Antony Vickers is right if one only judges the town of Middlesbrough as an entity. It is a drab town which has never recovered from the Second World War, but no worse than other industrial towns of the same size up and down the country. I hated working in the town from 1968 to 1974 and was glad to get a posting to Saltburn. But having said that there are so many pretty villages which are part of the Middlesbrough conurbation like Seamer, Hilton, etc. Also we’re on the edge of the North York Moors with the largest area of moorland heather in the whole of Europe including Scotland. Doctor Beeching did the region no favours with the closure of the coastal railway route to Scarborough, in my eyes only second to the French Riviera Railway route. Thankfully we still have the North York Moors Railway to get us to Whitby still a Mecca for folks in West Yorkshire and beyond. I like London for a visit, but would hate to live there. Maybe we don’t have climate, only weather here, but we up North and I include Lancashire and the North East in that, are the most friendly and welcoming of folk anywhere in the country. Londoners may have had that camaraderie during the Second World War but has since lost it’s identity and friendliness in my opinion. One can almost live in anonymity there. Give me Yorkshire and Teesside anytime where we have a beautiful coastline and wonderful countryside on our doorstep. Not many regions can boast that.
Antony Vickers is right if one only judges the town of Middlesbrough as an entity. It is a drab town which has never recovered from the Second World War, but no worse than other industrial towns of the same size up and down the country. I hated working in the town from 1968 to 1974 and was glad to get a posting to Saltburn. But having said that there are so many pretty villages which are part of the Middlesbrough conurbation like Seamer, Hilton, etc. Also we’re on the edge of the North York Moors with the largest area of moorland heather in the whole of Europe including Scotland. Doctor Beeching did the region no favours with the closure of the coastal railway route to Scarborough, in my eyes only second to the French Riviera Railway route. Thankfully we still have the North York Moors Railway to get us to Whitby still a Mecca for folks in West Yorkshire and beyond. I like London for a visit, but would hate to live there. Maybe we don’t have climate, only weather here, but we up North and I include Lancashire and the North East in that, are the most friendly and welcoming of folk anywhere in the country. Londoners may have had that camaraderie during the Second World War but has since lost it’s identity and friendliness in my opinion. One can almost live in anonymity there. Give me Yorkshire and Teesside anytime where we have a beautiful coastline and wonderful countryside on our doorstep. Not many regions can boast that.
Ken,
Amen to that
On Ripleys first return to Boro after signing for Blackburn, the away team were approaching Boro on their team bus, on the A19 and apparently the Kenny Dalglish All Stars were talking the pizz out of Rippers as the sprawling vista of ICI and the smoggie industrial wasteland came into view. Or so I was told.
Boro won the game 3-2, Hendrie hat trick, Stuart had a stinker and was dragged after an hour.
The point I am making is that most perceptions are from the away team bus and are probably amplified when 20 young men are all trying to out do each other with their "complements" of the area they are visiting.
According to twittersphere we are linked with ex Arsenal player Yaya Sonogo 13 goal 3 seasons just what need
This is what Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor thought of the Gazette article....
“Somebody got out on the wrong side of the bed!!
A stereotypical, wrong and outdated view of our area. The only reason people from elsewhere might think these things is because we keep seeing articles like this that don’t reflect what we are now.
Yes we have our challenges and we need to tackle them, but what about the Cleveland Hills? Saltburn beach? The Headland in Hartlepool? Darlington Market Square? Baker Street? Centre Square? Yarm? Norton? Wynyard? Tees Barrage? The list goes on and on...
These articles infuriate me. If we don’t shine a light on all of the wonderful things we as a region and as a people can offer, how can we expect the rest of the country to think different of us? I’ve always said, unless we talk more positively about ourselves how can we expect anyone else to think well of us?
Relentlessly concentrating on the negatives has held our area back for years. We can’t allow this same mindset to define our future.“
And don’t get me started on the picture that was chosen to accompany the article.
I have often said that there are those who seem to want to wear the negative aspects of Middlesbrough as some kind of perverse badge of honour. A sort of, yes it’s a rubbish town and we don’t care. They take all the flak as though they’re some kind of “ survivor” of the socio-economic ills that have befallen us for the last 50 years.
There is no doubt great strides have been and are being taken to improve the area and make it more attractive for visitors and new industry to come to the area and that includes footballers!
Both the Teesside Mayor Ben Houchen and Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston are involved with a lot of strategies to make Teesside employers and employee friendly. I have had a number of meetings with both and whatever ones political persuasion their enthusiasm for the area shines through.Hopefully Boro can attract new players and we can have a great season enjoyed by all
OFB
And on to Middlesbrough FC. According to statistics Boro are 20th in the number of points accumulated in the top flight, the original First Division and the Premier League. They are also the 9th oldest League club having been formed in 1876, two years before Manchester United, three years before Sunderland, four years before Manchester City, and a whopping 16 years before both Liverpool and Newcastle United. So why haven’t they ever won the FA Cup or the First Division Championship? Even Wigan Athletic and Ipswich Town established in 1932 and 1936 respectively have won it. Admittedly Boro were only an amateur club and won the FA Amateur Cup twice, but they have participated in the FA Cup every year since 1883 except during the two World Wars, a total of 127 seasons. In that time they have won 126 matches, drawn 87 and lost 119 out of a total of 332. In those 127 seasons they have lost 14 times in Qualifying Rounds, 47 times in what is now the 3rd Round, 34 times in the 4th Round, 20 times in the 5th Round, 9 times in the Quarterfinals, twice in the Semifinal and once in the Final. Of those last 3 rounds only 4 Quarterfinals were achieved before the Second World War, the other 8 including Semifinals and Final have been achieved since, and 4 of those Quarterfinals were in successive years from 2006 to 2009 inclusive. Also they have been knocked out of the FA Cup in 41 of those 127 seasons by a club in a lower Division than themselves from Staveley and Redcar as an Amateur club, and from Jarrow through to Newport County last year as a League club. Even by Wrexham in Jack Charlton’s promotion season in 1973/74, by Darlington in the 1984/85 season, not to mention two Quarterfinals against Leyton Orient in 1978 and Cardiff City in 2008. There’s no getting away from it, that is disappointing for a club of Boro’s stature. No wonder the late Lancashire comedian Al Read did an amusing skit as a policeman arresting someone for being drunk and disorderly because he was repeatedly shouting “Middlesboro” for the Cup” (notice not Middlesbrough).
What about the League Cup introduced by Alan Hardaker in 1960? Well our record in that competition is better, having won 85 matches, drawn 40 and lost 63 from 188 matches in 60 years. Here again though Boro were knocked out 22 times in the 1st Round, 20 times in the 2nd Round, 6 times in the 3rd Round, once in the 4th Round, 6 times in the Quarterfinal, twice in the Semifinal, twice in the Final, but of course Boro did win it in 2004.
Now I’m not too despondent about those facts, as Boro were promoted to the Old First Division in only their 3rd season in 1902 and stayed there for 22 years. Also stayed 18 seasons in the top flight from 1929 until 1954, and in total have spent 61 seasons in the top flight, 47 in the 2nd tier, and only 2 in the 3rd Division. Now the reason I’m giving you all this information is that, despite the fact that Boro have yet to win the FA Cup, and certainly won’t in my lifetime, I’m still proud of their achievements as FA Cup Quarterfinals were extremely rare in my youth. Also I have just finished reviewing all those seasons where Boro reached Cup Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Finals including Boro’s goalscorers and crowd attendances for home matches on the History section of this forum as a record for posterity. Although I’ve enjoyed completing this project, it was much more difficult than I had envisaged, often having to summarise reports from Sky Sports and the Guardian newspaper along with my own recollections, and certainly more difficult than picking out what I considered were 20 outstanding seasons of promotions, etc which can also be found on the History section of this forum. However it has also given me something to occupy my time during lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic as I’ve pretty much been in self isolation for 4 months and after initially enjoying sitting in my garden during springtime listening to classical music or drama on my iPad like everyone else have been deprived of the summer sports of cricket, golf, speedway and Rugby League; there’s only so much of watching football that I can take, so this has been a good alternative, reminiscing about it and keeping my mind active if not my body.
I feel quite calm about all the transfer speculation most of it is for clicks on websites and traffic numbers. Mr Warnock may get a golden season from Sol Bamba like a certain Mr Bobby Murdoch. Who knows. The ex-Arsenal 'Flop' may be be a very astute acquisition but we just don't know and it is all down to man management after all.
If they come to Boro I know we'll give them, as a collective, a fair chance. Big ticket signings are gone and it's all about value. I think Mr Warnock has some of the Middlesbrough Teesside attitude of 'sod you, we''ll show you' and I for one hope he does.
The EG article? negative cliche alert, just give it a rest, if Boro have to satisfy unimaginative WAGs as well the player it is a problem so goodbye. Actually it's not a problem because they won't come, so problem solved. Many years ago Harry Green, and his wife Jean, were family friends. Harry came from Chelsea to be Boro secretary and they both said why wouldn't anyone like it up here, they were truly stunned by the area. Two views they called it. Stand on Dixon's Bank or anywhere where you could see the industry and then turn through 180 degrees and look at the view. We saw them once or twice when he moved to Aldershot and all they really missed was Teesside.
Teesside gets a whole lot right, people need to give it a chance and ignore those terrible stereotypes. Why do the EG do it?
UTB and Teesside,
John
PS I got into the last 14 of the MFC Foundation 'Love Teesside' competition, I didn't win but I did support the concept, idea and love of the area. DNA can be transplanted, witness George Friend.
To put our current plight and woes in a little bit of perspective Malaga are making up to ten players redundant with 80% pay cuts being enforced.
https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/malaga-cf-player-redundancies-covid-19-al-thani
I think there is plenty more where this came from going forwards.
It’s Ben conformed today that a Boro player has been quarantined after being on holiday
we know that it is Fry although the club say they cannot say
OFB
On another note
Harry Pearson who gave an In2view for us has written a new book called the “Farther Side” he is being interviewed on BBC Look North at 6:30 tonight and mentions the Boro and Northern League
That would be Man City. Play football, check. Had him well scouted, check. Like him, pay no attention to the antics of worthless managers, check. And he will be cheap. We shall see?
Just read your piece on the boring subject of Teeside. how they do go on! Very disappointed in AV. As someone who goes everywhere to see Football, he must be aware of the many places he visits which are quite simply the same, or worse! Try Bolton, Blackburn, Millwall, Liverpool, Everton, I could go on. The point being forgotten is that we are such a small area that we never experienced the back to back slums, or the large slums that these other older clubs possessed, think Manchester. We of course live and train in the heart of the country (rather nice actually).
Our recruitment market means that it has no significance, we are, or should be, signing young players who are playing out of their skins in a lower level of football, all these youngsters tell the same story as they hit the top. They walk off the field after scoring their third hat trick in a month, their Manager tells them that a big club is wanting to talk, it's a Championship club and he will be playing next Wednesday against (pick your own team). This is the very heart of football, it's heartbeat. Ambition, skill and talent, taking on the world. That Young man would no more think of refusing such a move than he would give up the game, he would not even think about money, but glory, playing for England, winning the World cup, and signing for (pick your giant). We have badly lost our way and one fears for us.
Our recruitment market means that it has no significance, we are, or should be, signing young players who are playing out of their skins in a lower level of football, all these youngsters tell the same story as they hit the top. They walk off the field after scoring their third hat trick in a month, their Manager tells them that a big club is wanting to talk, it's a Championship club and he will be playing next Wednesday against (pick your own team). This is the very heart of football, it's heartbeat. Ambition, skill and talent, taking on the world. That Young man would no more think of refusing such a move than he would give up the game, he would not even think about money, but glory, playing for England, winning the World cup, and signing for (pick your giant). We have badly lost our way and one fears for us.
Whilst I'm sure there are still talented youngsters in non-league and lower league football, I think the game has changed a lot with large-scale academies and inflated squads.
The vast majority of talented youngsters are in an Academy from a young age now I believe, though I'm sure some slip through the net.
First pre season friendly
Come on BORO.
If it is Fry quarantined, at least he is not talking to another club.
Come on BORO.
I’ve just spent this afternoon preparing a schedule of the English League clubs ready for the new season and was a tad surprised to discover that 11 of League 1 clubs, 6 of League 2 clubs and of course Notts County of the National League have all spent at least one season in the top division since the Second World War. I wonder how many of these clubs folks can remember. To give folks a clue I’ve listed the last season they were relegated from either the old First Division or Premier League:-
1948 This club after 10 successive seasons.
1963 This club spent only one year in First Division
1966 As did this club
1975 As did this club
1988 This club spent only 3 seasons
1990 This club also spent 3 seasons
1994 This club spent only one year
1999 As did this club
2000 As did this club, but reformed
2002 This club were Champions in 1962
2011 This club relegated after one season but previously won the Cup in 1953
2012 Two clubs with long histories in the top tier, one of which were Champions in successive seasons, the other have never been Champions
2013 This club spent 8 successive seasons in the Premier League
2017 Two clubs with long periods in the top tier, total of 3 FA Cup wins between them
2017 This club also relegated twice before in 2010 and 2015
Finally Notts County spent 3 successive seasons in the top tier, but which year were they finally relegated?
I see Derby have been cleared of all charges by the EFL.
Come on BORO.
It sounds like Boro are going a bit too literal in finding a replacement for Rudy Gestede by pursuing the 6 foot 4 inch Yaya Sanogo, who sounded promising when he was young but hasn't scored or played much football recently. Maybe the clue is in the 'no go' part of his surname but he doesn't sound like he's going to solve the issue of Boro being the Championship's lowest scorers. At least he's not going to cost anything but neither would a whole list of non-scoring strikers at the moment. I'd rather wait for some young and hungry PL loan deal as what's the point on taking a punt on any risky permanent signings this season?
Possibly a sign of one of Warnock’s astute management processes?
“I am one of the more experienced ones in the group now so he gave me the armband and said ‘you’re wearing this today’.
“And everyone’s looking at me like ‘huh?’ - I was shocked as well!
Brit Assombalonga on being handed the Captains armband.....
- @werdermouth. At least there is one positive, we can’t be accused of ruining another goal scorer! 😎
I agree about the young and hungry bit but Boro get them and they're young but not so hungry. Alright I'm a cynic.
UTB
John