Talk to us, Peter!
Picture: dietbruboy

Observant regulars will see that I have created a separate column linking directly to each of the Celebrity Supporter interviews. It’s down the left-hand column.

These are being updated as I go along – or at least as fast as I can approach the subjects for fresh information and thoughts, and as fast as they get back to me – so are becoming slightly different creatures to the articles that originally appeared in the London supporters’ club branch newsletter.

Mme Salut! Sunderland, who famously has no interest in football, has performed sterling work typing up the remaining interviews.

These include Lord Puttnam, the folk singer Bob Fox, a young actor named Sean Landless and one Notoriety Supporter (you’ll have to guess who that is for now).

And there is also a wrap-up piece explaining how others eluded me – Peter O’Toole was one – or turned out never to have supported Sunderland after all.

Watch these spaces……..

Picture: neloqua

With an amazing season over, fans can head for the beach or sit back and relax, occasionally checking out the latest transfer rumours in the papers and chatrooms. But for supporters’ club organisers, the close season brings plenty of work. Ian Todd*, founder of the London and Southern England branch of the SAFCSA, explains

The players, except those with international call-ups, can go on holiday, no doubt with the club’s fitness maintenance regime accompanying the Raybans and Bermuda shorts.
And the majority of fans can catch up with all of those weekend jobs which got put aside as the season reached its “Mustn’t miss this crucial game!” climax.
But for those volunteers involved in the supporters’ club movement around the country there’s little chance of a complete break.
The sales stock needs to be checked, the season’s financial accounts completed and audited, and a myriad of tidying up jobs done.
Before you know where the time has gone, it’s June 14, the fixtures for next season are out and there’s the August travel plans to make.
On the wider plane, those involved in the national supporters’ movement are planning their Annual Conference and meeting with UEFA, the FA and the Premier and Football Leagues for bipartite discussions on the relationship between the authorities and the fans and the improvements we’d like to see.

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