brom. Read on …

Pure Poyetry from West Bromwich Albion v SAFC: Not a bad way to start?

August 19, 2014August 16, 2014 by Colin Randall

Jake captures the Bard, with thanks to Owen Lennox

John McCormick writes: I was hoping to make this match but it was not to be and I had to make do with a dodgy feed. When we scored I thought ******, then they scored twice and I thought ****** again, but for different reasons. And then when hope was dying our Viking proved he was worth his new contract with a point-saving goal and I thought ****** once more, this time because two midfielders had scored and that’s a bit of a novelty.

Two forwards scoring would be a bit of a novelty, too, I think. It’s time Fletch and Jozy showed their worth.

That’s enough of my thoughts, what about the manager’s? Here they are, as sent directly to M Salut in his personal post-match e-mail:

Keir’s Sunderland Player Ratings: Catts the imperfect star vs WBA

August 16, 2014August 16, 2014 by Colin Randall

Jake: 'you've seen it all, being a Sunderland fan, in a single season, Keir' — Jake: ‘you’ve seen it all, being a Sunderland fan, in a single season, Keir’

Our youngest columnist by some margin, Keir Bradwell, quickly follows Pete Sixsmith back into action with the return of his man-by-man SAFC player ratings. You are at liberty to disagree …

Sixer’s Sevens: West Bromwich Albion (1) 2 SAFC (1) 2. A close shave

August 16, 2014 by Colin Randall

Jake: 'Sixer does it in seven words, no more, no less - unless he miscounts' — Jake: ‘Sixer does it in seven words, no more, no less – unless he miscounts’

Pete Sixsmith begins another round of instant seven-word verdicts on the games he sees – which is most SAFC games; supersubs stand in if he’s absent – with today’s 2-2 draw at the Hawthorns. He saw Lee Cattermole’s excellent long-range shot beat Ben Foster after five minutes only for SAFC to repeat old bad habits of defending far too deep for the rest of the half, which ended with a Baggies equaliser from a debatable penalty. A lead for Albion on the 74th minute seemed likely to decide the game but Seb Larsson scored a fine late equaliser afetr great work from Jordi Gomez and Patrick Van Aanholt. Jack Rodwell? A debut to forget…

‘Who are You?’ is back. Our underwhelmed WBA volunteer settles for draw

August 15, 2014August 14, 2014 by Colin Randall

Nathan Carr*, all of 17 years old and a WBA season ticket holder, returns for another session of questions and answers to relaunch Salut! Sunderland‘s “Who are You?” series. It’s fair to say he wasn’t greatly impressed by the Baggies’ managerial choice …

West Bromwich Albion vs SAFC: the return of Guess the Score

August 16, 2014August 13, 2014 by Colin Randall

Jake's new Guess the Score image, with the usual insolent caption — Jake’s new Guess the Score image, with the usual insolent caption

Well, the season is about to start.

Let us kick off a new series of Guess the Score, the competition which sometimes sees Salut! Sunderland offering, with a straight face, a mug as the winner’s prize … and sometimes offering nothing, not even the guarantee of reward in heaven.

Dodgy-ng relegation

August 11, 2014August 11, 2014 by Colin Randall

John McCormick: History. Is it all bunk?

This post is about relegation, something never far from our minds, and who this season’s three might be. Over the summer I looked over a little bit of history and generated some numbers in order to bring you more of my dodgy predictions. Enjoy them or argue with them as you will. Just don’t nick the family allowance and run off to the bookies.

‘Boy, could he take penalties’: good luck to Craig Gardner at WBA

May 22, 2014May 21, 2014 by Colin Randall

Comments were inadvertently ‘disabled’ when this first appeared. The WordPress system seems to do it all by itself. Apologies: you may now now respond to the item …

Craig Gardner leaves Sunderland for West Brom with head held high, his reputation among supporters second-to-none for the right reasons.

For lots of fans, the fondest memories of his three years at the Stadium of Light will be of his rapport with them, lifeblood of the club.

When Sunderland beat Newcastle 3-0 at St James’ Park – sorry, on one of the occasions Sunderland beat NUFC 3-0 at SJP – Craig, suspended for the game, was captured on YouTube taking the Metro home and leading jubilant supporters in a Paolo Di Canio chant.