Roberts replaces Daniels in goal at the start of the second half, while only McNair & Willis of the outfield players remain on the pitch. Full second half line-up:
Roberts, Dijksteel, Hannah, McNair, Giles, Mowatt, Traore, Willis, Akpom, Finch, Hoppe
Akpom - that man again! - gives Boro the lead in the 62nd minute - pass from Giles. 🙂
And Finch makes it 0-2 in the 67th minute - another Giles cross, which just missed Akpom.
Boro win 0-2 at Easter Road with goals from Akpom (62mins) and Finch 6 minutes later to sink Hibs. MANY substitutions so effectively 2 separate teams played.
SORRY - my page had "hibernated" so I hadn't seen that others were giving updates on the Boro game until I had pressed "send" on the message above.
Friendlies against Hibs
November 27 1957 (h) lost 0-5 This is probably the one you remember Ken.
November 2 1959 (a) 6-6 Peacock 2, Fernie 2, Clough, Harris
July 31 1971 (a) won 2-0 Laidlaw, Hickton
August 7 1971 (h) won 4-2 Hickton 3 Laidlaw
August 7 1984 (a) drew 0-0
A good win as we fielded several youngsters in Edinburgh. But there were some players missing through international matches last week and McGree playing for the Aussies in their win yesterday.
Interestingly, Carrick explained Hibernian absence of Fry, Jones & Bola, too. Bola is having a knee injury and will miss one or two weeks more.
Fry and Jones will be back training on Monday.
Up the Boro!
Went to the match. After a non-event of a first half, the introduction of Akpom and Giles made all the difference.
It was good to see some youngsters get a run out. Each half we had a mix of 1st teamers, fringe players and youngsters.
It's not until you see Akpom live that you realise just how good he is. The way he played reminded me of prime Ricard. If we do make the playoffs it's because he stays fit and stays on form.
I hadn't realised Jack Robinson had played CB. He did fine there: comfortable on the ball but I don't see him making the first team squad unless there is a massive injury crisis.
Willis was lightweight but definitely has something about him. If we could get a loan to a decent league one or two team, I think he might come along fine.
Finch did ok as a wide-attacker. Another player who definitely looks ready for a loan.
Sam Collins was also fine as a left back. We kept getting out-numbered down our left in the first half but he stuck to his task well.
Muniz looks to have completely lost it. We were toothless up front in the first half with Muniz a passenger. We definitely lacked someone like Forss to press from the front. Part of the issue is that I don't think Crooks knows how to influence a game when playing the #10 role. He put in a shift and tried to get some give and goes happening with Willis but there was zero understanding.
Boyd Munce looked to have bulked out. He did try to make some progressive passes. I would have liked to have seen him get a whole game. Mowatt still looks no closer to recovering any sort of form.
Of the players who weren't there. Apparently Fry, Jones and Bola were ill or injured. Clearly Luongo is not going to be here for much longer. Sivi who is a winger and was to be the next big thing has clearly not made the grade. Same presumably for Joe Gibson and Kavanagh.
Overall, this looked to reinforce what we've seen in the first 5 games under Carrick. We may be over-reliant on Akpom and Giles.
Not sure that any of the youngsters are ready for the 1st team squad but Finch and Willis are definitely ready for loans.
@deleriad. Thanks for a very informative view of those on display. Clearly some youngsters for the future who need further development and slightly worrying that we may be over reliant on Akpom and Giles. Fingers crossed they stay injury free and continue to perform. 😎
MW in Darwin
Thanks so much for those Boro results against Hibs. Sometimes my long term memory fails me. Even the Hibs website didn’t mention any of those matches. I’d actually also forgotten about the 6-6 draw in 1971. I wonder if it was a benefit match for a former Hibs player in view of the number of goals scored. That was some Hibs side in 1957 especially that forward line.
I also recall seeing Boro play at Falkirk on television sometime in the mid fifties although l can’t remember the score. There were also a series of matches showing Boro on BBC Alba, yet none of these feature on the Boro website. Shame really!
Now the sad news of the death of the former Scottish rugby union player Dodie Weir. Sometimes we tend to forget about other people’s health problems, especially when we have so many of our own as we grow old. I’m not particularly a fan of rugby union, so haven’t actually seen Dodie play, though I first recall his appearing with Kevin Sinfield on the BBC Sports Pesonality of the Year show some time ago, and his contacting Rob Burrow and offering his support to the little man, a fellow sufferer of Motor Neurone Disease.
Dodie Weir was a big man, and I’m not just writing about his height here, he was a big man in every sense. He and Kevin Sinfield also have done so much to make us all aware of MND which also took away our own Willie Maddren 22 years ago. As yet there is no cure for MND, but our government are still not giving the financial aid to the carers and families of those looking after these unfortunate people.
Despite Dodie not having met Kevin Sinfield nor Rob Burrow before, being rugby colleagues of a different code, Dodie immediately got in touch with the wee man to give his support. He was still there last week to congratulate Kevin on completing his 7 marathons in 7 days which ended at Old Trafford a week ago at the Rugby League World Cup final.
Great strides have been made in the treatment of cancer for which I’m grateful for, but I have lived my life whilst MND sufferers are dying at too early an age, and my thoughts and condolences go out to their families for their losses especially so near to Christmas.
Rest in peace Dodie, but also thank you for your compassion towards your fellow sufferers of Motor Neurone Disease.
Apologies, Ken. Have been away and just seen your earlier questions on the Scots forwards and friendlies of the late 40s. This was sightly before I was sitting up and taking notice so I did not see any of the players or matches that you mentioned, unfortunately.
Martin.
Indeed!
My final thoughts. Death, where is thy sting, where is thy victory?
Werdermouth
Well that was fun whilst it lasted, but what has happened to references to the 2022 World Cup? I was merrily typing away giving my views about past World Cups and had just spent most of the day writing about the 1966 World Cup and had just reached the stage of the first match between England and Uruguay admittedly under the heading of the 2022 World Cup when I stopped writing because of my need to see to my ablutions so I pressed the ‘save draft’ button which confirmed it had been saved although I had not actually pressed the ‘reply’ button a thing I have done regularly before because of my ablution problems, then suddenly find that the title of World Cup 2022 had disappeared and instead had been transferred to State of play and the work I’ve done today and indeed about past World Cups has seemed to become irretrievable. Is their anyway of finding today’s postings as the research seems to have become a waste of the little time I have left in my life.
The game at Falkirk was in 1954 we lost 2-1. Sam Lawrie scored the goal and apparently the second half was televised on BBC. Attendance 7000
Elsewhere, Bournemouth have appointed Gary O'Neil as their manager on a permanent basis following his spell as interim boss.
The 39-year-old took the helm at Vitality Stadium after head coach Scott Parker was sacked in August.
O'Neil has signed a one-and-a-half year contract, which has the option to be extended for a further 12 months.
Bournemouth have earned 13 points from 11 top-flight games with O'Neil in interim charge, and are 14th in the Premier League.
The former midfielder played 109 times between 2007–2011 for Middlesbrough (scoring 10 goals). Up the Boro!
After the Hibernian match, we can guess where Paddy McNair will play at Boro.
After his appointment Michael Carrick has been keen to nail McNair down to one role as soon as possible, the pair quickly deciding on using the ex-Manchester United man in the centre of defence.
"I think that's where he feels comfortable and wants to play," said Carrick.
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/23152994.middlesbrough-michael-carricks-praise-paddy-mcnair/
Up the Boro!
The game at Falkirk was in 1954 we lost 2-1. Sam Lawrie scored the goal and apparently the second half was televised on BBC. Attendance 7000
Thanks for that information. I remember the broadcast, but not the result, yet have no idea why this friendly match was chosen for broadcasting. Perhaps it was one of a series of matches that the BBC broadcast and I only watched it because it involved Boro. I thought my long term memory was good, but you’ve excelled yourself.
Yesterday wasn’t completely wasted however as I had recorded Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore earlier on Sky Arts which in my opinion is the best channel on television. I’ve become an addict of this channel, so much so that I prefer it to any of the Sports channels. I’ve learned so much more about films, poets and poetry, landscape artists, classical music, country and western as well, plus the Andre Rieu concerts including the very funny lady in the blue dress Manoe Konings the clarinetist who can even play the bagpipes. It proves that even approaching my 85th birthday it is never too late to learn.
There was a hit song in the 50’s entitled “You don’t know me” recorded by Ray Charles that has become a classic Country and West number and since recorded by a plethora of singers including Patti Page, Manfred Mann, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Anne Murray and more recently Crystal Gayle in 2019 which sums up my life which doesn’t revolve around Middlesbrough FC, Yorkshire CCC, Castleford Tigers, Classical Music, Opera, Ballet and singing hymns. It’s true that I’ve been a Boro supporter since 1885, but there’s more to Ken Smith than that.
Yet in the words of the song “You don’t know me” you probably never will. As Winston Churchill once described Russia, I could be described as “A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma”. As my father used to toast at Christmas “Cheers to those that I love, cheers to those that love me, and cheers to those that loves those that loves those that loves me”. I thought that I’d get that in early in case I’m not with us at Christmas.
FA Cup third round: Boro home to Brighton.
Come on Boro.
Downing returns to Boro
Craig Liddle has told of his delight at having Stewart Downing involved with the Middlesbrough Academy set-up, with the club legend taking his first steps into coaching.
OFB
World Cup windfall.
I happened to come across this information in a local Australian newspaper.
As part of their ‘club benefits programme’, FIFA has put aside approximately $312 million to be distributed to clubs around the world for the use of their players during the World Cup. Guidelines released last month say that each club will be paid US$10,000 each day one of their players is with their national team in Qatar, including the week-long lead-in.
This means that Riley McGree will generate US$170,000 through Group D and now that Australia have qualified for the last 16 that will be more money available. According to the guidelines below, it is split between the clubs that the player has played for in the two years prior to the World Cup. Boro will get a good piece of that.
It does, of course, show just how much money FIFA have if they can afford to pay this for all 832 players in the first round and then the other players who last longer.