The fabulous Sunderland support – how they’ve managed consistently to back the team with such fervour and loyalty this season is a new Wonder of the World – was given just reward with the victory over West Brom and the Premier safety it ensured. Pete Sixsmith was up in the East Stand as usual to marvel at the Great Escape, savour a man-of-the-match showing from Lee Cattermole and celebrate two goals of exquisite class. For days or nights like these, we support Sunderland AFC …
If Tony Pulis deserves – as he does – £1m for keeping Palace up, what should be the size of Gus Poyet’s bonus? Fantastic job, Gus, Bravo the Lads for such a storming finish to the season. And here’s what the boss made of tonight in his customary post-match e-mail …
Pete Sixsmith has suffered all season. Tonight he saw a miracle accomplished. Superb finishes by Jack Colback and Fabio Borino completed the salvation of Sunderland. Gus Poyet deserves a Pulis Times Two bonus for what he has somehow achieved … bravo Lads, you’re 14th tonight …
Nolwenn Leroy is not only an uncommonly canny lass but a great Breton (not the same, except literally, as Great Briton) singer. On Saturday night, she sang her heart out for the Lads with this superb rendition of Brittany’s anthem, which the Welsh and Cornish-speaking Cornish may well recognise, both sets of Lads being Breton, Rennes and Guingamp, in the French cup final at the Stade de France. Guingamp (Nolwenn’s own preference, believe) won 2-0 against more fancied opponents. I hope and believe we can match that result at home to West Brom and – outrageous point-scoring/deducting challenges from Norwich, Fulham and Cardiff notwithstanding – dodge the arrows for one more season.
OK, it doesn’t precisely come down ONLY to this. We can lose and even fail to win on Sunday but still stay up. We could lose both games and stay up provided Norwich failed to beat Arsenal. But please, Lads, be sufficiently composed and clinical on Wednesday to ensure the happy ending to the football fairytale everyone outside of the Toon Army and Norwich wants to see. Lose and the tension on Sunday will be unbearable, not that we haven’t been there before.
Our West Bromwich Albion interviewer is young Nathan Carr*. He’s been here before and is still only 17. Nathan likes Sunderland, even if he loyally predicts an away win on Wednesday, and has also – mostly – enjoyed seeing Sess in the Baggies’ stripes. Had the questions been posed later, I’d have asked about the ugly manifestation of corporate power that condemns WBA to playing without their famous blue stripes next season …
On Boxing Day 2004 West Brom’s 19th game of the season saw them at home to Liverpool. They lost 0-5, …
Fresh from his great morning near Hull and rotten afternoon in it, Pete Sixsmith went to Eppleton to experience a …
John McCormick writes: I wondered when we’d get a message from our chief coach as, at ten past five, when I was putting the finishing touches to Pete’s “seven”, the TV showed PDC standing on the pitch at the Hawthorns talking to the fans. What did he say? I don’t know. But here’s what he sent to our leader not an hour later:
First and foremost: mighty congratulations to Durham County Cricket Club on their fantastic LV Championship title, secured with an eight-wicket victory over Nottinghamshire at the Riverside ground. Bravo, Lads. And now onto more mundane matters …
For the first match weekend in many months, Monsieur Salut will be unable to keep closer in touch with events at the Hawthorns than text messages from Pete Sixsmith. The big return from France to the UK looms and there’s time for one last weekend break, in Annecy.
At ESPNFC.com the other day, I described West Brom away as our first cup final of the season. The way things are going, there’ll be many more of them. Can we finally break our duck? Our volunteer Baggie, Rikki Paul*, was found at the wbaunofficial site. He reckons WBA will add to our misery with a narrow win in a “tight, nervy” game …