Scott7

Occasionally. Scored six at cf in a 7-1 victory over Falkirk 61/62.

Let’s hope Shankland chooses today to prove his critics right.

Denis Compton, Middlesex and England.

Denis Compton, Arsenal and England

Another mesmerist on the wing. Len Shackleton, the Clown Prince of Football.

Ian St John won me 37/6 on a bus sweep. Boy did that make me rich for a week?

@ChelseaBoy has been looking into the old folks’ cage. We’re not parochial. Here’s a Chelsea stalwart, Roy Bentley captain of the 54/55 champions. Hasn’t been adequately replaced imho.

Willie Rae, not the greatest footballer but ever ready.

Monster of a ‘keeper Jimmy Brown. One or two may have been taller, none was broader. I remember that final well but remember even better the six put past him in a league game at Ibrox season 62/63.

Ibrox or Lanzarote? Mrs Frankie the loser in that contest.

Sir Tom Finney, Preston North End, outside right, outside left and centre forward and scoring in all three positions. A bit like Davy Wilson.

George Peebles (?) about to receive the clap of doom.

Two of the greatest.

That’s a great photo of Alex Scott. A bewildered Willie McSeveney on the ground, maybe? Don’t know the other bloke. John Martis?

As would we all. I think the team is playing better football than was on display last season. Different spectators see things differently.

In bursts, the team is playing football not seen since the Advocaat years. Even when Beale’s sides won it was turgid stuff.

Fans didn’t want Mowbray to go. Anyway, good club management isn’t ruled by bleating fans. Proper planning and execution would make all the difference to Sunderland but they have two big problems, Newcastle and London. One is too near, the other is too far away. Look at Brighton. Outstanding business management was put in place about ten years ago but they wouldn’t get the players they have if Brighton itself wasn’t an attractive place for modern young folk to live and London’s an hour in the train. A bit glitzier than the Dog and Rivet in Roker.

Correct. They got rid of a decent manager and hired Beale. Their business management has been bad for forty years at least as I mentioned but their new model is insane. The owner doesn’t care about league success nor about entertaining football. He wants to trawl the world for young unheard of players in the hope of finding one to sell at daft money. Mowbray told him this wasn’t a great idea. My reference to “resources” above was to “fan resources”. Aberdeen and Hearts don’t get 30,000 home attendances in the top tier let alone the second. If I were one of the 30,000 I’d be pretty miffed with the business model.

They turn up in very large numbers home and away despite woeful business management for nearly forty years now and a plunge down to League 1. They’re entitled to expect something back for their money. Aberdeen and Hearts can only dream of the fan resources Sunderland have got.

Just exactly what a ‘Spurs man wants to display on his mantelpiece. Old Trafford next stop?

Bring him home.

That’s the easy bit. The hard part is coming now.

Alex Scott is the only player featuring in two of the board’s usernames.

Just cross them lower down your mast.

Speak for yourself, lad.