By Simon Wright - Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
In a new
series for Simon’s Football Zone, I speak to the fans that matter. These are the fans that support their club
and have a strong passion for it too.
This is My Club.
First in the
series on a monthly basis is Kevin Ashburn.
Ashburn is a University of Northampton graduate from 2012, and a loyal
and dedicated fan of Sunderland FC.
I spoke to
Kevin and asked him his thoughts on the upcoming season for the Black Cats, his
first memories of watching football and his opinions on Newcastle United’s home
kit!
What are your first memories of watching
football?
My
first memories of watching football were going around my cousin’s house for “the
match.” At this time, I was massively
into WWF wrestling and thought I was going for that. Turned out to be a game between Newcastle
United and Blackburn Rovers in around 1995-1996 I think. My cousin Michael was a huge Newcastle fan.
When did you realise that Sunderland
was the club you wanted to support?
I
was always in the middle of the sibling rivalry between my two cousins. I ended up picking Sunderland because I
honestly thought the Newcastle United home kit looked like a bar code! It was only when I went to my first match in
1997 against Crewe Alexandra that I fully understood the love and haven’t
looked back since.
In the time you’ve followed Sunderland,
who do you reckon has been the Black Cats best ever player?
In
my lifetime, the best player I’ve ever seen wearing the red and white stripes
has to be either Kevin Phillips or Julio Arca.
Phillips for his ability to grab a goal at any time and completely
change a game, and Arca for his vision, trickery and immense loyalty to the
club for the time he was there.
What are your favourite moments
following Sunderland, and also the lowest moment?
My
favourite moment supporting Sunderland will always be beating Newcastle 2-1 at
the Stadium of Light (gates pictured) in October 2008.
The Kieran Richardson free-kick will always stay with me. The lowest is the play-off semi-final defeat
to Crystal Palace in 2004. I was at the
game with my cousin and to be cheated out of an aggregate victory by a blatant
bit of cheating by Chris Powell really hurt.
Are you a regular visitor to games on
Wearside?
Unfortunately
not and this is a shame. Many might call
me an armchair fan but if I could get there from my hometown of Rugby every
other week and could afford a season ticket, I would. I do try to get to at least two matches every
season at least though.
If you went to a Sunderland home
match, would you get value for money?
If
you’d asked me this last season, then definitely not. The stadium however is top notch and the view
from anywhere in the ground is tremendous.
Hopefully di Canio can get the team playing well and the fans can feel
they are getting value for their money.
Aside from Newcastle, which other
sides do you enjoy seeing Sunderland get the better of?
I’d
have to say Everton and Manchester City because it doesn’t happen very often;
though we have beaten City at home in the last three seasons. Other than
that, I always like watching us beating West Ham United and Wigan Athletic too.
Were you happy with the management
change in April and do you care about Paolo di Canio’s political views?
I
wasn’t quite sure what Ellis Short was thinking in all fairness. Martin O’Neill is a top manager, and even
though he had gone a bit stale in the post, his track record can’t be
faulted. I felt that the last thing we
needed was a revolving door at the club when it came to management. After his first press conference though, I
was impressed with Paolo di Canio and then the results started to follow. I don’t care much about his political views
at all. As long as he gets his squad
playing for him, each other and most importantly, the fans, then no-one will
mention it.
Which of the new signings are you
looking forward to seeing the most at the Stadium of Light this season?
I
think three new signings will make a big impact this season. Cabral was one of FC Basel’s best players in
the UEFA Europa League last season, and Emanuele Giaccherini was fantastic for
Italy at the Confederations Cup this summer.
I’m also impressed by young David Moberg Karlsson. His touch and composure at the Barclays Asia
Trophy was impressive. It showed the
skill of a player way beyond his years.
If there was one player you could buy
in the Premier League, who would it be?
Juan
Mata! Realistically though, I’d love to
see us sign Tom Huddlestone from Tottenham.
I don’t think he will get much playing time under AVB this season, and a
move to a new club will refresh him and remind everyone of his potential
ability.
What would be a good season for
Sunderland in 2013-14?
If
we can survive relegation again, it has to be seen as a positive. As long as the team play like they want to
wear the shirt, it is okay to come up short.
I’d love to say a shot at European qualification or the top 10, but I’ve
got to say that avoiding relegation again would be a good season. Beating Newcastle in the league table would
be the icing on the cake!
Last question; describe why Sunderland
is ‘Your Club’ in no more than one sentence?
The
Premier League’s sleeping giants.
To follow Sunderland’s progress
throughout the season, visit their club website.
If you would like to
take part in the new series of ‘My Club, no matter what club you support – get in
touch through my Twitter account @Siwri88, or drop an e-mail to my address
which is on the Contact Details page.
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