In the interminational break our thoughts tend to wander as bizarre topics appear on the blog.
As days get longer thoughts turn to impending gloom at MFC or the glorious pending cricket season now unhindered by admonishments by blogmeisters who believe the earth is flat and started in 1986.
The Blue Peter Time Capsule was inadvertently dug up during building work earlier this year so maybe we need a virtual Diasboro Time Capsule.
Nominate one item, and one item only, from your time supporting Boro to be locked in virtual space until we win the FA Cup.
Is it a player, a memorable match or season, a favourite manager or kit. Something that will give the essence of the Boro.
Feel free to discuss several before narrowing your choice for posterity supported by reasoned argument.
As with Jedi there is the dark side to consider and that isn’t just our very own Darth Vader, the Prince of Darkness. (Keith Lamb to younger readers)
What item would you consign to Room 101. What makes you wake up in a cold sweat, a match you have recurring nightmares about, awful kits, Staasi Stewards, awful signings, dreadful decisions, blind officials.
I have already put Strachan in there so that option is ruled out as being too easy. Again, be rational unless it is irrational, that is allowed for Room 101
Thinking caps on and a bonus Trabant will be dug up to be awarded to the best argued items.
EXMIL CHALLENGE Part 1 – league table
At last the table is published for Part 1, interestingly 19 of the 39 entries got the Sunderland total correct, that’s nearly 50% but none of the top 6 did. No matter where you are in the table do not give up, as we have seen in the real table things can change dramatically, in Part 1 most people lost points with Leicester and Palace. I have passed the details for Part 2 to Werdermouth to work his magic and hopefully it will not be long before you can start predicting again and as of previous years points will be carried forward to Parts 2 and 3. If you think there has been a mistake on your score please let me know but I have checked it twice before posting it.
1. Paulista Park 7,9,10,5,10,7,8, = 56
2. Paul 7,9,10,4,10,7,8, = 55
3. KP in Spain 7,9,9,5,10,6,8, = 54
4. Pedro de Espana 7,6,10,6,10,7,7, = 53
5. TheYouthfulUpstart 7,8,9,4,10,5,8, = 51
6. BoroPhil 7,9,7,4,10,6,8, = 51
7. Boroexile 7,9,8,5,8,3,10, = 50
8. Redcar Red 7,9,6,4,10,4,10, = 50
9. Ladyboro 6,8,8,4,8,6,10 = 50
10. Powmill-naemore 7,9,9,4,8,5,8, = 50
11. Rich 7,9,7,2,9,5,10 = 49
12. Jarsue 8,9,5,4,10,2,10 = 48
13. Borobrie 8,10,5,3,9,3,10, = 48
14. Suffolk’n’Boro 7,9,6,5,9,2,10, = 48
15. Martin Bellamy 8,9,6,3,10,4,8, = 48
16. Steve Terry (Nikeboro) 5,8,9,5,10,3,8, = 48
17. original fat bob 7,6,7,4,9,5,10, = 48
18. lenmasterman 7,10,7,2,6,5,10, = 47
19. Allen in Bahrain 5,10,8,2,8,3,10 = 46
20. Dalla 7,8,8,2,8,3,10, = 46
21. Boro Beckys Dad 8,9,7,5,9,3,9, = 46
22= exmil2017 7,9,8,2,9,3,8, = 46
22= Tees Transporter 7,9,8,2,9,3,8, = 46
24. Ian Gill 5,8,8,4,8,5,8, = 46
25. Jarkko 7,9,5,5,9,2,8, = 45
26= Peasepuddinginperth 5,8,7,2,9,3,10, = 44
26= Werdermouth 5,8,7,3,9,2,10, = 44
28. Smoggyinexile 7,7,8,2,10,3,7, = 44
29. Never Give Up On Boro 5,8,6,4,9,1,10, = 43
30. borosupporter82 5,10,3,4,8,2,10, = 42
31. BrisbanePhil 7,8,6,2,9,2,8, = 42
32. Simon Fallaha 7,8,3,3,9,5,7, = 42
33. Forever Dormo 5,8,6,1,9,2,10, = 41
34. SteveH 5,6,8,4,7,3,8, = 41
35. Andy R 3,6,7,2,9,2,10, = 39
36. Selwynoz 5,6,5,2,9,2,10, = 39
37. Spartakboro 5,8,3,3,8,2,10, = 39
38. Vanteis 5,6,6,2,10,3,7, = 39
39. Chris Hunneysett 6,6,8,1,7,2,9, = 39
Come on BORO.
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My initial thought was the “no show” for the Play Off final against Norwich when not only did the bus arrive late but the players clearly mentally hadn’t turned up either. No doubt in time there will be a story of what went on, what was said by whom and why we never got out of the blocks but it was an extremely poor show.
1997 however is the one thing I would like to consign to Room 101, the 118th minute Heskey goal to snatch the League Cup from us, followed quickly by the three points farce, and then just to crown it all the record 42 seconds Di Matteo goal in the FA Cup Final.
1997 it is then although that could be usurped if we lost Ben to the Toon after being relegated!
For Room 101? Dong Gook Lee was what came instantly to mind, but I’ll reflect because I’m sure there are plenty of others!
As for something to preserve in the time capsule, my Boro away shirt I wore to the League Cup final v Leicester, my poster of Jackie Charlton’s team of ’74, which came free with the Gazette, but at this stage I’m going for the FA Cup semi-final v Chesterfield at Old Trafford.
3-1 down, player sent off, come back for 3-3, if ever a match summed up supporting Boro that was it, the essence of ‘Typical Boro’.
werder – great thread by the way.
🔴 Thanks should go to Ian as it’s his international break post – Werdermouth
Beating Sheff Wed 8 0 during the 73 74 season. And Graeme Souness scoring a hat trick
To preserve for me is the Steaua Bucharest semi final 2006, I was on my training to be a Traffic Officer down south and with my mate (another season ticket holder) we drove for 3 – 31/2 hours up for the game, then afterwards the same journey back getting to bed about half two, to have to get up for the course at 6, but my word it was worth it.
Room 101 would have to be the last relegation which lead to 7 years in the championship, empty stadiums and the Stachen era.
Come on BORO.
Bravo, Ben Gibson.
You make me – strike that, all of us, surely – very proud to be associated with the #Boro.
I would like to add to the above that I have just watched the clip of the highlights of that match with Ali Brownlee commentary “everyone round my house for a Parmo” , it still makes me laugh but with a tear in my eye, I would like to put the clip into capsule for ever, then anytime I am feeling down about the BORO I can listen to Ali telling us how the Boro have “driven a stake through the hearts of Dracula’s boys” priceless.
Come on BORO.
Steaua for me is by far and away the best moment for the time capsule, it even eclipsed Cardiff and that was after 128 years!
Cardiff was nothing less than incredible and a real pinch me you had to be there moment but the Steaua night was magical, emotional and real fairy tale stuff. Ali’s commentary will live on in all our memories forever or at least until we all meet up in the Holgate in the sky.
“Going on up to the Holgate in the sky
That’s where I’m gonna go
When I die
When I die and they
Lay me to rest
I’m gonna go to the place
That’s the best”
Ian – Thanks for the blog, great piece.
OFB – Yep, the 8-0 v Wed and the Souness hat trick is right up there for me to. I can still visualize moments in that game even now. I was 11 at the time and thought supporting Boro was always going to be that good!
Congratulations to Ben on his England call up, that first cap is getting closer.
What goes into Room 101, simple, this season’s Boro shirt with the gastric band or surgical dressing on it. We’ve had some horrors but that is cheap, nasty and nothing much to do with Boro. Branding what’s that? Certainly not that embarrassment of a shirt.
In the capsule? That has to be promotion match at Ayresome Park that took Boro from the then Third Division (in 1967?), and my other half agrees because she got a kiss from Stan Anderson.
UTB,
John
PS Wasn’t Ron Atkinson captain of Oxford that night?
My best memory would be the sunny day at Hartlepool. Still I remember seeing the ships behind the opposite stand. And the quick start we made to lead 2-0. In the end the 2-2 draw was not a disappointment, though. We were born again in 1986.
There is not so many bad memories I have about Boro. Bad results but what would I rather forget? Perhaps the dismissal of Mogga as a manager or the first time we sold the Little Fella, Juni.
I will go for the dismissal of Mogga. When he started I dreamed he would stay for ever as a manager. So Boro through and through. And one of greatest persons I have met.
Up the Boro!
Who was the last player to be selected for an England squad before Ben? Wheater of Redcar?
There has been a few England managers with a Boro connection.
Up the Boro!
According to Boro stats it’s Downing
I think Wheater was called up and even made the bench on a couple of occasions when Capello was the Manager but never actually made an appearance.
It’s so difficult to choose but I would preserve the 1966/7 Oxford game as it was a fantastic end to my first full season supporting Boro (a Saturday job precluded me going to anything other than night matches prior to that season).
The Strachan era is my choice for Room 101.
Sorry, Strachan is already in there
Back in the day I knicked off school now and again , and went down to Ayresome,to hang out after training,
I was there the day Harold Thomas the chairman came out and announced to all of us who were there, we had been given World Cup games, old Harold couldn’t take the smile off his face.
Good memories.
Steaua for preservation.
West Brom 2 Boro 0 under Strachan for Room 101. The only Boro game I switched off during its live coverage, though the 2-0 Derby Daze of December put me to sleep.
I quote Vic from April 2010.
“A shameful, embarrassing meek one sided surrender. There are no excuses for a lack of effort, fight, application or desire on a day when, even if results had conspired against us, there was still something there to play for. That so many players went out defeated before kick off is a disgrace.
“We all knew there was a massive gap between Boro and the top teams, and that we were only still in with a shout because of the collective incompetence of the rest of the play-off pretenders, but it is hard to believe that Leicester, or Swansea or Blackpool would collapse in such abject fashion.
“Bloody Albion again. Last season at the Hawthorns was a watershed moment, an opportunity to salvage a Premier League foothold missed. It was a game after which Southgate looked a broken man and he could have had no complaints had he been sacked. At home, this year, the 5-0 hammering revealed conclusively the fatal fissures in the team’s fragile mentality and decisive action was taken soon after. Equally urgent action is needed now if Boro are to avoid falling so far short of the promotion places next year. This team needs ripping apart completely.
“Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.”
The day tickets went on sale for the boys end… Manutd Quarter final. Up early, knicked off school I think.
That wouldn’t surprise me if Boro had the tickets on sale on a week day.
They herded 3,000 kids into the World Cup Stand while they worked out how to dish out the tickets and collect the 30p. great day out. starving all day as I didn’t take a packed lunch.
As for room 101 – the late equalizer in the League cup final in 97 – “Boro always let you down,,,”
I was in there as well Allan, but my memories are in pounds shillings and pence. Can that be right? I remember paying 2s 6d for the ticket and somebody offering me 19s 6d for it as I came out.
Room 101
Me Mark Page – whittling on & his pre-match noise rackett.
The volly vonts for the exclusive use of the exclusive.
SG for consistent persistent oligarchy & nonsense managerial appointments or focus on finance over football (he gave a million a month of his own money to keep HIS ow club afloat after making managerial appointments that flopped – he’s reported to have personal wealth of over £170 million, must be really difficult for him), like!
Men’s toilets at the back of the Holgate.
All Boro supporters with blinkered unconditional lurrrvvvv for the Boro as they support & perpetuate the ‘unspeakable’ negative.
Time capsuale
The Anglo Scottish Cup Final against Fulham & my first view of a vibrant green floodlit pitch at Ayresome Park – the smells, the raw noise, the essential human spirit of competition, the silver shine of the trophy. It was my first glance that confirmed for me that even briefly there could be a heaven on earth.
🙂
Time Capsule – the opening league game at the Riverside against Chelsea. A barmy Teesside afternoon. A box-fresh new stadium full to the rafters. A past-his-best-but-genuinely-world-class-footballer on display in Ruud Gullit. Barmby and Hignett. The Premier League and a Boro side who played some terrific, slick-passing, attacking football – and won!
It was a day when all the hope around the Ribson era really hit home. We’d arrived among the big boys. Great day.
Room 101 – difficult to see past that Cardiff FA cup QF. As Boro fans we’re used to disappointment but that made us angry. Having said that, the drawn out decline of Mogga, a proper Boro legend, was one of the saddest moments.
See SG only made a profit of £5.5 squillion spondolies last financial year. My god, that must be tough! Wonder how many poor sods are visiting food banks to keep body & soul together for their kids and their selves?
Unwashed, useless peasentry. Should be chucked into the Tees River I say. Unless there’s a war on, then we can dress them up and push the healthy ones off to a country where they can die or be maimed for the greater good.
Nevermind SG, great truckloads of cash comin Boro’s way at the end of this season, goin down or stayin up.
A great idea Ian and certainly food for thought.
Like my Desert Island Disc choices, mine are hard to pick and will be fluid!
Time Capsule first, the shirt list comprises, in no particular order, the Steau game – what a match and atmosphere, and afterwards listening to Ali’s commentary! Actually, I would take that as a DI’D as well. Never thought that I would see Boro get to European final
The 8 0 Sheffield Wednesday match is a contender as it was my first promotion experience and what a way to finish the season
FA CUP semi final against Chesterfield was a good day as well
League CUP victory must go in the list, didn’t have Sky, so my son and I listened on the radio. I did have to say that it would not always be this good!
I would put pictures of Ayresome Park through the ages as a reminder of all that I have seen
The votes havevbeen verified and counted And the winner is …………..
Steau match without a doubt
Room 101 to follow when I have given the kitchen ceiling another coat!
What a question, what line do you take? The most thrilling? Or the easiest?
Lets leave out the romps, so, the old Trafford semi against chesterfield, strange fact, the BBC commentary team said that it was the greatest semi they had ever witnessed and I will not argue with that.
Next, the final at Cardiff, wonderful, never to be forgotten day.
Then the euro semi, thrilling, or what?
And lets not forget the magical night against Oxford in the Sixties, a lock out with many thousands unable to squeeze in, and many thousands who went in over the wall. And what a fabulous match, it went our way from the off, with exiting play, goals, and crowd scenes to die for.
My heart tells me that it must be the win in the final. But really, it must be Stea in the euro semi. A last second goal for a monster win, brilliant attacking play, lots of goals. I think I’ve found my winner.
I felt so much pain after Jamie Hewitt’s equaliser that I can never rank the Chesterfield semi as a classic. I think a friend of mine, who was there, summed it up best: “Everything that was good and bad about Boro was on display.”
A delight for the neutral, but certainly not for Boro. Worse was another “classic” from Mogga’s first season – a 3-1 lead against Swansea turned into a 4-3 defeat. Classics? Or, like Swansea 5-4 Palace under Bob Bradley, basketball matches?
I’ve got an unopened bottle of special edition cup final beer from the 1997 F.A. Cup Final which would find a fitting resting place in the time capsule.
Best moments as a Boro fan…
walking through the gates at wembley for the ZDS final, finally making it after all those years.
Mike Riley blowing the final whistle at Cardiff … We’ve done it, we’ve won the cup, WE’VE WON THE BLOODY CUP!!!!!
Worst things about Boro … not sure …
worst kit ,,, that tin soldier thing from a couple of years ago
worst moment … Heskey 1997 De Matteo 1997
🔴 It may have slipped out in the excitement but house spelling rules means there’s no ‘F’ in cup – Werdermouth
Boro have sent scouts to watch Chester centre back Sam Hughes. #boro [Mail]
Do they still get ‘a bob’ for their job?
Just askin like!
Isn’t Sam Hughes army term for officers brown diagonal belt?
My favourite match was beating Huddersfield Town 8-0 in 1950 and seeing Wilf Mannion score a hat-trick in the first half and Alex McCrae a hat-trick in the second half and being asked several times on my way home the score but nobody believed me because in those days one had to wait until 5.30 to get the results on the radio. My biggest thrill was seeing Tommy Lawton playing for Notts County (yes England’s centre forward playing for a 3rd division team) against Stockton in a FA cup replay at Ayresome Park a few years earlier. The worst experience was losing at home to Doncaster Rovers 4-1 in an FA cup match on the day that the king died.
Ken
I think you’ve just gone and beaten everyone with this memories
Well done
Fat Bob
ken
My sadly departed dad mentioned the Donnie match as the most one sided he had seen, he seemed to remember it had been snowing or the weather foul. In the second half you could see the attacks as footmarks in the snow and they scored every time.
Boro Memories for the Time Capsule:
In terms of pure excitement nothing was better than those two famous UEFA cup comebacks in the quarter and the semi-final with a last minute goal once again from Massimo Maccarone to get to the final an unbelievable moment.
Also my memory of Boro’s Cardiff triumph was all about trying to organise a hotel in Oz that had the right Sat channel as we were In the middle of three month trip down the east coast from Cairns to Melbourne. As I checked into a carefully chosen hotel then went to the room and put on the TV, I discovered they’d not got the channel showing the game as they said – so it was few quick phone calls to find another hotel near by and we ended up in quite a pricey suite. Still got to see our first major Cup Triumph in great comfort with a local bottle of Merlot – plus Mrs Werder had a washing machine to keep her occupied 🙂
Another worth preserving was after my friend and I were given two free tickets by his boss, who was a season ticket holder at Highbury, for the Boro game as he was away. It was the time that Robbo was struggling and Terry Venables came in to help – the only problem was that the tickets were in the Arsenal end.
Boro were getting battered but were hanging on and all of a sudden were gifted an own goal, this didn’t go down well around us as I contained my urge to cheer. Then just before half-time Boro got another thanks to yet another own goal – my friend just looked at me and said ‘are your team always this lucky’ and most of the Gooners were apoplectic. 2-0 up at half time with no shots on goal! Then as the second half started Boksic scored a well worked effort and it was game over – the Boro fans at the other end were singing ‘Are you Tottenham in disguise’ and generally taking the mick – in the end the Arsenal fans around me were in disbelief and starting slagging off their team and ironically cheering Boro instead – so at last I as able to join in.
I saw that Arsenal game as well.
I was working in London and had a flat in Chiswick
One of our subcontractors also Boro fan got tickets for him and his wife and me and Mrs Fat Bob so we had great seats.
Couldn’t believe half time 2 up and no shots at goal!!!
Great memories and nice meal in the west end at Joules to celebrate
Happy days (daze)
Happy Days, Werder.
Though I believe it was Ricard who scored the third, from a Boksic backheel.
So since many of you may be settling down after Sunday lunch and are in need of some football reading before England hit the small screen – Simon has provided us with an interesting piece about the issues related to player recruitment and how Boro have fared in the market.
https://diasboro.club/2017/03/25/talking-point-player-recruitment/
Best for me is a pretty personal memory, my first ever Boro game at Ayresome on my 6th birthday when we beat Norwich 6-1. Was slightly disappointed every year after that when we didn’t win 7-1, 8-1 etc… Was great to find it on YouTube as I had started to think it was a false memory https://youtu.be/7fYsoaZR3uA
Worst would probably be Di Matteo in 1997, just settled down in a Wembley pub full of hope then…
A great team and a match had nearlu forgotten. Thans for sharing. UTB!
room 101 , without a doubt , Mark Page. This guy is a buffoon and has irritated Boro fans for years. Failed radio one / bbc tees / commercial radio failure. He is so annoying . The lovely Bernard Gent was a great announcer for the club and very professional. I can’t find a good word to say about Page.
Sorry folks been away, went on a last minute cruise deal so have missed your responses. Got back about 45 minutes ago and chance to grab a bite. I will post my choices for Room 101 and the time capsule.
We visited Jerusalem on a trip during our cruise, truly memorable trip marred by our visit to the Wailing Wall.
As it was a Monday there were several families celebrating Bar Mitvah’s as well as many tourists. sadly no one could get near the Wailing Wall because of Sunderland fans.
Time capsule
My item – the Ayresome Angels. A miserable season post relegation gathered pace after we had been 2-0 down against Workington, in no large part down to Big John at both ends. He was culpable in part for us being behind then led the charge and scored twice in a 3-2 win.
Room 101
So many, the dreadful kits and badge, dodgy players a plenty, dodgy refs, mis management, poor recruitment but for me it is the Cardiff Cup debacle.
Mrs G wanted to got to London for a weekend with the grown up kids and see a show – Wicked. The Terracotta army were on display in the British Museum. King Tut at the O2. All the tickets left us with free time on days of the semi’s.
That took some miraculous planning and discussion without giving the game away, sadly Boro did that in the limp display on National TV against Cardiff.
We were down in London and kept bumping in to fans from teams going to Wembley, all teams had fans at our hotel.
A bitter experience. Cost a small fortune but would happily have spent another to go to the semis.