Thursday, October 06, 2005
SAFC kit launch
Steady trade at the Stadium of Light
With a view to finding out how well my son might take to his first live game of football, I decided last night to take him to the Stadium of Light to get the new season's shirt at the launch of the Londsdale kit. However, as I was preparing to leave home he decided that he was too tired and might not enjoy being in a big crowd! Pah! I thouht if my father had taken me to my first game at Roker Park in 1963 at the age of seven, then surely he ought to be able to enjoy a game of football at the age of eight, mystified, I went alone.
The crowds had been building steadily during the day and there was a large queue at the club shop by time I had arrived, there was the added attraction of free entry into the stadium for the reserve's game against Manchester City. Whilst there, I collected my tickets for the League Cup match against Arsenal, again I will probably go alone judging by Junior's lack of enthusiasm.
Don't they look good!
There was also a handful of first team players helping to sell the shirts and signing them, I spotted Julio Arca, Justin Hoyte, and Christian Bassilas
Here's the Argentinian doing his bit!
Sunderland Reserves 1 - 0 Manchester City Reserves
In a match that seriously lacked inspiration or entertainment the reserves handed City their first defeat of the season.
Murphy scored in the 73rd minute with a powerful left-foot strike after turning his marker just inside the box. The Irish lad is fairly tall and powerful, and when the ball is supplied to him, he looks very willing to work hard and has an eye for goal.
Daryl Murphy
The game also marked the return from injury of Alan Stubbs, who played for 90 minutes. He looked relaxed and assured as he marshalled the younger defenders around him, he was in a different class to all of the others on the field.
The centre-back will now go into Mick McCarthy's thinking for Sunderland's game against Manchester United a week on Saturday.
Murphy went close in the first half with a header after a good run by Craig McFarlane, but it was City who had the best chances up until the goal, the Irishman's first in Sunderland colours.
Dan Smith had to clear an Ishmael Miller header off the line and the same player curled a shot just wide in the 40th minute.
Sunderland keeper Joe Murphy made a great save from Lee Croft in the second half after a mistake by Stubbs.
I was particularly impressed with our back four and the keeper Joe Murphy, but the midfield were rather dull and workman-like.
The win, only Sunderland Reserves' second of the season, came in front of a crowd of 3,953 at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland Reserves: Murphy, Taylor, Stubbs, Christensen, Smith, Martin, McFarlane, Woods, D. Murphy, Graham, Davison.
One of the great advantages of being in the Stadium of Light with such a small crowd was the ability to choose your own seat in the only stand open, the West Stand. I decided that as there weren't too many "press johnnies" there, I'd take a seat above the halfway line in the media section. It's still a bit cramped with the little pull down table in front of you, but if you had your laptop with you, there is a socket under the seat for free power, and an ethernet connection on the side to couple you up to a nice "phat-piped" broadband cable. I found myself in good company , on my left was Simon Crabtree, the match commentator for Metro Radio and Magic 1152, and on my right was Justin Hoyte and his mate.
Crabtree just doesn't know how to keep quiet (probably how he got the job) and needs a haircut, and Hoyte needs a sense of humour, he looked far too serious all game.
The next home match is a league game against Manchester United a week Saturday, another one that I will miss because of the work rosta!
See you all for the Arsenal match then.
_________________________________________________________________
With a view to finding out how well my son might take to his first live game of football, I decided last night to take him to the Stadium of Light to get the new season's shirt at the launch of the Londsdale kit. However, as I was preparing to leave home he decided that he was too tired and might not enjoy being in a big crowd! Pah! I thouht if my father had taken me to my first game at Roker Park in 1963 at the age of seven, then surely he ought to be able to enjoy a game of football at the age of eight, mystified, I went alone.
The crowds had been building steadily during the day and there was a large queue at the club shop by time I had arrived, there was the added attraction of free entry into the stadium for the reserve's game against Manchester City. Whilst there, I collected my tickets for the League Cup match against Arsenal, again I will probably go alone judging by Junior's lack of enthusiasm.
Don't they look good!There was also a handful of first team players helping to sell the shirts and signing them, I spotted Julio Arca, Justin Hoyte, and Christian Bassilas
Here's the Argentinian doing his bit!
Sunderland Reserves 1 - 0 Manchester City Reserves
In a match that seriously lacked inspiration or entertainment the reserves handed City their first defeat of the season.
Murphy scored in the 73rd minute with a powerful left-foot strike after turning his marker just inside the box. The Irish lad is fairly tall and powerful, and when the ball is supplied to him, he looks very willing to work hard and has an eye for goal.
Daryl MurphyThe game also marked the return from injury of Alan Stubbs, who played for 90 minutes. He looked relaxed and assured as he marshalled the younger defenders around him, he was in a different class to all of the others on the field.
The centre-back will now go into Mick McCarthy's thinking for Sunderland's game against Manchester United a week on Saturday.
Murphy went close in the first half with a header after a good run by Craig McFarlane, but it was City who had the best chances up until the goal, the Irishman's first in Sunderland colours.
Dan Smith had to clear an Ishmael Miller header off the line and the same player curled a shot just wide in the 40th minute.
Sunderland keeper Joe Murphy made a great save from Lee Croft in the second half after a mistake by Stubbs.
I was particularly impressed with our back four and the keeper Joe Murphy, but the midfield were rather dull and workman-like.
The win, only Sunderland Reserves' second of the season, came in front of a crowd of 3,953 at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland Reserves: Murphy, Taylor, Stubbs, Christensen, Smith, Martin, McFarlane, Woods, D. Murphy, Graham, Davison.
One of the great advantages of being in the Stadium of Light with such a small crowd was the ability to choose your own seat in the only stand open, the West Stand. I decided that as there weren't too many "press johnnies" there, I'd take a seat above the halfway line in the media section. It's still a bit cramped with the little pull down table in front of you, but if you had your laptop with you, there is a socket under the seat for free power, and an ethernet connection on the side to couple you up to a nice "phat-piped" broadband cable. I found myself in good company , on my left was Simon Crabtree, the match commentator for Metro Radio and Magic 1152, and on my right was Justin Hoyte and his mate.
Crabtree just doesn't know how to keep quiet (probably how he got the job) and needs a haircut, and Hoyte needs a sense of humour, he looked far too serious all game.
The next home match is a league game against Manchester United a week Saturday, another one that I will miss because of the work rosta!
See you all for the Arsenal match then.
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