Wolfcastle

So its just league titles then. The one single parameter they have over us. How very convenient and mackem. Its a wonder when anybody says 'big club' they don't just say 'club thats wont the most titles' instead. Its a bit like its okay that were so far ahead of them because I'm reading 'because we wont win anything', so 2nd and champions league football whilst they fight another relegation to the third wont bother them. And here's me thiking 'top dogs' was important to them even when its by two places and a few points, must have been mistaken.

Even an illogical collapse now would still see us exceed what I was placated with, which is most satisfying

Knew he steam-rolled it after taking over from Souness from 5th bottom to 7th top but must have carried over a good deal into the following season more than I assume

Not bothered about not playing sumptuously every week. Happens to everyone. We've already proved what we can do and our credentials. Sometimes just about being the better team and winning the game to supplement that during a season. We did both. Makes us feel better if anything. The spread of goals is lush. Got to imagine the big lads at the back will get on the end of a corner or free-kick at some point.

Got picked up by the camera a few times (Forest 5-0 after a goal, Sky cameras perved on me at half-time against Leeds in 97/98, didn't keep that tape I can tell you) but not in a crowd. Got pics from Shearer's unveiling and people nearby with flags and stuff to key off of and still can't. but as Man U pick up the FA Cup in 1999 (as were on FA Cups) in the background a 'Toon Army' flag unfurls, that's me. Its just a bit after the initial raising to feature in the medleys of captains picking up the cup. Could barely see anything from my angle so missed graffiti-ing that. Salvaged something from the day.

Grimsby syndrome as I call it

I think thats exactly what it is Midds, or at least part of it. The constantly having to big themselves up because their history of the last 50years does not indicate anything of the sorts and by going there they feel more entitled to better than has been served up even if its the norm for their last 50years. They're not a small club, big, I dunno, their bigger support is all that differentiates them from Sheffield United, Southampton, Stoke and Middlesbrough to the naked eye. There's the 9 clubs way ahead of them in the all-time table, plus Leeds and West Ham that are bigger, then a much of a muchness that they weren't happy to be in, that is basically potential relegation fodder/yo-yoing, which is what they are/have been for over half a century.

I thought there was something suspicious about his name sounding a bit too much like Even Money.

Wasn't a big fan of Schmeichel denying us the title. But that's more to do with destroying my dreams and ruining my life than him as a person.

So that's Accrington, Charlton, Coventry, Burnley, Portsmouth, Rotherham, Bolton, others and now Cardiff and every time the innocent class fans of Sunderland get caught up in it for shame all you other fans

Explosive fireworks and the compulsion to set things on fire has begun. Airs going to get a bit thick and smelly. Same goes for Bonfire night.

Ah, the standard booooooooo from the best and least fickle fans in the world circa three days ago

The French wikipedia page on football, in the segment on fans, of all the clubs in the world they could pick from literally gives us an example of a club that enjoys great support despite a lack of success. "for example fans of Newcastle UFC in England" They must have got it arse about tit compared to revered evidence base anecdotes of sad mackems bastards.

Its grim and pretty much the reason I'm against it. The opposition could argue the referee into at least looking on any of the great goals, on the off chance something happened somewhere in the build up. Sometimes there'd be the slighest thing but also just the stoppage kills those moments. On the other hand we'd have won the league in 96 if several Manchester United goals were ruled out like they should have been.

Was a piece in the Sunderland Echo that was featured in the Mag from a mackem complaining about how low the attendances were in their promotion season 95/96, saying they were lower than our gates under Ossie. They won the league and averaged 17,000. (1,000 more than our lowest ever average attendance) When we got promoted every game was a sell-out and had to be made all-ticket because thousands were getting locked out. (SJP remained full for every league and FA Cup game for the rest of the decade until the extension, fickle as f*ck that) Why do they start these attendance fights? Its like us saying we've won more than Man United.

A while back they played someone in the lower leagues and Marco-ah said "I played for the club in the premier league, well top flight, clubs invariably got their biggest gate of the season against us because of our away support" - as the football directory covering that year was on the desk I was sitting at when I heard this, certain it was utter bollocks I had a gander sure enough, total baseless bullshit One occasion in 19 in 90/91 Sunderland were involved in the biggest home gate for their opponent - and that was the final day relegation game at Man City even the year before the only occasion in 21 that this was the case was against us. Far from "invariably" it actually happened twice out of forty-five (including the 5games of 91/92 he was there for) both were exceptional circumstances, the vast majority of cases were nowhere near the other clubs biggest gate.

"loads will start work at 8am in the morning. You are a credit to our club ." first fans to ever go to an away match midweek

Always wondered where Howard Kendall fell, knew he was from Washington but not sure which way he faced. Yeah Ferry going to Columbia school is what I'd always heard, so Brady Square makes sense. Lass I knew lived there got into the music scene too, c**t wrote a song about me but just wont let me have it for some unbeknowst reason. The lass, not Ferry.

Great post. Made my evening. Your story in itself but Jo being Jo. Even the autumnal vibe outside his house. Reminded me of reading in an official programme during Sir Bobby's reign a letter from someone from Scandinavia (forget where exactly) who had just been to their first game - the 3-1 against Leeds (Duberry OG, Dyer, Bellamy) and was glad they got to experience a proper occasion.

I could almost imagine being vaguely interested in the English national team looking at this page.

Bruno's going to turn me I feel.

Being overly fair to them an citing our darkest days (as its when they go back to and what they use as a rule versus an exception) versus their regular times, an example of the fairweatheredness in 1991/92 Sunderland v Newcastle 29,224 - Sunderland's game before that 12,790 (down 17k) , Sunderland's gate after that 13,575 (down 16k) Newcastle v Sunderland 30,306 - Newcastle's gate before 23,138 (down 7k), Newcatle's gate after 21,125 (down 9k) 89/90 Sunderland v Newcastle 29,466 - before 15,042 (or 11,000 league cup) (down 14k), after 22,760 (down 7k) Newcastle v Sunderland 31,572 - before 26,233 (down 5k), after 31,748 (up 200) some clown on the phone in arrogantly said 'wrong' that we'd always been well supported because we only got 36,000 in the 90s (like every game somehow) not factoring in the ground was full. Just seen the number and got hard on without bothering with any logic or context. A worthy stone throw considering the mackems highest average attendance in the 90s until 1998 was 21,000.

Find it interesting overnight that that was the start of the worst period in our history. Blew my mind to learn relatively recently that we'd won more trophies than Liverpool until the mid70s and more FA Cups than Man United until the mid80s. That period 78-92 is probably what people refer to when saying were not a big club. I'm bias of course and that's the club I first encountered but it looks like more of a blip when looke at now than the rule. On the Shearer goal. Watched parts of that game two nights ago as liken it to the Villa game just gone (that was when we went past having just 'a good start'). Always thought Shearer's goal suspect, not his type of thing, with us at least post injuries (at Blackburn he could do anything) but there's absolutely nobody in the box and nobody making a run from the replays, there's no other explanation for it than it was intentional.