Boro Mania » Degsyg79

When Boro Signed Gazza

Degsyg79 — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 08:48:24 +0000

It is a little known fact that Paul ‘Gazza’ Gascoigne had the chance of trials with the Boro back in 1980 and he came down to the club with his friend Keith Spraggon, Paul left without taking the trial and Boro offered his friend youth terms.

The rest they say is history.

He was a hero to many a football fan and the game came full circle in March 1998 when then Boro Manager Bryan Robson paid £3.4 million for his services from Glasgow Rangers.

When he joined he joined an infamous set-up at the club which included the drinking culture of the late 90s era. The club had the likes of Phil Stamp, Andy Townsend and Paul Merson to name but three at a time when we were hoping to return to the Premier League.

Ironically Gazza’s debut came in the Coca-Cola cup final against Chelsea at Wembley where he was named amongst the substitutes at the expense of Craig Hignett, as a gesture Gazza told Higgy the medal was his win or lose. We obviously lost but it showed a lot about the man.

His league debut came away at West Brom a match I attended a forgettable affair to say the least and we lost 2-1 but he was always going to become a likeable player amongst the staff and fans alike.

We reached our promotion aim and Gazza tried to pursue his dream of going to the World Cup in France, a dream which he failed to achieve, a dream many feel he deserved.

After a full season with the Boro in the Premier League he joined Everton in JULY 2000, his time at the Boro was never problem free, but the Boro had been through its fair share of problems at that time and this just added to them.

In total Gazza made 48 appearances for the club scoring only 4 goals and it was nice to have one of the game’s all-time favourite players adorn the clubs colours.

His career whittled away after this time and many publicised problems have since followed Gazza states openly in his autobiography that he is two people Gazza and Paul Gascoigne. Let us hope the one with the problems is well and truly out of his left.

Good luck for the future Gazza, you’re always a hero to me!

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Post from BoroMania: Middlesbrough Football

When Boro Signed Gazza

Next Seasons Starting XI?

Degsyg79 — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:19:18 +0000

As the relegation we have suffered slowly sinks in we have to learn to move on and move forward.

Many players are been linked with futures elsewhere as well as a few of the players stating they may see their futures been decided away from the Boro.

This is to be expected in the modern game, though whilst the season was still in progress it was a very disrespectful happening to both the fans and the club that currently employed them.

With this in mind and the division we’ll find ourselves playing in next season been the Championship and not the Premier League which many of the players will wish to grace, coupled with the vultures circling near some of our players, namely Downing, Tuncay and Alves.

What is in store for the Boro faithful next season?

It’s obvious we’ll have comings and goings like any other club but after the worst case scenario recently happened it is likely to be a summer of transistion with many comings and goings at the club.

I believe we will lose a lot of so-called big name players this summer and with the clubs policy of promoting the youthful palyers, could the below team be the starting XI for the newly sponsored adidas Boro next season.

What do you think? Who’d be in yours?

Turnbull
Hoyte
Wheater
Riggott
Pogatetz
O’Neil
Walker
Digard
Franks
Johnson
Emnes

Obviously we will and need to make signings should the players who currently play fo rthe club and aren’t in this team leave, we’ve already been linked with a few players, namely Jason Scotland and Tommy Spurr.

But as rumours circulate with regard players leaving, admitting they want to leave and for the sake of the fans hopefully leaving then this team above is what we are ultimately left with to build upon.

It is set to be an interesting couple of months ahead but beware, the team above could be coming to a Championship ground near you soon!

Post from BoroMania: Middlesbrough Football

Next Seasons Starting XI?

Positivity Will Pay

Degsyg79 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:17:44 +0000

Relegation is still proving very difficult to come to terms with, to talk about and above all accept. Time they say is a great healer, but I firmly believe in sport and in particular football you never fully recover from the bad times just as you never forget the good times.

We have to at some point face up to the fact that we are now a Championship side, one of the favourites to be promoted in the coming 2009/2010 season and now we have to deal with this and move forward or we would face turning into the next Nottingham Forest or even worse Leeds United.

With this in mind we need to take the positives the club clearly possess and move towards the future, a future that is very bright when compared to many other football clubs. Newcastle United is the obvious comparison to this point.

Recently Steve Gibson announced he had restructured the clubs debts which have been reduced to approximately £30million with a view to these been wiped out completely by the end of the year. Incoming transfer revenue, season ticket sales and Adidas sponsorship and merchandising are the main reasons for this.

Gibson deserves more praise than he has received for doing this as many clubs are currently struggling to survive let alone work on an even platform.

With this in mind the announcement to allow Gareth Southgate to continue is his role as manager needs to stop been criticised, we have to move on and support the club for this coming season. Gareth is an intelligent young manager and with an assistant manager appointed who could add a bit of steel and authority to proceedings, then we should be able to move forward.

Gareth offers many qualities to move the club in the right direction; familiarity has to be a significant quality, he knows the club, which players to keep, which will leave as well as continuing the excellent youth policy the club has in place.

Adidas branding and merchandise will bring a new wave of football fan to the team, energise the current fan base as Errea definitely needed removing as well as bringing many financial opportunities to the club.

Yes we know several players will leave and this is probably something we needed to happen; we have carried a lot of dead wood for too long, I just hope Gareth and his coaching team can be ruthless enough with those who feel they can stay for a comfortable ride. We know who they are, he should know who they are and hopefully this will happen.

Investment in the playing staff is required, but we have to invest in some experience to help us through what will be a long hard season in the Championship, 3 or maybe 4 experienced signings right through the centre of the team should put us in a good position to start the season.

I was as disappointed as anyone when we suffered relegation but let us turn this on its head, we have a bright future in the game and it will not be long before we return to the heady heights of the Premier League, but not to just make up the numbers, we will go back and compete to a level that will excite and allow Boro fans to dream of success.

Time will tell, I only hope I am right, come on Boro back me up, actions speak louder than words!

Post from BoroMania: Middlesbrough Football

Positivity Will Pay

John Hendrie – The Barrel Chested Piece of History

Degsyg79 — Wed, 20 May 2009 10:00:40 +0000

We were on a come down after our first Wembley appearance some months earlier and after precariously finishing 21stand surviving with a 4-1 home win against the Geordies on the final day of the season.

MIDDLESBROUGH v SCUNTHORPE UTD 3 10 59 DIVISION 2

0 Bid

£.99

21m

Colin Todd had to re-build and having worked under Bruce Rioch (Rioch had tried to sign Hendrie previously for the Boro) he decided to try again to bring in John Hendrie, the barrel chested Scottish player from Leeds United for £500,000. A lot of money back in the day, the same summer he brought Robbie Mustoe to Ayresome Park, so in his short tenure Todd made some good signings, if not a lot else.

Hendrie arrived having made this his fourth club in four years and had spent spells at our arch rivals Leeds United and Newcastle United. He’d soon be forgiven and would eventually go down in Boro history as a true great.

He began his career on the wing (flank was the term in those days) and often inter-changed with Stuart Ripley to terrorise opposing full-backs. This included a very memorable goal against Millwall, taking the ball from the edge of his own box and finishing at the other end, with calmness and compose not often seen in the 2nd division.

Under Lennie Lawrence, Hendrie became deployed as a 2ndstriker and became more prolific in his middle years with the club, firmly becoming a fans’ favourite, especially after hitting the clubs first Premier League hat-trick in a Match of the Day main feature 3-2 home win against Blackburn Rovers, Dalglish, Shearer et al.

His final years at the club saw the arrival of Bryan Robson, the move away from Ayresome Park to the Riverside Stadium and the influx of foreign players to the club. But Hendrie left with his head held high, having kept his nerve on the final day of the 1994/95 season to fire the final goals at Ayresome Park and bring the First Division trophy to the club at the same time.

Hendrie had a respectable goal scoring record at the Boro:

192 league games scoring 44 goals

40 cup games scoring 11 goals

But he’s more than his scoring return. It was about his mazy runs, its commitment to the shirt, his ability to score great goals, to terrorise opposing defenders. He truly found his spiritual home at the club and we treated him as one of our own.

Surprisingly Hendrie was never capped by Scotland but he did go into club management and was harshly treated by Barnsley in my opinion. John now enjoys a successful career in the media whilst ferrying his sons Luke to Manchester United for junior games and Jordan to Bradford City for junior games.

Thanks for the memories John.

Post from BoroMania: Middlesbrough Football

John Hendrie – The Barrel Chested Piece of History

Uwe Fuchs - 13 Game Hero

Degsyg79 — Sat, 16 May 2009 09:30:55 +0000

Think back to January 1995, Robsons' Red and White army had taken the First Division by storm, but as the sparkling lights of the Premier League gleamed in front of the Ayresome Park faithful, we began the usual stutter towards the finish line.

One page A4 poster Match 93 94 Swindon Town Fjortoft

0 Bid

£.99

22h 14m

Then Robson realised we needed a fresh impetus on the playing field to relight the season and guide us towards the Holy Grail.

As the impeding transfer of Jan Age Fjortoft from Swindon Town was taking longer than had been expected, Robson had to look elsewhere.

Then enter Uwe Fuchs. "Who is he?" cried the Boro faithful. This was a player we'd never heard of and Uwe was brought in on loan until the end of the season. Could this be the answer to the Boro's plight.

Sitting in 3rd place and with prospects of Premier League football at the to be opened Riverside Stadium dwindling away, could the man with a surname like a swear word be the answer?

A love affair with the mullet man from Kaiserslautern had begun and he was to be nicknamed the German Bomber by the Ayresome Angels.

What followed was Roy of the Rovers' stuff, Uwe netted an incredible 9 goals in only 13 appearances for the Boro including a hat-trick against Bristol City en route to helping the Boro achieve their Premier League goal.

Wow. Surely Uwe was to be the man to help enter a new era at the sparklingly new Riverside Stadium? No was the emphatic answer as Robson went on to splash the cash. Uwe was gone but never to be forgotten, Millwall being his next destination.

Ask any Boro fan about the German Bomber and it brings a smile to their faces, the man with a funny surname helped fire Boro towards their short-term goal and will be remembered on Teesside as a legend, even if its only for allegedly dating Jet from Gladiators.

Uwe decided after his playing days had come to an end to follow in his father and uncles' footsteps and moved into coaching and management in German. He currently managers Wuppertaler SV Borussia in the third tier of the German League.

Good lcuk for the future Uwe and your always welcome back at the Boro with open arms.

"Uwe, Uwe, Uwe, Uwe, Uwe!"

Post from BoroMania: Middlesbrough Football

Uwe Fuchs - 13 Game Hero

Middlesbrough Legends - Tony ‘Mogga’ Mowbray

Degsyg79 — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:22:25 +0000

The term hero, legend, great, superstar and even celebrity are widely over used in the world today and have now been over used in the sporting world too, none more so than football.

Players become celebrities before they are even greats of the game, it's a crying shame, it really is. The game is dying when players are being classed as celebrities and the term to make a player a great is being widely over used on many levels.

Think back to yesteryear, the 1980s and 1990s when footballers were just that, footballers. The game's superstars were actually people who could play football and the majority weren't 'pretty boys', they just happened to be good at the beautiful game.

Most of these footballers were local lads, playing for their local clubs and earning wages that could be recognised and associated with the average man in the terraces. What happened to those days?

Everyone has their favourites and it's always a pleasure to hear people’s preferences and the reasons behind their choices usually lead to fascinating stories or debates.

My personal favourite is Tony 'Mogga' Mowbray, such a legend, that the match day fanzine at Middlesbrough is technically in a round about way named after him. I have fondly followed his career until the present day and he will always be a hero to me, a true local great of the game.

Born Anthony Mark Mowbray in Saltburn in November 1963, he obviously became more affectionately known as Tony who then became more affectionately known as 'Mogga'. He had an 18 year career with many high points including captaining Middlesbrough at just 22 years of age, gaining promotions with both Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town.

He had the pleasure of playing north of the border at Glasgow Celtic and was the nemeses behind the infamous 'Celtic Huddle' though the reasons for this are different to those publically believed, namely the death of his first wife Bernadette.

Whilst his playing career came to an end with a high, a play-off victory for Ipswich Town against Barnsley at Wembley Stadium in 2000, a game he actually scored in too. He decided to take the more advisable route into football management by becoming first-team coach at Portman Road.

After a small stint as Interim Manager, 'Mogga' landed the Hibernian job in Scotland in May 2004. He enjoyed reasonable success at Hibernian, including two European qualifications in two seasons, and a football writers' manager of the year award. Many also believe he laid the foundations for Hibernians' Scottish League Cup win in 2007.

'Mogga' had moved on to West Bromwich Albion before this success, he'd moved in October 2006 and in his first season as manager they reached the play-off final, losing 1-0 to Derby County. In his second season they gained promotion to the Premier League winning the Championship in the process.

His first season looks set to result in relegation, but Tony is destined for as great a career as a manager as he experienced as a player. My personal hope is that Tony one day becomes manager of my beloved Middlesbrough.

Tony has re-married to Amber and they have two children, Lucas and Max. Interestingly Tony has been tee-total since the age of 19. He is a legend to me and many fans up and down the country as well as Scotland.

Keep up the good work Tony!

By Derek J Gaffney

Post from BoroMania: Middlesbrough Football

Middlesbrough Legends - Tony ‘Mogga’ Mowbray