Who Are You? - SAFC Blog

Reading FC v SAFC ‘Who are You?’: another vote for Toon Doon

January 31, 2013 by Colin Randall

Water, maybe tons of melted snow, may have flowed under the bridge by the time you read this. The questions to Martin Brailli*, a bookseller, football referee and fan of Reading, were answered while emotions were still stirred by seven or eight minutes of heroics at home to West Brom but before the fine win at St James1 Park. He has strong memories of Charlie Hurley’s spell as manager, strong views on what shoud have happened to SAFC for failing to stage a game because of summer rainfall and an unusual philisophy on life at the lower end of the Premier …

SAFC v Swansea ‘Who are You?’: 10 out of 10 for the Swans or just 9.5?

January 27, 2013January 27, 2013 by Colin Randall

Jim White* is a happy Swansea City supporter, vice-chairman of the Swans Trust that part-owns the club, the owner of his own email marketing company and the man behind the leading Swans fan website SCFC2.co.uk. He is loving life in the Premier (and since writing this a trip to Wembley – ed) just as much as when he was last here and will be flying high, up in the sky, to keep the white flag flying at the Stadium of Light …

Wigan v SAFC ‘Who are You?’: Bernard Ramsdale returns with ominous news for Newcastle

January 17, 2013January 17, 2013 by Colin Randall

Bernard Ramsdale, a founder of the Wigan Athletic fan site This Northern Soul has been a friend to this site for a few years, so much so that one of two Wigan fans raised doubts the ensuing “love-in”. He remains a great, albeit electronic pal whose contributions to these pages have been outstanding. After a rest from “Who are You?” duties, Bernard is back. That friendship does not extend to playing to the gallery – Bernard simply speaks his mind – but he has, shall we say, interesting thoughts on the relegation battle …

West Ham ‘Who are You?’: Big Sam’s way, Andy Carroll’s value, Sunderland’s slumbers

January 11, 2013January 10, 2013 by Colin Randall

Apologies for earlier distortion on images – the posting had to be made in haste

The first thing to say about Peter Thorne*, our West Ham “Who are You?” volunteer, is that he is not Billy Bragg, the Bard of Barking and famous Hammer. He is, however, Billy Blagg, blogging under that nom de guerre at WestHamOnline. As Peter, he is another of Monsieur Salut’s fellow contributors to the ESPN FC pages. Late panic over – his replies initially went astray – here are his full, frank and entertaining thoughts as Sunderland prepare to face his team on Saturday …

Bolton ‘Who are You?’: Spencer the Wanderer on Fabrice, Freedman and Big Sam

January 4, 2013January 3, 2013 by Colin Randall

In Yorkshire near Rotherham, goes the great little traditional song Spencer the Rover***. Well our Spencer’s in Lancashire, near or even in Bolton, and is accordingly a Wanderer. Maybe Monsieur Salut and Spencer Rathbone* should be meeting for a veteran versus upstart game of badminton (BBC Radio Newcastle’s Martin Emmerson may remember what happened when he took the upstart’s role a few years ago) before having an old hack/aspiring hack chat about journalism and watching the FA Cup third round tie together.

I am not sure what to make of the claim I came cross online that Wanderers fans sing a song just for Spencer – but will assume it to be a compliment to either his Wanderers fan site or his drinking habits. As for us, we just need to move on from the disappointments of recent days. A 40th anniversary cup run would help …

Liverpool ‘Who are You?’: Anfield Wrap’s lowdown on Kenny, Rafa and ‘dreadful Hodgson’

January 1, 2013December 31, 2012 by Colin Randall

Happy new year to all Salut! Sunderland readers

Just before Liverpool romped to victory at QPR, one of their fans, Colin Bundred, tweeted: “Devastated to see Henderson and Downing starting for us. How low has this once great club sunk?” Henderson helped his team to a three-goal lead before being subbed. But has he still plenty to do to win over Anfield? Neil Atkinson**, presenter of the Anfield Wrap podcastfeels Henderson has greatly improved but has some way to go before he can get close to the worship directed at his hero, Steven Gerrard. Interviewed before that game at Loftus Road, Neil had lots more to say, ahead of our own tough trip to Anfield, on Liverpool greats, the legacy of Hillsborough, Kenny’s downfall and what he sees as the folly of getting worked up about what Salut! Sunderland tends to call “cheating”. Arise Sir Gareth and Sir Jermain? …

Tottenham ‘Who are You?’: rare charmless morons – or have we hadron too many?

December 27, 2012 by Colin Randall

who are you copy2 — Jake asks the question

Let’s move straight on from “job done” at Southampton and glory v City to a match that presents a mighty challenge to Sunderland’s resurgence. For the Tottenham Hotspur edition of “Who are You?”, we invited a regular contributor, John McCormick* to introduce his daughter’s erudite Spurs-supporting boyfriend. John writes: “When someone tells you he is a season ticket holder, spends his life looking at the behaviour of spherical objects and has written about rare harmless morons you might make a football connection. It’s not until you become aware your hearing is going and he’s actually written about rare charmless hadrons that you’ll realise you have been talking to a particle physicist, and a brainy one at that. You might expect anyone with all that brain to support Sunderland but that’s not always the case. Today’s guest, Dr Will Panduro Vasquez*, is a prime example. He exhibits quantum properties by existing in two states simultaneously as he’s not only a full-time Higgs Bosonist but also a full-time Spurs fan, and here he is to explain why …”

Manchester City Who are You?: ‘loved Niall, don’t really miss rubbish times’

December 25, 2012December 24, 2012 by Colin Randall

SALUT! SUNDERLAND WISHES ALL CONTRIBUTORS AND READERS, WHOEVER THEY SUPPORT, A FABULOUS CHRISTMAS

Doug Higgingbottom is a one of those people we should salute as mainstays of the game of football. He has always supported Manchester City, not just now with desert gold to make success probable but back when they descended into the third tier. He watches the Under 18s, the Under 21s, the first team in training and shares his thoughts with fellow supporters on a City forum*. His answers to Salut! Sunderland‘s questions ahead of the Boxing Day match between our club and his were a delight to read …

Southampton Who are You?: Channon, Keegan, Le Tissier – and Kenwyne’s coldness allergy

December 19, 2012December 19, 2012 by Colin Randall

The return of a fixture popular among exiled Sunderland fans in the deep south, Southampton away; I recall seeing lots of our supporters on the Isle of Wight ferry when heading for a short break after one match. Eugene McManus, a Southampton fan since boyhood, is the gaffer at The Saints**, a pub named after the team more than half a century ago and welcoming to “housetrained” away followers (though it’s in Millbrook, about five miles from St Mary’s stadium) …

The Manchester United ‘Who are You?’: go down, Sunderland, for Poznan stunt

December 13, 2012December 13, 2012 by Colin Randall

In the league table of human wickedness, the Poznan mockery by Sunderland supporters – after Manchester United lost the title in extraordinary fashion despite beating us on the final day – is lower than the Inquisition, the Holocaust and 9/11. It’s not even as bad as singing ‘you’re s**** and you know you are’. But there are those from Manchester and many, many more from hotbeds of United suport in SE Asia, the USA and Woking who took it as a glaring example of Man’s inhumanity to Man. Scott the Red*, a good friend to Salut! Sunderland, was so upset he wants us to go down. Since he also believes we make too much fuss about diving, we may conclude judgement has deserted him. Scott, the brains behind both the Republik of Mancunia site and the all-club By Far the Greatest Team blog**, expects revenge on Saturday (as if United needed a trivial grievance to be favourites) …