Wrinkly Pete: supporting Sunderland, excusing my French

Do not try at home
Do not try at home

Salut! Sunderland‘s Monsieur Salut was rebuked recently for banging on too much about France. Since the old French Fancies series, looking at Ligue 1 and below, has largely fallen into disuse, this seemed odd even if the very title of the site betrays a connection with the other side of the Channel. Others did spring to the old codger’s defence and the old codger himself has no known French blood, just a French wife, two half-French daughters and a quarter-French granddaughter.

M Salut’s much greater shame is to have been born in Hove though County Durham was the place of his upbringing and youth, the family has long-established if historic Sunderland connections and anyone on Wearside called Morris may be distantly related.

Just for fun, here’s Peter Lynn‘s wry look at the little contretemps …



Trop de Français? Je dit: “Non!”

In the responses to the recent “3 millionth hit” article there appeared a comment saying that there were too many French references on the site.

As a regular reader this puzzled me as I was aware of hardly any. So, in the spirit of entente cordiale I am having a Je suis Charlie moment.

Firstly, let me draw attention to some things that we have to thank the French for and some – not.

Following on, since this is a football site, I will try to do the same for French footballers who have graced the Sunderland playing arenas wearing our shirt.

Cuisine France has given us countless memorable dishes – but snails [love ’em – Ed]?

Wine I left that blank. Not in a Len Shackleton biography way but because I honestly can’t think of a bad one. [I can, and that’s why I end up buying New World except when in France – Ed]

Culture The vast majority of French families still eat Sunday lunch together – but I bet the kids don’t like it lasting four hours!

Cafés It took us 50 (?) years just to approach their opening hours – but they don’t have real ale.

Elegance Nowhere do you see so many women dressed and made up immaculately – yet there still exists those standing/straddling toilets.

And now, those footballers. According to worldfootball.net, we have had 20 Frenchmen over the years, except that one of those listed, Steeeed Malbranque, was Belgian [-ish, still qualified as French – Ed]. That leaves us with 19, not quite a complete squad but enough to cover every position.

I realise I said I would put pros and cons for each but I have decided to leave it for you, the reader, to do. Maybe reading the list will prompt you to form your own best eleven or perhaps vote hit or miss a la Juke Box Jury ou oui/non! Here it is, in alphabetical order:

El-Hadji Ba

Christian Bassila

David Bellion

Patrice Carteron

Pascal Chimbonda

Djibril Cissé

Modibo Diakité

Younès Kaboul

Lilian Laslandes

Anthony Le Tallec

Yann M’Vila

Jean-Yves M’voto

William Mocquet

Lionel Perez

Anthony Réveillère

Valentin Roberge

Eric Roy

Louis Saha

Oumare Tounkara

Peter Lynn: 'would you put your shirt on our survival?'
Peter Lynn: ‘would you put your shirt on our survival?’

Wrinkly Pete (no I’m not French, silly)

5 thoughts on “Wrinkly Pete: supporting Sunderland, excusing my French”

  1. I agree that standing-up toilets should be banned by the UN, but I can vouch for the snails, delicious. As for the language, whatever they’re talking about, be it the weather, plumbing, train spotting, it always sounds like they’re trying to seduce you.

    • I didn’t include him as he is not (yet) first team squad whereas all the others listed have been – even if we can debate whether they should have or not!

  2. My recent comment on SalutSunderland “going on all the time” about its French connection,was meant to be read ironically.The same as you might suggest to a friend that they might curtail their recent around the world cruise stories.
    It does seem to have stimulated a wee bit of comment so pas de probleme.
    I

  3. You could…just…get a decent 5 a side team from that motley bunch…

    Perez…M’Vila…Roy…Cisse…Saha. As for the rest of them!!!

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