Many thanks for all of your very kind comments.

May I return your compliments by saying that this blog provides the greatest gift that anyone writing on it could wish for . And that is the pre-existence of an appreciative, literate, tolerant and perceptive audience.

That is an attribute that has never been more precious.

As we all know the inhibitions to, and penalties of, self-expression have never been greater, precisely because of the limitations of social media audiences. The prevalence of trolling, personal insults and even physical threats are especially visited upon those expressing any non-populist view.

This Great Inhibitor is both a worldwide cultural tragedy, and a deeply personal one for billions of people who fear the consequences of simply expressing themselves via what has now become the dominant symbolic system across the world.

As an analogue octogenarian I have never, as an active choice, owned a mobile phone. nor have I ever engaged in any form of social media. Save for this forum. And I only do so because of the qualities of every single person who is currently reading this.

I think Ken Smith would have said much the same thing. In the many lovely tributes paid to him on Diasboro much was made of the many fine contributions he made to this blog.  And rightly so.

But Ken would have been the first to acknowledge the contribution each and every one of you made to the quality of his final years. Ken's interests, his obsessions, his most intimate and personal thoughts found an interested, appreciative and receptive audience right here. And I have no doubt that it was that appreciation and the attention you all gave to his work that motivated him to write through the long nights of his pain, and must have been, in his final years, a source of great pleasure and satisfaction.

So thank you all.

While on the subject of Ken, I wonder if any thought has been given to the rich historical archive of Boro-related and other sporting material that Ken will have left behind him. I know that there is Boro historian Dr Tosh Warwick who has a regular Boro history spot in the match-day programme. I assume he would find Ken's materials of great relevance and interest.

And if there is not a historical archive on the club at the Riverside, then there certainly should be . That would be the most appropriate and satisfying final resting place of all for the great man's work.

 

 

 

 

 

@andy-r - Archer is still only 21 years old and I still have hopes he WILL make the grade.  Despite the goals Akpom scored last season (remember - his ONLY high scoring season in his career to date) I always thought Archer was the most likely to make the transition to a higher level.

Posted by: @forever-dormo

↑

@andy-r - Archer is still only 21 years old and I still have hopes he WILL make the grade.  Despite the goals Akpom scored last season (remember - his ONLY high scoring season in his career to date) I always thought Archer was the most likely to make the transition to a higher level.

. The jury has to be out on that one I think. Many (most ?) of the top players have established themselves in the starting eleven of the top clubs before they are 20. The merry-go-round that has been created by the top clubs signing up all the junior/young talent and then needing to send their protégés out on loan because they are not good enough to command a place in the owning club's first team squad probably does a great disservice to more good players that could otherwise enjoy fruitful careers in other not-so-rich clubs by having a continuity in their regular game time. It is not only us that has lost out by not having Archer any more, but I suspect it is also himself, though perhaps not from a a financial perspective.  

Boro are just as guilty  - Hackney for one, was being totally overlooked and we could easily have lost him on loan last season had Leo not had the good sense to recognise the lad had the talent.

 

Archer is a regular starter already albeit at a struggling club and I have no doubt that he will enjoy a career predominantly in the Premier League. I see no reason why Ramsey can't either. Giles might but perhaps not as a fullback. Akpom, I feel, has the talent and application but has probably only been played to his real strengths in one part season of a nomadic and ultimately underachieving career.

The point is though that these players are already a level above most Championship opponents even at 20/21 years old in the case of the former Villa players. That fact that you can be so good in one division and largely surplus at the next level shows the leap.

This harks back a little to the discussion about Boro now enjoying themselves in the Championship whilst Burnley, Luton and Sheff Utd struggle above. We lost four of our best players over the summer but had we been promoted, they might already have been among the worst in the division, nevermind the rest.

@jarkko 

Here's your response from RR 

quote “

I'm good thanks OFB in fact, just started a new job today (glutton for punishment). No rest for the wicked! Say hello to all the Diasborians for me!

Unquote “

 

OFB

@lenmasterman 

I’ve met tosh and communicated with him previously about other historical issues namely the shipping built on Teesside for ww1 and 2

We will have to have some guidance from Werder where we stand with regard to releasing data to a third party.

Another great post Len and I agree with you it’s a pleasure to write and post knowing that cryptic and Avis I’ve comments will not be forthcoming from the other Diasborians 

OFB

@original-fat-bob 

Thanks Bob. I wasn't thinking about Ken's Diasboro archive , which is readily available, but all of the Boro-related reference works which Ken used in his own research along with any other relevant notes, files and other documentation.

@forever-dormo 

 

Mmmmmm intriguing the phantom writer of old Boro town 

 

OFB

@lenmasterman 

Ah that’s different obviously. Do we know who is managing the disposal of his estate ?

if the responsible person is willing to part with the documents them I could arrange a meeting with Tosh for him to have a look.

Tosh is also associated with the Dorman Museum and I’m sure an interest would be generated.

Let me know if I can help Len.

OFB

@original-fat-bob 

”Avis I’ve”

I love it. Isn’t auto-correct wonderful. Makes me smile.

utb

@original-fat-bob 

 I'm afraid that I don't have any knowledge of who might be managing Ken's estate. Perhaps Philip has a contact who might help. It would be a great pity if the material which Ken had accumulated over the years were to be thrown away. I know that my own brother's scrapbook of match reports and photographs from the 1940s were scanned and used as material for articles in the match-day programme and returned to his grandson who had made the original contact. It was a very satisfying process all round, and a nice recognition of my brother's dedication to the Boro all those years ago. It would be good if Ken could receive similar recognition

Posted by: @lenmasterman

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@original-fat-bob 

 I'm afraid that I don't have any knowledge of who might be managing Ken's estate. Perhaps Philip has a contact who might help. It would be a great pity if the material which Ken had accumulated over the years were to be thrown away. I know that my own brother's scrapbook of match reports and photographs from the 1940s were scanned and used as material for articles in the match-day programme and returned to his grandson who had made the original contact. It was a very satisfying process all round, and a nice recognition of my brother's dedication to the Boro all those years ago. It would be good if Ken could receive similar recognition

I hope that there is someone in his family who recognises Ken's extraordinary devotion to the history of sport in the area. If there is, Anthony Vickers might be a good point of contact. There could even be a book coming out of 'Supporters memories and memorabilia'

UTB

 

Sam Greenwood and Isaiah Jones were seen making T signs with their fingers. It wasn't explained, but might it have been a nod to Teesside? Does anyone have an insight in here? Jones's done that earlier, too.

Then Marcus Forss faked a smile by using his fingers to pull up his lips. Again, no explanation, so what might that have been?

Anyway, a record away win for Boro at Sunderland.  Up the Boro! 

I’ve just caught up with the posts from the last few days and have really enjoyed reading everything, in particular two outstanding posts from Len and a very amusing one from Peter. Thank you all. 

Ken told me that his only remaining family member was his brother, who lives somewhere out Northallerton way. Unfortunately, I have no further information. Perhaps the local Age Concern people, who looked after Ken weekly, or Ken’s respite care home might have his brother’s contact details? 

McGree and Rav van den Berg have pulled out of international duty as they recover from injury.

OFB

Does anyone know if we are gonna offer a new contract to Paddy McNair next? McNair is on a weekly wage of £20,000 a week, which means he breaks the one million mark a year, £1,040,000.

Date of birth/Age: Apr 27, 1995 (28)

His contract will expire on Jun 30, 2024. Up the Boro! 

@clive-hurren 

hi,

I don’t know the contact details of Trevor, ( Ken’s brother) They weren’t in communication.

I understand that  the estate is being sorted by Avril , a relative on Enid’s side of her family. I’m not in contact with her but I think   I know her phone number. I don’t think I should publish the number on this site but will share the number with anyone who contacts me on my email address.

Philip

Agent Tony Mowbray turning to Stevie Gibson and 'gesticulating' and saying "will 4 be enough Stevie"?.

@original-fat-bob 

Brilliant, Bob.

Not very empathetic, but still brilliant.

I’ve sent a message to Dr Tosh Warwick about Ken’s historical documents about the Boro to see what interest there is

OFB

Messages from Dr Tosh Warwick today ref Ken Smith Boro historical data

quote 

what kind of material is in there? It would actually be really useful for a Boro Memories book I am working on but its whether whoever is now custodian would be happy for me to take it.

what kind of material is in there? It would actually be really useful for a Boro Memories book I am working on but its whether whoever is now custodian would be happy for me to take it.

I've used the Diasboro website a number of times

Is there much by way of physical material?

Once I'd used it for the books I would then look to hand over the local collections

Ken had actually referenced my book on the DiasBoro blog

I think we'd need to have agreement what was going to happen next first as I would be travelling up from Leeds

There is potential I could go a week on friday

or early Sat 21st

With these things inevitably lots of people want to take stuff for themselves but I would be keen to make sure all relevant material is handed over to local collections

Unquote 

 

I have contact details for Tosh and can can pass his phone number on to Ken’s dependants.

please let me know the next step ?

OFB

 

@Dormo I do not know (it is a secret) who will write the Birmingham preview, but here is some info anyway.

Birmingham City have appointed Wayne Rooney as their new manager.

The 37-year-old former England captain has joined the Championship club on a three-and-a-half-year deal.

Rooney succeeds Blues head coach John Eustace, who was sacked on Monday after 15 months in charge.

More on https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/wayne-rooney-birmingham-city-middlesbrough-27886305

I hope Rooney will make a lot of tacticalchanges next and are a bit shaky when they meet the mighty Boro. Up the Boro!

PS. Our Super Michael Carrick is 42 year old and Rooney is just 37. If you look at the pictures of the two lads, I would say Rooney looks at least 10 years older. He must have had tough times both at Derby and D.C. United in Washington. Up the Boro!

Posted by: @jarkko

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PS. Our Super Michael Carrick is 42 year old and Rooney is just 37. If you look at the pictures of the two lads, I would say Rooney looks at least 10 years older. He must have had tough times both at Derby and D.C. United in Washington. Up the Boro!

🤣 

 

I posted this in the COTS Challenge thread a couple of days ago, but I am not sure if anyone apart from AndyR noticed it. I did promise to report back on the the interim standings of everybody taking part in the COTS Challenge at regular intervals through the season, but I probably mis-judged when to post that up and I suspect it disappeared off the radar almost as soon as I had posted it. Given that it just quietening down a little in here now after us all basking in the warm and comforting afterglow following last Saturday's destruction of the Black Kittens from up the road, perhaps it is a better time for me to put his out:

________________________________________________________________________________

 

Eleven matches in and here we are at the first check-point for how our COTS predictions are looking.

 

I think it is probably fair to say that Boro’s record-breaking start to the season [sic] has surprised all of us and for all the wrong reasons. However, our recent up-turn in form has moved BORO into a much better position going into the second international break.  We have to hope that the break itself is not going to have a negative impact on our form as we restart the campaign on 21^st October.

As far as the COTS predictions are looking at this time it really is a bit of a mixed bag.  At the top end of the table COTS pre-season favorites Leicester are certainly living up to most people’s expectations so far, as are Leeds. At the other end both QPR and Rotherham are also performing in line with most of our pre-season expectations, although the other Diasboro favorite to go down, Plymouth, is managing to hold its own so far. No one has Boro so low as 16^th, but Pedro de Espana isn’t too far off with his prediction of 14^th and Forever Dormo’s random selection also has Boro in 14^th. It will be interesting to see if Boro’s new found upwardly mobile trajectory is going to bring more of us into the points as the season progresses.

If you remember, I put an entry in for Diasboro Combined based on the most popular choices from all of our predictions. Taking that as the benchmark by which to judge whose predictions are perhaps in a Premier League class compared to the rest of us and bearing in mind the maximum number of points obtainable is 200,  Pedro de Espana is the clear leader with 112 points after 11 games played. MW in Darwin, KP in Spain and Len Masterton are also looking well placed, all ahead of the Diasboro Combined score which is 64.5. At the bottom of the class, myself, Exmil, Werdermouth and Martin Bellamy are the only ones with a negative score. All I would say on our behalf is that it is still early days and there will be a lot of movement in the Championship table between now and next spring, so none of us is out of the COTS running at this stage.

 

Thanks Powmill for the update an d all of your hard work. It looks very professional.

Very interesting, though there is still a very long way to go.

 

@original-fat-bob 

Thanks Bob. If you are able to pass on the number of Ken's relative to Dr Warwick then as an accredited academic he would know best how to use it. That seems a very sensible way forward.  Thanks for doing this. 

@lenmasterman 

Another excellent and thoughtful post Len and I'm glad all those who post on Diasboro also continue to make their posts in a thoughtful and appreciative manner that keeps the discussion refreshingly absent of the kind of remarks that has become all to divisive and prevalent on social media.

As to where social media is heading under the guidance of the billionaire egotists is anyone's guess but I suspect its cultural and political impacts have yet to arrive at the bottom that they appear intent on reaching. It's almost as if everything needs turning off and on again to reset all the errors that have been allowed to creep into the system - the great invention of the internet has been well and truly messed up by the commercial world trying to monetise it.

I've absolutely no idea why so many people behave so differently when they are in the virtual world compared to how they would when talking face-to-face - though unfortunately it appears quite a few have shifted their digital selves into the real world as well and then it gets further amplified by the broadcast media who fear their influence is under threat. It's the kind of behaviour if done by small children would be encouraged to ignore to avoid the attention-seeking they crave being fed.

Anyway, nothing much can change it all now except self-control by those who use it!

@powmillnaemore 

Thanks Powmill and my score is not as bad as I feared at only -7 😉 

@powmillnaemore 

Many thanks for all your excellent work on this. It’s fascinating.