Club Overview

Middlesbrough FC was formed in 1896 by the Middlesbrough Cricket Club. It played out of Ayresome Park for the first 95 years of its existence and moved to current home, Riverside Stadium in 1995. The Boros have played in every division of English football though their existence including the Third Division, Second Division and Premier League. Football legends such as George Camsell and Wilf Mannion have once worn the famous red uniform. Currently, the club plays in the Premier League and is managed by Gareth Southgate.

Club History

Middlesbrough FC was founded in 1876 by the members of the Middlesbrough Cricket Club during a meeting at Albert Park Hotel. One year later the club played its first home game against the Teesside Wanderers resulting in a tie. The team faced Barnard Castle in its first away game, which resulted in a defeat. The club played at a professional status until 1889, but got demoted to amateur in 1892.

While playing the amateur North League, Middlesbrough FC performed exceptionally well. The club defeated tough opponents to win the League and Amateur Cup in 1895. The club won its second North League title in 1897 and the Amateur Cup in 1898. As a result of the club’s success it was again promoted to professional status.

The Boro’s played in the Second Division of the national Football League. The players wore white shirts and blue shorts at home and black shirts and white shorts while playing in away game. The team’s first game in the new division was against Lincoln, which they lost 3-0. Their first win was against Grimsby. After three years in the Second Division, the club got promoted to the First Division and moved to its new home at Ayresome Park.

The first team to play on the visiting side at the new stadium was Celtic FC in a preseason game. Middlesbrough FC first league game that same year was against Suderland, which ended in a 3-2 defeat. The club finished in the middle of the table during its first seasons at the new stadium.

In 1905 the club made a record setting decision in order to improve the team. It signed forward Alf Common to the squad on a £1,000 transfer deal, the first ever four figure transfer deal in English Football. This decision paid of drastically as the team went from being ranked 17th in 1905 to 6th in 1907. A coaching change also contributed to the club’s success as Alex Mackie took Andy Aitken’s position.

Despite the club’s short spurt of successes, Aitken did not last long of the squad. After a significant drop in the team’s rank, the club replaced Aitken with Andy Walker, who’s coaching also did not get the team back into the top ranks. He was soon replaced by Tom McIntosh who brought in a new era for the Middlesbrough FC squad.

McIntosh was a successful coach. He got the team back to the top tier of the First Division. The club even went as far as finishing third in 1913-1914. However, due to the outbreak of World War I, football was paused in England.

When football resumed after the war Middlesbrough FC’s performances resulted it a mid-table finishes for the first two years. However, McIntosh’s career with the Boro was over and he was replaced Herbert Bamlett. Then in 1923/24 season the club got relegated to the Second Division after finishing at the bottom of the league, ten points away from the club right about them.

However in only two years, the club got promoted to the First Division by winning the Division Two championship. This was due to the change in management, from Bamlett to Peter McWilliam. A second reason was striker George Camsell who created a Division Two record that same season, by scoring a total of 59 goals including nine hat tricks. The team meanwhile scored a total of 122 league goals.

Camsell remained the team’s top scorer for the seasons that followed, even though the club did not have a steady spot in any division. It got relegated from the First Division in 1928 and after only season was again promoted. After promotion it slowly started to rise in ranks, but then dropped again in 1930.

In 1934, Middlesbrough FC appointed Will Gillow to manage the organization in order to stabilize it. He coached Wilf Mannion and George Hardwick, both of whom went on to play for the England National Team in the years ahead. The club performed exceptionally well, even reaching the six round of the FA Cup in 1936. Its rank in the EPL rose all the way to four in the season and was expected to make a run for the Championship in the year which preceded World War 2. However, because of the Great War, football was terminated in England.

After the War, Middlesbrough’s performance was not the same. The club finished in the sixth round of the FA Cup, losing to Burnely. It hovered around mid-table of the EPL, finished 12th at best. The England international player Wilf Mannion and the first free agent to have a five figure transfer fee, Andy Donaldson, were ineffective against other teams. The manager David Jack resigned and Walter Rowley took his place.

Rowley appointment was the beginning of Middlesbrough FC’s decline of the next 20 years. The club got relegated in 1954 after 25 years in the First Division under a different manager. In 1959 Boro lost 9-0 at Blackburn, the club’s worst defeat in history. Its rank sank from 24th in 1962 to 42nd in 1966, which resulted in the club getting demoted all the way to the Third Division.

Stanley Anderson became manager in 1966 and rescued the club from sinking any deeper. It got promoted back the Second Division in its first attempt after defeating Oxford United by a score of a 4-1 in the final day of the season. Just a year later, the club went to the semi-finals of the FA Cup and were defeated by the 2-1 by Manchester United.

By 1974, Anderson retired the coaching position, giving way to Jack Charlton. Charlton led the team to a Second Division Championship during his first year as coach, finishing the season with a record 65 points. The club also won its first silverware, the Anglo-Scottish Cup under his leadership. However, in FA Cup competitions Charlton was not successful. The team was defeated on multiple occasions in different stages of the competition. The farthest Middlesbrough FC went was the quarter-finals, losing 1-0 to Birmingham. These FA Cup forced Charlton to resign.

James Neal took over Charlton’s position in 1977. His management turned out to be as ineffective as Charlton’s. Despite the recruitment of top players such as Billy Ashcroft the Boros did not make it far in either the league of the FA Cup. After losing in the FA Cup quarter finals and having a low ranking the EPL, Neal was replaced by Bobby Murdoch.

Under Murdoch, the club’s rankings continue to drastically drop down. Its rankings went from 9th to 1980 to 34th in 1983. This was a result of poor performance, and financial difficulties. The club’s ranking eventually dropped so low that it was relegated to the Second Division. As a result, Murdoch was replaced by Malcolm Allison in order to bring the team back to the First Division.

Allison was replaced by Willie Maddren after his first year of coaching as the club’s debts continued to pile up and its rankings continued to drop. The Boros were relegated to the Third Division in 1986. The club had to borrow £30,000 from Professional Football Association to pay of its players. The club’s was so in debt by the end of the season that it had to go into liquidation and the gates to Ayresome Park were locked up.

In order to rescue the organization from going completely under, a group of businessmen came up with a large sum of money, within ten minutes of the deadline. This allowed for the club to be registered for the 1986-1987 season. These businessmen also came up with a new club crest and officially changed the name of the organization to Middlesbrough Football and Athletic Club. They also appointed Bruce Rioch to coach the squad.

Rioch recruited a group of talented young local player in order to bring the organization back to the First Division. Boro got promoted back to the Second Division after only the first season. After defeated Chelsea and Bradford City, the club got promoted back to the First Division.

However, after only one season, Middlesbrough FC was again relegated. Rioch was sacked and his assistant Colin Todd took over. Todd took the team all the way to the finals in Wembley for the first time history, but it lost to Chelsea 1-0 in the Zenith Data Systems Cup. Despite the win, the club was still in the Second Division and was ranked 40th overall.

In order to bring it back to the Premiership, the club replaced Todd, with Lennie Laurence. Lawrence’s stay with Middlesbrough FC was short. Despite going to the League Cup semi-finals, the club was relegated in the proceeding season. Bryan Robinson, former Manchester United coach, took Lawrence’s place as manager in 1994.

Robinson reformed the club and led it many championships. The newly signed England international, Nick Barmby led the way for the squad. The club reached both the FA Cup and League Cup finals for the first time in history, but lost both. However, a difficult 1996-1997 season resulted in the club to be relegated from the Premier League. The club also moved to the new stadium Riverside Stadium, which they use till present day.

Despite loosing the Football of the Year, Juninho and Fabrizio Ravanelli, the club acquired Paul Gascoign from the Glasgow Rangers in 1998. Gascoign made a giant contribution to the team’s success as it reach the third consecutive Coca Cola Cup final, losing to Chelsea 2-0 in extra time. However, the Boros got promoted back to the Premiership that same season.

From that point till present day, the club has finished mid table in the Premier League. Its biggest achievement though out the decade was winning the Carling Cup in 2004. On the international stage, the club was runners up in the UEFA Cup in the 2005-2006. Last season ( 2007-2008) it finished 13th in the league and this season the club ranked 12th.

Club Rivalries

Newcastle United— Tyne-Tees derby

Sunderland

[[http://www.oleole.com/england/league1/leeds/tli.html Leeds United ]]

Stars of the Current Squad

Emanuel Pogatetz

Afonso Alves

Club Legends

Top Goal Scorers

Most Appearances

Player Recognition & Awards

Team Honours

•Football League Second Division (Football League Division One) Champions 1926–27, 1928–29, 1973–74, 1994–95; runners up 1901–02, 1991–92, 1997–98

•Football League Third Division Runners up 1966–67, 1986–87

•Northern League Champions 1893–94, 1894–95, 1896–97; runners up 1890–91, 1891–92, 1897–98

•League Cup Winners 2004 runners up 1997, 1998

•FA Cup Runners up 1997

•FA Amateur Cup Winners 1894–95, 1897–98

•Zenith Data Systems Cup Runners up 1990 International •UEFA Cup Runners up 2005–06

•Anglo-Scottish Cup Winners 1976

•Kirin Cup Winners 1980

Club Management

Steve Gibson- Chairman

Gareth Southgate -- Manager

Uniforms

Home	Away

Stadium

Riverside Stadium-- Riverside Stadium has been the home of Middlesbrough FC ever since 1995. At one time it was the biggest arena in football, having a capacity of 35,100. In addition to Middlesbrough, the English National Team has also played there.

Sponsors

Important Links

www.mfc.premiumtv.co.uk/

References

www.mfc.premiumtv.co.uk/