On a night when Irish eyes were left streaming with tears, Salut! Sunderland cheats a little with its headline …

That headline is a product of premature exasperation.

Thierry Henry has yet to declare his hand, so to speak.

But if he wishes to sign up to the Salut! Sunderland AFC (Against Football Cheats) campaign**, we will promise never, ever to reproduce any of the trillion pictures and video clips that are surely being posted even now to websites the world over showing his moment of disgrace in tonight’s France v Republic of Ireland’s match in Paris.

And to think that Mr Henry was for so long our favourite player of any nationality in the Premier League.

When Giovanni Trapattoni idiotically excluded Andy Reid from his squad, reportedly the legacy of some late-night banjo warfare in Germany, Salut! Sunderland voted for a French win.

Tonight, as France celebrates a draw that manhandled the Irish out of the World Cup, the message changes from Allez les Bleus to A Bas les Bleus.

** Our campaign has as its dream targets Eduardo for the role of professional adviser, David Ngog as education officer, Herita Ilunga in charge of choreography and Gary McAllister as life president. Thierry Henry can look after the proposed Maradona Academy.
Our campaign has as its dream targets Eduardo as professional adviser, David Ngog as education officer, Herita Ilunga in charge of choreography and Gary McAllister as life president. Thierry Henry can look after the proposed Maradona Academy.

From Halifax (and Hull and Hell), the Good Lord has delivered Pat McLaughlin* into the arms of Arsenal. Pat runs the Just Arsenal website and, while most of France dreams of playing for the Gunners, dreams of living (not for the first time in his life) in France. He’s our second Gooner – with a third still to come – to preview Saturday’s big game, Sunderland v Arsenal, and thinks we’ll do rather well this season. According to my mental arithmetic, he has us finishing sixth. Was that a pig-like creature we just saw flying by? …

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Salut! Sunderland Everyone raves about how exciting the Gunners are to watch. What do you remember of the days when it was “boring, boring Arsenal”?

LOL i used to agree with the monicker. George Graham used to bore me too. But i started going to Highbury when it was Johnny Radfords day, and they were never boring! It used to cost me ten bob to go in the “pit” (kids section)

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