Who Are You? - SAFC Blog

SAFC v Reading Who are You?: ‘Biscuitmen to finish 16th, Sunderland not much higher’

March 11, 2013December 10, 2012 by Colin Randall

who are you copy2 — Jake asks the question

We first met Roger Titford* – market research specialist, writer and former chairman of Reading FC’s supporters’ club, in August. As we now know, this is monsoon season in the North East and a spot of heavy rain is or was quite sufficient to defeat Sunderland AFC’s attempts to stage a height-of-summer football match. Well Roger had cried out for a return to the good old days of mud-splattered footballers so the game really ought to have been played. With Sunderland nerves now in auto-jangle – we know failure to beat Reading would be a catastrophe but how many fans feel really confident? – it’s time for another go. And it seemed right to stick with Roger and invite him to update his August answers …

SAFC v Chelsea Who are You?: ‘Torres finished, Fletcher would start for us’

December 5, 2012December 5, 2012 by Colin Randall

Grant James* – passionate South African fan of Chelsea (he manfully confesses why later on), www.football-analysis.com”>football analyst and sports coach – has already been honoured by Salut! Sunderland, his comments on our club’s predicament deemed worthy of publication in advance of this, the full “Who are You?” interview. This is what his assessment of SAFC was taken from. Days before a game many fans of both clubs see as must-win, Grant’s answers provide a fascinating read. His thoughts on Chelsea’s own domestic ructions suggest Rafa’s hopes of endearing himself to the Stamford Bridge faithful are remote …

Norwich v SAFC ‘Who are You?’: Wembley-bound with dog collar and prayers

August 13, 2017November 29, 2012 by Colin Randall

Salut! Sunderland has cornered the market in football-supporting clerics. Last season we had the thoughts of the Rev Leo Osborn, then in his year as the Methodist equivalent of the Archbishop of Canterbury, ahead of a game against his beloved Aston Villa, and the Rev Alan Comfort, Boro-supporting footballer turned vicar. The Very Rev Christopher Dalliston* is the Anglican Dean of Newcastle, based at St Nicholas’ Cathedral, but when it comes to birds, prefers Canaries to Magpies. As Sunderland prepare to visit the Canaries’ natural habitat, he talks about Grant Holt, Delia, the Friendly Final and a winning Martin O’Neill goal …

Sunderland v QPR Who are You?: ‘keep the faith. We’d have MoN’

November 27, 2012November 26, 2012 by Colin Randall

As Pete Sixsmith said, another Saturday, another Sunderland defeat (he actually wrote ‘another Sunday’, as in another Sunday to have to write about losing). So let us put WBA behind us and move on in hope. Is it to be a case of ‘Arry arriving at just at the wrong time for us or will the men who are the cause of our disappointment finally offer a home performance the supporters deserve? Monsieur Salut’s former colleague John Crowley, a Loftus Road loyalist (if you can have loyalists from County Cork), weighs up the new boss’s prospects, tells us where the “dour Welshman down the pub” went wrong and prescribes a course of patience for our own support …

SAFC v West Brom ‘Who Are You?’: memories of SuperKev, dreams of McEnroe

November 21, 2012November 21, 2012 by Colin Randall

We had that wonderful pair of Boro supporters of a certain age recently – one remembered seeing a 3-0 victory over Leeds on Boxing Day, 1946 – but today is the turn of youth. Matthew Evans*, 18, an aspiring journalist, is another of Monsieur Salut’s colleagues over at the ESPN site where he writes the West Bromwich Albion blog. He shares our enthusiasm for Kevin Phillips, loves the football he’s seeing from his team and tries to imagine how that sometime WBA supporter John McEnroe might remonstrate with referees if he were a regular at the Hawthorns …

The Fulham v SAFC Who are You?: ‘expecting a comfortable win’

November 15, 2012November 15, 2012 by Colin Randall

Who remembers when “Who are You?” was but a bairn and interviewees not only answered questions but wrote articles of their own to go with the responses? Our Fulham candidate – another of Monsieur Salut’s stablemates in the ESPN stud of club-by-club horses’ mouths – is Philip Mison, writer and broadcaster (see the details below*) and he volunteered some thoughts which will can be seen here. Fulham fans have reason to be a bit cocky this season; Philip’s preview of Sunday’s match suggests he sees a drubbing coming Sunderland’s way …

Beach Bum — We like your red and white stripes, Philip

The Everton Who are You?: ‘how we look forward to playing SAFC!’

November 7, 2012 by Colin Randall

Wednesday, even late in the day, can seem a bit early for the “Who are You?”. After the Villa defeat, Salut! Sunderland cannot wait to move on, even if modern history makes us approach Everton away with apprehension. Luke O’Farrell* writes about his club and our weekend hosts, Everton, at ESPN Soccernet and at his own blog**. He responds to our questions with commonsense but also confidence, likes us but expects a straightforward home win …

SAFC v Aston Villa: a Villain from the teeth of Hurricane Sandy

November 2, 2012October 31, 2012 by Colin Randall

Poor Holland Pintarch* had not only the hurricane battering her corner of Pennsylvania but, having risen heroically above it to be our Aston Villa candidate for “Who are You?” and answered all the questions in time, saw man-made problems wipe out the bulk of the interview. Apologies to those who followed the link and found only question one and half an answer. Here it is in full. Now Holland, being American, is the type of supporter who dismays a certain type of other supporter, as our exchanges explore. For all that Salut! Sunderland believes her outstanding responses – including interesting thoughts on Bent v Fletcher, Shay Given and the race for the White House – offer a vivid insight into the thinking of the overseas fan who becomes devoted to a British club …

SAFC v Middlesbrough ‘Who are You?’: (2) predicting another ‘unlucky’ Boro exit

October 29, 2012 by Colin Randall

SAFCvBORO-1 — Jake demands an improvement ...

For our second Boro ‘Who are You?’ – or would it be more accurate to say the second and third? – we turn to a great stalwart of amateur football, John Atkinson*, president of Shildon FC and a former player in the area, and his pal Eddie Airey**, Shildon to the core, both of whom also share a passion for Middlesbrough FC. John – who has great personal memories of the Clough family – sees a replica of last season in the FA Cup, Eddie is less sure …

SAFC v Middlesbrough ‘Who are You?’: (1) hailing Cloughie, Juninho, Julio

October 29, 2012October 29, 2012 by Colin Randall

What’s this? Another Monsieur Salut relative supporting the wrong North-eastern team? Well, the region is like that for a lot of families. Pete Chapman, one of my sister’s lads, was born and grew up in Middlesbrough so could hardly be blamed for his choice of club or, as he puts it himself, their choice of him. This is the first of two Who are You? features ahead of tomorrow’s league cup clash at the SoL. Pete tells Uncle Col he sees Julio Arca’s playing career ending but, maybe, another on the horizon …