Arsenal: ‘go on – would you rather watch us, or Stoke?’

Our second Gooner to preview SAFC v Arsenal, Jon Ryan*, had an enviable journalistic career, mixing business and pleasure by becoming sports editor of the Mail on Sunday and The Sunday Telegraph. A racing man, too, he rounded it off by cantering into a top job at the British Horseracing Authority, which oddly enough brought him into contact with Niall Quinn. No hardship for a big Quinny fan. Jon is pictured with his daughter Jemma “on a disastrous night in Munich – we lost 3-1 in a snowstorm but at least witnessed the world’s biggest snowball fight in the Olympic stadium and had a mean knuckle of ham”. Bet he was happier last night …

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Who are you? An award-winner from Manchester City


Still to come, the view from Abu Dhabi. But let’s begin our build-up to Man City at home on Sunday by welcoming back the winner of the 2009-2010 Salut! Sunderland “Who Are You?” award, Martin Haworth. His responses were described by one of the judges, Mike Amos, himself an award-winning journalist (marginally better than being called an accomplished burglar), as “an appealing mix of passion, knowledge, honesty and occasional humour”. It seemed right to invite Martin, a lifelong City fan exiled in the North East, to do the honours again …

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Another look at Colchester, through Colchester eyes

Abject apologies to the many readers who attempted to visit Salut! Sunderland yesterday only to run into a brick wall of “site maintenance” and “this page not available” messages. We were up and down like a harlot’s drawers, as a judge once put it to me (he was describing the yo-yo existence of his own team).

The excuse is simple: our friends at footballunited.com were changing server. It’ll all be for the best, we’re assured, but some disruption was inevitable.

All the same, the interruptions and imperfections caused some inconvenience and disappointment, and meant that our Who Are You? feature for tonight’s Carling Cup tie may have been overlooked. So here’s another, with any luck hitch-free, outing for the interesting replies of Jon Burns*, chairman of CUSA (Colchester United Supporters’ Association), who takes heart from a good start to the League One season to point out that a big upset is far from an “impossible task” …

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West Bromwich Albion v SAFC: beware Dorrans, Brucey

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Requests from Salut! Sunderland to a couple of Baggie fansites met with a stony silence – shame on you lads! – but one high profile WBA supporter’s response has been good as gold. In the first part – click here – of the BBC tennis commentator David Law‘s* fascinating story of his support for Sunderland’s next opponents, we heard of his success in converting John McEnroe and Goran Ivanisevic to the Albion cause. Now David moves on to Midlands rivalries and West Brom greats …

Salut! Sunderland: how much do you personally enter into or identify with Baggie/Villa or Baggie/Wolves rivalry?

The Villa rivalry was always the big one for me growing up, but then they became too good for us it seemed a bit futile to hate them, which is when Wolves became the big rivalry. Obviously I want us to stuff them every time we play them (and I’d love to finally beat Villa again for the first time in a quarter of a century), but when they are not playing against us I will be supporting Wolves, Blues and Villa because I’m from the area. I’ve lived overseas a lot and I hate it when people assume I’m from London just because I’m British. I’m from the Midlands, and proud of it.

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West Brom v Sunderland: John McEnroe cannot be serious

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Brought forward by popular demand: this week’s Who Are You? … or maybe just brought forward by the unpopularity of my obsession with French football.
So: Sunderland travel to the Hawthorns on Saturday in the hope that John McEnroe will be left as fuming by the result as we trust he was by West Brom’s 6-0 thrashing at Chelsea. Salut! Sunderland is delighted to welcome David Law*, the BBC tennis commentator and confirmed Baggie who explains how he made Albion fans of McEnroe and, especially, Goran Ivanisevic …

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Who are you? ‘No flukes’ says Birmingham City fan

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We’re off. And who better to kick off the new season of Who Are You? questionnaires than Kevin Ball*? No. Their Kevin Ball, who lives amid the pixies, smugglers and clotted cream of far-off Devon, but is a Bluenose par excellence and runs the superb Joys and Sorrows fan site. Kevin also won a little Salut! Sunderland prize last season for this, the best best response to our notorious Eduardo “would you take it or be ashamed?” diving question: “I’m old fashioned, I can’t abide cheating. I don’t care if it is a Blues player or not. I would be furious.”

Salut! Sunderland The real stuff starts again. Have you forgotten the World Cup already?

Is there a World Cup happening?

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Sparing Eduardo in our new season of ‘Who are You?’


Three days to go for the first match. And only three hours or so to go for our first Who Are They? questionnaire – minus, to the relief of Gooners and dive enthusiasts everywhere, a certain question …

The dawn of a new season brings the usual mix of excitement, hope and fear. And the return of one of Salut! Sunderland‘s most popular features.

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