After leaving school I started work as a junior Quantity surveyor which included buying materials for the projects.
To My delight the building sales representative for Crossley building supplies was the same retired Eric McMordie who called in every Friday afternoon for a cup of tea and his last call of the day so we could talk football.
Now that’s what I call learning the trade !
The hot chicken sandwiches at the Masham round the corner served at 5 o clock helped the beer go down as well whilst we all talked football. Happy days.
OFB
Eric Mcmordie. 😎John Richardson, good luck today and I hope everything goes well for you and the same to everyone else who are suffering illnesses.
As far as the height of our two new players are concerned I am not worried, I think of great strikers who were not tall such as Micheal Owen, Messi, even Pukki was I believe a little shorter than these two and I am sure other diasboro members can reel off long lists of great “small” players.
Come on BORO.
Stan Cummins?
David Armstrong
A player we were supposedly interested in obtaining on loan has gone to a rival:
Southampton sign Downes on loan
Southampton have confirmed the signing of West Ham midfielder Flynn Downes on a season-long loan deal.
The 24-year-old reunites with Russell Martin, having also played under the manager at Swansea City.
After completing the move Downes said: "The ambition for the club is obviously to get promoted, to get back in the Premier League, and that enticed me a lot."
😎
Just seen a Northern Echo article about our former CB, Mr Wood going to Southampton. Apparently. MFC did insert a sell on clause. Pity we still did not have him at the Boro.
Reports say Boro interested in Newcastle midfielder ...No Thanks!!!
Reports say Boro interested in Newcastle midfielder ...No Thanks!!!
@Malcolm - on paper he looks as though he has experience of the Championship having won promotion twice. I have no knowledge of him - have you seen him play? No chance he could do a job for us?
Martin...rather have Glen Kamara.
Nathan Wood, son of former Boro and Crystal Palace defender Dean Gordon, is wanted by his former manager at Swansea in Russell Martin, who moved to the south coast earlier this summer.
The defender, who only moved to Swansea from Boro in the 2022 close-season, excelled last term in the Principality and played in 40 of the Swans' league games last term.
Wood, who became Boro's youngest player to ever make his debut at 16 years and 75 days in August 2018, was linked with Brentford earlier this summer with Premier League duo Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur also reportedly monitoring his form.
Boro negotiated a sell-on fee into the deal that saw him head to Wales, which is understood to be significant.
OFB
@original-fat-bob. On the few occasions I saw NW play I was not entirely convinced that he would turn out to be a top EFL/PL player.
Whilst he played a lot of games for Swansea last season and was perhaps the standout player in their defence, they were overall a poor defensive side.
£7M + add ons looks very expensive to me and not the sort of money I would expect MFC to be paying for a player of his ability/experience; at least we have the consolation of a share of the transfer fee. 😎
Latest news/rumour regarding Josh Coburn:
If he gets game time then this can only help his development and will let the club know if he is ready for our first team next season. 😎
His mother runs the woodman arms in Normanby and all the regulars followed Nathan’s career with interest.
A friend of mine who is a Swans fan saw him play every game and told me he was their standout player. It was only the shortsightedness of Wilder and Warnock who drove him out of the club where he had been since the age of seven.
Personally I think Boro have lost out on this player who is the England u21 captain but only time will tell.
OFB
For those of us,who have been down this road for decades , I think we can see red flags, going back to last season with better players and dropping not just off form but really a lack of ideas,
I for one am not impressed with the signings, the goalkeeper is not a good shot stopper, Gibson is too slow,can't recover quick enough, Sammy quick but end product is a question on a consistent basis, Lathe might be a success, same the young CB, but we have too many times in games we are soft,lose concentration, get confused ,I mean you don't know what to expect from a long throw , really.
I hope I'm wrong but looking at what other clubs have done this month, it's going to be a struggle
There have been lots of rumours about new players- mostly untrue. A latest rumour is LEWIS OBRIAN . . I’d love this to be true as he’s just the midfielder Boro need. Formerly Huddersfield Town’s best player by a mile and signed for Forest with the temptation of Premier League football. Hasn’t worked out cos Forest signed about 20 players.
Philip of Huddersfield
@philip-of-huddersfield I think most of the better and more experienced, ready made Championship players, that may be available will probably be beyond our reach. Likewise the better option loanees.
The two Man City lads (James McAtee and Tommy Doyle) at Sheffield Utd last season, would be great for us. Unfortunately, the former having had an “Archer season”, will be way out of our reach now and will possibly end up in the EPL. Sheffield are said the be interested.
Likewise, any other “young stars” that become available, will be picked over by either lower EPL clubs or the Leicesters and Leeds of the Championship.
I think that is why we will possibly continue with foreign club players if we buy. Loanees, well we will probably get the last dips in the barrel.
Sky Sports News reporting that Isaac Hayden transfer to Luton has collapsed.
4 Championship sides including the Boro have supposedly made enquiries about taking him on loan. 😎
According to the Gazette, Hayden is not someone we've been interested in.
Isaac Hayden, who, despite being offered to Boro, is not believed to be a legitimate target.
Carrick is also at the downplaying transfers stage of the window.
Whether some come in or not, it's not always in our hands
Am I the only one who finds it a bit strange that we should be looking to solve our goalscoring problems by taking a player from Everton - the one EPL side who seem incapable of hitting the proverbial barndoor with a banjo. It would be splendid if he turns out to be a genius, gets promoted with us and Everton go down. Having said that, plenty of clubs seem to be digging down the back of the sofa in an attempt to get him.
Anybody know much about him except that he played for Preston on loan which is a good omen.
UTB
Come on BORO.
....and here we are looking at a player from another Championship side. Greenwood sounds like a good prospect but it is the clearest possible statement about our current financial standing. Leeds are stuffed with money and are looking to trim their squad and we are looking to pick up the offcuts.
Anyway, we have to believe that it will all turn out well in the end, How? It's a mystery.
UTB
@selwynoz. Yes a strange one there.
The three players we have paid reasonable money for, Dieng, England and Latte, may turn out, well reasonable.
All the others, free or very low cost, I will be very surprised if more than one or possibly two become a permanent first team player
MFC website confirming the signing of Lewis O’Brien on loan. 😎
quote
Lewis O’Brien has joined the club on a season-long loan from Nottingham Forest.
The 24-year-old becomes the 10th arrival of what has been a busy summer for the club.
The highly-rated midfielder, who completed his medical and the formalities of his move on Wednesday evening, has made over 200 career appearances and brings a wealth of experience to Michael Carrick’s squad.
He clocked up over a century of appearances at Huddersfield and won the Terriers' POTY award before being snapped up by Nottingham Forest last summer on their return to the Premier League.
“Lewis has tasted success before and we’re delighted to have him on board,” said the Boro head coach.
“He’s got good experience, he’s a good age, and he offers something different to what we have here.
“His arrival gives us greater options, and we’re looking forward to working with him.”
Lewis has the added experience of playing in the MLS earlier this year after he was loaned to DC United.
unquote
OFB
MFC website confirming the signing of Lewis O’Brien on loan. 😎
Some detail from Football Insider:
Philip will be over the proverbial moon! 🙂
MFC now confirm loan signing of Sam Greenwood:
https://www.mfc.co.uk/news/2023/august/31/boro-snap-up-leeds-united-s-sam-greenwood-/
😎
Is that it on the recruitment side or anymore incomings expected or being talked about? 😎
@k-p-in-spain One striker is the target and then let Coburn go on loan to Plymouth. We will Esther have Coburn or another. But 11 new players already - luckily only 2 loans so far.
I am really liking the signing of Lewis O’Brien as our Philip was so excited about him. He has A lot of experience of the Championship foorball at Huddersfield. And with Philip living In Huddersfield, he should know 😅.
Up the Boro!
Middlesbrough are Said to Have Reignited Their Interest & in advanced talks to sign Alex Bangura from SC Cambuur. (TEAMTalk)
OFB