Benwell Lad

Mr.M. making his decision to quit in protest at the appointment ensured that this story would become an essentially political one.

Anyway, if di Canio fucks up will it still be Brucey's fault ?

Not sure there's been any "outrage" on here. Lots of discussion about what is THE hot topic in sport right now maybe. More "outrage" amongst their own fans tbh. Anyway social media discussion is not the real story, whether it's mackems saying they "wouldn't care if Hitler was their manager as long as he got results", or supporters of other clubs and journalists putting the boot in. What is certain though, is that a little club in the north east of England who hardly anyone around the world had previously heard of will, rightly or wrongly, be associated with facism from now on. It was a very ill judged appointment and makes you wonder if whoever is making the decisions down there has a clue about what they're doing.

He's Italian. Goes without saying.

Sky News sports correspondent just said that journalists who raise unwelcome questions could be banned from SAFC in future. All getting a bit scarily right wing down there.

Looks like an extremist regime is developing already down there. Just seen bits of the farcical/comical press conference and there was a hysterical sounding woman continually screeching at reporters that they could not ask the questions that most people, including Sunderland fans, wanted answers to. So press freedom of speech is now banned at SAFC. They just keep digging a deeper hole for themselves.

"I wouldn't be bothered if Hitler himself had been head coach in the 1930s as long as he got results. Hopefully we won't need to suffer Mandela day, Burundian drummers and Incest in Africa from now on either. Nowt to do with SAFC." Read more: http://www.readytogo.net/smb/showthread.php?t=771017&page=54#ixzz2PFfvhVLT

Really looking forward to Thursday's game. It's a shame that team selection and planning will be inhibited by what looks like our most important match in ages 3 days later.

Had a couple of texts and emails from abroad, they really are making news at last. General trend was "please smash the scum who appointed PDC in the derby". This from people who are pretty much neutrals. I think whats been going on down the road is coming home to roost. Senior players regularly up before the courts, daft radical political tweets, dubious sponsorship deals and now an insane managerial appointment. Not to mention openly racist gestures being displayed by their fans. It's little wonder Milliband has acted quickly to distance himself from the shambles and you have to wonder about the qualifications of those who are running the show. They may have a tough time when it comes to sponsorship re-negotiations.

The noon April Fools deadline has passed and it can now be revealed that Marty took training today, and right wing loony Paolo di Canio is not the new Manager of Sunderland AFC. Got to admit they really got me this time.

Who have they got in their next home Rally? Sorry I mean match.

So, Di Canio gets the bullet from a fourth Division Club because he's a fucking lunatic and now the macums want him to be their manager. Canny.

It's taking longer but just like banks and governments, football clubs who are stupid with their finances will eventually hit the wall.

OUCH!! That's bordering on nasty!

Yes, I've got a shitty feeling they will get a result. horribly, so have I. no one will ever have been given a better chance of getting something off ManU than in this game .......

They're probably the worst side in the league and certainly the least attractive but they won't go down. I still think that in the dogfight of a messy relegation battle they'd be better suited for survival than us, and I find it hard to believe that two clubs seperated by only 2 points, and still having to play each other, can have supporters with such polarised levels of optimism.

Mark Douglas also mentions this in today's Journal. Possibly capitalising on the huge exposure we enjoy across the channel nowadays ??

.... which in these days of fans taking so much interest in their clubs' financial performance is exactly how it should be. Since Bosman it roughly works that depending on length of contract remaining, higher transfer fee equals lower agent's fee, signing on fee and salary. A lower transfer fee means the opposite, so the buying club pays one way or the other. Back to Dekka, previously much maligned by many, but as a CEO or whatever his title is his performance has been pretty eye catching and his CV will be looking much better in the football business.

WTF Id rather have 2 derby games to really add some excitement into our season than have 2 meaningless games against Derby. The massive rush for tickets this morning suggests I'm not alone. Aye but surely you would be disappointed rather than "really hating it".... If they go down its party time! I wouldn't give a f*** if they got relegated for the next 5 seasons and went bust and not longer existed. c***s. I would genuinely hate it. Football is about these games and local rivalries etc and losing our only rival (probably forever as they're not coming back up) would leave a massive gap in our footballing lives. I admit I don't take the rivalry as seriously as most btw, only when it matters. i think you are in a minority jack, a very small minority. Probably, for now at least. If they go down and stay down you'll realise I'm right i'm old enough to have spent a few seasons with them in a division below us. I liked it. Can't stand the derbies nor all the shit that goes on around them, the policing, daft kick off times etc. Seldom decent games, and as has been stated earlier always feels like we have a lot more to lose than them with the way the media go on about their occasional victories and mackems still celebrating narrow flukey wins 20 years later. Much prefer the occasion when we're playing against one of the big clubs or a big European night.

Jack probably gets a freebie for the box nowadays, sitting with other local celebrities like Milliband, Kate Adie, the boxer, etc etc.

Montenegro has a population of about 625 thousand, approximately half that of Tyneside. Maybe we should go for independence. We could even let Taylor play. Shearer could be manager and we'd have a much better chance of getting to Brazil than fucking England.

Looks like he's sending the reserves to the Stadium of Spam. Again. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/manchester-united-set-field-two-1784409

Doesn't look likely. Only saw him play on tv before he came to us but since he signed he looks like he's put on about 3 stone. Nice to see you back. Fwiw, imo, you'll stay up - in fact you may sneak a surprise point of two from the next couple of games given the way their fixtures have panned out.

;D macums, man ;D That has to be THE post of this or any other year.

Im surprised at benches as early as 76. and agree with Madras, how your memory can sometimes seem to be from a differing angle- strange. .com has every season's full record and is a good memory jogger for this stuff.