Author: Diasboro

Ipswich Town		Middlesbrough
Sears Waghorn	8′ 83′ (pen)	Downing Bamford	71′ 90′ +6
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	39% 16  8  6  7	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	61% 28  6 11 12

Bamford bulldozes late leveller

Boro needed a point to definitely secure fifth place in the Play Offs against Managerless Ipswich at Portman Road in the lunch time KO today. Coming into the game the Tractor boys could literally be boys such was the extent of their injury crisis. Ten of their squad including ex Boro man Muzzy Carayol were all side-lined with a range of symptoms. Boro on the other hand were up to full strength apart from long termer Rudy.

Ipswich had demolished Reading 4-0 last week who under Dave Clement’s reign at the Royals may as well be Managerless themselves. Whilst Boro needed a point to face Villa and avoid play off favourites Fulham, Ipswich only had local “Pride of Anglia” bragging rights to play for needing to better the Canaries away day at Wednesday. Ipswich celebrated their 1978 FA Cup 40th anniversary with their “old boys” (or “touts” to those of a yellow persuasion) present including former Boro players John Wark and Kevin Beattie (although Beattie is tenuous in the extreme). While some of those blue pensioners were in danger of getting a game today TP had merely expressed doubts about Mo Besic, Stewart Downing and Dani Ayala but was expected to go with his strongest side to keep momentum going into the play off semis. As anticipated TP started with his strongest eleven clearly believing momentum is crucial at this stage with Britt retaining his starting spot in place of Paddy.

Ipswich started positively with Waghorn having a few early half chances in the opening five minutes in the summer sunshine. The pre-game carnival atmosphere had now given way to Boro focussing on getting a point as a minimum to hang on to fifth place. The lack of any pressure seemed to be benefitting the Tractor boys in the opening exchanges and in the eighth minute Freddie Sears shoved Ben Gibson off the ball to run into the Boro box and with Ayala standing off him he fired into the far corner to open the scoring and a warning to the visitors to waken up.

Ipswich looked by far the livelier; Boro seemed very pedestrian and we were struggling to get into the game. Skuse clattered into Adama as he was leaving the Tractor boys in his wake picking up a yellow card for his despairing effort. The resulting free kick saw an Ayala header go well wide. Fifteen minutes gone and Boro were still looking disconnected, struggling to get them themselves functioning as a unit. Traore once again went on a run and was brought down for his troubles, the free kick led to a period of Boro possession and an eventual attempt that was well worked from Besic that went over. That seemed to signal that Boro had finally cleared their heads as they started to impose themselves a little more in the game as news trickled through that Derby were one up on Barnsley whilst Fulham were one down to Garry Monk’s Birmingham courtesy of old Boro boy Jutkiewicz.

Traore put a great ball into Assombalonga which saw a coming together with Bialkowski in the Ipswich goal. Immediately after Shotton received a one two from Traore and fired a ball in to go out for a corner as Boro were upping the ante. As if to emphasise the strange nature of these final day fixtures Sunderland had taken the lead over Champions Wolves not that it made any difference to either clubs season. George cut into the box and fired a ball in towards Britt but failed to reach the intended recipient. After a poor start Boro were now settling and looked in control of the game with Traore terrorising the Ipswich defence at will. Elsewhere Millwall had scored a penalty to go one up against Villa which considering Steve Bruce had rested eight of his first teamers was perhaps unsurprising.

A Traore corner led to the ball being cleared off the line as momentarily the travelling army thought we had drew level. Ref David Coote decided the ball hadn’t crossed the line but did decide that the sunshine was taking its toll and took the opportunity for a drinks break. Upon the restart Britt fired a shot but couldn’t get his effort on target. The match then dipped and struggled to live up to the tempo pre drinks break. The game became messy as players were struggling for grip so much so that Mo Besic had previously deemed it necessary to change his footwear.

As the half drew to its conclusion goal scorer Freddie Sears once again troubled the Boro backline requiring Ayala to clear his cross after rounding George Friend. Boro had slipped back into their early match form, guilty of switching off and lacking intent. Waghorn this time beat Friend firing a cross in resulting in a series of bagatelle attack and defend leading to Traore bursting free to be rugby tackled by Nydom who took a yellow for his team and then seconds later Sears earned another Ipswich yellow for kicking the ball away. Meanwhile Ashley Fletcher had added a second for Sunderland against Wolves emulating Birmingham’s score line against Fulham. The half time whistle went and despite over all dominance and a purple patch in the middle of the half Boro just couldn’t get back in to the game.

We kicked off the second half with no changes knowing that despite Derby winning at home to Barnsley Boro were still somehow clinging to fifth spot by a single solitary goal difference. A Traore dribble saw him run through the Ipswich defence into the box only to see his effort blocked. The Tractor boys were now sitting deep and playing on the break as Boro probed for the equaliser. A corner from Traore swung in and Ayala attacked it to send it over the bar with George behind screaming for him to leave it. Traore again flew forward and sent the ball in but nobody in a Red shirt was keeping up with him. Crucially however Matej Vydra had scored a second for Derby against Barnsley sending Boro down to sixth. The news obviously filtered through to the Boro bench as Paddy Bamford was being readied Ipswich broke, Waghorn tested Randolph and the resulting corner saw Skues this time requiring Randolph once again in quick succession to save Boro blushes.

Jonny Howson made way for Bamford as TP shuffled his pack in search of that elusive goal. An immediate Bamford break from defending a corner came to nothing after going wide and over hitting the final ball to Britt. Instantly Ipswich then broke with Sears again going close at the opposite end against the run of play. A Downing shot forced a block and a desperate Ipswich clearance up field. Meanwhile Derby had gone three up against Barnsley who were heading towards League one with the Makems as Boro now had to get a goal from somewhere to finish in fifth spot. Boro were increasingly desperate as Britt and Adama construed to tackle each other and just as the frustration was starting to take its toll Stewy in the “D” switched the ball to his right foot and hit a daisy cutter right through the crowded box and into the Blues net to make it 1-1 and put us back into fifth spot. Instantly Derby had put a fourth past the despondent Tykes but its points that matter and that Stewy goal kept a point separating us. The game now let loose and a fierce strike from Britt was followed up with a corner which Traore sent in but Bialkowski plucked the ball out of the air from Bamford.

During the games second drinks break, under pressure the Ipswich bench brought on Hyam for Connolly as Boro had continued to dominate. A frantic end to end period ensued with a foul throw by Shotton setting up a ridiculous series of defensive calamities leading to Gibson conceding a Penalty for Ipswich with Waghorn calmly blasting the ball past Randolph to make it 2-1 and us back down to sixth despite Barnsley having pulled one back against Derby. Defensively Boro were looking vulnerable as Ipswich tried to finish their season on a high. Ben had struggled along with Friend and Shotton and its difficult to argue that with the standard of defensive work in evidence that second goal hadn’t been inevitable. Meanwhile in response to the goal Ipswich replaced Spence with Woolfenden at the back and Clayts came off for Boro with Jack Harrison on for a late Boro cameo.

A Traore corner in the 89th minute saw Paddy flick the ball over the goal. Five minutes of added time was all that was left for Boro to claw their way back up to fifth. Harrison fed double block opportunities with first Britt and then Paddy. Traore was next to try his chance which led to a corner that he took himself which Stewy fed Besic for the ball to hit the back of the neck only for Ayala to be adjudged offside. Tempers and annoyance levels grew and Gibson was booked for an “off the ball” incident with Waghorn as the seconds ticked down with Derby now having finished their game 4-1 sitting in fifth.

A last ditch outswinging corner after some clever build up play from Besic was taken by Harrison and as David Coote was about to blow Paddy arrived in the middle of the six yard box with a perfect header to claim fifth spot in the sixth minute of added time. Despite the afternoon being nervy and certainly less than polished at times somehow thanks to the two subs Harrison and Bamford we sneaked back into fifth with milliseconds left on the season’s clock!

A very strange emotional afternoon witnessed woeful inept defending, periods of total dominance, equalising, throwing it away and then clawing our way back again. Not the greatest performance from a Tony Pulis side but sometimes the result is more important than the methodology. MOM was Traore first half and Besic second half but that Boro defence needs a good talking to before we face those Villains.

Boro aim to make a point of avoiding
Championship form team in play-offs

Tony Pulis and his team head to Ipswich for the final league fixture of the season with the manager perhaps feeling that it’s already job done after Boro secured a play-off place last week with a comfortable win over Millwall. It’s hard to assess whether the players will be intent on giving it everything on Sunday, but there is a risk that they know the real business starts next week and may at least subliminally hold back from those 50-50s. However, there is a small matter of securing one more point at Portman Road if Boro are to pass on the opportunity to prove any earlier than necessary that they can be the first team to beat Fulham in over 23 games. Some may argue that beating the Cottagers over two games may be easier than trying to do it at Wembley – but attempting to beat Villa over two games may prove a less daunting task and who knows what ghosts are lurking in the well-oiled machine of a team that lost to Reading in the play-offs last season.

While Boro will no doubt be keen to get that point and ideally win the game to keep the momentum that has been gathered in recent weeks, Pulis has suggested that maybe some players would be rested in order to ensure they are in the best condition to achieve that goal of reaching the play-off final. That may mean seats on the bench for key men such as Besic and Traore for a game that may ultimately not matter unless Derby chalk up a victory themselves, though the manager will not want to entertain the prospect of either of those picking up a knock that rules them out for next week’s crucial games.

On the face of it, The Rams appear to have a tough game at home to a Barnsley side who may need all three points to avoid keeping Sunderland company in League One – although, the Tykes have only won once on their travels in 2018 and that was back in early February at QPR. Boro will hopefully have taken notice that an Ipswich team in beach mode, with the holiday brochures being passed around on the team bus on their way to Reading, ended up thumping their hosts 4-0 – so complacency will not be the best policy if they want to impress Tony Pulis.

As for the game itself on Sunday – well this fixture was originally pencilled in to be Mick McCarthy’s farewell and many Boro followers had long ago eyed this game as a potential banana skin as the home team ended in party mode, before giving their long-term manager a good send-off after nearly six years in charge at the club. However, following a negative reaction by the Portman Road crowd after he made a substitution against Barnsley, booing was directed at McCarthy and he had decided that was enough and subsequently announced after the game “It was a disgraceful reaction, I won’t have to listen to that again, that’s my last game – I’m out of here.”

The season had actually started well for Ipswich as they won their first four games to be joint top with Neil Warnock’s Cardiff, which prompted McCarthy to comment on the early standings of the table in usual chipper fashion “Two old farts who know f*** all about the game, hey?” Warnock himself remarked that McCarthy was a “great guy” and that he recalled when they first met Big Mick was an teenage apprentice at Barnsley and had cleaned his boots – he declared that the former Ipswich manager was “the biggest 16 year old ever, I think he was shaving at 12”. Though McCarthy is renowned for his miserable outlook on life and when he received a standing ovation from the Ipswich faithful after going joint top he simply commented “I’ll treat it with the same contempt as the boos” – with such an absence of a sunny attitude and lust for gloom, he should be a shoe-in for a return as the next Sunderland manager!

Ipswich Town		Middlesbrough
Bryan Klug (caretaker)		Tony Pulis
P45 – W17 – D8 – L20 – F55 – A58		P45 – W22 – D9 – L14 – F65 – A43
Position Points Points per game Projected points	13th 59 1.3 60	Position Points Points per game Projected points	5th 75 1.7 76
Last 6 Games Reading (A) Aston Villa (H) Nottm Forest (A) Barnsley (H) Brentford (A) Millwall (H)	F-T (H-T) 4:0 (1:0) W 0:4 (0:0) L 1:2 (1:0) L 1:0 (0:0) W 0:1 (0:0) L 2:2 (0:1) D	Last 6 Games Millwall (H) Derby (A) Bristol City (H) Sheff Utd (A) Nottm Forest (H) Burton (A)	F-T (H-T) 2:0 (1:0) W 2:1 (1:0) W 2:1 (1:1) W 1:2 (0:2) L 2:0 (2:0) W 1:1 (0:1) D

If Boro do succeed in their promotion bid through the play-offs, then I wonder if Steve Gibson will be tempted to emulate Sainsbury’s chief executive, Mike Coupe, and break into song at the prospect of more Premier League lucre heading his way. The Sainsbury boss was this week famously caught on camera singing “we’re in the money” ahead of a TV interview to discuss the agreed merger with ASDA. As the share price rose on the news, he may have been unable to contain his joy at his anticipated windfall from the ever-growing bumper bonus he was due. His somewhat restrained rendition of the tune from the musical, 42 Street (also known as “The Gold Diggers’ Song”), was no doubt an improvement on his previously planned pre-interview warm-up routine of fist-pumping and cries of “Yes!” and “Back of the net!” as the wincing sound engineers of various networks were forced to re-adjust their volume levels.

However, the Boro chairman will be well aware that the inflationary cost of maintaining a place in the top flight has meant it’s unlikely he’ll be banking much from the Premier League prize money on offer – especially given the club’s record this season on gaining value for money in the transfer market. Indeed, Gibson could consider drawing possible comparisons of life in the second tier by reworking Sainsbury’s former long-term marketing slogan to “Good football costs less in the Championship” – though he may choose to shop elsewhere this summer as there has been little evidence to suggest that much of the football this term was either good or even cost effective. It’s perhaps more appropriate that with Steve Gibson’s recent impatience with his managers, then he may in fact be more receptive to Sainsbury’s latest slogan of ‘Try Something New Today’.

The apparent subliminal influence between supermarket slogans and those involved in football has perhaps been overlooked by the casual observer, but clearly ASDA’s slogan from 1987 of ‘One trip and you’re laughing’ has been taken to new levels as many a top player attempt to win a penalty by honing their simulation skills as they go down like a sack of reasonably priced potatoes in the box. Even armchair critics who regularly spotted pundits heading for ‘Dele’ counter (that’s short for Alli not delicatessen) as they totted up the Spurs midfielder’s less than delicious array of exotic dives were left feeling it was not quite to their taste. Although, with results usually boiling down to a few decisions, games are often decided by fine margins and forcing the rub of the green has become an important element of the game – often players will simply shrug their shoulders at all the fuss as they utter the immortal words from Tesco ‘Every little helps’.

ASDA also appears to be a campaign favourite of the well-heeled, so-money-supermarket football agents strutting their stuff on the big stage and the 1992 marketing slogan of ‘Pocket the difference’ has almost become their mission statement, before they tap the newly arrived wad in their back pockets. The clubs were caught between asking them what it was they actually did to justify trousering such large amounts of their cash as they instead invoked the store’s 2005 slogan of ‘More for you for less’ – whilst at the same time perhaps doubting their sanity with the sentiments of the 2007 rhetorical marketing question of ‘why pay more?’ However, some of ASDA’s slogans appear to have been a touch misleading as the 1996 campaign of ‘Permanently low prices – Forever’ didn’t last as long as advertised when it ended after just six years rather than continuing until the end of existence as promised.

Whether the former Sunderland owner, Ellis Short was also inspired to sell his interest in the club by one of ASDA’s slightly misquoted slogans ‘You’re better off out of it’ is uncertain. After nine years in charge of the Black Cats, Short used up all his annual lives and his luck finally ran out as he appeared to cross the path of the unfortunate supporters once too often with his penchant for sacking managers. Chris Coleman has recently joined the list of Bruce, O’Neill, Di Canio, Poyet, Advocaat, Allardyce, Moyes and Grayson – who all carried the can as it was kicked down the road by an owner looking to put his finger on the blindingly obvious reason for instability at the under-achieving club.

The last act of Short was to sack the sometimes off-message Chris Coleman as it apparently became a condition of the sale rather than a desire to settle any minor irritations at his latest under-performing coach. In just a few months, Coleman has gone from well-regarded manager responsible for the Wales national team reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2016, to the discarded manager of the team who was responsible for the wails on Wearside being heard as the club reached League One – with his desire to manage a big club now seemingly confined to the driving ranges on the golf course.

It’s possible the American owner couldn’t face the thought of competing with the likes of Aldi and Lidl from the football world in League One, so decided relegation was the right time to write off the £140m debt and sell the club on to a consortium headed by non-League Eastleigh owner Stuart Donald. Donald’s personal fortune is reportedly only around the £10m mark in comparison to the billionaire Short and he is famous for counting the pennies and keeping a tight control on spending at Eastleigh. As a hater of waste, Donald claims to have banned the bottles of mineral water given to players on the grounds that they never finished them and it apparently saved the club £500 – which by my calculations is probably only ten bottles of Evian a week that the barely thirsty squad were not quite consuming. Recent reports are that Chris Wilder of Sheffield United is being lined up by the new owners to be the man tasked with reviving Sunderland’s fortunes. He at least comes well qualified for the job and is very familiar with getting players in red and white striped shirts to run around looking like they know what they’re doing – though maybe he will first wait to see if the familiar striped shirts of Stoke or Southampton come calling when they are relegated from the Premier League.

As football seemingly drifts inevitably towards the hands of big business and wealthy owners, it’s perhaps only a matter of time before clubs start to introduce their own corporate marketing straplines. While selling the dream is what marketeers live for and attempting to convince any potential floating international supporters that their club is offering the perfect product for them may help to stretch their imaginations – plus no doubt being locked in a room for countless brainstorming sessions until they come up with something so meaningless and inoffensive that everyone can agree on it. We could easily borrow some of the more well known inevitably bland brand slogans and already apply them to the big football clubs to give us Manchester City: “What a Difference a Shake Makes” – Chelsea: “You Either Love It or Hate It” – Arsenal: “Why Try Harder?” or Manchester United: “The Power of Dreams” in the theatre apparently built for them. Although, telling it straight is part of our Teesside DNA and our own club should simply go with: Middlesbrough – Killing You with Hope Since 1876. Anyway, I’m sure everyone is still hoping this promised promotion season does exactly what it says on the tin and as Boro finally deliver at Wembley, it will leave more than the odd fan to proclaim “I’m Lovin’ It”

So will Boro reach the end-of-season checkout by delivering the goods at Portman Road and make a point of finishing fifth? Or will Ipswich prove to be an unknown item in the bagging area as Tony Pulis goes off his trolley as his players sell him short? As usual your predictions on score, scorers and team selection – plus will Garry Monk take one for his former team and lose to Fulham?

The latest in a series of profiles and interviews, Orginal Fat Bob gives his personal view on the life and career of a footballing guest, before sitting down for a chat and asking a few questions. Our Diasboro special guest this week is John Hickton.

1. The Overview – the man and his career

John Hickton was a prolific striker and at one time considered to be a defender, who had a 15-year career in the football league between 1963-78. He is the club’s fourth all-time top scorer, with 192 goals, and is third in the all-time appearances list, pulling on the Boro shirt an incredible 499 times. This ranking is just behind George Camsell, George Elliott and Brian Clough in the scoring tally and Tim Williamson and Gordon Jones in appearances. This is quite a small and illustrious company of Boro stars.

Born on 24 September 1944 in Brimington near Chesterfield, he was actually a Manchester United fan as a boy. As a talented young footballer, he had the choice to sign for Arsenal and United, but opted for nearby Sheffield Wednesday, who at the time were second in the First Division and had several England Internationals in the side.

John Hickton is 4th in Boro’s all-time scorers with 192 goals and comes 3rd in number of appearances for the club at 499

John caught the eye of the Boro scouts at Sheffield Wednesday, after he had played 53 games and scored a brilliant 21 goals. On the day that Boro went to Sheffield to sign him, Norwich were also there with the intention of persuading John to join them instead, but luckily for us the Boro Secretary and the Owls Secretary were good friends and he was spirited away out of the reach of Norwich. So it was at the Wednesday Secretary’s house where he subsequently signed on the dotted line for Stan Anderson on his 22nd birthday, where he earned himself a contract worth £28 per week and moved into a club house in Acklam. Alan Brown who was his manager at Wednesday told him he had made a good career choice by joining Boro.

John proved to be one of our best signings ever and he made his debut for us in a 3-2 win against Workington Town in 1966-67. Town were winning 2-0 at one time and riding high in the then third division. Boro had just been recently relegated from the second division and were struggling at the lower end of the division. This result dramatically changed both sides fortunes, because Boro were promoted that season, Town were relegated and have struggled ever since. He appeared 45 times during the 1966-67 promotion season, scoring 17 goals in all competitions. John O’Rourke was the club’s top scorer with 30 goals, followed by Arthur Horsfield with 23 goals.

Of course, many at Diasboro including myself, may well recall that final game of the season on Tuesday 16th May 1967 when we were at home to Oxford United. With all the other team’s fixtures in the Division completed, we needed a win to finish in 2nd place and join already crowned Champions, Queens Park Rangers, in getting promoted to the Second Division. With over 40,000 supporters crammed into Ayresome Park, I remember that hundreds sat on the perimeter of the pitch, and many more were locked outside, or climbing the walls to get in. I also recall that a small boundary wall collapsed in the North East corner and some fans were injured. The atmosphere was overpowering, a cacophony of sound roaring the team to promotion. John scored a header ten minutes into the second half, and our goal machine John O’Rourke scored a hat-trick. We all spilled onto the pitch after every goal and Ayresome Park was at fever pitch. We ran out 4-1 winners and were promoted back to the Second Division. Stan Anderson’s team had gained promotion at the first attempt. That game goes down as one of the greatest nights in the club’s history and is still remembered and talked about today.

Boro’s first season back in the Second Division in 1967 saw John play in a centre forward role, finishing top scorer with 29 goals. With his robust performances and a keen eye for goal, he soon became a crowd favourite amongst Boro fans. He linked up well with our other heroes of that time which included: O’Rourke, Horsfield, McMordie, and Downing, We finished 6th in the 1967-68 season.

The following season saw Boro go even better as they finished 4th and just missed out on promotion by seven points. One of Big John’s standout games came in March, in a thrilling 5-3 win against Hull City at Ayresome Park, where he scored four with McMordie getting the other. He finished the 1968-69 season as top scorer with 18 goals, which also saw the first appearances of another future Boro great, Willie Maddren.

The 1969-70 season saw John with a new strike partner, as Hugh McIlmoyle was signed from Carlisle United. That October saw Hickton go on a remarkable run of 11 goals in 11 games, as Boro won five in a row and challenged for promotion. We also reached the Quarter-Final of the FA Cup that February, with John scoring at Ayresome Park in the 1-1 draw against Manchester United. He was on target again four days later, but unfortunately Boro got beat 2-1 in the replay at Old Trafford. The season ended with Boro once again finishing in 4th as they missed out on promotion.

Boro were hoping that 1970-71 would be their year for promotion, with Hickton starting off by scoring on the opening day, in a 2-1 win against Carlisle. However, only one win followed in their next six games, but September saw the visit of Queens Park Rangers in a game that would go down as an Ayresome Park classic. Boro won the game 6-2, and John would take the match ball, scoring a hat-trick, but the game is also remembered for Hughie McIlmoyle, who set up three, scored two, and won a penalty. Both McIlmoyle and Hickton were said to be unplayable that day. Despite Boro’s inconsistency, Hickton couldn’t stop scoring, bagging 19 goals by the new year. Boro could only finish the season in 7th spot but John was once more top scorer with 27.

The summer of 1971 saw Boro boss Stan Anderson strengthen his team by bringing in World Cup winner and ex-Manchester United midfielder Nobby Stiles, along with Stuart Boam, John Craggs, and goalkeeper Jim Platt. However, Boro’s inconsistent form from the previous season continued when after a good start, a bad run saw only one win in nine from November until January. The new year saw them pick up, winning six out of seven league games and reaching the 5th round of the FA Cup. For the third season in a row Boro were drawn against Manchester United in the cup, and following a goalless draw at Old Trafford, Boro were thumped 0-3 in the replay at Ayresome Park. From mid-March until the end of the season, Boro won only two in the last eleven, picking up just 8 points to slip to a 9th placed finish. John was a virtual ever present and top scorer again with 16 goals.

John missed the opening three games of the 1972-73 season through injury, and again Boro’s inconsistent form continued, as they struggled to find the net. Then October saw the arrival of ex-Newcastle frontman Alan Foggon from Cardiff, with midfielder Graeme Souness joining Boro from Tottenham Hotspur in December. When in January Boro lost at Third Division Plymouth 1-0 in the FA Cup 3rd round, it was followed by a 0-0 draw with QPR at Ayresome Park. Boro Manager Stan Anderson had seen enough and handed in his resignation.

I remember when Harold Shepherdson took over as caretaker manager until the end of the season as I was refereeing all his trial matches at that time. He revealed to me it was he who had signed Souness when working with England and it was Martin Peters who had recommended him to Shep. Boro finished 4th in the table under Harold and John the top scorer for the sixth season running, with 15 goals.

England World Cup winner and ex-Leeds United Centre half Jack Charlton was installed as Boro manager, in the summer of 1973. Big Jack got to work by signing European Cup winner and Celtic legend Bobby Murdoch, on a free transfer, the only addition to Anderson’s team. He also introduced the now famous, white chest band on the front of the Boro shirt. John and his teammates were about to produce a record breaking season on their way to promotion to Division One during 1973-74. Although, after starting with a victory away to Portsmouth, a 2-0 defeat followed at home to Fulham, which prompted Charlton to famously say: “we do it my way or not at all.” Charlton’s team then went on a 24-game unbeaten run stretching until February, topping the table in October and staying there for the rest of the season.

John Hickton helps team-mates David Armstrong and Willie Maddren replace lost fluids after putting in another shift for Boro

Promotion was secured on 23rd March, with eight games still left to play, with Boro winning the Second Division Championship in a 1-0 away win at Luton Town, on March 30th. The second Division Championship trophy was presented to Jack Charlton and the Boro team at the home game against Sheffield Wednesday on April 20th. Boro celebrated by thrashing Wednesday 8-0 with John again on the score sheet, along with Graeme Souness who bagged a hat-trick. (my favourite Boro game – OFB). The promotion team of 1974, dubbed Charlton’s Champions, was to go down in history as one of the greatest Middlesbrough teams of all-time and probably the one that I am most fond of. The club was back in the top-flight, following a 20-year absence. John wore the number nine shirt during the 73-74 season, scoring 11 goals in 44 appearances but it was Alan Foggon who finished top scorer with 20 goals.

John Hickton kicked off Boro’s First Division season in style, getting on the scoresheet in a 3-0 opening day victory at Birmingham City, with Alan Foggon getting the other two. Unlike today, manager Jack Charlton opted to go into the new season keeping faith in the players who had earned promotion, making no additions to the Boro squad. John’s goals and Boro’s excellent form saw the club finish 7th in the First Division, the highest league placing since the 1950-51 season.

John got on the goal trail early in the 1975-76 campaign, scoring three in the first six games, followed by only two more goals before Christmas, as Boro struggled for consistency, which continued throughout the season. Despite Boro’s inconsistent league form, they reached the Semi-Final of the League Cup, playing Manchester City, in the first leg at Ayresome Park, where Hickton scored the goal in a 1-0 win. The impressive City ran out 4-0 winners, in the second leg at Maine Road, cruelly ending another Wembley dream for Hickton and Middlesbrough. The 1975-76 season also saw Middlesbrough enter the Anglo-Scottish Cup, which they won after beating Fulham over two legs. Captain Stuart Boam lifted the trophy at Craven Cottage in December. John Hickton scored five goals in the competition, including a brace in a 5-2 victory away to Aberdeen. However, Boro’s indifferent form left them only 13th in the First Division table, though John was the top scorer with 18 goals in all competitions.

After ten years at the club, the 1976-77 season was John Hickton’s Testimonial season, though with Jack Charlton opting to bring in striker Alf Wood and also giving Alan Willey and Peter Brine a chance in the Boro attack, it meant John’s playing time was limited. He made ten appearances for Middlesbrough, five coming off the bench, before a short loan spell at Hull City, where he played six games, scoring one goal for the Tigers. Middlesbrough celebrated Hickton’s illustrious spell at the club, with a midweek testimonial game against Sunderland in April 1977, he scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 win, in front of 10,500 supporters at Ayresome Park.

It was also around this time that manager Jack Charlton departed Middlesbrough after four years in charge, he was replaced by former Wrexham manager John Neal. The 1977-78 season would be the last season on Teesside for Boro Legend John Hickton, the thirty-three year old striker was to make only three starts all season. His last appearance was coming off the bench in a 1-2 defeat against West Ham United, at Ayresome Park in April 1978, as Middlesbrough finished the season in 14th position.

John left Boro in 1977 at the end of his career to join Fort Lauderdale Strikers in the North American Soccer League, where George Best, Gordon Banks, and Ian Callaghan, were amongst his new teammates in Florida. Sadly, he broke his leg in his second game and never played competitive football again.

He is quite rightly considered one of the legendary players to have pulled on a Boro shirt and for that, we are eternally grateful that he did.

I took an instant liking to John when I first saw him play and he has been one of my favourite Boro players of all time. I remember being up at Newcastle at St James Park one afternoon, watching our team when we were awarded a penalty. I swear he set off from the half way line before getting to the penalty spot and the ball. He scored the penalty of course, you could always guarantee that he would.

He is now retired, playing golf and living in Chesterfield near his birthplace. He has fond memories of Middlesbrough where he lived in Linthorpe, Acklam and Nunthorpe with his wife Rosemary. His children were born here, and he used to love going to Redcar and walking on the beach. He also recalls visits with the team to the local nightclubs including the Fiesta. He said that “Big Jack” [Charlton] always insisted on coming with the team to keep an eye on the players, to make sure they didn’t get too friendly with the gorgeous Fiesta Fawns. (remember them? OFB). He also used to own a newsagent shop in Redcar, but it was hard work and very long hours. He certainly doesn’t regret having to give that part of his life up

Today, when I meet him for our chat, those long blonde locks are long gone. He doesn’t seem quite as tall as I remember him, and wonder how he used to leap high in the air on the pitch. He is ruddy faced, a twinkle in his eye, but he is quite concise and firm with his responses. He is pleased to talk about his time with Boro and grateful that supporters all over the world are still interested in him and his thoughts.

2. The Interview – a quick chat

OFB: You joined Boro as a professional footballer in 1966? Did you know much about Middlesbrough F.C. at that time?

JH: I knew Ayresome Park had been a world cup ground, home to North Korea and that famous 1-0 victory over Italy at Middlesbrough.

OFB: Where did you stay? Did you rent, or did you live in digs?

JH: I first used a club house, then had a house on Acklam Road. We then moved to a bungalow on Thornaby Road. I decided to buy a plot of land and had a house built, as I wanted it to be built personally. This was in Nunthorpe. I thought then and still do, that it’s a lovely place to live.

OFB: When you first came to Middlesbrough you were signed as a defender. Whose idea was it that you should play at centre-forward? Had you played in that position before? Which position did you prefer playing in?

JH: I only enjoyed one thing when I played football and that was scoring goals!

OFB: Who was your favourite Boro player during your playing days and others that you have played with?

JH: All the Boro players I played with were my favourite players, oh and Pele!

OFB: Who were the best and worst trainers in the team?

JH: I’m not going to answer that, I still see all the lads…

OFB: When did the team travel for away games, how did they get there, by bus or by train?

JH: We usually travelled the day before and used our own charter bus if it was not too far away. We got the train if a long distance.

OFB: How many players usually travelled and did the Directors travel with you?

JH: There were usually only about 13 players who travelled to games and the Middlesbrough Directors always went with us, either on the Club Coach or the Train.

OFB: Did you have nice hotels or was it just bed and breakfast?

JH: We always stayed in nice hotels, we never used bed and breakfast establishments.

OFB: Who did you room with for away matches?

JH: Frank Spraggon.

OFB: Who was the joker in the team?

JH: Stuart Boam was the joker, then again, all the lads used to have a laugh and a bit of a joke.

OFB: Can you tell us any amusing anecdotes or pranks that were played?

JH: No! (emphatically! OFB)

OFB: Whose boots did you clean as an apprentice and who cleaned yours?

JH: I never cleaned anyone’s boots and I don’t know who used to clean mine.

OFB: Did you try and emulate your style of play, on any individual player who played in your position?

JH: I always used to love watching Jimmy Greaves and I used to try and model myself on him.

OFB: You had a very individual way of taking penalties, which usually involved a long run up, how did that evolve?

JH: I don’t know really, it just seemed to happen and get better and better and longer and longer. I remember people started talking about how long I took on the run up and I could see the goalkeepers looking at me warily. So I just played to the fans and started getting farther and farther away from the goal to make some impact and it always worked!

OFB: What was your most memorable game, your own individual performance and best experience with the fans?

JH: Every game I played for Middlesbrough was the best. I loved playing for the Boro and the fans were and still are the greatest, which is the best experience I have ever had in football.

OFB: Out of all the goals you scored for Boro, which was your favourite goal that you scored?

JH: Every goal I scored was a favourite, I loved them all!

OFB: What was your worst game or experience and why?

JH: I never had a bad game or a bad experience. I didn’t like it towards the end of my time with Boro when I used to get subbed with twenty or so minutes to go. Big Jack used to say to me, “you’re getting older now, just run around a lot and I’ll give you a rest before the end of the game.” So that’s what happened, but I still didn’t like it.

OFB: Is there a game that you wished you had played in, either for Boro, or another team?

JH: I would have loved to have played for England, in the 1966 world cup at Wembley and scored the winning goal.

OFB: Who was in your opinion the best manager that Boro have ever had and why?

JH: Undoubtedly it has to be Jack Charlton. He had such a good knowledge of the game and how it should be played.

Jack Charlton, pictured here picking up his Bells manager of the month award, was rated by John Hickton as Boro’s greatest ever manager

OFB: Who was in your opinion the manager that had the greatest influence on your career and why?

JH: Derek Dooley at Sheffield Wednesday. He took a job with a firm owned by one of the club directors and also worked with the Wednesday junior team. This was after he had lost his leg when he broke it playing for Wednesday and it became infected. He was the greatest influence on my career because he was such a brilliant coach.

OFB: Which opposing team and which player did you fear playing against?

JH: None, I never feared anyone.

OFB: Which opposing team and which player did you like playing against?

JH: I loved playing against Liverpool and Manchester United.

OFB: Who is your favourite Boro player of all time and why?

JH: My favourite player of all time has to be Willie Maddren, he was just great.

OFB: Who is your current favourite Boro player and why?

JH: I love all the current Boro players! (very diplomatic OFB)

OFB: How do you think the match day has changed from the time that you played professional football to the present day?

JH: Its changed a great deal and really, I can’t say in words how much, as it’s a different game now.

OFB: If you could be a fly on the wall, is there any dressing room you would wish to eavesdrop on?

JH: No, I’m quite content not listening in to anything thank you.

OFB: Do you have any regrets in your career, or missed opportunities?

JH: No, no regrets, none at all.

OFB: Do you still follow the Boro and their results

JH: Yes of course, I’m their best supporter!

OFB: Do you still live in Chesterfield these days and what do you do?

JH: Yes, I still live there, and I’m retired now.

OFB: Whom have you made a lifelong friend through football?

JH: All my old Boro team mates. (the 1973/74 team keep in regular touch with one another and are planning to get together for a dinner at the club OFB)

OFB: Finally, if you hadn’t had a professional career as a footballer, what do you think you would have done as a career?

JH: I’d have been an accountant. (still on the score sheet! OFB)

OFB: A huge thank you John for taking the time to talk to Diasboro and our readers and our best wishes for the future.

JH: Thank you all for reading what I’ve got to say, after all these years.

Middlesbrough		Millwall
Assombalonga Howson	11′ 66′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	44% 17  3  3  8	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	56%  8  3  8 11

Riverside Roar tames Lions

With results already known from this afternoon’s fixtures Boro and Millwall both knew exactly what was required of them in the battle of the Lions. The legend that once was Tim Cahill would be an onlooker after the ageing Aussie schemer battered ex Boro loanee Ryan Fredericks in the mush in full view of the retrospective cameras last week. His elbow picked up a three game ban meaning that he will be out of action until the second leg of the play-offs should Millwall have progressed that far.

Neil Harris would likely be unable to call on the services of centre back Byron Webster with a knee injury, while midfielder Ben Thompson was perhaps a little nearer to selection after an ankle problem the only other question mark was George Saville. It’s the time of the season however that with so much to play for Managers often play lads whose match fitness would normally mean them sat in the stands in the hope that they might provide those few minutes of magic so it was difficult to rule anyone out for this one.

TP had no injury concerns other than long time absentee Rudy Gestede side-lined with Paddy now declared fit. The only selection dilemma faced by the Boro Boss would be Paddy or Britt and Clayts or Grant. Millwall had gone 18 games unbeaten prior to Fulham dismantling them at the Den last week and were unbeaten in their last nine away games so this was going to be some tussle. Neil Harris made one change from that Fulham game with Ryan Tunnicliffe in for the injured George Saville. Pulis decided to stick with the side that done so well at Derby last weekend meaning that Britt started with Paddy on the bench.

The atmosphere was building before KO and by the time the whistle went both sets of fans were in fine voice. The early exchanges saw Boro dominate and in doing so took the initiative to Millwall and put the visitors on the back foot necessitating Romeo and Hutchinson into two clearances in the opening couple of minutes. On five minutes Stewy whipped a ball in only for Howson to head over. Adama was next to steal the limelight as he flew past two Blue shirts to fire in a cross that was collected by Archer in the Millwall goal.

The early Boro tempo eased back as Millwall started to test the Boro back line and a silly free kick given away by Adama led to their first real attempt. Almost as quick as the danger was snuffed out a long ball up to Britt in the Millwall box saw him bring the ball down under the close attention of two defenders, battled to regain possession after an initial challenge then fire a low shot under the despairing Archer and off the post to make it one nil on twelve minutes.

With Boro now a goal to the good Neil Harris had to get his charges to take the game to Boro needing a victory to remain in the play-off hunt. The next quarter of an hour saw some nervy defending and poor clearances from Ben and some woeful finishing from Boro. We countered Millwall on the break with Stewy finishing off a brilliant ball from Besic so wide and handsome that it was totally off any scale in existence.

Two minutes later and making amends Stewy ran at the Millwall backline and but for a deflection could have made it two nil. The resulting corner saw Ayala uncharacteristically head wide on the far post. Besic himself then had an effort that was well wide as we created and carved out chances but just couldn’t keep the ball on target. Howson and Besic were bossing the middle with Clayts offering insurance behind in what looked like a total departure from the turgid sideways passing midfield the Riverside has endured for the last few years.

Since taking the lead we were sitting deep and Millwall were pushing Boro but it was all high ball headed tennis stuff with no one in a dark blue shirt seemingly able to get the ball down and the football skills required to unlock a rigid Boro rearguard especially Friend and Ayala who were immense. Mahlon Romeo was involved in a lot of the Millwall attacks down their right but he suddenly pulled up, sat on the pitch and needed replacing by Mclaughlin just before the interval. As the half drew near a close Stewy once again tested the Millwall resolve this time needing a desperate lunging block from Shaun Hutchinson. One nil it ended as Boro went in the happier but Millwall were by no means out of this encounter and had everything to play for in the second half.

Just as the Second half got going George was booked for a clash with Morison whose physicality knew no bounds. Not long after that this time Dani was involved in an off the ball exchange with Morison via an alleged arm. On five minutes into the half Traore was put clean through by who else but Besic but crowded and rushed he spurned the opportunity. Ten minutes in and Ben Marshall went down from a sliding interception nicking the ball off the chasing Howson just in time but then struggled to get back up and ended up being stretchered off for his troubles.

As Millwall were lumping balls up using their big lads to head the ball around to one another Boro broke again and Britt was brought down with Penalty appeals waved away. Traore was becoming more involved in the game now after quiet spells and was brought down by the Sub McLaughlin as desperation was staring to creep into the Millwall performance trying to cope with his pace and strength.

The next goal would be crucial in the scheme of things and a Stewy cross seemed easy for their Keeper Archer to collect but he flapped at it and Howson was Jonny on the spot to tap home the easiest goal he will ever have to make it two nil and finish off the game effectively as a contest. The humiliated Archer seemingly felt he had been distracted by his own defender Cooper and gesticulated blamelessly to his defence after his unforced fumble in an effort to spare his blushes.

The Dark Blue shirts launched attacks but nothing of significance troubled Randolph other than routine catches and collections in stark contrast to his opposite number. Meanwhile Besic was like a man possessed with a never say die performance. Man Mountain Elliot who had come on for Marshall as Harris had switched to three up top clattered into Randolph wipe out style and Dimi was warmed up in readiness but the brave Irish Goalie recovered, dusted himself down with the aid of the magic sponge. With just over ten minutes of normal time remaining Paddy entered the fray for Britt who went off to a hero’s welcome.

A few minutes after Paddy coming on Stewy was then replaced by Fabio with Traore switched to the left as the Brazilian ran and chased everything and anything. Besic once again broke through the Millwall ranks and as he danced his way through the box he was taken out by a triple tackle for a nailed on Penalty yet the Ref waved play on with the Bosnian chasing after him enraged with the injustice of it and picking up a yellow for his pains. The game was now running out of minutes for Millwall and Traore was running at them and teasing for fun seemingly and when he slalomed his way through yet again he was cynically brought down by Hutchinson who was rewarded with a Yellow. The resultant free kick is not one Paddy will want to remember as he slipped on his backside (not for the first time since coming on) and the ball sailed towards the North West corner. The fourth official held up six minutes which at this stage was delaying the inevitable as Millwall now looked devoid of ideas. Tunnicliffe reinforced the point when he then took his turn to scythe down Adama earning the next yellow.

The whistle went and despite warnings to the contrary unfortunate scenes ensued as around a thousand home supporters rushed onto the pitch inflaming the away fans, goading and taunting them whilst chasing around the Boro players looking for souvenirs. Police and Stewards already had a difficult enough job on their hands but those actions should be severely acted upon by the Club. There is plenty of video footage available so identification of many should be simple and banning orders should ensue. Qualifying for the Play-offs is no excuse for the behaviour of those involved indeed it’s embarrassing. A sad end to a brilliant occasion spoilt by mindless morons made all the worse after a great atmosphere created by many of said morons minutes previously that had helped Boro over the line.

MOM was Besic but Friend and Ayala are worthy of a mention in what was a very polished professional performance but I just hope the Kit-man bins Paddy’s boots when he not looking.

Boro hoping to fight off Millwall’s bid
to rumble the Riverside play-off party

As Boro welcome the visit of the Lions for Saturday’s main event to decide who will be the king of the play-off jungle, the Riverside roar will hopefully be in good voice as they wait to see if the players have the courage of their convictions. Tony Pulis’s team have clawed their way back in to contention in recent weeks with first a victory over the Robins and then that crucial win at Pride Park to leave the Boro faithful purring with anticipation at the prospect of a trip to Wembley. Nevertheless, the Teessiders will first need to see off the challenge from Millwall, who despite stumbling last week against one of the Championship’s big beast in Fulham, it was their first defeat since New Year’s day that finally ended their incredible run of 17 games unbeaten.

As the supporters nursed their hangovers back on that the first day of 2018, the table looked very different with Millwall back in 15th place just six points above the relegation places, where Birmingham were propping up the league. At the other end, Derby were sat comfortably in second spot behind Wolves as they started to believe this was going to be their year, with Boro back in eighth place, five points ahead of Fulham in 12th and just two points behind a yet to implode Leeds in sixth – Villa were a point ahead in fifth, sitting just behind Bristol City and Cardiff in joint third, who had another three-point advantage.

With two games to go, Boro’s task in their bid to make the play-offs has now become much clearer ahead of this weekend’s games but with the match at the Riverside now an early evening kick-off the players may have even greater clarity of what result is needed. As it stands, victory against Millwall will settle any doubts around the issue and secure a place in the top six, but eyes will be on the result at Barnsley to see if the Bees are still buzzing around the play-off prize. If Brentford fail to win, then a draw is almost certainly enough for Boro to finish in the top six – barring any unlikely last-day massive goal difference swings that would erode our 8-goal advantage over Millwall or possibly our 10-goal advantage over Preston should they beat the Blades (both would then have 70 points to Boro’s 73). However, defeat will leave the door wide open and hanging on its hinges to allow others to overtake Boro’s promotion bandwagon – whilst we will still be in the top six going into the last game, it will essentially mean Tony Pulis’s team will head to Ipswich the following Sunday most likely needing to win.

For Millwall, Saturday’s game is almost like the beginning of the play-offs, where the richest prize of all awaits the team who can hold their nerve and perform on the day. The financial reward for promotion is huge – with perhaps only house-builders Persimmon’s chief executive, Jeff Fairburn coming close to understanding the size of the bonus that will be picked up by the eventual winner of the play-offs. For those who missed the news this week, Jeff Fairburn was at the centre of controversy at the shareholders meeting after his personal bonus had bloated to a massive £100m after the incentive scheme used to calculate the ‘entitlement’ of executives was boosted by the government’s subsequent launch of a tax-payers-backed help-to-buy scheme – though the collective anger at the excessive payouts only resulted in his bonus being ‘slashed’ to £75m. In his defence Mr Fairburn said he had decided some time ago to give some of his bonus away but that he had wanted to take an “old-fashioned approach” and keep the decision private. The Guardian had earlier calculated that his pay deal could be used to provide a council house for every homeless family in Yorkshire.

Talking of winning the lottery, Boro will perhaps be hoping that Fulham grab that automatic prize ahead of Cardiff and Neil Warnock’s battle weary team end up with a ticket for the play-offs instead. Though Boro will need to concentrate on their own games and keep focused on getting those three points in the bag. At least Tony Pulis will have Patrick Bamford back for the game on Saturday and I suspect he will get the delicate nod over Britt Assombalonga, who despite proving he is lethal from one yard out in recent weeks, has yet to show he’s the man who you would put all your bonus on to score a vital goal. Though the man who will be getting all the attention again is Adama Traore, who after a few quiet weeks has looked back to his unplayable best. In addition, Mo Besic has returned to form and Jonny Howson has started to find his eye for a shot too. It’s likely that Clayton will retain his place ahead of Leadbitter and the usual back five will no doubt continue.

Middlesbrough		Millwall
Tony Pulis		Neil Harris
P44 – W21 – D9 – L14 – F63 – A43		P44 – W18 – D15 – L11 – F55 – A43
Position Points Points per game Projected points	5th 72 1.6 75	Position Points Points per game Projected points	7th 69 1.6 72
Last 6 Games Derby (A) Bristol City (H) Sheff Utd (A) Nottm Forest (H) Burton (A) Wolves (H)	F-T (H-T) 2:1 (1:0) W 2:1 (1:1) W 1:2 (0:2) L 2:0 (2:0) W 1:1 (0:1) D 1:2 (0:2) L	Last 6 Games Fulham (H) Sheff Utd (A) Bolton (A) Bristol City (H) Ipswich (A) Nottm Forest (H)	F-T (H-T) 0:3 (0:0) L 1:1 (0:0) D 2:0 (1:0) W 2:0 (1:0) W 2:2 (1:0) D 2:0 (2:0) w

Millwall fans are seemingly prone to thinking that they are generally not liked and believe they are victimised in the media with the result that they have become scapegoats for football violence – so much so that they even wrote a song about it. This rather catchy ditty opens with the lyrics “No one likes us, no one likes us, no one likes us, we don’t care!” – clearly the writers are trying to express a rather poignant sentiment and on close examination of the words we start to see a possible message emerging, which seemingly indicates that perhaps they don’t feel liked. However, having gone to the trouble of declaring this perception of dislike, they then dismiss it and claim that this is not something they are overly troubled by.

Amateur psychologists with access to the internet may deduce from this first verse that the writers could have a potential personality disorder in the ‘Emotional and Impulsive’ spectrum – with indications of antisocial tendencies, usually defined as: Not caring about the feelings of others, getting easily frustrated, fighting, committing crimes and finding it hard to have close relationships – as well as doing things on the spur of the moment, not feeling guilty and not learning from unpleasant experiences. While all of that may just sound like your average character on Eastenders, it’s even possible that there are also symptoms of paranoia in this verse too, which are often defined as: “Being suspicious of other people and feeling that they are being nasty to you and becoming sensitive to rejection and tending to hold grudges” – which on first glance all sounds perfectly normal for a football supporter.

Whether we are reading too much into one short verse is difficult to say, though looking at the second verse: “We are Millwall, super Millwall, we are Millwall from The Den” – these words have built on the feelings of rejection and then attempt to give a message of defiance and identity. Nevertheless, some would be rightly concerned to see the adjective ‘super’ applied to themselves as it may also indicate narcissistic behaviour, which is generally defined as: “Feeling very important and dreaming of success, power and status” and that often manifests itself as “craving attention, with a tendency to exploit others and asking for favours that are not returned” – OK, the word Trump is not actually used but I think we know the kind of person they have in mind.

Although, by far the most worrying aspect about this terrace song is that it’s sung to a tune that was made famous by a man who himself had delusions of being a professional footballer and subsequently went on trial at Brentford in 1960 – though the third division club’s jury found him not guilty of not having the necessary talent and spared him the indignity of letting him know. Such were his screams of disappointment that after damaging his vocal chords he was forced instead to pursue a career as a rock singer, which also enabled him to successfully pursue his interest in womanising or as his biographers more carefully put it: “was known for his liaisons with beautiful women”. Incidentally, a fair few of these relationships with mainly models and actresses resulted in him having eight children that are now aged from 7 to 55 from five different partners – which is all perfectly acceptable for a rock star, though probably less so for a supply teacher. Anyway, it seems strange that Millwall chose the tune for their club’s anthem of the unloved from 1975 hit by an artist, who has confessed to being a former Arsenal fan and is famous for love and being loved by millions – Yes, for it is the tune of Sir Rod Stewart’s famous song Sailing to which the terraces of the Den resonate.

Still at least Millwall fans didn’t choose “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy”, as the answer would have been even clearer than if they’d asked if they were liked – though I suspect some elements on the terraces may have preferred “The First Cut is the Deepest” as they nostalgically recollected purchasing their Stanley knives from B&Q on Saturday morning in the early 1980s. Incidentally, there was something rather disturbing about watching the 73-year old Rod trying to strut his stuff on TV earlier this year as he performed his back catalogue of hits that included the previously afore-mentioned hit in which he sings the immortal line “If you want my body” – which was these days possibly aimed at any medical students in the audience eyeing up potential cadavers for their finals. Perhaps he would even consider returning the favour to Millwall by instead singing “No one likes me, no one likes me, No one likes me, I don’t care!”

So is Millwall’s sense of injustice legitimate? Well to discover the first recorded instance of football violence associated with the club we have to go back not to the fist-swinging sixties but instead over one hundred years to 1906, when following the dismissal of two Millwall players in a feisty game against local rivals West Ham, the East Ham Echo reported an incident on the pitch “aroused considerable excitement among the spectators” with the crowd themselves then “having caught the fever and free fights were plentiful.” The next incident of crowd violence was in the 1920s when Newport County goalkeeper took exception to being hit by missiles and jumped into the crowd to confront some of the Millwall supporters and for his trouble was knocked unconscious – this resulted in the Den being closed for two weeks as punishment. Further closures for crowd disturbance also occurred in 1934 and 1947, then in 1950 the club were fined after after a referee and linesman were ambushed outside the ground – presumably for not liking Millwall enough during the game.

Although, it wasn’t really until the 1960s that acts of disorder at football games began to be widely reported with an average of 25 incidents per year being recorded. The term ‘football hooliganism’ didn’t appear in the press until the mid-1960s and it has been argued that this sensationalising of the problem in the media led to a kind of moral panic that far out-weighed the actual problem it posed. It has also been suggested that the police reaction to dealing with this ‘new’ phenomenon may have also contributed to the increased violence at games as supporters reacted to more heavy-handed policing and came more prepared for trouble.

In 1965, during a game between Millwall and Brentford at Griffin Park, a hand grenade was thrown onto the pitch by a Millwall supporter and thankfully you couldn’t hear a pin drop as a rather naive Brentford keeper picked it up and tossed it back into his own goal – much to gathered photographers consternation I imagine. It was later found by police to be a dummy (the grenade not the keeper) but the continued fighting between supporters both inside and outside the ground prompted The Sun to run their usual calming headline of “Soccer Marches to War”. Several other incidents occurred in the following seasons, including attempts by Millwall supporters to get a top of the table clash against QPR abandoned in March 1966 by invading the pitch when they were 6-1 down. When in 1967, Millwall supporters smashed the windows of the Plymouth coach after losing their 59-game unbeaten home record and then in a subsequent game attacking the referee, the FA ordered that a perimeter fence be installed around the pitch at The Den.

Attempts to change the image of Millwall began in 1974 when the club appointed former QPR manager Gordon Jago, who was a young progressive manager who had previously signed the likes of Stan Bowles and Frank McLintock when at the Hoops. Jago was keen to improve the perception of Millwall and after three years at the club there had been little sign of the violence previously associated with the club – indeed it was becoming regarded as one of the best behaved in London. As part of a PR exercise he decided to invite the BBC to the club to film a Panorama documentary as an opportunity to dispel the Millwall myth of being a club of hooligans.

However, this was a period where football hooliganism had become part of the Saturday afternoon experience in many parts of the country and the so-called ‘English disease’ had also now been exported to Europe too. Within the media, hooliganism had become a frequent presence on the pages of newspapers, with Millwall a favourite example to be used in such coverage. It seems the BBC were keen on trying to prove the thesis that football hooliganism was in fact something more than just random acts of violence and was instead heavily linked to the fascism of the National Front – with its roots strongly linked with Millwall Football Club.

The programme interviewed The National Front’s national activities organiser, Martin Webster, to give substance to these claims and even showed his supporters selling fascist literature outside The Den – something which Millwall fans groups claimed was never witnessed before or since the programme was broadcast and they believed it was a set-up. In fact, it was also reported that after local police were shown a preview of the film they urged the BBC not to transmit it as it represented a distortion of the truth. Also in the programme, the Irish psychologist Dr Anthony Clare had argued that Millwall’s notorious F-Troup hooligan group were highly organised and pseudo-militaristic with the aim of satisfying their need for violence. The view from the club was that they were stitched-up by the BBC and the PR fallout was a disaster for Millwall and Gordon Jago resigned shortly after the Panorama programme was transmitted.

For some reason the airing of the Panorama programme seemed to rekindle the desire for major violence within elements at Millwall and just three months later a full-scale riot broke out at The Den during an FA Cup quarter-final against Ipswich. Fighting that had initially began on the terraces spilled out on to the pitch and even on to streets around the ground, with everything from fists, boots, bottles, knives, iron bars and large chunks of concrete causing dozens of injuries to largely innocent by-standers. The myth of violence at Millwall had once more been restored to reality and the club’s name was back to where it was trying to escape from.

Further damage to the Millwall name occurred in 1985 at an FA Cup sixth-round match at Luton Town and it became one of the worst and widely reported incidents of football hooliganism of the time – with multiple pitch invasions, fighting and missile throwing. Luton had asked Millwall to make the game all-ticket but the London club ignored the request and what resulted was a mass gathering of hardcore hooligan groups consisting of not only Luton’s MIGs (Men in Gear) and Millwall’s F-Troup but also Chelsea’s notorious Headhunters (who had reported links to white supremacist groups) and West Ham’s infamous Inter City Firm. Following an FA inquiry, Millwall were fined a rather feeble £7,500 but that was later withdrawn on appeal after it emerged that most of those arrested were either affiliated to Chelsea or West Ham groups – though Luton subsequently banned all away fans from its ground, which persisted for the next four years. Perhaps the real damage was that it was Millwall once again that got all the bad press in the immediate aftermath.

Though Millwall’s notoriety was soon to be over-shadowed a few months later at Heysel when following the exchange of missiles, Liverpool fans charged though the empty buffer zone and into the Juventus enclosure – in the ensuing mayhem, a wall in the crumbling stadium collapsed, which resulted in the deaths of 39 supporters, with over 600 injured. The clampdown by UEFA on English hooligans resulted in a five-year ban on all English clubs participating in European competitions. Though it perhaps wasn’t until after Hillsborough that the culture of football violence began to decline significantly – not that Hillsborough itself was actually caused by football violence but the subsequent report produced by Lord Justice Taylor resulted in a shift to all-seater stadiums with all cages and perimeter fencing removed.

Incidentally, the first purpose-built stadium that fulfilled all the recommendations of the Taylor report was Millwall’s New Den, which opened in 1993 – with the FA stipulating that standing would no longer be permitted in the top two divisions after the 1993-94 season. It was the difficulty in converting many old stadiums on cramped surroundings to meet the Taylor requirements that led to many new stadiums being built, including The Riverside for the beginning of the 1995-96 season and the start of the revolution under Steve Gibson and Bryan Robson. Perhaps another major factor in the decline of hooliganism was the start of the Premier League in 1992 with more money coming into the game and a new emphasis on attracting the best players from overseas to produce an exciting new product that was firmly focused on providing the entertainment on the pitch. Though some also argue that hooliganism is related to the socio-economic status of young men and their perceptions of being excluded from society and that there is a risk of being influenced towards violence when they have little else to focus on.

Whilst football violence didn’t completely go away it was no longer centre stage and in some ways many hooligans either moved on and away from football or were in some cases probably priced out of the game. Millwall continue to have their name associated with hooliganism and every incident often brings the usual finger-pointing – The Observer reported that there was one occasion in a game against Huddersfield where the linesman was hit by a coin thrown by a Terriers supporter, who was then handed over to stewards by three Millwall fans – The News of the World printed the headline “Millwall Thugs Deck Linesman With Concrete”.Whilst Millwall supporters are seemingly not adverse to finding themselves caught up in the odd brawl, they perhaps feel they often get the lions share of the blame.

Though for some it is an undeserved reputation and hence the ‘No one likes us’ terrace chant – but for others it is seemingly a badge of honour that adds to their myth as Millwall supporters. The truth is perhaps somewhere in the middle and for many elements of the press, the old rule of not letting the facts get in the way of a good story or headline probably sometimes applies. Like most trends of antisocial behaviour, the hyping-up in the media has often helped to elevate them from the mindless violence they actually are to something more exciting or glamorous that many get attracted to for the disproportionate attention it gives them in a media.

Even after the terror attack in London Bridge in which three knife-wielding terrorist killed 8 people and injured nearly 50, the story ended up focusing on a Millwall supporter who tried to fight them off single-handedly after they burst into the ‘Black & Blue Bar’ he was drinking in. Roy Larner apparently responded to their chants of “Islam, Islam” and threats by shouting back at them “F*** You I’m Millwall” before standing up to confront them. Larner said “I was on my own against all three of them, that’s why I got hurt so much” and claimed “I didn’t think of my safety at the time. I’d had four or five pints – nothing major”, before adding “I can handle myself. But I was out with an old person and it was out of order.” Whether he was living up to the stereotype of the Millwall myth, or was indeed being accurately portrayed by the myth, is hard to say but his mother Phyllis proudly declared “He’s fearless, my son. He’ll give as good as he gets. He’s quite nippy and lippy and wouldn’t back down from a fight. He wouldn’t care who it was or if they had a knife or gun.”

Naturally the club were keen to honour him and bask in the good publicity for a change but shortly afterwards a video of Roy racially abusing a black photographer appeared online. Millwall CEO Steve Kavanagh carefully side-stepped this late challenge and said: “Roy knows his comments were unacceptable. He apologised and expressed a desire to attend a workshop that the club is arranging for him on racial awareness.” Roy himself said he was sorry and claimed it happened in the heat of the moment after the photographer had upset his dogs – though he stopped short of saying “I was out with an old dog and it was out of order” and thankfully his mother Phyllis was no doubt under orders not to comment this time. Anyway, Roy along with three other Millwall fans, who also acted bravely at London Bridge, were made VIP guests for their game against Bolton. It seems dispelling the ‘Millwall Myth’ may take some time for the club especially as friends of Roy left a message on a card saying “Get well soon mate, I suppose you mistook those blokes [the terrorists] for West Ham supporters”.

So will Boro claw their way past the Lions and leave the Riverside roaring with pride? Or will Millwall still show that they care and prove why no one likes them as they show their fighting spirit to beat Tony Pulis’s team? As usual your predictions for score, scorers and team selection – plus will the club threaten legal action against any former employees who help to beat Fulham next week at St Andrew’s? 

The latest in a series of profiles and interviews, Orginal Fat Bob gives his personal view on the life and career of a footballing guest before sitting down for a chat and asking a few questions. Our Diasboro special guest this week is Lauri Cox

1. The Overview – the woman and her career

Lauri is best known as a well-respected and experienced sports journalist. She contributes to UTB, the Boro matchday programme, compiling a six-page spread on the visitors. Now that I know this is part of her work, I read it avidly prior to watching the game as I can feel an insight into the writing.

She also does a behind the scenes interview, to give the readers more of a perception into things that people may not ordinarily see. She also works on a freelance basis as a Broadcast Assistant with BBC Tees and has been to around 80 different grounds. She regularly posts on Twitter expressing her views and her support for the Boro and since the interview, we now regularly exchange views and comments, together with our own Jarkko. Just your average typical Boro football fans, who share our love of the Boro.

Sports journalist Lauri Cox, pictured here at the Riverside, is the
daughter of journalist Gordon Cox and niece of Alistair Brownlee

She has always been connected with football, being the Daughter of Gordon Cox the Football Journalist and Broadcaster and also through her “Uncle Ali” Alistair Brownlee. Gordon and Ali both owned the publication house, Linthorpe Publishing, writing and printing works on Middlesbrough F.C. Their books included The Road to Eindhoven and The Class of ’86 and I have copies of these in my bookcase. Over the years, it is not therefore surprising that Lauri developed a love for all things associated with Middlesbrough and of course in particular, our very own football Club, the Boro. I have been working on this In2Views piece with Lauri for a few weeks and I’ve decided that this In2Views format will be a little bit different. I’ve done this as she has been so close to people who have suffered tragedy and it has impacted on all of us at Diasboro too.

Ali Brownlee

I am not going to try and write about how much Ali meant to her, instead she has send me a post she did on twitter on February 18th, 2016, which says it all and probably expresses too the sentiments of many here on Diasboro…

Firstly, I would like to say thank you to all the well-wishers and thoughts that have come in this week. To apologise for the quietness, and if I haven’t replied, but they are very much appreciated. 

Lots of people have sent love and asked about dad too – and on behalf of him I would like to say thank you, as he ‘doesn’t do social media’ ha. 

Lastly; I would like to share some funny anecdotes that will hopefully raise a smile…

It’s not a secret that Boro gushed through Ali’s veins. On more than one occasion, if the family had stayed at ours after a party – he would wake up frightfully early, sprightly, stretch out and shout ‘UP THE BORO’ before going to read his morning paper. (Yes, really!) 

There were the junior reds, run by him and dad – where I would be religiously, one of only 5 or 6 girls most times! 

Or the parties at his house. Notorious New Year’s Eve gatherings – where we would inevitably spend more time round next door after midnight, after standing in the middle of the street singing Auld Lang Sine. It was always Christmas at ours, new year at theirs. That’s just what we did.

Everybody was welcome. Even if he had never met you, the door was open to join in the fun. 

I remember too, he wanted to interview me about collecting advent calendars for his breakfast show – but decided he wouldn’t phone me until ‘later’ as I liked a lie in. He phoned at 8:30. Thanks for the lie in!! 

You could always add in the lot of us, crowded round a tiny iPad mini screen at Ali’s wedding last year watching the play off semi first leg! Football, families and weddings! 

 Lauri recalls how her uncle Ali would usually wake up early, then stretch
out and shout ‘UP THE BORO’ before going to read his morning paper

I could go on and on, but this is just a short, sweet, and hopefully smiley memory to share – and a thank you to all of you far and wide for the love that has poured in. 

I guess from the start in life, and with him and my dad in my life – I never had a chance really did I? Boro and football was always going to be a priority (otherwise I’m sure they would have had something to say!) 

Teesside has lost a brother this week. But he was a brother to look up to. If I can grow to be half of the broadcaster he was, then I’ll be happy. 

So, Uncle Ali, the Holgate in the sky awaits you. Slide in, two footed, shouting UTB & let them know you have arrived. Too early, undoubtedly, but being early was your thing wasn’t it? 

It was an absolute privilege to not only know you, but to call you my family. You are an inspiration to so many, and the legacy you leave behind is a testament to the man that you are.

It won’t be the same without you, and you can never be replaced – but you can always be remembered. 

I’ll see you soon, and in the meantime – I’m off round yours for a parmo.

Leo Percovich

Incidentally, my meeting with Lauri was also not long after the tragic accident that had eventually claimed the two daughters of her good friend Leo Percovich and she wanted to express in the interview the sorrow that she has felt towards him and his family. She told me that Leo became a good friend to her and her family and in her own words she says:

“Leo Percovich – we were close throughout his time here, a real loyal, fierce man. A man you love to have on your side. We stayed in touch when he left too, ‘friends always’ was our motto. In fact, it was ‘wherever, whenever, whatever, you have a friend in me’ we’ve been in almost constant contact since the terrible events too, my heart goes out to him and his family. You won’t meet a more loyal, genuine, man. An abiding favourite memory away from the sadness is him singing along to 500 miles behind the counter in the Mockingbird in Yarm.“

So, we have two poignant memories of what the Boro has meant to Lauri and her family and it helps to highlight that football in the end is just a game really.

Leo pictured a few days ago with his wife and son Pietro lifting the
Rio Cup that the Fluminense under-20s he coaches have just won

2. The Interview – a quick chat

OFB: What was the first Boro match you remember going to see?

LC: It was at Ayresome Park, I lived on the same road as the ground – and used to wave at all the fans as they walked down my street! I can’t actually remember who the opponent was though! I remember going with my uncle, and as a young girl I didn’t quite understand the offside rule and he kept telling me that when the linesman put his flag up he had spotted a worm…

Oh, I couldn’t remember my first game but I do now! It was Boro v Spurs at Ayresome Park it was 3 0 and the Boro won!

OFB: Who was your favourite Boro player then and others that you watched at that time?

LC: John Hendrie! And Paul Wilkinson, he was a great forward. I used to think his cycling shorts were cool!

OFB: What has been your most memorable game, and best experience with the fans?

LC: It’s a tie between Steaua and The Carling Cup Final. I cried after both. I don’t think I ever thought I would see my team win a cup after three Wembley defeats as a kid. Eindhoven was special too, just being part of a European Cup Final was something I never imagined – despite the result. The Boro square before and after was excellent too, everyone was just in such good spirits.

OFB: Is your job as glamorous as it looks?

LC: Nope! Having said that, I now have the stats for every single Championship Player saved on my laptop! Oh, and last season’s Premier League Players. I have found out some very interesting quirky facts about our opposition over the last few years though which is always interesting.

OFB: Is your job as exciting as it seems?

LC: Nope! It requires a lot of deadlines, research and working out stats, which I do by hand. I tend to work out my stats sat at my dining room table, with pen and paper – old school! I actually found a piece of paper in my handbag the other day which was from a home game, where me and Sam (Loughran) were working something out, in tallies of five. Anyone else picking that up wouldn’t have had a clue what it was about, but I knew as soon as I looked at it.

OFB: What was your worst game or experience and why?

LC: Chelsea in the Cup Final when Di Matteo broke my heart after 46 seconds. I wasn’t that old and I was so excited leading up to the game. I just knew it was over after 46 seconds and it ruined the whole experience. I still don’t think I have forgiven him to be honest. Not sure I ever will!

Italian ‘Heart-breaker’ Roberto Di Matteo unleashes the shot after just
46 seconds that shattered Lauri’s and  Boro’s Wembley dreams

OFB: Who was in your opinion the best manager that Boro have ever had and why?

LC: Although I wasn’t around at the time, I would say Jack Charlton. My dad wrote a book about him and from everything I know and have read he was brilliant. In my life time I have to say Steve McClaren; a cup final win, and two European runs (and a final) – just unbelievable. We hadn’t won a cup in 128 years and all of a sudden all of this was happening, it was hard to believe. I know he may not be everyone’s choice but there is absolutely no denying what he did for our club.

OFB: Who has been the greatest influence on your career and why?

LC: My dad and my Uncle Ali. I grew up with them and they taught me a lot about journalism, different aspects of it, and long hours travelling. I know I can send my dad anything I write now and he will be brutally honest, and he always has been. I’ve been around them that long I was around when match reports were done on Typewriters! A VERY VERY valuable lesson they taught me from a young age too is that your team is your team, and sometimes although it’s difficult to separate yourself from it – you have to. You accept what’s happened and move on.

OFB: Which opposing team and which player did you fear Boro playing against?

LC: Arsenal. Some of the best goals I’ve seen scored against us came from them (Kanu). Chelsea too as they ALWAYS beat us!

OFB: Who is your current favourite Boro player and why?

LC: Stewart Downing. I love the fact he’s a local lad who came back to his hometown club, he’s played at the highest level domestically and internationally and is still quite the player – even if he’s not as fast as he used to be. He commands the players on the field, his experience shines through and still has one heck of a delivery.

OFB: How do you think the match day has changed from the time that you started watching professional football to the present day?

LC: Well for starters it’s all seated now! Light shows and goal music (I’ll admit I’m not a fan of goal music) Also – money – the money in football these days is obscene and in my opinion prices some out of the game. The transfer fees bandied around these days make my eyes bleed. I think some of the money that’s floating around the game could be passed back to the fans by means of ticket prices etc. I’m really pleased we have frozen our season ticket prices for next season.

OFB: If you could be a fly on the wall, is there any dressing room you would wish to eavesdrop on?

LC: Any dressing room with Pep in. The man is an absolute genius, I want to know what he says to his players. He’s won pretty much everything there is to win, and I actually met him last season and he’s a really nice man to boot.

OFB: Do you have any regrets in your career, or missed opportunities?

LC: I don’t like to live with regrets – just lessons to learn from.

OFB: Who is the nicest person that you have interviewed or written about and why?

LC: David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd. We just laughed all the way through the interview. He’s brilliant, blunt, and just great. I was almost crying laughing when I asked him if he would rather be a referee or cricket umpire and he replied “Referee, take your tattoos and stupid hair and go and stand over there.”

OFB: Whereabouts do you live these days and what are your career ambitions?

LC: Still on Teesside! It will always be my home, but the end goal is Spain. I love La Liga, especially Barcelona, oh and it’s pretty much always warm!

OFB: Whom have you made a lifelong friend through football?

LC: There are too many to mention, but one who has become a very good friend is Peter Smith from Sky Sports Soccer Saturday.

OFB: Finally, if you hadn’t had your professional career, what do you think you would have done as a career?

LC: I qualified as a sports therapist before journalism, so I would more than likely be doing that somewhere!

OFB: A huge thank you to Lauri for taking the time to talk to Diasboro and all our readers, posters and bloggers.

Derby County		Middlesbrough
Nugent	90’+2 (pen)	Besic Assombalonga	20′ 70′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	57% 16  7 12 13	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	43% 14  4  6 11

Boro BB Guns in Ram Raid

Derby went into this game in a somewhat turbulent state. Things had been going wrong for the Rams and their slide down the league since those brief flurries of snow just a few weeks back are now dangerously becoming a traditional feature of their Championship season. Casino antics involving Goalkeeper Scott Carson and defender Craig Forsyth early on Sunday Morning after they had just gone for a Burton wasn’t the ideal start to Gary Rowett’s week in terms of preparation.

If ever there was a “must win” game for the Rams this was it. With a game in hand a defeat whilst not the end of their play-off hopes would certainly all but blow the candles out on their cake. The attacking duo of Andrea Weimann and Kasey Palmer were on the treatment table this week and rated doubtful for the clash. Captain Keogh had been dropped for the last four games after the Makems had given him the run-around. He played as part of a back three with their reserves this week but whether that would mean Rowett was ready to abandon shape and try something new was doubtful but wouldn’t be surprising such was their dilemma. My thoughts pre kick off was that the enormity of this game was such that everyone who was walking in Derby would be deemed “fit” and playable.

For Tony Pulis his only major absentee would be Paddy after his visit to JCUH last Saturday which presumably was cut short due to the inevitable lack of a parking space more than his concussion. “I don’t think Patrick will make it, I don’t think we’ll take that risk,” said TP whilst remarking that Downing and Gibson were also apparently “struggling” this week but most of us take Tony’s pre match tactical snippets with a pinch of salt now. Grant was available once again but with Adam Clayton’s MOM performance last Saturday against Bristol it would have been a surprise to see him usurp the ex-Terrier.

The last time Boro failed to score at Pride Park was way back in August 1991, music to Britt’s ears no doubt. Boro’s nemesis however Matej Vydra would be primed and ready to strike for the Rams as he had done so five times out of his last four starts against us. When the sides were announced Rowett had made four changes bringing in Keogh, Forsyth, Olsson and Johnson replacing Weimann, Pearce, Ledley and the ageing Baird. Clearly Gary Rowett didn’t fancy Adama having Chris Baird on toast instead it would have to be Keogh. For Boro the only change was as expected with Britt coming in for Paddy and our own Johnson taking Britt’s seat on the bench.

The teams lined up with Keogh, Davies and Forsyth as the three at the back for the Rams. Johnson kicked off after a petty restart from the Ref Lee Probert, early challenges saw Nugent and Britt clash then Clayts immediately picking up a yellow card after a challenge from Johnson which if anything should have gone the other way all in 60 seconds. The atmosphere was bouncing and those challenges were not for the faint hearted which would be interesting as the game progressed as Probert had now made a rod for his own back with the early card for Adam. Far worse Derby challenges followed which Probert decided to ignore with less than five minutes on the clock.

A diving header from Bradley Johnson had Boro hearts in mouths as the ball went wide, seconds later Adama was chopped down by an over the top leg breaker from Forsyth but Probert still seemed to have his home glasses on and allowed the challenge to be simply punished with a free kick. The game was buzzing from end to end interrupted only by Lee Probert’s whistle which seemed to be extremely biased in favour of the home side. A Besic run cutting in from wide needed Keogh to slide in and unbalance Mo whose shot went well wide.

A quarter of an hour had gone and the initial tempo was slowing in the dimming sunshine as Ayala was fouled by Nugent who picked up a yellow against his former teammate. A Downing corner just afterwards was disappointing to say the least which begged the question why Downing was taking it and not Adama? From the weak corner Vydra broke free necessitating George Friend to bring him down but surprisingly he didn’t receive a booking much to the anger of the home support. On twenty minutes Adama literally bounced back up on the right after being clattered into, upended yet still getting his cross into Mo Besic who calmly steadied himself timing his shot to perfection past the despairing Carson and into the roof of the net.

The home support volume noticeably dipped as the Travelling Army chorused “shall we sing a song for you” interspersed with “one Stevie Gibson” as the Rams tried to clear their heads. Lawrence lost Ayala but Shotton stepped into the breach blocking the shot defiantly to send it out for a throw in. A quick Derby follow up and an Ayala conceded corner forced Randolph to clear for Boro. Despite their best efforts Derby were looking a little deflated, confidence sapped with Boro looking solid and compact determined to build on what Mo Besic had earned.

Lee Probert was seemingly desperate to even things up so he decided to book Adama Traore for Olsson tackling him and then seconds later proceeded to award a Derby corner when everyone in the Stadium saw a blatant goal kick. The performance from the “Gentleman” in “control” was certainly raising eyebrows, so much so that I would doubt if he will officiate in the Championship again this season.

Whether the blatantly biased officiating was helping or it was just the change in weather with ominous dark clouds gathering but Derby certainly looked to be slowly getting back into the game in the last fifteen minutes of the first half. A few corners and dubious decisions were all going the way of the Rams but the incompetence personified Ref was then forced to book Huddlestone as Besic left him for dead breaking out of defence. Another Clayts challenge saw Rowett and the Derby players screaming for a second booking as frustration and desperations were building. Lee Probert was now reaping what he had sowed as his “control” was diminishing rapidly. A brave header from George Friend saw off danger from another Rams corner late in the half as Derby pushed for an equaliser.

In the dying seconds of the half Boro fans remembered Ugo who sadly passed away a year to the day in a nice touch singing his name. The whistle brought a halt to end a hectic, relentless passionate game spoiled only by a Referee who was either criminal or comical depending on your perspective. The first half Boro performance on the pitch was perhaps only bettered by the Travelling Army who although 3,000 in number out sung the 25,000 County fans either way it was probably our best away performance for some considerable time.

The half time team talk was probably one of the easiest TP would have given in his career, the only negative was official induced incredulity. Pulis would have issued warnings to Adama and especially Clayts not to give the eager whistle blower an opportunity to get his cards out again. Considering how both had received their bookings (or perhaps how Lee Probert had imaginatively perceived them) it would not have been a straightforward or logical conversation with the pair.

The weather like the scoreline was now casting a bit of a dampener over the East Midlands as the teams entered the pitch for the second half. A sliding challenge from Dani cleared early danger in the opening minute giving away a corner which was headed clear by Britt. Derby were trying to find a way back into the game but Boro looked resolute and confident in the opening five minutes of the half.

The best opportunity in the opening five minutes fell to Nugent who was fed in by Andre Wisdom hitting the side netting when crossing to Vydra would have made more sense. Traore then chased a loose ball that rattled the creaky Rams defence when he applied the afterburners. The spring rain had eased a little but it was still warm as Britt missed a chance but won a corner. At the second opportunity Traore fizzed another one in which went out for yet another Boro corner on the opposite side. Stewy then fired it in which Derby gratefully cleared for our fourth corner in almost as many seconds. This time the delivered ball came in perfect for George but he fluffed his lines and the Rams were lucky to escape.

The pace of the second half was nowhere near as hectic as the first but it was still fully committed as Traore broke free down the right finding Howson who blasted the ball off Scott Carson’s crossbar. In the next phase of play Besic should have settled the game with a brilliant opportunity but he couldn’t repeat the composure of his first half effort and missed the target completely. That chance made up Rowett’s mind that changes were needed. Wiemann came on for Olsson and surprisingly Vydra went off for Palmer as Rowett gambled with his half fit attackers.

TP had Grant warming up in response to the two Derby substitutions just as Kasey Palmer fired in a weak shot at Darren Randolph. Another Adama sprint saw a brilliant opportunity spurned as he fired his shot across the net instead of finding Britt as the game now entered a crazy chaotic few minutes. Boro however took full advantage of the chaos; Traore was fed by Howson, beating a few defenders with ease to square to Britt who made no mistake to put Boro two up with a cheeky dummy and a tap in.

Rowett responded by bringing Huddlestone off with Derby seemingly intent on footballing defensive suicide. The Travelling Army took great pleasure in reminding the home fans of their unfortunate unravelling with chants of “it’s happened again” all the while Traore was continually tearing them apart. You could almost smell the fear in the muggy midlands atmosphere every time Adama collected the ball and went on a run against the wooden Derby backline.

The game was looking more and more beyond the Rams as Grant finally came on with ten minutes to go but surprisingly for Mo Besic and not Clayts who we all thought (especially considering his early yellow) would be the one to make way. A Tom Lawrence shot was fired in and well saved by Randolph which went out for a corner which was quickly repeated again as Britt this time conceded the corner. As the ball was finally cleared Britt found the lively Howson at the opposite end who spurned his chance which was the signal for Downing to casually exit the field of play for Fabio. Speaking of exiting, the home fans had been doing the same for some time as empty spaces were appearing all over the stadium which now had very little pride in evidence.

Upon his arrival Fabio was all energy again, running and chasing, just what the Derby defence didn’t want, keeping the pressure up. Howson likewise was busting a gut chasing and harrying, closing down. A rare scrappy corner gifted by Ayala gave the Rams some hope with a couple of minutes left but the Boro defence stood firm yet again. A Derby corner in the last minute saw a challenge with Ayala having an arm lock around someone’s head (Nugent?) and Lee Probert awarded a penalty. Nugent stepped up and took the corner pulling one back and for the first time Boro’s lead now looked nervy. Traore seemed to be carrying a niggle for which Johnson was warming up as Derby thankfully ran out of time, Lee Probert finally blowing up as Derby and Nugent held firm by Ben Gibson’s late determination not to concede.

2-1 it finished in what was undeniably Boro’s best away performance of the Championship this year. There wasn’t a poor or weak performance in a Red shirt. Every one of them committed and contributed to a season defining victory which was hard fought and well deserved. Once again Clayts was my MOM especially considering his early card which required him to be combative but keep his head. Besic was brilliant, Britt scrapped and got his goal, Adama was at his unplayable best, Shotton was solid along with Friend, Gibson and Ayala at the back. Downing and Howson genuinely deserving of mentions and Randolph simply did what he needed to do when called upon.

So three crucial points gained over Derby, Sheffield and Milwall, two points gained over Preston and Bristol in what was a great weekend of results. Apart from Boro only Brentford managed to collect all three points today amongst the play offs chasing pack. Two games left and two points should secure a play-off spot and three will definitely clinch it. Sheffield United and Bristol can only equal Boro’s points tally but we have a far superior GD to both. If they win their games Preston could get one more point more than us if we fail to record a solitary draw in our two remaining games but again GD is heavily in our favour. Only four other teams that can catch us for two places, next Saturday at the Riverside should be electric!

Boro and Derby feel the unseasonal
heat as they sweat on a play-off place

As much of the country basked in the rather unseasonal April heat, those involved in the race for the Championship play-offs have been left to sweat on their prospects of securing one the last two remaining places in the top six. Whilst it may have been one of the hottest days on record for 70 years, Boro head to Derby in what is expected to be their most hotly contested match since way back last Saturday when Tony Pulis’s team played the previous must-win game against Bristol City. However, the temperature at Pride Park will be measured against the result of the Friday evening encounter between Millwall and Fulham – victory for the Lions could leave Boro and The Rams fearing defeat tomorrow could see their promotion challenge start to melt away as the hopes of both sets of supporters would begin to evaporate into the despondent air that will no doubt hang over their respective clubs.

The stakes could not be higher this Saturday as Teesside’s temperamental thoroughbreds get ready to rein in another contender as the race with richest purse of all in football enters its final few furlongs. Boro will be hoping that they can somehow manage to get their noses in front and then have the staying power to edge across the finishing post ahead of their rivals – though few are probably anticipating a classic at Derby as this season has been heavy going for both teams. Still, supporters will be expecting to see the players chomping at the bit and keen to display their unbridled passion – especially with the real prospect of the loser falling off the pace and being unable to make up the ground to keep up with the play-off pack.

Last week saw Derby lose 3-1 at bottom club Burton in the local derby against their former manager Nigel Clough. Many Boro supporters laughed in disbelief at the ineptitude of their play-off rivals and became dismissive of The Rams promotion challenge – before casting their mind back a few weeks to when a 90th minute equaliser by Britt Assombalonga, who got the better of a one-on-one with an empty net, as he headed home from 50cm to spare our own blushes. Having said that, we shouldn’t forget that Gary Rowett’s team lost 4-1 at home to then bottom club Sunderland at Easter – so we can be forgiven for doubting their credentials. Derby have in fact only won three of their last 15 games and that doesn’t appear to make them the kind of form team to be feared. Although, for all their missed opportunities, they still have a top six place in their own hands and we should note that they also have a game in hand – albeit at home to a Cardiff side desperate to gain automatic promotion.

Derby County		Middlesbrough
Gary Rowett		Tony Pulis
P42 – W18 – D14 – L10 – F61 – A43		P43 – W20 – D9 – L14 – F61 – A42
Position Points Points per game Projected points	7th 68 1.6 74	Position Points Points per game Projected points	5th 69 1.6 74
Last 6 Games Burton (A) Wolves (A) Bolton (H) Preston (A) Sunderland (H) Nottm Forest (A)	F-T (H-T) 1:3 (1:2) L 0:2 (0:1) L 3:0 (2:0) W 1:0 (0:0) W 1:4 (1:2) L 0:0 (0:0) D	Last 6 Games Bristol City (H) Sheff Utd (A) Nottm Forest (H) Burton (A) Wolves (H) Brentford (A)	F-T (H-T) 2:1 (1:1) W 1:2 (0:2) L 2:0 (2:0) W 1:1 (0:1) D 0:2 (1:2) L 1:1 (1:1) D

In recent weeks, the runners and riders in the Championship high-stakes promotion chase have been jockeying for positions to make the play-offs and it’s hard to decide if being a front-runner or coming up on the rails will ultimately prove to be the best tactic. Although after last weekend’s results, Boro now appear to have the whip hand, though many are still to be convinced whether Tony Pulis has timed his run to perfection or is in fact flogging a dead horse. The latest betting now has Boro “top of the head” at 9/4 on, with Derby “double tap” at 15/8 on and Millwall still in with a shout at “ear ‘ole” 6/4 – then come Preston “half a stretch” back at 6/1, with the Bees and the Blades out at 9/1 and The Robins the outsiders at 14/1.

However, in the eyes of the hardened hard-luck doom-merchant traders on Teesside, there’s nothing they dislike more than seeing their ever-reliable team being deemed favourites for anything. It’s the equivalent of buying a bright red ticket to the Play-off final at Wembley in advance and deftly waving it in the face of the snorting Typical Boro Bull as it reaches full charging speed – the anticipated feeling of pain is surely only milliseconds away. This Teesside tradition of metaphorically running with the bulls is in some ways similar to the more famous event in Pamplona – but instead, the naive Boro fans intoxicated by the foam fumes of youth, hope to outrun their psychological beasts of burden with little more than a 1974 rolled-up match programme to defend themselves with. Although for the unlucky runners in the Spanish fiesta the pain is only physical but for those in the north-east who risk having their hopes mortally flattened the mental scars usually never heal.

At least Boro have a man at the helm who thrives on finding himself in high-pressure situations at this stage of the season and he will hopefully be able to impart his experience of such matters. It’s in times of anxiety that people look for leadership and the calm reassurance that those in charge have thought things through and will take a measured approach rather than over-react or potentially make matters worse. In fact, football supporters are once again indebted this weekend that there are indeed any fixtures at all and will be thanking the people around Donald Trump who continue to persuade him that it’s still not feasible to launch ‘nukes’ by using a hashtag on Twitter. It’s somewhat less reassuring to learn that the voice of reason in the Trump administration, who urged caution over targeted strikes in Syria, goes by the nickname ‘Mad Dog’ – you know that maybe your plans are perhaps a little crazy when someone who has been awarded such a moniker tries to reign them in.

Before you start wondering how former Boro defender Emanuel Pogatetz became part of Trump’s administration, I should clarify that we’re talking instead about US Secretary for Defence, General “Mad Dog” Mattis – who is not a man normally renowned for his conciliatory tone. He once told the regional Iraqi leaders “I come in peace. I didn’t bring artillery. But I’m pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you [expletive] with me, I’ll kill you all.” This predilection for violent solutions was also shared while addressing troops in San Diego: “It’s fun to shoot some people. I’ll be right up there with you. I like brawling”. However, there’s no truth in the rumour that David Davis may be planning to borrow some of General Mattis’s lines for the Brexit negotiations, including: “I’m going to plead with you, do not cross us. Because if you do, the survivors will write about what we do here for 10,000 years.” Still, he’s not all bad as Trump was surprised to hear that his Defence Secretary no longer supported waterboarding after he claimed “never found it to be useful” and could “do better with a couple of beers and a pack of cigarettes” – though it’s not quite clear if he was talking in context of enemy combatants or persuading FBI chief James Comey to drop his investigation.

Talking of cruel and unusual punishments, Derby supporters must be getting used to their usual torturous end to the season after yet another promising promotion season is in danger of having a painful ending. Derby are now in their tenth season in the Championship since they were relegated from the Premier League in 2008 with an embarrassing 11 points. Their first five years in the second tier didn’t see much in the way of them mounting any kind of challenge to return to the top but the last five years have been a case of ‘close but no cigar’ after the supporters hopes disappeared in a puff of smoke just when it mattered. Perhaps the The Rams should contemplating running onto the pitch to the sound of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Air on a G String, which was so famously borrowed by Hamlet cigars to represent the philosophical acceptance of it all going pear-shaped again.

In October 2013, Steve McClaren took over from Nigel Clough and by December Derby were already in the top four and remained there for the rest of the season as they ultimately finishing third before losing out in the play-off final to QPR. The next season saw them start well and they hit the automatic spots in October and stayed there until March when rumours of McClaren leaving for Newcastle saw the team’s form dip and they won just two from their last 14 games to drop out of the top six on the last day of the season. In came Paul Clement, who started slowly but by December his team were top, but after a bad spell he was sacked in February despite Derby being in fifth spot only five points behind leaders Hull – with chairman Mel Morris claiming he had a problem with Clement’s style of football. He was replaced by Nigel Pearson who finished in the play-offs but they lost this time in the first game against Hull. The following 2016-17 campaign got off to a bad start and by late September Derby were in the bottom three and Pearson was suspended after a row with Mel Morris over his apparent use of drones to spy on training.

Pearson left by mutual consent after no doubt explaining to his chairman in which dark recess the drone would be placed if he ever saw it again and was replaced by the surprise return of Steve McClaren – who had already been sacked by Newcastle after he joined them just three weeks after Derby had previously dismissed him over the “hurtful rumours” he was heading to the Magpies. Amazingly by December, McClaren had got the team back into the play-off places and an unbeaten run of 8 wins and 2 draws had looked to have once more got Derby fans hopes up to that killing level – however, another inevitable bad run of just one win from the next ten games saw the season finish in a disappointing 9th spot as McClaren was once again sacked amid rumours he was rubbish and even Sunderland didn’t want him. This season has been masterminded by former Birmingham boss Gary Rowett and having been safely ensconced in the top six since a 3-0 win over Boro at the Riverside in late November, Derby fans are now awaiting to see how he plans to blow their chances with some encouraging signs in recent weeks that seventh spot is not beyond him.

If Derby do decide to throw in the towel on another promotion campaign this weekend then it will be gratefully received by Tony Pulis’s team – especially after the Boro ball-boys had their own towels confiscated last weekend by an over-eager fourth official with some suggestions of him having a possible sideline in supplying miniature sun loungers for those on mini-breaks still not being ruled out. Though Tony Pulis has since clarified that he believes the ball-boys were possibly just being a little too possessive instead of sharing them with the Bristol City players and were probably more concerned at the prospect of inducing an unexpected psychedelic trip as the brightly coloured towels clashed with their mind-altering purple and green kit.

The Boro manager’s main concern will probably be over whether Patrick Bamford will be available for selection following his loss of consciousness in the first half against the Robins. The six day rule could offer hope that the player will be deemed fit to play on Saturday after he reportedly seemed fine after the game as he wandered around Riverside still with his kit on underneath his coat – though rumours that he was asking what time the second half started and if Mr Karanka had given his half-time team talk yet should perhaps be kept quiet. Whether Britt Assombalonga will also be tempted to have a crafty lung-full of oxygen in the hope of sharpening up his footballing brain is possibly open to speculation – though he needs to somehow clear his head and find a way to capture some semblance of the form that persuaded the chairman to part with £15m in the summer. Otherwise Boro’s play-off ambitions may involve wrapping up the seemingly “soft” Bamford in those extra fluffy towels, which have been set aside for opposition throw-ins.

Though doubts that perhaps Tony Pulis’s squad is not the packed with the best performing players of the season was again raised this week when football magazine Four Four Two announced their EFL Top 50 and only one place was reserved for someone from Boro. For those wondering what Four Four Two means, apparently it refers to a old formation used by managers in a time when they ridiculously believed having two strikers on the pitch at the same time might help them win games – hard to imagine now but it used to be fashionable.

Anyway, the only Boro player chosen was unsurprisingly Adama Traore but he came in at a less than high-profile number 29 on the list, which perhaps reflects that for the first half of the season he struggled to get into Garry Monk’s team and has probably only been an effective player for around a dozen games. Of course, it’s all subjective and based on opinion but it still suggest very few Boro players have caught the eye this season and for all the money spent, none of the big summer signings have really proved their worth. However, if Boro do manage to sneak into the play-offs and then somehow make it to Wembley, then none of the supporters would have expected anything other than seeing their team do it the hard way – everything going according to plan is just not the Teesside way!

So will Boro be at the races on Saturday as they gallop into an early lead before winning at a canter against Derby’s donkeys? Or will Tony Pulis be trotting out the usual excuses as his team are slow out of the stalls again as they are once again weighed down by their usual handicap? As usual, your predictions on score, scorers and team selection – plus will Daniel ‘goal anytime’ Ayala continue to be the scourge of the bookies?

The latest in a series of profiles and interviews, Orginal Fat Bob gives his personal view on the life and career of a footballing guest, before sitting down for a chat and asking a few questions. Our Diasboro special guest this week is Harry Pearson.

1. The Overview – the man and his career

One of the nicest things about doing these In2Views articles, is that the bloggers on Diasboro quite often put in a request for someone for me to talk to, that they themselves hold in high regard. One such request came from our own Jarsue, who holds this man’s writing and works in such affection. John tells me that Harry bought from him, one of his little hand printed and hand cut Jack Russell Books and that he’s a top man.

Harry Pearson was born in 1961, in the village of Great Ayton, a few miles outside Middlesbrough. Synonymous for being the village where Captain James Cook the famous explorer went to school. Harry remembers that he was born and brought up in a house on High Green. He told me that this was in the same row as Artie Suggett and Donald Petch but says ruefully, “though I never got free ice creams, or pies.”

For the benefit of those unfamiliar with Great Ayton, Suggett’s were and still are, noted for their Dairy Ice Cream Shop and Parlour. Petch the butchers however, are famous for the quality of their Pork, Steak Pies and Pasties and many people travel far and wide to queue up and buy.

The Great Ayton born writer is well known for his regular column in
The Guardian as well as being the author of many popular books

We swapped a few names of people we both knew in the village. Jim Pearson (no relation – OFB) was the local builder who worked hard and slaked his thirst each evening in The Royal Oak. I mentioned to Harry that Jim, being a master stone mason, had constructed a large stone trough for me, which I still have today. Harry agreed and said “Yes, he was a lovely man. Did a fair bit of work on our house over the years.”

Harry was educated by kindly Quakers and can still sing all the words to the Society of Friends’ rousing anthem Baggy, baggy britches/Shaggy, shaggy locks/You are pulling down the pillars of the world George Fox. It is on record that his attempt to become a journalist foundered when he failed to get onto an NUJ course because his spelling wasn’t considered good enough. After many years working in shop jobs,his life was altered forever by reading an article about Boro’s Alan Foggon in “When Saturday Comes (WSC).”

Since then he has written many well regarded books including The Far Corner: A Hazy Dribble Through North-East Football, Dribble: An Unbelievable Football Encyclopedia (described as an A-Z of credulity-twanging facts and stories about what Pele once memorably dubbed ‘my bloody job’ ). Also for his sins, Harry has even written books on cricket, notably The Trundlers: Underrate Them at Your Peril and Slipless in Settle: A Slow Turn Around Northern Cricket – as well as being a contributor to many others books too. He has written for WSC for 20 years and has been a weekly columnist on the Guardian since 1997. It has been said of him that his spelling remains erratic, but it is still much better than his punctuation. He is a former sports columnist for the Guardian, a former travel feature writer for Conde Naste Traveller and Contributing Editor of GQ. Incidentally, it should be noted that his book; The Far Corner was the runner-up in the 1995 Sports Book of the Year awards.

Like myself and a lot of other football supporters Harry loves Northern Non-League Football. After being involved with it myself, firstly as a referee and avid supporter, then subsequently watching my family and friends play. you seem to get more personally involved with the clubs. You cannot be a neutral or be a silent bystander. You must be vocal and be a true football fan. One cannot but admire their dedication and how much it means to each village to have their own successful team and it has to be sampled, to know why it compels and is so addictive.

Harry was a great admirer of Boro legend Juninho, who is pictured
here evading a challenge from Man Utd duo Pallister and Giggs

Harry also loves the professional footballers as well, here is an extract from his blog about TLF.

“In mid-afternoon the players’ tunnel at The Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough is shaded by the West Stand. Last Saturday Boro’s Brazilian midfielder, Juninho did what he always does before running onto the field. The 27-year-old, dipped one knee, touched the turf by the touchline with his right hand and then crossed himself before passing from the shadow into the sunlight. It may be the last time home fans see that characteristic gesture. Juninho’s loan spell from Atletico Madrid, the club he left Teesside for in a £12 million deal in 1997, comes to an end at Goodison Park at the weekend. No one, including the 1994 Brazilian Footballer of the Year, knows if the club plan to make the move permanent, or not.”

“The supporters are more ambivalent than might be expected about the future of the player they voted the greatest in the club’s history three years ago. The chant of “Sign On Juninho” (a phrase that seems less open to misinterpretation when shouted than it does in print) may have echoed round the Riverside Stadium on Saturday, but a poll published  in club fanzine Fly Me To The Moon found 40% of respondents thought Boro shouldn’t pay the £5.9 million asking price.”

2. The Interview – a quick chat

OFB: What year did you start as a professional writer?

HP: 1988. I got made redundant from my job working in an off-license in Soho and used the money from that to get on the Enterprise Allowance Scheme, which was one of Thatcher’s ideas to get people off the dole. So you have her to thank for what followed….(and for that we are grateful – OFB)

OFB: Where did you live at that time? Did you rent, or did you live in digs?

HP: I lived in a rented house in Golders Green, that I shared with a Czech friend of mine who was mad keen on Subbuteo. We used to play a game every night, much to the annoyance of his wife.

OFB: What was the first Boro game that you ever saw, and do you still remember it?

HP: It was against Carlisle United, Boxing Day 1968. John O’Rourke scored a hat-trick. I went with my Grandad, Harry Fixter who was born and brought up in Essex Street. All the seats in the Bob End had been sold, so we had to stand in the Chicken Run. I was seven and spent the whole time whining that I was cold and couldn’t see and so my Grandad took me home after an hour.

OFB: Who was your favourite Boro player and others that you have watched over the years?

HP: The winger David Chadwick was an early hero, partly because the kid I used to go to football with back then – Deano – was a year older than me and had baggsied John Hickton. Back then there were lots of strange friendly matches played at Ayresome. I saw Eusebio play for Benfica and I went to the English League v Scottish League game which was more or less the 1966 World Cup winner v the Lisbon Lions. I wish I could remember that game better – so many great players, but the only thing that sticks in my mind is that Ronnie Simpson the Scotland keeper wore a tweed flat cap.

OFB: What was the most memorable game, or your own best experience watching a football match?

HP: Probably the Hartlepool v Blyth Spartans FA Cup tie in 2014. I went with a German friend – a big Werder Bremen fan who works in Newcastle. We’d been to watch Blyth a few times together, so we were supporting them even though we were sitting in the Millhouse. It was a Friday night, freezing cold, yet at half-time these Poolie lads in day-glo mankinis invaded the pitch. They were chased by the oldest fattest steward I’ve ever seen, while H’Angus the monkey ran about waving a plastic banana in the air. I laughed until my sides ached. Blyth scored two superb goals late on to win it. My German friend says it is the second best game he ever attended, after the World Cup semi-final of 2014. He went to the 2014 final too, so you can see how great it was. His wife says he still sometimes wakes up in the morning chortling and says, “Ah Hartlepool, fantastic!”

OFB: What was the worst game or experience that you have experienced watching football and why?

HP: Back in the late eighties it was generally pretty grim going to games. I suppose my worst experience was going to see Boro play at Swindon in about 1990. They’d made the away end all ticket and Middlesbrough Supporters South didn’t have any tickets so we tried to go in the home end. The police let every Boro fan in except me. I’d like to think that’s because I look really hard. But obviously I don’t. So instead of watching the game I had to spend two hours wandering around Swindon. It was a long two hours.

OFB: Which is the best non-league football ground you have visited and why?

HP: Ironworks Road, Tow Law is pretty fantastic. It feels like it’s perched on the edge of the world. Jarrow Roofing’s ground is good too. It looks like one of those allotment sheds your uncles knocked up out of old doors and bits of packing crates. The old lady who runs the tea bar also does the announcements, often while serving hot dogs. They should do something similar at the Riverside – save money.

OFB: Which team in the Northern League do you like the most and why?

HP: Dunston is the easiest club to get to from where I live, so I go there more than anywhere else. I sit with an old fella named Jimmy from Hetton whose father played youth team football with Bob Paisley and Harry Potts. Jimmy and his family have been involved with the Northern League all their lives. He knows every player and every bit of gossip. You say, “That team won the title not so long ago, how come they’re so hopeless now?” and he says, “Well the bloke as owns them ran this big drug pub up the coast and the police shut it down, so they’ve nay money anymore”.

OFB: Can you tell us any amusing anecdotes, either about football, or in your professional life?

HP: You don’t have time or space. Well, a couple of weeks back I was waiting for a bus coming back from Ryhope Colliery Welfare v Marske and the two young women behind me started talking about some bloke. One said, “He’s gay, you know” and her friend said, “I don’t think he’s actually gay. I think he’s just bi-culiar!”

OFB: Is there a game that you wished you had watched and been there as a spectator, either for Boro or another team?

HP: I’d love to have seen that Boro team from the late 1930s – Wilf, Hardwick, Mickey Fenton.

Harry’s vote for best Boro manager of all time went to Bruce Rioch,
who’s seen here outside the unlocked Ayresome Park gates

OFB: Who was in your opinion, the best manager that Boro have ever had and why?

HP: Bruce Rioch. To manage the club during the insolvency and keep the players together must have been really difficult. His team played attractive football and were successful too, and he had no money to spend. That was my favourite Boro team.

OFB: Who was in your opinion the hardest player you have ever seen on a football field and why?

HP: Mick Harford. Just typing his name has given me a bruise above my left eye.

OFB: Which opposing team and which player did you fear Boro playing against?

HP: I fear any team that arrives off a record breaking string of losses, never having won away for two years, or having conceded seventy goals in their last ten games. Boro were invented to break such runs.

OFB: Who is your favourite Boro player of all time and why?

HP: Juninho. Obvious, I know. Not just because of his talent, but because he was brave and big hearted and was always so charming about Teesside. I can’t help thinking about him without misting up

OFB: Who is your current favourite Boro player, if you have one and why?

HP: I’ve got to an age when the words ‘he seems like a nice young man’ pop into my head unbidden, so George Friend.

OFB: How do you think the match day has changed from the time that you watched professional football to the present day?

HP: It’s changed beyond all recognition. Up until the mid-1990s the experience of watching football for me was just about the same as it had been for my Grandad when he first went to a game at Ayresome before the First World War.

OFB: If you could be a fly on the wall, is there any dressing room you would wish to eavesdrop on?

HP: I think I’d prefer not to know.

OFB: What is your happiest memory of watching or being involved with Football?

HP: The 1998 World Cup. I had a press pass through When Saturday Comes and also wrote three pieces a week for the Guardian. I had an inter-rail card and travelled all over France, saw pretty much a game every day for three weeks, ate great food and had fantastic time in the press stands. It’s wonderful when you are watching a game and the old bloke next to you starts telling you what he thinks is going on and after a few minutes of chatting, you suddenly realize you are talking to Rinus Michels. (For those who may not remember, Marinus Jacobus Hendricus “Rinus” Michels was the former Dutch football player and coach who played his entire career for Ajax, then later coached them and was regarded as the architect of ‘Total Football’ – OFB)

OFB: Do you have any regrets in your career, or missed opportunities?

HP: I’ve been lucky and just done what I liked and got paid for it. There were times when I earned good money, nowadays, not so much, but still it’s better than working.

It’s now over 25 years since Harry penned his famous book
on North-East football that helped to launch his career as a writer

OFB: I know that you go to Northern League games these days, but do you still follow the Boro and their results?

HP: I’ll always be a Boro fan. So that’s the first result I look for.

OFB: Whereabouts in the Country do you now live and what do you do?

HP: Hexham in Northumberland. I’ve been here 27 years now. When I split up with Catherine about five years ago I thought of moving down to Saltburn or somewhere and making a fresh start, but our daughter chose to live with me (which was both scary and marvelous) and she was still at school and I felt she didn’t need any more upheavals, so I stayed put. Now she’s at university, but I met someone else who lives here and her kid is still at school, so it seems I’ll be here for a while yet. And to be honest, it’s a pretty nice place.

OFB: Whom have you made a lifelong friend through football, or your career as a writer?

HP: Almost too many to mention through football, in fact probably 90% of all the men I know and a fair few of the women too, I met through the game one way or another.

OFB: Your books are a great favourite with our Diasboro bloggers, do you have a particular favourite and why?

HP: The Far Corner. It changed my life. I met dozens of friends through it and made a career. But what’s really nice for me is that people think of that book with affection. I wrote it so long ago – 25 years more or less – that I have no idea now where it all came from. It’s like someone else wrote it, which in some ways they did.

OFB: Finally, if you hadn’t had a professional career as a writer, what do you think you would have done as a career?

HP: I’d probably still be working as a shop assistant in some sort of specialist shop – wine, records, whatever. It’s a nice life. I enjoy talking to people and I don’t like too much responsibility.

OFB: A huge thank you Harry, for taking the time to talk to Diasboro and our readers.

Middlesbrough		Bristol City
Friend Ayala	18′ 68′	Evandro	13′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	58% 21  3  4 16	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	42% 10  3  2 17

Towels and Tribulations

Having lost last Saturday away to Millwall and bouncing back by giving Garry Monk the Blues at home on Tuesday night Lee Johnson literally flew his Robins to the Riverside this afternoon perched just a single point behind Boro. With games disappearing fast it looked like the loser of this game would be saying goodbye to any realistic aspirations for the Play-offs. Both sides were in a similar vein of self-imploding football at the moment so anything could have happened results wise allied to some recent uninspiring lamentable performances.

Despite their lofty league placing Bristol had the worst way record over the last twelve games in the Championship of any club having only picked up five points from five draws and seven defeats. Even the Mackems and Burton had bettered that return. Like us they could only manage a recent draw away to lowly Burton. Having never ever lost at the Riverside their last four visits to Teesside meant that they had won three and drew one making Boro by far their favourite away day. As the side with the worst away record playing at their favourite travel destination what could possibly go wrong for Boro?

Selection wise Boro had injury worries over Downing and Bamford while Mo Besic was actually rated “doubtful”. To me Besic and Bamford have both been carrying injuries in the last few games and have been playing when it would have appeared more sensible to let them rest and fully recuperate. Half fit, neither of them have come close to their recent high levels. Downing’s injury scare I presume was because he found his shooting boots and has had to lie down in a darkened Rockliffe room all week. Grant of course had been excused from duties at the moment due to a rush of blood to the Captain’s head.

Lee Johnson had a few ponderables in his nest in terms of selection. Eros Pisano had sat out Tuesday night’s win for reasons of fatigue apparently but should be back in the reckoning this afternoon. Club Captain Bailey Wright had struggled with a thigh strain and was unlikely to feature but Lloyd Kelly had been earning plaudits of late meaning that Bryan looked likely to be deployed in front of Kelly in an attempt to smother Traore. Further up the field O’Dowda and Paterson were missing on Tuesday and could feature. In mitigation it could be argued that with three half time substitutions TP was also conscious of game management and resting his big guns on Tuesday evening. The Bristol trio of Bobby Reid, Famara Diedhiou and Matty Taylor were all likely to be starters but the 90 minute fitness levels of Reid and Famara could be questioned.

With the 1-1 result of the Blades and Lions game sinking in come two o’clock we had our selection answers and learnt that TP went with same again apart from Clayts in for the suspended Grant. Lee Johnson kept Taylor and O’Dowda benched but did keep both Bryan and youngster Lloyd on the left to target Adama as suspected. Reid started along with man mountain Djuric with Diedhiou also entrusted with taking the game to Boro.

The Robins lined up in a Purple and Lime Green kit which was certainly distinctive but not I would imagine a Bristolian marketeers commercial dream. Boro started the game reasonably steady and had a half chance early on with Jonny Howson but he seemed to scuff his shot and it squirmed wide of Fieldlings upright. The early intent was welcome as hopefully it signalled a desire to actually win rather than sitting deep and pick the visitors off.

A failure by Downing to cut out a midfield pass meant that Besic was forced to charge back and slide in to cut out the danger but earning a yellow card in the process and giving away a free kick. On thirteen minutes a soft build up involving Lloyd and Reid led to a cross being put in which was wincingly half cleared by Shotton and spun out to the edge of the box where another headed attempt to clear by Besic seen him beaten in the air and saw the ball drop for Djuric stealing in between Ayala and Friend to prod home. Our defending was to put it mildly all over the place and very poor but that wasn’t the language being used around me in the North Stand at the time. Our start wasn’t great but not disastrous up until those few mad moments of chaos.

Just after the restart another Bristol foray saw Ayala and Randolph almost take one another out as the thwarted Reid closing in on goal. The enormity of the task facing us wasn’t lost upon the home fans and they rallied round behind Boro. A few minutes later a Traore Corner was literally fizzed in with pace and George met it perfectly centrally on the edge of the six yard box with a glancing header past the despairing Fielding to draw level with eighteen minutes on the clock and suddenly the mood changed inside the Stadium. The visiting fans noticeably reduced their hitherto optimistically hopeful and upbeat decibel levels. Just as the celebrations were dying down George was once again in the action cutting out a ball in the middle of the Park which the attention seeking Ref deemed worthy of a Yellow.

Just as Boro started to find their feet and the Red Faction their voices the next event sickened everyone in attendance when Paddy went up for a ball with alleged ex Boro target Flint and landed (splattered is perhaps a better description) face first after a hefty aerial duel. He lay motionless and it was Bristol players that first raised the alarm by drawing Ref Madeley’s attention to it and the Boro Physio’s to rush on to Paddy. What followed would have been pure comedy gold had it not been so serious. The Paramedic/First Aid/Stretcher bearer team had to be screamed at by the fans of both sides to get their act together. Now whilst jibes at tickets and kits directed towards the club are well deserved the confused, disorganised and chaotic fumbling of them was matched only by the Boro defence for the opening goal. Twenty four thousand people screaming at them to get their act together and run onto the pitch with oxygen and stretcher etc. certainly focussed their athletic prowess.

After a very worrying ten minutes or so the Stretcher was eventually raised and Paddy was carried off to a standing ovation and cheers of “Paddy, Paddy, Paddy Bamford” from both sets of fans. The farce however didn’t end as the Stretcher had to be let down again as presumably the weight was too heavy for the bearers and they changed arms half way across the pitch, picked Paddy back up and the removal continued once again. Slapstick at its finest!

During the injury break Dani had raced across to TP and informed them that Paddy was out cold and to hurriedly ready Assombalonga. Britt’s first touch was OK but a little heavy, importantly however and noticeably he received a supportive round of applause and cheers to lift his confidence. The game now had a kind of surreal feeling which in a strange way matched the weather, overcast but with the sun struggling to break through with temperatures in the balmy low Teesside teens.

The first half ended with a sustained spell of Boro pressure building up to a series of shots and blocks which somehow ended with the ball not crossing the Bristol goal line thanks to a series of defiant and desperate defending. I counted a Besic effort and I think two from Stewy one of which was flicked on by Britt. The much delayed half time whistle finally went with the major attention of the half created by the Referee who obviously had a new whistle along with a new set of cards. He looked determined to win the MOM award in front of the Foreign TV Camera’s suspiciously looking like he was after a lucrative Middle East retirement deal.

News that Derby were trailing at half time to lowly Burton (remember them) lifted spirits that were considerably dampened after Paddy’s worrying removal from the field of play. Better news had started to filter through that Paddy had been responsive and talking in the changing rooms albeit groggy before being taken to James Cook. On commencement of the second half Bristol brought off Djuric which was surprising as whilst he was far from mobile he was a thorn at set pieces and balls into the box for which his goal was testimony. Pisano came on which was a nod perhaps to Bristol hanging on to what they had which was a rare and valuable point on the road.

As the half wore on Fielding resorted to time wasting techniques along with time being taken at each set piece in an effort to run the clock down. Boro were not exactly putting on a stellar performance and Bristol were sitting deep defending in numbers giving us plenty of possession but not threatening. Britt had a few opportunities but his finishing was worse than woeful and his appetite for jumping back up and getting straight back in the game was slow motion personified. That was in stark contrast to Mo Besic who was busting a gut and lungs and Clayts who was blocking, chasing and charging down everything in sight.

George was having joy down the left flank and Adama was giving poor eighteen year old Lloyd a wake-up call to life in the Championship. The screw was slowly turning but Bristol were dangerous and Boro were thankful to both Ben and Clayts in blocking attempts which was just as well as Shotton was having a torrid time conceding possession in his own half. There was lots of endeavour from Boro but little to show for the possession and anxiety was growing amongst both sets of supporters with the game having so much at stake.

Another brilliant corner from Adama was lofted in with deadly accuracy evading the giants of the Bristol back line for Dani to rise majestically and head home but it was cleared off the line by Baker but much to our euphoria only into his own net. Our secret Goal machine had done it again and it was now 2-1 to Boro with around 25 minutes to hang onto the slender but priceless lead.

After Ayala’s goal Johnson’s side looked more like a combined Pulis/Allardyce eleven that you are ever likely to see with Aden Flint thrown up top and every ball humped, hoofed and lumped 60 yards up the pitch. With five minutes of normal time remaining Fabio was brought on for Downing to run the clock down, add fresh legs and a bit of inventive pace. Bristol were knocking on the door but Boro were resilient with some sterling, determined, defensive work. It was squeaky bum time for the Home fans as attacks were repelled and every goal kick and throw in breaking the pressure as the fans sang loud and proud supporting their hero’s efforts.

The fourth Official signalled three additional minutes and TP signalled he wanted to bring Cranie on for Adama with the emphasis now on dealing with high balls and holding on. Seconds later the star of the show Madeley finally blew his whistle for full time and the ground erupted in celebration apart from the understandably dispirited travelling fans and the Bristol players sat on the pitch realising that their season which had so much early promise had all but fizzled out.

News filtered through that Paddy was not as bad as first feared and a later radio interview with Pulis revealed that he was now back at the ground sat in the changing rooms chatting to his team mates. The afternoon wasn’t a classic but it had elements of frustration, comedy, passion (stand up Besic, Clayts and Friend), inevitability (thank you Dani Ayala), drama (courtesy of poor Paddy) and farce courtesy of Mr Madeley generally and his shiny whistle but also for he and the fourth official deeming that Shotton and Friends drying towels were now illegal.

At this stage all that matters is the result and we won those precious three points. MOM for me had a few contenders all for differing reasons but I think Clayts won me over for his all-round display and probably his best in a few seasons but anyone who felt Besic, Friend or Ayala deserved it would get no arguments!

Boro need to avoid missing the boat
by navigating safe passage to play-offs

Boro slipped out of the top six following defeat to Sheffield United and after just one win in their last five games, the failure to gain three points on Saturday would leave Tony Pulis’s promotion course heading for the rocks as the club’s play-off challenge became seriously holed below the waterline and the chances of a top-six place would start to sink along with our lingering hopes. As Bristol City sail up to the Riverside, moored just one place below and one point behind in the table, it’s surely time that the players found their Championship sea legs and took the wind out of the opposition’s sails rather than risk leaving their own supporters in the Doldrums. The key may well be starting the game at a fair rate of knots rather than just treading water as no doubt there have be some stern words from the manager following recent listless displays.

After several scary performances of late, it’s possible Tony Pulis will be showing the players some horror videos of those games ahead of Saturday’s crucial encounter. Whether such viewing on Friday the thirteenth will produce a change in fortune against Bristol City is uncertain but perhaps team selection may involve the manager being crystal clear about what he wants and then consigning the squad to an overnight stay at a log cabin in the woods around Stewart Park lake. In this lesser known instalment of the Friday the Thirteenth franchise, entitled The Old School Camp, a group of under-performing players wait to find out which of them gets brutally axed ahead of the upcoming game.

No doubt the severe slashing received in the first half against the Blades may have prepared some for the inevitable anticipated carnage that lies ahead, though it’s possible Assombalonga will at least survive the prerequisite trip to barn and a gruesome end by actually failing to see the barn door, let alone finding it. Though with the Championship entering its final chapter, a seemingly unstable Grant Leadbitter has disappeared from the camp after losing his head but still remains obsessed with taking one for the team, so it would be a brave man that volunteers to go out alone in the dark to search for those who have one-by-one gone missing on the pitch.

Boro really need to learn to play without fear if they are to survive the tests of the coming weeks and we have now reached the stage where there can be no more excuses for failing to perform when it matters. The display in the second half at Bramall Lane was as if all of a sudden it dawned on many of the players that they were sleep-walking through the season in a recurring nightmare on easy street. The urgency shown was in stark contrast to so much of what had gone before in recent games and one wonders what was preventing the players from previously displaying such intensity.

Middlesbrough		Bristol City
Tony Pulis		Lee Johnson
P42 – W19 – D9 – L14 – F59 – A41		P42 – W17 – D14 – L11 – F59 – A48
Position Points Points per game Projected points	7th 66 1.6 72	Position Points Points per game Projected points	8th 65 1.5 71
Last 6 Games Sheff Utd (A) Nottm Forest (H) Burton (A) Wolves (H) Brentford (A) Barnsley (H)	F-T (H-T) 1:2 (0:2) L 2:0 (2:0) W 1:1 (0:1) D 1:2 (0:2) L 1:1 (1:1) D 3:1 (2:0) W	Last 6 Games Birmingham (H) Millwall (A) Brentford (H) Barnsley (A) Ipswich (H) Burton (A)	F-T (H-T) 3:1 (2:1) W 0:2 (0:1) L 0:1 (0:0) L 2:2 (1:1) D 1:0 (0:0) W 0:0 (0:0) D

After the Easter disappointment of Wolves and Burton, Grant Leadbitter told fans not to worry as the players were still getting it right on the training pitch and said that means “nine times out of ten you get things right on the pitch during the game.” – before adding confidently “Of course it helps that so many of us in this squad have been here before… and we’ve got players who have been promoted in there too. That will help over the long run, I’m certain it will.”

Whilst experience shouldn’t be a disadvantage, it almost feels like there is a complacency that they expect to prevail purely because they’ve done it before. What happened in the past doesn’t count for anything unless the team consciously puts everything they can into the task of winning each game – Sheffield United started on Tuesday with a determination to win from the off, Boro seemed to be behaving like it was an extension of a training game and began the game with a kind of measured composure and they couldn’t match the urgency of their opponents who instead played flat out rather than just flat.

Perhaps the team became too reliant on a few individuals performing at a higher than maintainable level and it masked the drop in the erratic form of others such Downing, Howson, Leadbitter and even Besic – few on the pitch looked to make an impact and were maybe content to be controlled and directed by their captain as they expected either Traore would at some point produce his usual lightning burst of speed to create the required goal or that Bamford would continue his well above average scoring streak. The removal of all three meant the crutch that had kept the rest of the players limping along in tandem with our promotion hopes was gone and they suddenly woke up and realised this was not a drill.

What was also interesting is that faced with needing to win, Tony Pulis switched tactics and went with a back three with wing-backs and a midfield that pushed, pressed and supported the centre-forward – even Clayton suddenly started making ranging passes instead of the safe, short square passes. He did a similar thing once before early in his reign when Boro visited Preston and went into the interval 2-1 ahead – three substitutions early in second half and switching to a back-three saw Boro win the game 3-2. The question is whether the manager will see the eleven-man version of this formation, with the addition of an extra forward, as the means to drive the season forward to a successful conclusion – or will he like post-Preston revert to business as usual in the hope that the tried and trusted will ultimately prevail. Though Shotton looks a more natural back-three defender than a right-back and Fabio’s energetic presence offered much more as a wing-back – perhaps Adama should be just given a free role behind Bamford rather than attempt to restrict his talent with too much responsibility at this stage of the season.

However, if Boro fail to find the required intensity then it may be a case of preparing for the usual excuses for failing to deliver when it mattered. Of course, we may ultimately see more imagination in these excuses than from the actual play-book but many Boro followers will not be easily convinced that this hasn’t been a season of avoidable errors. Though the club have a long way to go before they could match the less than credible excuse offered by eight Argentinian police officers this week when asked by their new chief what had happened to over half a tonne of seized marijuana which had disappeared from a police warehouse – they all rather innocently claimed it had been eaten by mice despite a forensic investigation finding no trace that mice had been in the warehouse and scientific experts ruling out the rodents confusing the drug for food. Anyway, the eight officers have been arrested and the investigators are now presumably looking for the big cheese who trained the mice to smuggle the marijuana out of the warehouse.

OK, perhaps the experts were right for a change and no mice were involved – though a little impromptu back of the envelope calculation (which may have an outside chance of being included in next year’s GCSE maths paper) shows if a mouse only eats a maximum of 5g of food a day, how many mice would it take to polish off a half-tonne stash of marijuana given the average lifespan of a mouse is just two years long. The answer of course is 137, but that doesn’t take into account how many packets of counterfeit chocolate hobnobs that over a hundred stoned mice with the fabled munchies would have also devoured from the police warehouse – plus the amount of time that they’d be floating in a most peculiar way instead of eating as they tuned in, turned on and dropped out of the rat race.

Nevertheless, whilst that brazen lame excuses by Argentinian police officers may be hard to beat, football clubs also have pretty good form when it comes to passing the buck and absolving themselves of blame. Should Boro actually make the play-offs then they may struggle to better the excuse offered by Blackpool in 1996, who placed the blame on letting a two-goal lead slip in a tie against Bradford City on the fact that the team’s boardroom was being haunted by the ghost of Lord Nelson. Apparently the wood panelling in the boardroom was made out of wood from Nelson’s ship, HMS Foudroyant, which later ran aground off the Blackpool coast. Stadium manager John Turner said: “It is an old maritime superstition that sailing folk take exception to anything on their ships being touched, which could explain these strange events.”

Though some superstitions appear to be almost invented retrospectively when football fans search for justification for their team performing badly. When Brazil lost 7-1 to Germany in the 2014 World Cup semi-final there was clearly one man who was primarily to blame – Yes that well known jinx Mick Jagger. He was apparently spotted in an executive box before the game and he’d previously been blamed for their defeat to the Netherlands in 2010 when he was spotted sporting a Brazil shirt at the game. He has been given the nickname ‘cold foot’, which apparently denotes bad luck in Brazil because any team he backs generally goes on to lose – he’d earlier publicly backed Portugal to go all the way and they then lost two of their group games and Italy who lost to Uruguay and went home too. They even claimed that he had backed England to win and they also lost but I’m not sure that this is the level of proof needed to be called a jinx – deluded obviously, but England losing a game is perfectly normal. Some Brazil supporters tried to counter the jinx by creating a Germany supporting Jagger effigy – but unfortunately the power of the man himself was just too great!

As for Boro’s opponents on Saturday, their supporters have been burdened for many years with their name being being associated with something that is perhaps holding them back from puffing out their chests and proudly declaring their allegiance. Thanks to that good old cockney pathological affliction with finding rhymes without reason in the hope that it will trick the Bottles (bottles and stoppers – coppers – police) into thinking nothing suspicious is afoot, Bristol City supporters are slightly aggrieved that they’ve inadvertent become victims of unfortunate and unnecessary rhyming slang. Why the east-end blaggers rounded on Bristol and not any of the other nine English football clubs with City in their name (a quiz question for a later date perhaps) is not quite certain.

Indeed, I discovered in my usual extensive research, it’s a subject that has occupied many a City forum as they look for closure, with the most widely favoured reason proffered being that Bristol’s port city was famous among sailors for its large-breasted prostitutes. Whilst it’s always good to see civic pride manifesting itself on supporter forums, I suspect it’s not a claim that will be proudly boasted in chants from the terraces of Ashton Gate any time soon. Although, it’s unlikely that much thought probably went into the rhyme given that nearly all other examples of the so-called secret language sound like the first word that subconsciously entered the heads of East London’s finest lexicographers as they enjoyed several King Lears in the Rub-a-dub whist compiling their definitive Fish Hook of cockney patois.

Still at least Bristol City have had plenty of alternative nicknames over the years to distract attention from their cockney moniker. Their first known nickname was the rather left-field ‘Red Shirts’ or ‘The Garibaldians’ due to the similarity with those worn by the followers of the Italian revolutionary – in fact, due to the popularity in England of Garibaldi in the late 19th century, quite a few club adopted Garibaldi Red as their club colours, including Nottingham Forest and Arsenal – incidentally, Forest fans recently set up the ‘ForzaGaribaldi’ (Force Garibaldi) movement in 2016 to mark their 150th anniversary and to galvanise support for the club, which is now awaiting the Karanka revolution to begin on the Trent.

The City supporting side of Bristol were also more obviously known in their earlier years as ‘The Citizens’ before becoming referred to instead as the less than politically correct sounding ‘Bristol Babe’ – but before you start thinking the previously model citizens had gone all glamorous on the beautiful game, it was in fact a reference to a small 19-foot-long wooden red bi-plane of the same name that was manufactured in the city and had a wingspan under 20 feet with a top speed of just over 100mph. After being launched in 1919 for the private flyer, experienced test pilots found it potentially difficult to fly and it soon had its Civil Aviation licence withdrawn a few years later – so given this obvious failure, it’s not quite apparent why this nickname lasted until the late 1940’s.

Anyway, Bristol City eventually became known as ‘The Robins’ shortly after the war and it’s a name that has stuck until the present day, with the origins of the name being once again related to their red shirts and the resemblance to an even smaller flyer in Robin Redbreast (Erithacus rubecula). Unfortunately, for the supporters of Bristol City it seems this unhealthy obsession with chest-related associations may leave some Cockney’s feeling vindicated as they would say there’s no Laugh n a Joke without Jeremiah – plus even the cockney rhyming slang for chest is actually Bristol and West. Still at least the club can regard themselves lucky that Garibaldi didn’t opt for yellow shirts with blue sleeves as I suspect there are other small British garden birds that would have been far worse to have been named after.

So will Boro finally channel their energies against Bristol and sail through the game as they refloat their play-off dream? Or will the former Garibaldians take the biscuit and leave Tony Pulis with few crumbs of comfort as they dunk our promotion hopes in the drink? As usual your predictions for score, scorers and team selection – plus will Mick Jagger be turning up at the Riverside to jinx our chances as the mood on Teesside is painted black?

Sheffield United		Middlesbrough
Evans	2′, 40′	Ayala ▮ Leadbitter	48′ 25′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	66% 11  3  5  5	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	34%  7  2  1 20

Lee Evans wipes smile off Boro faces

A massive Play Off decider for both clubs a real “do or die encounter. Lose this and the Blades season was effectively as good as over whereas for Boro they still theoretically had Bristol, Derby and Millwall to garner points from. Chris Wilder had Stearman out injured and ex Boro one game wonder loanee Jamal Blackman missing from between the sticks due to suspension. Kieron Freeman and Paul Coutts like Rudy Gestede is a long term absentee for United. Pulis had Besic with a sore hip and Traore who seemed fatigued on Saturday and possibly Bamford who simply looked cream crackered to worry about. Reserve Keepers would normally be seen as a good omen but for Boro these ring rusty stand ins have a tradition of saving their best shot stopping antics for us.

On form Sheffield had gone five unbeaten at Bramall Lane but only won four, drew three and lost three in their last ten home games. Boro had only lost twice in their last ten games overall but incredibly had the exact same last ten away games stats as the Blades home results having won four, drew three and lost three. If omens were anything to go by Boro’s last trip to Bramall Lane ended in a 2-1 victory courtesy of marvellous Marvin and TP’s last trip was a 3-0 win with Stoke. I would have happily settled for either scoreline pre Kick Off.

Despite fitness questions Boro lined up in gloomy rain sodden Sheffield pretty much as expected with an unchanged starting eleven and an unchanged bench, TP clearly likes a settled side. Surprisingly after their defeat at Barnsley over the weekend Chris Wilder also stuck with an unchanged side. In the early exchanges Ayala gave away the first free kick which led to a side footed volley from Lee Evans which smashed Randolph’s net with barely two minutes on the clock after a sliced Leadbitter clearance.

Downing marked the first serious intent from Boro via a good run down the right flank but Sheffield cleared their lines and broke up field again. The early pace was frenetic to say the least. A Shotton throw in aimed at Ayala had Simon Moore in the Sheffield goal struggling showing an opportunistic air of uncertainty in his handling if only we could clear our heads. Boro were struggling to get an early grip on the game and despite being a goal down we were sitting deep just as we finished off on Saturday with Bamford once again running himself into the ground with little to no support. A good move involving Shotton, Traore, Besic and eventually Bamford saw Paddy unleash our first attempt on target on 15 minutes.

Early indications were that Boro’s set up wasn’t causing the sort of problems we had hoped for as Sheffield stroked the ball about looking the classier side and an opportunity for Clarke after a mess up involving Randolph luckily didn’t see us go two down. A Traore cross resulted in Sheffield clearing their lines quickly and Brooks being man handled and brought down for the obligatory “taking one for the team” from Grant. His second yellow of the night was for a late tackle which was inevitable considering the reckless nature of the first yellow. Unprofessional frustration from the Captain made a very difficult challenge now an almost insurmountable one and with not even thirty minutes ticked over. Just when the side needed organisation and leadership Grant lost his cool letting himself and his team mates down.

Moments later Brooks was unlucky again and Boro were rescued by Randolph’s leg sparing further blushes. The Blades were running Boro ragged and Ayala escaped the attentions of the Referee with the home fans baying for blood with Brooks laid prostrate. During the lull Gibson and Pulis reorganised the white shirted rabble that had started the night with so much hope as we once again had to play with ten men. It appeared that Downing was brought over to the left and Traore went up front with Paddy. Just a shame that TP went with two up front when it was obvious after ten minutes that one up top had handed the initiative to Chris Wilders side. Adama was brought down by Fleck taking a yellow for his troubles as Boro looked to get something back before half time. A corner for the home side was delayed by Leon Clarke who seemingly took a blow off the ball but it was worth it as the eventual short corner was played to the edge of the box to that man Lee Evans again who fired another peach of a volley past the despairing Randolph.

Boro were now well and truly rattled and Ayala was next to go into the Refs book as the Blades were cutting and carving Boro apart who in truth looked deflated and dejected. Chris Wilder went with three at the back who were more than capable of dealing with the isolated Bamford and the extra man meant that our midfield were chasing shadows which resulted in Grant’s dismissal. With only a few minutes to the half time whistle Ben went down injured which was a cause of some concern. A well timed Friend tackle upon the restart prevented United going three up. As we cleared our lines again Traore gave away a silly free kick thirty yards out which fortunately Ayala got a head to but the wave of red and white striped shirts just kept coming back at Boro. To add insult to continued injury Adama had collected a yellow for his misdemeanour. A Chris Basham cross then went behind Randolph’s goal as another attack was quashed as Boro looked longingly for the half time whistle. When a Centre Back is putting crosses in from the wing that just summed up the state of Boro’s first half.

As performances go this was as bad as they got, right up there with Burton away. Tactically from the off it wasn’t working and things just went from bad to worse from going behind so early to Grant’s lack of composure (or pace) and all of it culminating in the inevitable Evans second goal. Sitting deep in the second half against Forest may have protected a lead but the psychology had lingered far longer than Tony Pulis had intended.

Three radical changes at half time saw Clayts on for Besic, Assombalonga on for Bamford and Fabio for Adama who whilst not as poor as Saturday was poor by his own standards. Pulis now went with three at the back with Fabio and George operating as wing backs and Britt up front on his own. Fabio was showing energy, Clayts was getting stuck in. Britt won an early free kick four minutes in which Downing floated over knocked on by Ben and the goal machine that is Dani Ayala put it under Moore to pull one back. What a difference a half time team talk made as the three substitutes totally refreshed things and sparked life and energy into a desolate, tired and empty side. A few minutes later Jonny Howson weaved his way through the Blades defence unleashing a shot that had Moore scrambling across his goal.

As bad as the first half was the opening ten minutes of the second half were totally unrecognisable. A blocked corner led to Boro breaking out via Ben but Assombalonga couldn’t take advantage as Boro now looked to have a spring in their step and for the first time you had the feeling that Boro had finally turned up. Referee Darren Bond hadn’t won any hearts from the travelling army as George looked to be penalised unfairly and then a Fabio foul throw highlighted the pedantic nature of the man in the middle along with his propensity for card flashing.

Since his arrival Fabio was like a breath of fresh air adding zest and a buzz that had been seriously lacking. The positivity he exuded was infectious and had spread through the rest of his team mates. The game gradually settled a little bit with Boro now a little less effervescent and Sheffield clearing their heads. Darren Bond was still having a nightmare and now penalised Britt this time as he was seemingly fouled much to the chagrin of the Boro bench. Despite Bond’s best attempts to destabilise Boro there was renewed fight in them, Clayts lost possession but raced back and cleared up the danger he himself had created as a never say die spirit replaced a “meh” first half from Boro.

Clayts picked up another ball in midfield feeding Assombalonga who hit a thirty yarder well wide but while the accuracy may not have been great the positivity and intent was a welcome relief from the tedium of the first half. Clayton was really influencing things and instrumental in breaking up United attacks and setting up counter attacks. Assombalonga was lively, causing some edgy moments for the Sheffield defence. Lee Evans then ridiculously threw himself to the ground with Fabio nowhere to be seen but the comical Referee Bond incredibly booked the Brazilian presumably because he didn’t get close enough to Evans to anticipate his dive. Having one comedian on the pitch in Lee Evans was bad enough but Darren Bond had upstaged everyone with a performance that truly was mesmerising.

In the first half United pressed and chased everything never allowing Boro to settle but in the second half Boro had reversed the trend with only ten men. Fabio was like a man possessed, chasing everything and anything, a Jack Russell personified in a Boro shirt. With a quarter of an hour remaining the Blades were trying to take the sting out of the game such was Boro’s intensity. Meanwhile Darren Bond was seemingly just itching to hand out another yellow with Fabio and George looking the likely suspects.

Shotton won the ball, broke away and set up Assombalonga or so we thought but the ball was poor, seconds later Howson let fly with another howitzer as we pushed desperately for a deserved equaliser, “deserved” only for the second half performance I must add. With five minutes remaining Brooks was taken off and Donaldson came on for the lively twenty year old who had caused serious damage all night. As sure as night follows day George Friend collected the yellow that was inevitably coming his way. Meanwhile Clayton was still chasing, tackling and closing all over the pitch. A late chance fell to Evans again who should have had his hat trick but somehow fluffed his lines as the fourth official held up four minutes.

A free kick from Downing was over hit but Ayala was adjudged to have fouled in any case allowing Moore to dawdle over taking the resultant kick. A late scrambled clearance went out for a Boro throw in and from then a free for all ensued as Boro desperately threw everything at Moore’s goal but the Blades held firm.

An analysis of the night revealed serious flaws. The first half picked up where Saturday had left off and with it we started on the back foot looking leggy and lethargic. The three injury suspects Besic, Traore and Bamford all went off at half time which raises suspicions about their actual match fitness. Tactically in the first half we were set up wrong and it looked wrong all through the 45 minutes, our midfield was over run and Grant couldn’t keep his head not for the first time with all the intensity going on around him. MOM for me was certainly nobody for the first half but second half take your pick from Fabio or Clayts.

MOM isn’t important, what is was how and why we started a match yet again so badly and our Captain getting sent off when we needed a leader most. Not good enough from TP I’m afraid, not good enough from several players and certainly not good enough from Grant. The Play Offs are still a possibility but beating Bristol and Millwall are now an absolute necessity but I’m not convinced that TP will set us up to win a game. Four Cup Finals left and winning is all that matters now, sitting back and sitting deep won’t cut it. There have been too many unacceptable performances of late both on and off the pitch, Wolves against nine men, Burton all 90 minutes, Forest second 45 and tonight’s first 45. Is it the Manager, the Coaches or the Players at fault?

Boro aiming to make play-off cut
as they try to bury Blades hopes

Boro will need to be on guard this Tuesday evening as they head to Bramall Lane to take on The Blades, who are no doubt still hoping to make the cut in the battle for the play-offs. However, the prospect of back-to-back promotions for Chris Wilder’s team are looking tame with their chances of making the top six now on a knife-edge after just one win in their last six games. The cut and thrust of the Championship is more a season of endurance where teams hope to finally lunge over the winning line rather than attempt to finesse promotion with the cloak and dagger tactics akin to those found in the Premier League.

After looking less than sharp in their previous two outings, Boro finally found their cutting edge in the opening half against a rather blunt Forest side lead by former manager Aitor Karanka, who was making his return to the Riverside since being encouraged to fall on his sword by chairman Steve Gibson just over a year ago after previously backing him to the hilt. The three welcome points gained by chopping down the tricky trees at the weekend have helped Tony Pulis’s team maintain their razor-thin advantage over chasing pack but they’re not out of the woods yet and Boro will need to avoid losing their way in the coming weeks if they don’t want their ambitions foiled.

The good news is that Sheffield United are one of the two top-half teams that Boro have beaten this season, when Garry Monk’s team claimed their first victory of the season with a 1-0 win at the Riverside. Beating teams in the top half of the table is something Boro will need to make a habit of in the coming weeks if they don’t want to work on improving on the task next season. In the battle between Teesside and Sheffield steel, Billy Wilder’s team appear to have melted away in recent weeks, whereas Boro have forged ahead in the last nine games with just one defeat against the leaders following the 1-0 defeat at Cardiff.

Sheffield United		Middlesbrough
Chris Wilder		Tony Pulis
P41 – W18 – D8 – L15 – F55 – A48		P41 – W19 – D9 – L13 – F58 – A39
Position Points Points per game Projected points	9th 62 1.5 70	Position Points Points per game Projected points	6th 66 1.6 74
Last 6 Games Barnsley (A) Cardiff (H) Brentford (A) Nottm Forest (H) Burton (H) Ipswich (A)	F-T (H-T) 2:3 (0:1) L 1:1 (1:0) D 1:1 (0:0) D 0:0 (0.0) D 2:0 (1:0) W 0:0 (0:0) D	Last 6 Games Nottm Forest (H) Burton (A) Wolves (H) Brentford (A) Barnsley (H) Birmingham (A)	F-T (H-T) 2:0 (2:0) W 1:1 (0:1) D 0:2 (1:2) L 1:1 (1:1) D 3:1 (2:0) W 1:0 (1:0) W

Sheffield United are another proud Yorkshire club who have come under foreign ownership and are now 50 per cent owned by Abdullah bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud after long-time owner Kevin McCabe sold half his share for just £1 on the grounds of wanting investment in the club. Prince Abdullah’s main claim to fame (other than being a prince) was that his half bother assassinated King Faisal of Saudia Arabia in 1975, which got him much earlier acquainted with the blades in the guise of the executioner’s sword when he was subsequently publicly beheaded – though the new Sheffield United chairman is also known for running a paper manufacturing business and whilst interesting anecdotes in this area are not widely referenced, it’s understood he may have perhaps suffered the odd public paper cut. While at first glance, Saudi names may appear a little long and confusing, you only need to know that ‘bin’ means ‘son of’ and ‘Al’ means ‘The’ and the house of Saud are basically the royal family. It’s a bit like Prince William calling himself ‘William son of Charles son of Philip the Greek’. Anyway, all of which probably explains why you can’t find a Sheffield United replica shirt large enough in the club shop to have all 36 letters of the new co-owner’s name ironed on to the back!

Whilst sometimes a club’s nickname is often a little tenuous, some are steeped in the history of the club or town. ‘The Blades’ is one that has origins as far back as the 14th century when Geoffrey Chaucer wrote in The Reeves Tale, from his famous work of the Canterbury Tales “Ther was no man, for peril, dorste hym touche. A Sheffeld thwitel baar he in his hose.” – OK his spelling may have been a little old school but a ‘thwitel’ was a common name for a knife, as in from the word to ‘whittle’. In fact Sheffield already had a reputation back then as a place where knives came from and a census in 1379 listed a quarter of the population in the town as metal workers.

Apparently, everyone wanted a knife back then and it so happened Sheffield had the raw materials, foundries and skills to make them – Chaucer’s tale probably helped to market and identify the Sheffield knife as the brand to be seen with when it came to the concealed weapon of choice carried by men. Although no mention of forks or spoons (concealed or otherwise) by Chaucer as it wasn’t until around 1600 that Sheffield became renowned as a centre for cutlery – however, the earliest official mention of ‘Made in Sheffield’ in this context was first referenced in a tax return filed in 1297 by Robert the Cutler.

Talking of concealed weapons, Adama Traore probably had one of his least conspicuous games in a long while at the weekend and Tony Pulis claimed that maybe he was tired and in need of a rest. I’m presuming this is just a less than subtle psychological kick up the pants for Adama in the hope he gets the message that he can’t expect to stand and wait to be given the ball now that the opposition is double-marking him – though even a tired Adama creates space for others if he’s being attended to by two players. Surely now is not the time to contemplate resting such a key player as Boro embark on a run of season-defining fixtures, which will surely decide whether Traore will actually still be at the club after the summer. OK, he’s probably taken quite a few knocks in the last few months and may be starting to feel the season, but a 90 per cent fit Adama is surely quicker than ninety-nine per cent of all the players in the Championship – though it could also be the mental fatigue of having had to carry the team for the last few months and perhaps others need to show similar urgency on a week-by-week basis to share the load.

Will the super-human speed of our very own cyber-punk give the Blades the runaround and carve open their defence as he leaves many wondering if he is indeed actually human, or could he possibly be the latest Nexus android or ‘replicant’ as they were known in 1982 cult movie Blade Runner. We now already live in the imagined fictional future of the writers of a half century ago – the afore-mentioned film was based on a 1968 novel (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep) and was set in a post-apocalyptic future where a nuclear war had left much of the world’s life close to extinction with colonies on Mars serviced by androids who were indistinguishable from humans. That distant year imagined in the future was actually 2019 – so not long to wait now – but perhaps Trump, Putin or Kim Jong-il are working hard on at least part of the story becoming a reality.

Incidentally, for those still struggling with the joys of pessimism the novel also talks of ‘Penfield mood organs’, which is a technology that can induce any desired mood in the people nearby, such as optimism – though reports of recent tests in the Teesside area have so far proved unfounded but it seems the mood settings may still be set to maximum gloom on the prototype installed at the Riverside. Anyway, whether this season still has many sheepish Boro followers dreaming of anything electric or just feeling a little bit meh will depend on what their team deliver in the near future – though if this season ends in disappointment then the memories of the campaign for supporters may be best described by the closing lines spoken in Blade Runner of the dying renegade genius android leader Roy Batty played by Rutger Hauer: “All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain”

So will Boro prove to be a cut above a Sheffield United team and stay sharply focused as they look to get a slice of the play-off action? Or will the Blades leave Tony Pulis’s team licking their wounds after our promotion prospects are blunted? As usual your predictions on score, scorers and team selection – plus will Boro followers be having electric dreams after the game or will it be the start of a recurring nightmare?

Middlesbrough		Nottingham Forest
Ayala Downing	7′ 31′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	38% 12  7  5  9	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	62% 14  3  8  7

Aitor’s not so happy return

Today saw the return of AK to the Riverside and with him a side that was perhaps slightly better in Championship ability to when he first arrived at Boro after Mogga’s departure (or Venus for those who are sticklers). The game threw together a few “old boy” connections aside from AK of course Ayala, Bamford and Assombalonga once plied their trade for the Nottingham side, Guedioura and of course who can forget Lee Tomlin, he who divided Teesside opinion almost as much as that vegetable spread gloop!

Neither side were exactly in great form prior to this afternoon. Forest had relatively nothing other than pride and impressing their new Boss at stake whereas Boro had a heck of a lot at stake but had bottled things recently making their relative league placings erroneous as to any potential outcome on the day. With eight out of the last twelve meetings on Teesside between these sides ending in a draw a similar disappointing return for Boro (considering the opportunity) was not unlikely.

TP had said he had a few injury niggles and worries on Friday although how that could be the case was a concern in itself as very few had exactly busted a gut on Monday’s outing at Burton. Forest’s Monday fixture with Barnsley was postponed so perhaps that could provide a slight advantage in terms of fitness. Aitor had David Vaughan and Daryl Murphy out with Kieran McDowell 50/50 to make it. Goal scoring has been somewhat of a problem for Forest which won’t come as a surprise to many of us. Of more value to Boro was the stat that Forest had conceded more goals (10 in total) from corners than any other Championship side this season. The problem there of course was that the standard of Boro corners have been noticeably tripe!

Question marks over the attitude of some of the Boro squad didn’t seem to affect TP’s team selection on Monday bar the one disastrous change by dropping Shotton which in itself probably influenced the outcome of the match more than anything else. Today saw that remedied by Shotton restored in place of Cranie and with everyone else it was a case of as you were.

Early morning results once again went Boro’s way with the Blades losing to Barnsley and Villa falling foul at Carrow Road. Surprisingly Forest started on the front foot and took the game to Boro applying pressure and the cause of some less than composed clearances from the Boro back line with Lolley in particular a threat as Adama stood and watched the world and Osborn and Lolly pass him by. Shotton had his hands full and there was little sign of Aitor’s men sitting back happy to pass sideways. That said it only took a few minutes for Grant to unleash a Thunderbastard signalling some intent and hopefully a change of mentality from Boro. It was a rare treat but a refreshing one, perhaps having AK on the side-lines woke old traits from deep within!

A corner into the Forest box saw a game of head tennis before Ben tee’d up Ayala who brought the ball down, swivelled beating the attention of four Forest defenders to peel the ball into the top left corner to make it 1-0 on seven minutes. A perfect start for Boro and I’m sure one which had extra added satisfaction for Dani. A few minutes later AK strolled out into the technical area for the first time and received a warm round of applause from all around the Riverside with chants of “Oh Aitor Karanka” he even responded with a wave to the South Stand. Prior to the KO when Tomlin’s name was read out he also received a warm applause and likewise responded to the four stands.

On twenty minutes Bamford had a chance but his touch was a little heavy but he managed to find Howson who tried to make space for his shot, delaying meant the chance was gone but the ball spilled to Stewy who shot and as has been his standard of late went well wide of the post. At this stage Forest were having plenty of possession but nothing of note was really happening with it although to be fair Boro were not exactly pulling up any tree stumps themselves. Adama had been quiet offensively, standing; looking lost on the touchline and seemingly disengaged in what was happening around him.

A long throw in from George with his newly discovered skill set saw a familiar tactic as Ayala flicked the ball on from the edge of the six yard box which fell to the feet of Adama who wasn’t alert to it as he hadn’t been all afternoon but it spilled to Stewy on the spot, literally, who this time hit it right footed and found the back of the net to make it 2-0. Despite Forest’s possession it was Boro who were making their chances count as the game petered out in a fairly controlled but uninspiring manner from a Boro perspective. Still you can only beat what’s in front of you and there looked to be more goals in this game as Boro sensed an opportunity to boost their Goal difference.

All through the first half Bamford had battled up front, chased ran and outfought the attentions of the Forest Centre Backs with Figueiredo feeling the after effects of Paddy after hauling him down but left licking his wounds literally as the game had to be halted for what looked like some emergency dental work for the Forest CB. I’m sure that Dani, Stewy and Paddy were not remotely intent on raising their game for the benefit their erstwhile manager although the thought of hell hath no fury like a footballer scorned did enter my mind!

The first half came to a close with a succession of Forest corners which Boro had conspired to dither, dilly and dally in their clearances before Dani eventually lamped the ball 50 yards into the opponents half. Sometimes keeping it simple but brutal betters all that fancy interplay at the back putting yourself under unnecessary pressure which had required Randolph to palm away a Tomlin effort.

The second half started with no changes for either side and was the perfect accompaniment to the backdrop of the dull, damp, wet and miserable weather. The below average fayre being served up was suddenly awoken by an overhead bicycle kick by Dani Ayala who along with Paddy looked hell bent on proving a point (or all three). Again Boro were sitting back, too far back in fact absorbing Forest pressure as Aitor rang the changes astonishingly with 30 minutes to go instead of his usual five or less making a double substitution. The young Striking prospect Brereton came on for the hapless Vellios and McKay for the half fit McDowell.

Four minutes later Clayts came on for Besic who had had a good game including a rousing desperate tackle chasing back to save Boro blushes and inspirationally setting up an attack singlehandedly in the first half. Mo had been hobbling a bit after taking a knock on the hip and with Sheffield coming up on Tuesday it made sense. Meanwhile Adama had been switched between left and right wings all through the game but to no avail and had minimal impact on the match putting in an altogether disappointing afternoon. Forest however hadn’t given up the game and were causing Boro some worries at the back as balls started flying into the box and crosses started to fly across Randolph’s goal area with shots being blocked.

The second half belonged to Forest as we struggled to get out of defence and launch an attack even Adama was back defending corners as pressure was building. The Riverside had gone very quiet with only the away section in fine voice. Clearances were desperately hoofed upfield where battling isolated Bamford was holding up play, having his shirt tugged and pulled yet still stretching the Forest defence all by himself. Grant had tried a rare Boro effort, this time a measured attempt into the top corner which Pantilimon plucked out of the air fairly easily. Britt was warming up and came on for the by now almost anonymous Adama. Paddy moved to the right side playing wide and providing cover for Shotton. Paddy was literally running on empty yet still managed to get back and head another vital clearance as he had done previously at corners. Despite not making the score sheet for me this was perhaps Bamford’s most complete performance in a Boro shirt. TP realising that his in form striker was now well and truly burnt out replaced him Cranie to strengthen our backline, hold on and also perhaps to let Cranie get his Burton car crash out of his system. Paddy received a standing ovation as he went off which was in contrast to the reception Britt had received when he had entered the field of play minutes previously. The away support clearly not appreciating that the money his departure earned had injected their club with much needed cash.

Britt was lively and involved and should have put the game to bed with a one on one with Pantilimon but hit the NE corner instead of the target from ten yards out. Another opportunity to fluff his lines happened again as the away fans started singing the Assombalonga song in ironic support of his ability to need five or six chances to net one. He had a penalty claim turned down as he was hauled back and also worked a brilliant back heel pass to set Paddy up only to skew his fatigued shot wide.

The second half was one to forget for Boro, it certainly won’t feature highly if at all on the season’s highlights video. The first half had shown hope of a goal fest in the second half but after the break we once again underwhelmed. At this stage of the season it’s the points that are of greater importance but with Sheffield, Bristol, Derby and Millwall all coming up it was less than convincing.

MOM was a joint one for me between Paddy and Dani who both put in the sort of performances that we will need more of to make the Play-offs.

Boro face the spectre of missing out
as Karanka returns to his old haunt

After the lacklustre displays against the team propping up the league and the nine-men of Wolves, Boro followers will be somewhat apprehensive at the visit of the tricky trees, which just got trickier with the return of Aitor Karanka to the Riverside in the opposition dugout. The former Boro boss who led the club to their last promotion should receive a good welcome from many of the supporters and players as he returns to his old haunt – though the drop in form following the international break has left the club facing the spectre of missing out on the play-offs as the chasing pack move ever scarily closer. It may be stretching the analogy to wonder if some of the players have given up the ghost with regard to promotion but now is not the time to lose your nerve and play with fear.

Aitor Karanka may no longer be at the club but his spirit is still evident in the current team with the midfield pairing of Clayton and Leadbitter recently restored to sit in front of a back four that still consist of the Gibson-Ayala axis and George Friend – with Bamford now playing up front and being supported by another old favourite Downing, it looks like little has changed – plus even Traore was his touchline project too. In all, eight of the usual starters are Karanka players and it could be argued that the former boss and his methodology is the ghost in the machine that can’t be exorcised.

It may be hard for many of these players, particularly in central midfield and defence, to avoid falling back on the years spent being drilled on moving the ball methodically and patiently – particularly when it becomes a coping mechanism in times of stress. It’s quite incredible to think that after all the turmoil, changes and money spent in the last 12 months, Boro have reverted back to the bulk of what were Karanka-type players. Perhaps what is missing though is the famed intensity (perhaps both his strength and weakness) that he brought to the party – though what we may now have is a group unable to adapt and break out of the shackles ingrained in their heads by the former manager as they attempt to go through the motions on the pitch of trying to change the way they play.

Many may not be surprised to hear that our former manager’s team haven’t found the net in their last four games and indeed his Forest side have only scored in 4 of his 13 games since he took over in early January – though remarkably one of his three victories was against leaders Wolves, with another being a rather out of character 5-2 goal-fest against QPR that was followed-up with a victory over managerless Birmingham just ahead of Garry Monk’s arrival. Conceding three goals in those back-to-back victories perhaps proved to be far too irritating for the former Boro clean-sheet perfectionist as he then drilled his players into delivering a rather self-satisfying run of three successive nil-nil draws and they haven’t scored since. I expect Karanka on his return, with his nil-by-mouth bedside manner, will be hoping to rekindle the passion and appreciation for those clinical clean sheets by those pre-medicated punters, who are patiently waiting in the corridors of uncertainty at the Riverside as they contemplate getting off their trolley if operation play-off is cancelled.

Middlesbrough		Nottingham Forest
Tony Pulis		Aitor Karanka
P40 – W18 – D9 – L13 – F56 – A39		P39 – W13 – D7 – L19 – F43 – A56
Position Points Points per game Projected points	6th 63 1.6 72	Position Points Points per game Projected points	17th 46 1.2 54
Last 6 Games Burton (A) Wolves (H) Brentford (A) Barnsley (H) Birmingham (A) Leeds (H)	F-T (H-T) 1:1 (0:1) D 1:2 (0:2) L 1:1 (1:1) D 3:1 (2:0) W 1:0 (1:0) W 3:0 (2:0) W	Last 6 Games Millwall (A) Sheff Utd (A) Derby (H) Norwich (A) Birmingham (H) QPR (A)	F-T (H-T) 0:2 (0:2) L 0:0 (0:0) D 0:0 (0:0) D 0:0 (0:0) D 2:1 (1:0) W 5:2 (1:0) W

Much has happened at the Hurworth acute admissions ward since Karanka was struck off just over a year ago and locum Steve Agnew received a hospital pass from chairman Steve Gibson as he was put in charge of attempting to nurse a weak and disorientated Boro back to recovery. The hastily assembled care team that comprised consultant therapist Joe Jordan, junior doctor Paul Jenkins and orderly Woodgate proved to be all underwhelmingly too little too late to save the rapidly fading flat-lining Premiership patient who had lost the will to live. In the end we all had to take our medicine, which was the bitterest of pills to swallow after such a long time impatiently spent in the Championship waiting room for our number being called for our regularly cancelled appointment with the English elite clubs.

The post-mortem at the end of the season proved inconclusive as a difference of opinion existed between those who had ignored earlier symptoms of malaise and others who had failed to diagnose a problem of inherent weaknesses at a much earlier stage. Revelations that self-harm had ultimately been the cause of our pain left a bitter taste in the mouth as seemingly divided loyalties between Victor Orta’s privately cared for out-patients and the no frills public sector workers who had been the foundation trusted with promotion the previous year. So the Director of Football, who had transfused the club by bringing in the new blood, was subsequently discharged along with most, if not all, of the new admissions. Boro elected to start again and put their trust in the new regime of Garry Monk with a more progressive model for success as the club threw money at the problem of lacking a cutting edge that was identified last season.

Like all plans on paper, they are subject to being implemented in the reality they were designed for and it’s during this phase where often things don’t go quite as they were supposed to. However, Monk was no stranger to either accidents or the emergence of new problems and he struggled to get to grips with the league as his team failed to smash through the glass ceiling of mediocrity – let alone smash the league that his chairman had hoped for. He was often seen putting on a brave face and limping into casualty to have a sticking plaster applied to the foot that was forever been shot into by a team that was neither one thing or the other in terms of defence or attack. The former Leeds and Swansea manager’s team were consistently inconsistent as players were shuffled in and out as performances were seldom delivered in a convincing manner. With no obvious signs of progress being made, or indeed a shape emerging with the team, chairman Steve Gibson decided further surgery was required at the club as he wielded the knife once more and Garry Monk was excised from his duties shortly before Christmas.

After something of a pregnant pause, the Boro chairman delivered the club’s fourth manager in a little over nine months as a return to the Premier League at the first attempt was proving to be more laborious than anticipated. With Steve Gibson appearing somewhat in breach of his promotion promise, he pulled off something of a coup by landing his most experienced manager since Terry Venables was enlisted to support Bryan Robson. Nevertheless, installing a man famed for avoiding relegation may have been a slight over-reaction to Boro’s upper mid-table position and it was hard to see how a squad assembled for progressive football would easily marry with the preferred tactics of an old-school Tony Pulis.

Those supporters that were expecting a sudden improvement in Boro’s fortunes were going to be disappointed as Pulis only won four of his first ten games – which had basically meant Boro had more or less continued with the same form that had seen Monk dismissed. Furthermore, the team had failed to score a goal in his first three home games, which was not winning over the Riverside faithful as initial prejudices on the style of the manager appeared to be confirmed. Out went previously ever-present Britt Assombalonga in favour of Big Rudy Gestede as the stereotypical Pulis target man. Also out were Christie and Fabio as their wing-back attributes were replaced by the preference for the big solid full-back types of Friend and Shotton – with the latter also being favoured for his tick-box long throwing ability. In addition, Braithwaite opted out of the change and quickly crossed the Channel back to France, while Fletcher crossed the bridge over the more troubled waters of the Wear as he headed to Sunderland in the hope of a game. No doubt magic Johnson would have also exited the club if he hadn’t already played for two clubs this term but he disappeared faster than a white rabbit dropped in a top hat with a super-massive black hole at its core.

There was little business in January to suggest there was an urgency to remould the squad in the image of the manager, with just the short on match-fitness loan signings of Mo Besic and Jack Harrison recruited to fill the void left by departures. What this actually meant was Boro had gone from their pre-season aim of having potentially one of the strongest squads to essentially a First XI plus a few like-for-like changes – albeit players who were either short on game time or low on confidence. This didn’t sound like a club who meant business in the same way they started the season and it began to feel like the start of a re-grouping for the next campaign with just one eye on sneaking through the play-offs. Pulis’s one saving grace was that he had somehow managed to unlock the talent that was Adama Traore as he graduated from occasional bit-part player under Monk to the main attraction under the new regime. Assists and goals duly arrived as the team was suddenly built around the pace and power of a player who was rapidly becoming the talk of the Championship. Also rehabilitated was Patrick Bamford who has now been promoted to his preferred striker role – though it seemed more by accident than design as big Rudy was ruled out for the season and main January target Mitrovic opted to join a Fulham team managed by fellow Serbian Jokanović instead.

It’s perhaps unfair to judge Tony Pulis too harshly on what has been only a third of a season to experiment with what he inherited from the substantial summer dealings and he may indeed feel his options are quite limited for the task of promotion. Whether Boro have developed into a team capable of winning four of their remaining six games to secure a play-off spot is not something many would feel confident in predicting – plus subsequently going on to beat two of the form teams like Fulham, Villa or Millwall in the play-offs is perhaps an even bigger ask. It may well be in the back of quite few players minds that promotion is the end of road for their Boro careers – those who were found wanting last season may believe the club will have already judged them and it would be hard to imagine many supporters feeling confident in doing any better with the same old faces again. After all, they’ve only managed two wins all season against the top half of the Championship.

So one year on from Aitor Karanka’s departure, have those who make the decisions learned what they must do as a club to gain promotion and hopefully stay up? Given what has happened this season, it’s unlikely that they knew what to do but they might at least have known what not to do – Steve Gibson has now handed the project over to Tony Pulis in what looks like a short-term quick fix rather than attempting to build a long-term strategy. The fact that the chairman decided the way forward following relegation was to create an opposite philosophy to Karanka under Monk, in which the club attempted through the mass purchase of attacking players to be more progressive rather than being reliant on a methodology that relied on a head coach orchestrating his players to be primarily hard to beat through defensive drills and driven by the desire to control not nurture.

Whether Monk was ejected purely on his record this season is uncertain but one wonders if Gibson just wanted Tony Pulis more than he wanted to wait and see whether Monk would succeed with his project. It seems Pulis was an unlikely successor to carry the investment in the Monk model forward and the chairman would have hopefully anticipated that he’d want a different type of player to the ones the club had just spent nearly £50m on. The sidelining of Britt and the departure of Braithwaite removed £25m worth of assets from the first team with the exit of Christie and the disappearance of Johnson a further £5m, before the loaning out of Fletcher brought the amount of transfer money not being active on the pitch to £37m – if Howson now also gets benched then we’re talking about well over £40m of the summer spending tasked with promotion becoming unused. So it essentially leaves the first year of parachute payments being squandered and that’s before we add in the wages. There will be no need to have an inquest should Boro fail to gain promotion as the finger of blame may rightly be pointed at the summer recruitment policy but that was exacerbated the moment Tony Pulis was appointed and it left many of the new model signings redundant to the cause.

So will the Boro players be feeling all nostalgic with the return of Karanka to his old haunt and be keen to show him they can still do a job for him next season as they grind out a goalless draw? Or will a few of his former charges be chomping at the bit to prove they have the spirit to leave his petrified Forest less than enchanted? As usual your predictions on score, scorers and team selection – plus will Karanka resist the temptation to start shouting instructions to Adama from the dugout?

Burton Albion		Middlesbrough
Sordell	6′	Assombalonga	90′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	44% 13  1  5  9	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	56% 13  3  5 12

Boro suffer Brewers droop

Wet miserable Easter weather provided the backdrop to this afternoon’s game which complimented the mood on Teesside for many after a not so good Friday. Boro fans had struggled for grip heading through morning sleet and snow to reach the Pirelli Stadium. The Brewers had lost 70% of their home games this season, failing to score in almost half of those and only winning 2 games so nothing could possibly go wrong surely? In the most compact Stadium in the Championship Boro were expected to collect all three points in a no nonsense performance heaping more misery on the son of one of our most famous sons. The only injury concern for Tony Pulis was presumably some bruised egos and the hangover that “frustrated Friday” had left us with and that come 5.00pm we would not be left with egg on our face.

The line-up saw Shotton dropped to the bench along with Adam Clayton with Cranie given a first start and Howson restored in midfield. I was surprised to see Shotton dropped unless he had a slight niggle but if he was fit enough to be on the bench then it begs the question. As poor as Howson was when he came on against Wolves TP perhaps felt he is fitter than what he currently has available another struggler Downing used one of his nine lives yet somehow retained a start. With Derby beating Preston at lunchtime a win by more than two clear goals would see Boro leapfrog Derby into fifth.

Boro were adorned in their white away kit for some reason against the yellow of Burton as Traore started off on fire with a bursting run past three players but the final delivery wasn’t the best. On six minutes a low bobbling cross from Dyer saw Sordell smash the ball in the bottom corner of the net as Adama aside Boro started slow and almost lethargic. Clearly the lessons learnt from Friday night were zero and any fire and intensity after the criticism of many over the weekend had failed to provoke a reaction. What TP’s team talk was heaven knows but it seemed almost as uninspiring as his half time team talk on Friday night. A corner to the Brewers followed up quickly from their goal to keep the pressure still on our defence, a Downing clearance up to Paddy took a last gasp tackle to concede a corner for Boro. A low Traore corner was easily cleared for a throw in by George which when launched in went wide from Ayala.

Fifteen minutes gone and Boro were making hard work of it. Our passing was poor and once again Dyer was causing trouble down the right side of our defence as the inclusion of Cranie wasn’t looking a good call by TP. Boro were looking distinctly average and indeed had the appearance of a mid-table nothing side with little to play for, totally underwhelming. Tactically it wasn’t working, Boro just didn’t seem hungry for it. Considering what was at stake, the failure of TP in taking the axe to those on cruise control now looked to be biting him on the backside as “laboured” would have been a compliment. Something psychologically was wrong; the team looked flat, devoid of leadership and drive. If we thought that our efforts against the nine men of Wolves for twenty five minutes was poor this sunk to a new level. What was being witnessed was a massive question mark against TP’s competence in how he handled the aftermath of Friday, how he set up and selected his side today.

Bamford was isolated again as we sat deep playing a lone striker against the worst side in the division. Another run from Traore in which he was scythed down again led to a corner which was a very rare spark from Boro in an otherwise flat afternoon. Burton understandably were sitting deep protecting their single goal lead picking off Boro’s poor decision making confident in knowing Dyer had the beating of Cranie.

White was a perfect choice of shirt colour as it reflected the spiritless, surrendered performance on show as Boro had fans asking has there been a worse performance all season? Ten minutes to go to half time and the entire thirty five minutes to date were an abject embarrassment. At this point Pulis admitted his first selection faux pas as Howson was hooked for Assombalonga and we went 442. The head scratcher was that Howson was probably the best of a bad lot. Why we started so poor and why we were set up the way we did against the worst side in the division was nothing short of a disgrace. Despite Howson being poor on Friday night as mentioned he was probably the best of a bad lot this afternoon and there were 6 or 7 others whom I would have hooked well before him. Once Britt arrived we picked the tempo up a little (just a little I add) winning a corner shortly after which ended with Ayala putting it out for a Burton Goal Kick.

Dyer had another cross put out by Cranie and shortly afterwards a shot across Randolph’s goal ended up in another corner to the Brewerymen which fortunately Bent fluffed his lines otherwise it would have been 2-0. The half time whistle sounded in what has to go down as one of the most uninspiring, gutless, disgraceful performances in recent Boro history. TP was playing with Adama as the only attacking threat and outlet and tactically that was it, nothing, absolutely nothing at all whatsoever from anyone in a white shirt especially from the “untouchables”. No passion from anyone, no captaincy or leadership in evidence either on the pitch or from the touchlines. An absolutely galling display and I refuse to use the word performance; totally disinterested best described the lot of them!

My hopes were for a rousing half time team talk and a change from TP but on several occasions now he hasn’t shown anything in terms of a half time tactical switcharound or a good rollicking. My personal feeling is that the signs were there on Friday from several who hadn’t brought their “A” game, well today the same old same old didn’t bring their “E-“ game, absolutely disgusted.

We came out for the second half as I suspected with no changes and no inspiration. More insipid, directionless monotony continued. Britt nearly took a kick to the head, The Burton keeper handled outside the box, we had a tame shot which was easily collected and that summed up the opening twenty minutes of the second forty five. There is very little point in detailing anything else because it was poor, very poor fayre indeed. Someone behind me remarked on Friday night “you’d think they don’t want promotion” well after this afternoon it was looking like there was some semblance of truth in that exclamation. Something stinks, and today it was festering.

This was a Burton side that were appalling all season in every statistical aspect you can take to measure them with yet we made them look like Barca and Cranie made Dyer look like Messi. Harrison was readied and came on for Downing but with 15 minutes left another question has to be raised as to why then. I and others had suggested Harrison and Baker (and even Fabio) getting a chance from the start as those who had been highlighted as deficient previously had simply repeated the same level of ineffectiveness. In a memorable moment of “managerial beggared beliefness” TP brought the below par Grant off for the exciting, skilful flair of Clayts to boost our attacking options!

Traore broke free and flew past a flurry of wipe-out tackles to feed Britt who dithered and eventually dispatched a shot that landed in Grimsby. Britt as we know can be a lethal finisher but it’s just unfortunate he needs six chances for every goal he scores. Traore again went on another run in a solo effort (indeed the only player in a white shirt where the word “effort” wasn’t a misrepresentation under the Trades Descriptions Act) to try and remedy the embarrassment. Another late chance came via a cushioned header from Britt with no real power which didn’t really threaten which summed up Boro for the whole afternoon.

Finally after another Traore run into the centre of the pitch he dinks the ball forward from the edge of the “D” to Harrison who controls brilliantly in a similar area to Paddy on Friday, hit the crossbar but Britt was following up to nod it home to draw level on 90 minutes. Four minutes of injury time beckoned but Bent collected the ball to almost bring the Brewerymen back into the game but fortunately was adjudged to be offside. In the dying seconds a Clayts taken free kick was floated into the box in a nothing set piece but from it Dyer broke and Bents eventual effort was tame.

We robbed a point but everything about the day was ill prepared, ill-conceived and not even executed let alone poorly executed. TP selected the wrong underperforming and underwhelming players who repaid his trust and confidence in a footballing equivalent of a two fingered couldn’t care less salute and TP fully deserved it. The inclusion of Cranie over Shotton was baffling. Shotton didn’t have the best of games on Friday night but was by a country mile not the worst player so how he lost his starting place is beyond me. The thirty five year old Dyer tore Cranie apart and caused Boro no end of problems as a consequence. It was never addressed all through the match and that responsibility lay fully with Tony Pulis. At half time the general apathy was never addressed either and the game continued with only a modicum of improvement, simply not good enough, not even remotely acceptable. It was so bad the entire squad and management should donate their wages this week to a charity because to accept payment from Steve Gibson for that is tantamount to daylight robbery.

The flaws from Friday were ignored and just as they were ignored at half time on Friday they again appeared to be brushed aside and weakened by the team selection today and once again at half time there was an inability to ring required changes. That is extremely poor management and not something I would have remotely countenanced from an individual with TP’s experience. If we are treated to that same level of indifference on Saturday don’t expect the fans to stay silent and regardless of how much or how little players get paid or might have cost they will be subject to intense scrutiny. From top to bottom that performance was unacceptable and nothing short of a disgrace. The fact that we are still in the Play Offs after that is incredible but relying on others to be even worse than us isn’t what Tony Pulis was brought in for.

Calls of a dinosaur levelled at TP before his appointment is one thing but to actually play dinosaurs is another story altogether. The only difference I suppose is that dinosaurs moved quicker, had bigger brains than the majority on that pitch today and were leaner and hungrier. There wasn’t a single meat eater in a white shirt today, not one and that includes those in tracksuits with or without caps. That side needed a Nigel Pearson in the changing room on Friday night and again today, if TP isn’t man enough for it and Kemp, Fleming, Gould and Woodgate aren’t then bring some cajones into his coaching staff quick because most of those players today needed more than a collective rocket fired up them. No hunger, no pain, no passion and no desire, contrast that with the celebrations from the Wolves players and coaching staff on Friday. Not very pleasant admittedly but that’s what winners look and smell like. MOM yer jokin arn’t yer, it was a case of Strachan revisited!

Boro hope to get over Friday’s hangover
with a visit to the ailing Brewers

Boro will be looking to silence the doubters after losing to the leaders at the Riverside on Good Friday where they ended up being metaphorically crucified by some poor defending and then failed miserably to make their two-man advantage count after two nailed-on red cards. The Boro faithful will no doubt be looking on the bright side as they hope to see their promotion challenge resurrected on Easter Monday when taking on bottom club Burton, which is managed by the son of that other Brian who was occasionally mistaken for being a messiah.

Whether Clough junior will be inspired by his late father into performing miracles is perhaps expecting too much – though he’s unlikely to attempt a similar feat to the one claimed by his father at Forest on the same local river that also passes through Burton: “The River Trent is lovely, I know because I have walked on it for 18 years”. Being compared to the genius that his father was is inevitable, but it’s perhaps more likely that should Nigel attempt such fancy footwork he will just be regarded instead as “a very naughty boy” – though there is still a risk he’ll soon be drowning, albeit his sorrows once the inevitable relegation of the Brewers is confirmed.

Whilst it wasn’t unusual for some old-school managers back in those days to compare themselves to divine objects of worship, it was occasionally met with disbelief by their players – when former West Brom striker Cyrille Regis came out publicly as having found faith, his ex-manager Ron Atkinson said to him “What’s all this about you finding God? You worked for him at West Brom for four years”, before Regis replied “Actually Ron, there is only one God, and you are not him.” Still, Brian Clough wasn’t planning on playing second fiddle to anyone as he declared: “When I go, God’s going to have to give up his favourite chair” – though that particularly seat in the upper tier may not have offered him an opportunity to witness a decent game if another famous quote of his was also true: “If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he’d have put grass up there.”

Tony Pulis may have sometimes unfairly been claimed to be planning to play football in the clouds with his long-ball tactics but the Boro supporters will certainly be looking to the heavens if his team have a bad Monday and fail to see off a club that sit 23 places below Good Friday’s opponents. The contrast between Wolves and Burton is perhaps best described by the slightly tongue-twisting fact that there is a 79 goal difference in their respective goal differences (+37 versus -42). Even if Boro are forced to endure a full 90 minutes against an 11-man Burton, surely they will have enough to see off an opposition that concede two-and-a-half times as many goals as they score. On paper at least, this will be deemed as a great opportunity to bank three precious points and hold onto Boro’s precarious grip on a play-off spot.

Burton Albion		Middlesbrough
Nigel Clough		Tony Pulis
P37 – W7 – D9 – L23 – F28 – A70		P39 – W18 – D8 – L13 – F55 – A38
Position Points Points per game Projected points	24th 30 0.8 35	Position Points Points per game Projected points	6th 62 1.6 73
Last 6 Games Cardiff (A) Wolves (A) Sheff Utd (A) Bristol City (H) Brentford (H) Millwall (H)	F-T (H-T) 1:3 (1:2) L 1:3 (1:2) L 0:2 (0:1) L 0:0 (0:0) D 0:2 (0:0) L 0:1 (0:0) L	Last 6 Games Wolves (H) Brentford (A) Barnsley (H) Birmingham (A) Leeds (H) Sunderland (A)	F-T (H-T) 0:2 (1:2) L 1:1 (1:1) D 3:1 (2:0) W 1:0 (1:0) W 3:0 (2:0) W 3:3 (0:1) D

Indeed, that fight for the last two play-off places has become tighter than the proverbial gnat’s unmentionable place where the sun shines even less than on a bank holiday Monday – though no doubt that the Boro chairman Steve Gibson would be chuffed to bits if his club finish in one of those coveted spots. However, with just two points between the six clubs from fifth to tenth, there is little room for either complacency, error or manoeuvre – a win would certainly help put Boro back in the driving seat of what is shaping up to be another white-knuckle ride on the roller coaster to oblivion that even Alton Towers would deem to scary for the punters to contemplate. Although defeat could even see Boro suddenly down in tenth place should the other results match the betting slips of the more pessimistic Teessiders, who are in a desperate rush to be put out of their professional misery and collect enough winnings to pay for their early-bird season ticket for next year’s fix of gloom.

Rather worryingly, making the play-offs will require Boro to do something that has so far looked beyond them – beating a team that is higher than them in the table. It’s somehow slightly perverse to start contemplating wanting to see Boro test themselves in the Premier League against the best teams in the land, when they’ve only managed 2 wins from the 16 games played against the teams currently in the top half of the Championship (Sheff Utd and Preston). It’s only thanks to the other 16 victories against teams in the bottom half of the league that we are still able to even have the conversation about making the play-offs.

It probably tells us something about the overall quality of the squad and their mentality that this is not a team ready to make the step up to the next level – nearly all of them must surely know that promotion is the end of their dream not the beginning. It would be foolish to believe that without a massive massive investment and some outstanding buys, which has not normally been achieved by the club in recent years, there will be little to suggest 17th place or above is the most likely outcome that will follow the most sheepish singing of “Up the Boro, the Boro’s going up to stay” since Baa Baa Black Sheep had season ticket in the Holgate.

Having said that, it will perhaps be even harder to contemplate promotion next season if our campaign fails once we’ve waved goodbye to our only weapon that hurts the opposition – i.e. Adama Traore, who will not be short of offers from clubs who have seen the addition of an end product to his unbelievable pace. OK, he may raise plenty of cash to offset the other losses that we’ll no doubt incur in offloading the failed buys of last summer – though having money to spend next season means nothing unless it is both spent wisely and the club can attract the best players willing to ply their trade in the second tier. I suspect despite him finally scoring, the prospect of Ashley Fletcher returning to lead the line from relegated Sunderland is not going to get the queues forming at the ticket office in the summer.

So will Boro cure their Friday night hangover with a half-empty glass of under-strength hair of the Wolf clearing their heads as they start downing the points again? Or will the Brewers catch the Teessiders on the hops and have us over a barrel as our promotion campaign hits the dregs? As usual your predictions on score, scorers and team selection – plus will the Burton players start trying to get themselves sent-off if they score first in a cunning attempt to psychologically affect the Boro players?