Charlie Methven…..when two worlds collide

It’s about 6 weeks since Charlie resigned – whilst there was a real honeymoon period for him with lots of the fans? His time ran out………given he’s been making an arse of himself in the media today – it seems timely to write about his time at SAFC.

Charlie and Stewart arrived on Wearside at a time when fans were desperate for someone to love? The latter stages of the Ellis Short Era had left many fans drained, scourned and desperate to get their club back.

Charlie Methven What went right?

Charlie Methven Pints, PR and selfies — This is a man who was here to stay, there was to be no turning his back on us filthy Northern Types?

Charlie rode in on the crest of a wave, whilst Stewart was a bit awkward and had a daft voice, our Charlie was brash, confident and had a swagger. Selfies, pints, phone ins – you name it …. Charlie was the man?

“These Grande Lager Fizz are to die for chaps, this is just sooooooooo much ruddy, bloody fun chaps. I just love soccer – pops had a debenture at Twickers, but this is just swell…..”

Chatting shit, contradicting yourself and being a bit of a knobber was never conducive to a long term relationship?

Charlie Methven blending in with the locals — “Juan…..Juan….. Juan….. JUAN…… no he can’t hear me Lynne…..JUAN …..JUAN

For those of us who didn’t fall for it, it just felt like Charlie was only a stupid quote away from making an arse of himself?

“Yeah cheers pal…… did you take 2 days off work and stay at the Fratton IBIS for the play off game?”

What went wrong?

I thought we’d piss League 1, I even had a few hundred quid on it…… I’d have rather won the bet, but I didn’t need to, they gambled on promotion and they lost the bet…..

A few months after Charlie and Stewart rode into town, SAFCBlog attended a Legends Dinner at the Stadium – it was the night before we played Rochdale and whilst I’m not mad for club events, I live 80 miles from Sunderland, so the opportunity for a night out and a load of beer with some Sunderland Legends and a kip at the Hilton seemed like a good plan?
Aside from the selfie roadshow….the following events stuck out for me…..

……. There were loads of SAFC fans there obviously, Jordan Pickford’s gloves were up for auction. It was a popular item and bids were healthy….. SD and CM then ended up bidding against each other…. big money, just a pissing competition? It was at best Ill judged, but I’ll use the word inappropriate? These are men who were at pains to say they got the DNA of the city and understood the passion of the fans.

After a break for some selfies…… Donald announced he has a house in the Maldives and proceeded to auction a holiday there….. I love the city of Sunderland, I’m a proud Northerner….. but SD and CM conducting the auction was at best self gratifying…. remember these are men, who got the DNA of the City………the idea of folk from Pallion and Hendon descending on The Maldives was at best ironic? I’m aware it was for charity…… SAFCBlog works for 2 charities on a voluntary basis….. the auction was for the benefit of CM and SD, you could have just given the money?

The next day whilst having a beer in a pub near the SOL…… CM wanders in with his missus, in a way fair dos to him…. but ladies like this don’t really want to watch Wee Phillie singing rude songs?

“Fooling some of the people some of the time…..piece of piss?”

Honeymoon over?

So it was a nice idea Charlie, but sadly it was never going to work was it? Even without your daft comments, getting the DNA of the city was never going to happen?

Obviously much of this is written with a degree of irony and with tongue firmly in cheek. Whilst the North is better than the South by miles, (arguably it gets better the further north you go?)

Whilst the Southern, posh boy jibe is an easy shot…. the reality is that Charlie was the master of his own downfall? Piss take stops here, 100 points, parasites, quiet fans, online threats, (actually not) – the architectural Tory Boy leading the Durham Miners Parade…. you couldn’t fucking write it?