Big new developments at Salut! Sunderland.

From now on, it has not just one home but two. We have succumbed to the advances and charms of a new football fans’ network called Football United and shacked up with them in a menage a trois/quatre/miss a few/a hundred over at this new address.

For all our frustrations with Typepad’s obsession with “improvements”, we like it here. There is no intention to remove the massive body of Salut! Sunderland archive material, though the plan is to locate it additionally at the new site, which happens to be hosted by WordPress.

Once the transfer is complete – sounding a bit like Steve Bruce and Darren Bent – there should be no need to change bookmarks as salutsunderland.com will get you to the new location. But do make a note of the new address – http://salutsunderland.FootballUNITED.com – in case that turns out to be the quickest route.

Thanks for all the heartening support from Sunderland and also opposing fans over the two-and-a-half years of our existence. The hope is for better things to come. We will keep you posted …

Colin Randall

Salut! Sunderland is part of a group of websites run  by Colin Randall, Sunderland fan and journalist. Salut! is the parent site, dealing with his life and times in Abu Dhabi and France (and more besides), Salut! Live covers folk and roots music and Salut! North lazily describes his childhood and youth in the North east.

Well, it may or may not be football's most literate blog. Typos creep in all the time; one of us struggles with apostrophes. But Salut! Sunderland does have a new home.

The site has been running now for more than two-and-a-half years. It began as an offshoot of Salut!, a site started in Oct 2006 just after I – Colin Randall – was fired by The Daily Telegraph, which had decided that 29 years of me was quite long enough.

At first, Salut! Sunderland was a one-man show. I transferred, with the enormous help of Madame Salut, a large archive of "celebrity supporter" interviews originally done for 5573, later relaunched as Wear Down South, the newsletter of the London branch of the Sunderland AFC Supporters' Association. I wrote about anything to do with Sunderland that took my fancy. And then I persuaded my great friend Pete Sixsmith to help out a little.

A little!

With Sixer's Sevens – his seven-word verdicts on each match – and his Sixer's Soapbox, wonderful and witty insights into the world of football (and life) as seen through the eyes of a Sunderland fan, it is Pete who has made the blog the literary giant I claim it to be. Add to that the features, interviews and a brilliant series of contributions by the fans of opposing teams and you have a wealth of reading that even non-SAFC fans can appreciate.

Between us, we account for around 90 years of Sunderland support. Back in the 60s, we had our first season tickets in the Main Stand paddock at Roker Park, were present for the monumental FA Cup replay against Man Utd, saw the Boxing Day injury that eventually ended Brian Clough's career and began lifetimes of support, with long periods of torpor punctuated by occasional ecstasy and agony.

Judge the site yourself, here at its new home hosted by Football United, about which more later. You may also for now – and depending on how the move goes – catch up on the past glories of Salut! Sunderland by paying visits to the old site.

And look out here for more news of our baby steps towards something maybe bigger. I have set the visitor counter to start at about 158,000 – the figure it had reached at the old site when I last checked a few minutes ago.

A dignified show by our fans at Celtic, paying Sir Bobby Robson – a real gent, and a great son of the North wherever his allegiances lay – the right sort of tribute (and some measure of atonement for some inexcusable chants, even if on the lips of a minority of idiots, from earlier in his illness), was in its way more important than the football.
But not a bad pre-season so far, and Pete Sixsmith has seen it all. We must never read too much into the results – wins or defeats – but there is no reason why we shouldn't be quite pleased with a 2-1 away victory at Celtic …

Another world class side, another victory for the Lads! After crushing the giants of Madrid, we turned our attention to the finest team in Scotland, a nation renowned for its record in European Championships and World Cups. Clearly, we are heading for our first League Title since 1936.

Well, okay, I may be getting a wee bit carried away. Beating a pedestrian Atletico team, and a Celtic with a crucial Champions League game on their mind, means we should curb our enthusiasm, but I have to say it looks promising.

Clearly, the advent of Bruce and Black has made players focus on what they should be doing. The idea of leaving Jones to play up front on his own has seen a return to the form that prompted John Terry to describe him as the most dangerous forward in the division. He wreaked havoc amongst the Hoops defenders, scored a good goal and linked up well with Kieran Richardson. If we have even considered selling him, we need to forget it pdq.

Richardson also looked good. He took a smart goal, missed a sitter and generally looked happy in this “off the big fella” role. As Pete Horan said, he thrives without the responsibility of having to think about his other midfield duties. Bruce likes a big man up front (Heskey) with midfielders picking up behind. Kieran fits that bill perfectly.

The rest of the team looked solid and there was another very promising performance from Jordan Henderson, who is in serious danger of being in the starting line up at Bolton. He has grown in confidence this month and he is beginning to pace himself better. He and Leadbitter looked very sound in the middle of the park.

Steed and Reid (Comedy Capers with a Song and a Dance) did well wide, with Reid playing some cracking balls and nearly scoring with a tremendous shot. Steed reverted to the right, where he looked not quite as good as he does on the left but he also looks to be an integral part of the team.

It was good to see George McCartney return at left back. He moved forward comfortably and was always there to receive a ball from Collins and Ferdinand for the ball from the central defenders and then looked to give it to Reid and support him going forward.

The two goals were well taken: a left foot drive from Kieran and a good far post header from Kenwyne. Celtic never threatened in the first half and only got back into the game when they strengthened their team and we weakened ours with copious substitutions.

The weaknesses in Scottish football were there for all to see as Celtic huffed and puffed and at times looked little better than a poor Championship side. We looked at their squad and it was full of Championship players – Loovens, Naylor, Caldwell and players who have not cut the mustard in the Premier League like Samaras and Fortune.

They have a magnificent stadium and loyal support, but they are sure to slip further and further behind the middle ranking clubs in Europe as domestic TV money dries up. They will probably go out of Europe next week and that is ruinous for them. Many in Scotland will rejoice at that, but it is clear that Scottish football is in a parlous state at club level.

The day was a good one. The Penrith route worked, Virgin Trains were impressive and the coffee was excellent. Mr Horan (rapidly losing his Jonah soubriquet) found a cracking pub for lunch, complete with Billy Connolly type landlord. It was the Babbitty Bowser in the elegant and sophisticated Merchant City part of the city. Pricey beer and good food made us think we were back in Amsterdam.

We were brought back to reality as we walked out to Parkhead. After turning left at Glasgow Cross, we walked along Gallowgate, past the Barrowlands Music venue and into a very, very run down area of the city. The beer in the pubs was cheap, the music was of the Irish rebel variety and the clientele looked distinctly hostile to all things English. It reinforced stereotypes about Glasgow and the fact that it is the unhealthiest city in western Europe. A lot of work to do there!

The bandwagon rolls on to Peterborough on Tuesday, which I am almost certain to miss, before stopping in Glasgow’s snooty neighbour Edinburgh next Saturday. Having been promised a post match snifter in the Scotch Whisky Society by Peter’s daughter Emma, it’s probably wise not to expect a detailed breakdown of the game until, say Monday – the 17th!!

Haste ye back, as they used to say on The White Heather Club.

Laurent Blanc et mascotte
Originally uploaded by Kamini-le-ouf

… and would Bordeaux have beaten Celtic 2-1 away in a pre-season friendly, as we did today?

The defence rests.

Look out for Pete Sixsmith’s report from Glasgow over the next day or so.