I couldn’t bring myself to watch this one, and settled instead for a large glass of red wine and back to back episodes of Brothers and Sisters on catch-up TV. Even though Rebecca and Justin almost split up, Kitty was diagnosed with a serious illness and Ryan was double-crossing the family business, it was less heart-rending […]
Naive, irrational, expectant: summing up Sunderland fans ahead of Goodison?
There may be a Carling Cup match to preoccupy fans of the Manchester clubs and even Surly Alex Ferguson. But for fans of Sunderland AFC, the only match that really matters will be taking place 34 miles or so to the west … As responses to a shocking FA Cup exit at Portsmouth go, buying […]
Who are you? We’re Everton (in not many words)
Some rival fans get stuck into Who Are You? with gusto, packing their responses with facts, opinion and humour. Barry Maddicott, an Everton-supporting chef we discovered via the fans’ site Grand Old Team, where he posts as devonblue, is in a class of his own, offering by far the shortest set of answers since the […]
Soapbox: Sunderland expects
As Pete Sixsmith shows a worrying tendency towards part-timism by missing his second Sunderland match in a row (ok, he did report on the Reserves and Under-18s this week), his shoes are ably filled by Malcolm Dawson who enjoys his trip to an old-style ground, but not the reminders of the playground … For nostalgia buffs such as […]
Observed: Sunderland 1 Everton 1
The Observer should be paying Pete Sixsmith a salary. As well as writing the half-term report, he summed up yesterday’s match for them. Here, plus the same exercise involving an Everton fan, is his fan’s view of the match … THE FANS’ PLAYER RATINGS AND VERDICT Pete Sixsmith, salutsunderland.com Once again we failed to close […]
Soapbox: how to be the perfect host
If I wasn’t impressed listening to Sunderland v Everton on TalkSport, imagine what it as like as viewed from my row in the East Stand. Pete Sixsmith was there … Ah, Christmas. The time of year when friends come together, to eat drink and be merry, to enjoy wonderful hospitality – and to end up […]
Another early Darren Bent goal, another feeble surrender
How can Sunderland 1 Everton1 be other than a disappointment? Here are some early thoughts on two more points squandered at home… Stan Collymore, sharing the TalkSport commentary, thought it a cracking game. He also warmly praised the referee Martin Atkinson for a mature, relatively whistle-free performance that allowed play to flow. So what! (more…)
Bury the past and beat Everton to restart our season
Boxing Day football. A 40,000 plus gate for a home game against opponents from the North West brings back unfortunate memories … My first Boxing Day at Roker Park. We’re second placed and it looks like being a promotion season. (more…)
Who are you? We’re Everton
ToffeeWeb, the much-admired independent site for supporters of Everton, has a hard centre but softer heart. Lyndon Lloyd‘s instinctive response when approached by us to preview Saturday’s clash between Sunderland and Everton was to say : “Sorry, we don’t do these things. No time.” He relented because of the trouble we’d taken to hunt him […]
Marriner all at sea as Newcastle sink Everton
Mackem favours Toon shock! As if our own game hadn’t produced sufficient controversy – however contrived – Malcolm Dawson found reason for disgruntlement elsewhere in the Premier programme. In particular, he berates Andre Marriner for failing to take decisions that would have made the Mags’ task at Goodison even comfier … There has been much […]