Some really very good posts above this. Well thought out script and argument.
There seems to be a general consensus, that injuries apart, Mr Warnock appears bereft of ideas and that by changing the shape and format he will hit lucky.
Unfortunately he must of broken a mirror or walked under a ladder. Nothing he tries works. Maybe he should come up with a plan and stick with it for a period of time?
Some weeks back, I saw an article that said, after Fulham, Middlesbrough were top spenders in the Championship. Now I know we did not spend much, but the others must of spent Nowt!!
I do have another 2 bottles of Malbec and 3 of Rioja in reserve and with the opposition being WBA I might need them!
Usually I am straight on to the SKY report to watch the highlights but feel too down at the moment to bother. The Bournemouth match a week before Christmas will probably destroy any seasonal brightness. As happens regularly I can't get to over to Middlesbrough for the Boxing Day match. I wonder if this is a good thing.
Couldn’t agree more with Dormo about managers criticising referees to avoid criticism of themselves.
it takes me back to my refereeing days when managers , players and supporters did this. Referees were not respected.
I’d even go so far as to say that , if you were an unknown referee to the players, then you had to have an incident free first half to be regarded as ok.
I also umpired in the Bradford Cricket League in the days when, if Yorkshire didn’t have a game, then most of the players turned out for various teams.The acceptance and respect was the exact opposite- even if you dropped a few clangers in a first innings then you were still given respect.
Philip of Huddersfield
I actually found that the higher the standard of football and leagues that I referees in the easier it was to control players. I don’t know if that was because I became more skilled at man management or I got a reputation for not taking any nonsense or dissent from players coaches or crowd.
I have resorted to actually sending managers or coaches off the grounds and when one refused to go I simply threatened to abandon the match (he soon went !)
As I got older (and hopefully wiser) I tried to ref a game without resorting to issuing cautions to players instead relying on a quiet (or a loud) word!
Its interesting that Jeff Winter in his final seasons as a professional Premiership referee also tried the same tactic of not issuing cards and relying solely on mana management skills.
Football is a very different game these days and every mistake by a referee is not only captured by a camera but also by spectators on phone cameras.
A thankless task for referees really and that is the main thing I don’t like about Warnock. He never gives or makes any allowances for human error. He is always aggressive and confrontational and should be more pragmatic and act as an elderly statesman of football.
i remember Bob Paisley of Liverpool who never had s cross word or scathing remark about referees and the late great Brian Clough who used to fine his players if they were ever guilty of dissent.
Perhaps the FA should review the respect campaign because it seems to have lost focus and meaning.
OFB
Jared Gillett an Australian Referee is this only official I have heard Warnock praise since he arrived at Boro. He was promoted to officiate in the Premiership this season.
OFB
As I still play football, I have found out that it is more and more difficult to get refs at the lower level where I play. This must be a result of the treatment the refs are getting nowadays. There is not enough new refs coming to and trough the system.
So I feel grateful even to have a ref in our humble matches. So I keep on saying to the players of my team the same. Without refs we couldn't continue to play.
I think the problem is universal and there was a four page story in a spoerts magazine about the abuse and lack of respect the refs get in the game also here in Finland. This was only last week.
I agree with OFB that I feel ashamed for Warnock when he is shouting to the refs. He should learn from the likes of Brian Clough. As OFB said, Warnock should act as a senior statesman after 1 602 games.
Up the Boro!
Are you available for Saturday?
@ken I do not think the paper work can not be done in time. Finances are not the broblem as I could pay a few quids to play.
Also the insurances could be tricky. I am a bit over 60 years old now and anything could happen ...
But I am a defender. I am taller than Sol Bamba so we could do well against West Brom. But I can play as a left back, too.
I have had three training sessions this week (yes, seriously). AV has my number at Boro. *Starting to clean my boots now*
Up the Boro!
@jarkko It would be interesting to see the team that we could turn out from this Forum’s members.
I’m 6’5” and left footed. I’ve played centre back, left back and up front over the years (I did have one game in goal but it didn’t end well).
I’m also 66 years old, so I can’t cover the ground like I used to!
Who else is up for it?
My team played against former Boro players six years ago. Jim Platt arranged the match. We lost 12-3 but I did score a goal behind the World Cup keeper!
Bernie Slaven was very difficult to handle. He ran rounds around me but it was a facinating experince. It was five-a-side match at the Boro College.
Martin, we are competing for the same spot, though. But I am 5 years younger 😁. Up the Boro!
@jarkko We’re going to need a Manager too. @RedcarRed reads the game really well - maybe he could do it!
Maybe it’s a good idea to have @original-fat-bob as the referee - we’ll need all the help we can get!
Well you can put me in goals if you like. Best I achieved was getting my Cranwell Blue versus The Luftwaffe cadets away back in the early 80s. We managed a 1 all draw but I lost my place in the next fixture against the Army Cadets at Sandhurst because a real goalie who had been on the books at Grimbsby if I recall, had joined us at Cranwell in the intake below me.
I'm 62 now, with arthritic knees but game to make fool of myself if needed.
@martin-bellamy. I am 5’6 and 69 and definitely nowhere near as quick as I was but could still put a shift in as an old fashioned inside forward and spray a few passes about.
To old now to play as an out and out winger albeit I think I could still cross a ball better than some I have watched! 😎
I used to be a winger who could shoot with either foot when I was in my teens, but have declined so much now I can hardly stand even with the help of a Zimmer frame. Doubt if I could even play Subbuteo now as I might struggle to get round the table.
@ken I’d hope you’d be in charge of keeping the archive of our team with maybe a history of all the players - given your immense knowledge of the Boro, maybe you could chose which shirt we wear from one of the many MFC variations from over the years.
Perhaps a three team tournament?
The bloggers here with AV in the team. He used to play five-a-side footy at least a few years ago. Even postman Tallentire, too.
Then my team from Finland. We are aged from 55 to 70 - we have two players who recently celebrated the ton. The average age is around 65, I think. We used to travel abroad once a season for a match before COVID-19.
And then a Boro team of ex-players who can run. I think Jim Platt could hepl again.
Just saying, like! Up the Boro!
Have you ever thought if there’s a lucky date for Boro to play a match? Well the MFC website are often stating “On this date on the 6th Nov etc———-“
The fact is that Boro have only played on today’s date in their history on 16 occasions winning 6 times, losing 7, and drawing 3. However there have been some contrasting fortunes losing 0-9 at Blackburn in 1954, but beating Portsmouth 7-3 in 1926 with George Camsell scoring 4 goals. But the one that really caught my eye was in 1990 when Boro won at the Hawthorns 1-0 against today’s opponents. Not too long ago for Diasborians to remember.
I don’t know the formation but the 13 players used were Stephen Pears, Colin Cooper, Jimmy Phiiiips, Tony Mowbray, Simon Coleman, Alan Kernaghan, Paul Kerr, Robbie Mustoe, Owen McGee, John Hendrie, Bernie Slaven, Ian Baird and Stuart Ripley. The goal was scored by Slaven in the 88th minute.
Maybe some of you were at that match but the score line seems a good omen to me for today.
@Martin Bellamy
For Boro’s first meeting against Ironopolis Boro played in blue shirts and collars with a vertical blue stripe leading down to blue trousers to just below the knee with shin guards the length of cricket wicket keepers pads, whilst Ironopolis wore green and red halves and brown breeches. The Boro home colours since then have always been red shirts with white shorts, and the away stips white shirts and blue shorts to almost into the 21st century.
There have since been several variations of white collars, white V necks, and several different shades of red from claret to almost vermilion, but the goalkeeper’s jersey was always been green until the early 60s as I recall.
The white shoulder was first introduced in the early 1920s and then reintroduced in a similar style during Jack Charlton’s management. Since then we’ve had white bands, etc. Now if you’re asking my preference I’d say the style and shade of red worn during the Brian Clough era, but I do hate adverts on shirts. I accept that it’s a necessity these days due to sponsorship, but although I’ve never purchased a Boro shirt in my life I’ve always liked the claret and gold of Bradford City or the Aston Villa colours.
I do have a list of every Boro player up to 2002, and the result of every Boro league and cup match from their Northern League days of 1882 up to and including the current season. Also Boro’s results against every club from Arsenal to York City, not on the website but in a ledger. Similarly I’ve also got the same results for Castleford Tigers since 1926. Sounds like a boring life, but I love it.
@ken For some reason, when I was at Grammar School in Guisborough, I used to have a Blackpool FC tangerine shirt that I wore for sports. To this day I’ve no idea where it came from. I also recall going into Jack Hatfields to buy a Boro shirt - they asked if I wanted the old style one and I came out with one with a collar. I’ve not a clue why I didn’t get the most up to date one at the time.
It’s a bit far to come but I was a reasonable sweeper or full back in my playing days with a good right foot. However, at 68 even if still in reasonable shape on the ball I’m not sure how good I would be at the pressing but always ready to give it a go.
utb