A cup final again, and only twelve months since we made a right pigs ear of the last one. Now Ernie Armstrong was a canny old boy, a decent if dirty player in his youth,or so I have been told, but just how much remembrance does he want in Ryhope? However, let's not be ungrateful, promotion might not suit the likes of thee and me, and while admittedly it's not Wembley like what Whitley Bay are looking forward to, it is a night out and a chance to bring fame if not fortune to the village of dreaming spires; or was that burning tyres? I forget....
Looks like Norton have won the league, and promotion for the first time after a mere 28 years in the second division, the impatient fools; don't they realise that you must suffer down here among the has beens and never wases for a lot longer than that before you deserve to go up. They will regret their impetuosity, you mark my words. They will be welcome in the top flight though, as will Esh, regardless of the football they are two of the best clubhouses in the league, which is not unimportant when the cold wind blows. Congratulations to both, and of course to Horden if they manage to stagger over the line in the next week or so, every chance they will still be drunk when the cup final comes round.
Less clap trap and an intelligent analysis of the season just about gone instead I hear you ask? You have come to the wrong shop there son, but I will tell you what I think if you like; I think we need to start in August like the rest of them. It maybe romantic and suit the quixotic temperament of the average Sunderland inhabitant, steeped in many years of gallant failure and used to falling short in sport and other pastimes, giving everybody a few weeks start and then launching on an agonising, but ultimately doomed quest to cut them down on the run in, but why not try and win it from the front for a change? I'm only asking of course. Mind you as I recall we won the first two this year by 12 - 0 in total before the wheels fell off so that didn't work either. However, I for one am sure next year will be different, a stroll to success with all of Teesside and such like places toiling in our wake. And of course there's always the trip to Whitehaven to look forward to, unless Crook and Marske do the business for us of course....