Boro vs Blackburn, 15.00, 26th December, 2025
‘‘Twas the day after Xmas and all through the Blog
Members were smiling and all were agog
As Boro continue their search for more wins
With the whole of the team playing out of their skins
Will it be one goal or two that we’ll see?
Or maybe, once more, it’s an OFB three
Will Dormo be smiling, whilst sat in the stands
While at home Jarkko’s waving, his massive foam hands?
Maybe Malcolm will get his Scots’ wish at last
As Conway produces more goals, like the past
Has Whittaker proved his detractors all wrong?
His goal scoring skills seem second to none
With Hayden beside him, playing through balls for fun
Or winning a tackle before moving on
To set up our Strelec to tap in the net
With a true poacher’s instinct, not seen that much yet
Will Huddersfield Philip reveal a bright side
And give us a smile as we get into our stride?
If plans go awry and wheels fall off the cart
Can Werdermouth’s skills give our team a restart?
Turning Boro off and on, like the best I.T. aid
Back into the sunshine, not stuck in the shade
Let’s hope our players, with skill and with guile
Can match Fenland’s John Richardson, for artistic style
He can make you a print, or catch you a pike
Or just walk with his terrier on another long hike
Our new boss, Saint Kim, has a great master plan
(With no need for Scott, says Len Masterman)
Will the team be well drilled in the style of Exmil?
With maybe some help from our friend Ian Gill
Will KP and Pedro be watching from Spain
As Boro say Hola, we’re scoring again?
Will MW and Selwyn, in the antipodes
See Sol jumping like Skippy, saving with ease?
Or like President Jump, our latest on board
Shouting covfefe, whenever we’ve scored
There’ll be laughter and outbursts of humour and mirth
Not least from down under and Peasepudinperth
Over in Belfast, Si’s our Boro man
But will he be singing, just like Van the Man?
In the White Rose County, none should be glum
Just follow the Boro, like Eboroacum
Nearby in Barlby hear Chris’s loud cheers
Whilst Stircrazy sinks a couple of beers
There’s a grin on the face of Peter Surtees
Mirrored throughout Infant Hercules
A Boro team playing with verve and with style
Much to the liking of Boroexile
Will the Riverside roar, heard near and far
Put a smile on the face of our own Andy R?
GT, initially, knows it’s Generally Tough
But this is the year we’re doing enough
And with luck and with skill, promotion’s in store
Much to the liking of Powmill-Naemore
Another fine win in our own Teesside heavens?
Surely enjoyed by Rich Llewelyn Evans
That leaves Clive Hurren, if my notes are complete
His starters are brilliant and right up our street
Here’s hoping each one of us, gets all that he wants
From the Boro on Boxing Day - a win and three points”
(The only one missing appears to be me
Have a great Xmas from me, Mr B)
*massive apologies to any members I’ve missed.
Martin
just one word from me
BRILLIANT!
OFB
@original-fat-bob Thanks, that’s very kind.
🚨 | An agreement has been reached for Anes Mravac to join Kim Hellberg's coaching staff at Middlesbrough.
Mravac is currently in England to finalise the move.
[SVTSport]
Martin. You have had a standing ovation in our house. Beatifully and thoughtfully crafted. Well done. Here is hoping for Boxing Day, and here is hoping everyone has a great Christmas. Festive greetings to all of you.
Merry Xmas to all Diasborians and families and friends and a great 2026
And promotion. !
IFB
Thank you Martin for a great opener and especially mentioning me and my Scottish Roots, which I am very proud. Already got my World Cup shirts. Cheers.
Great work, Martin!
Thanks Martin for your Christmas opener. On Saturday KH could not break the Ashton Gate Hoodoo, can he get a home win against the men from Ewood Park. It is 13 years to the day since we have beaten them at the Riverside, Boxing Day 2012 1-0 Lukas Jutkiewicz with their winner and their manager was sacked the next day. That day we were second in the league under Tony Mowbray. That is a total of 11 games played and no wins. The referee is James Bell from South Yorkshire, and he was the referee when Rovers won 1-0 in the league last season.Blackburn's away record is pretty good winning five out of ten on the road, they have won at Watford, Hull Leicester, Bristol and Preston, although in those 10 games have only scored 11 goals.
Forgot to say the game is on here in OZ on BeIn so I don't think it will be available on Boro Live.
Martin, yet more Teesside talent. A superb starter, very well done. Excellent.
ATB and a Merry Christmas everyone and thank you all for a stocking of superb starters. This blog is just getting better and better.
UTB,
John
We are pleased to confirm two additions to Kim Hellberg’s coaching staff 🤝
Anes Mravac joins as an assistant coach, with Linus Kandolin becoming our goalkeeping coach 🙌
Well done, Martin. Let's hope we all have a great Christmas and three points on Boxing Day.
Jarkko - thanks again for the card. I knew you were intending to retire soon but it seems as though it might be at Christmas. In other words, presumably tomorrow as I guess you would not be working on Christmas Day. For some reason I had it in my mind that you might work until the Springtime.
Enjoy retirement. You've earned it. Have you worked out how many miles you travelled up and down the Baltic states and Germany over the years? More time for Boro and, of course, your family. Nobody in the history of employment, on their death-bed, has ever been known to say that they wished they had spent more time in the office!
I don't know how I managed to put the last bit, to Jarkko, in separate boxes but it looks good! I "must have pressed something."
All the best to everyone Blackburn boxing day, should I peak from behind the curtains apparently our record is horrendous,more than I realized.
When Edwards was hired on the summer ,I was very sceptical, but to be fair we had a great start, and hung around although to be honest we weren't fluid.
Now recently I've seen blogs , interviews, info coming through that some inside the camp wre a little let's say wondering, and it's interesting the feedback from Helberg seems he knew alot more about Boro , their players Championship teams for Someone on the outside that looks like was he speaking to the top, earlier, reason I say this it was a quick appointment , I'm thinking were they going to do a Monk interesting
The British tabloids and pundits wonder why Coaches from the home countries don't get a chance at the top, seems obvious they're stuck in their bubble, they want to be one of the lads, foreign coaches are professional, educated, different ideas, if the off one struggles ,it's communication with fans , which is important, luckily we have a guy who to be maybe gives too much info if you know what I mean
I will say it's been along time since I've had this much confidence in the team
COB
Having not contributed in such a long while, I was very surprised, but extremely pleased, to see my name up there in lights in Martin's brilliant starter, another entertaining verse amongst the rest of the outstanding starters that's gone to print so far, well done sir and thank you for remembering me. Whilst I may not be a prolific contributor to the blog, like many of the clues in my Daily Telegraph cryptic crosswords, I'm a 'Lurker', I'm in there somewhere but you've just got to wait until I jump out of the page.
I was really sad to hear the news that the Boro lad who became a musical legend, Chris Rea, will not be driving home for Christmas any more. An absolute gentleman that never forgot his roots, was a true Boro supporter and like me, never lost a single tone of his Teesside accent despite not being amongst fellow Smoggies for donkey's years, and why would you. He may be gone but his legacy lives on for us all to enjoy, RIP Mr. Rea and thanks for the music and memories.
Maybe to honour his memory, is there any one of his many recordings that could accompany the Boro on to the pitch on match days?
Merry Christmas everyone and wishing you all the very best for the New Year, let's start by warming up to it with three points on Boxing Day and to complete the double over Hull the following Monday, and please, no hangovers on New Year's Day at Derby.
Right, let's get back to lurking once more.
ditto, the match in on ViaPlay here in Finland. I would have prefered Riverside Live. Up the Boro!Forgot to say the game is on here in OZ on BeIn so I don't think it will be available on Boro Live.
The answer Martin is yes he will and hoping for a good game and three points.
A brilliant piece of writing, so well crafted, thank you.
My best wishes to one and all. I hope every one has an enjoyable Christmas and a happy and healthy 2026, culminating in promotion to the EPL. 😎
@mw-in-darwin. Yes you are correct, it is only available on Boro Live for those of us living in countries where the EFL do not have a broadcast partner.
It is, however, available on Sky Sports+. 😎
Well done Martin that opener was brilliantly put together - let's hope Boro are also poetry in motion on Boxing Day too!
Loud cheers indeed from Chris for your poetry Martin. Good job - a real Christmas gift to all.
Happy Christmas.
One for the Hall of Fame
Thanks to our Martin's belle aim
Ee, we all got a mention
That eases the tension
Before our big Boxing Day game
Merry Xmas everyone
Martin, that’s a master piece, brilliant.
All we need now is a master piece from the team
philip of Huddersfield
👍👍👍
I suppose Boro could run out to the “Road to Hell - ball” !
OFB
I quite like that idea. Why not have the "DJ" play only Chris Rea on the day?
Unbelievable starter! Love it, love it, love it!!
And I would love it, love it, love it if we turned Rovers over on Boxing Day. Boy do we owe them a good hammering, so long has it been since we’ve beaten them.
Let’s hope for a profitable points return over the festive period that keeps us in the top two with a healthy gap to third.
To those of you whose health is not wonderful at present, I wish you all the best for your recoveries and hope you are all feeling much better very soon. Meanwhile, very best wishes to all blog-fellows for a happy and peaceful Christmas.
That's a fantastic piece of work, Martin.
A merry and points-filled Christmas to all. Except Wolves.
Martin, thank you for a brilliant opener and I will copy it to Ian Gill, very clever and well worked out.
I wish everyone a joyful and Happy Christmas, a 3 point Boxing Day and a healthy and prosperous New Year UTB.
Come on BORO.
Tremendous starter Martin. Really well done!
It highlighted the many very talented contributors to this forum whose erudite and insightful comments over the last 12 months have brightened my days. So thanks to everyone for their efforts and I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and here’s hoping for a very Happy New Year for all Boro fans everywhere as our club marches back to the Premier League!!