No poker in this bit just a few ramblings about being a Boro supporter for the past 45 years
I stated going to games when I was about 8 years old,my Dad would take me to Ayresome Park every other Saturday the journey would consist of a bus ride to my uncles house around 5 miles were we would meet him,and walk the next 3 to 4 miles to the ground, It was 8 years later when I started going myself that the bus went to the ground but my dad didn"t like to pay the extra to do the full journey he would rather make me walk the extra 3 mile to save 15p, times were hard. I don"t think he actually paid an entrance fee for me into the ground he would shove me in front of him in the turnstile,ask the bloke to give me a squeeze (not in the sexual sense you understand) and we would both get in for the price of one ticket, apparently saving the extra cash meant a couple more pints for him on the night he tells me now lol.
One of my earliest memories was camping outside the Ground in the middle of January to get tickets to see Man Utd in the Fa Cup it was bloody freezing, again my dad was with me I was probably about 9 I think, and to to this day I wonder why I had to be there he could of just camped himself got 2 tickets job done, but no if I wanted to see the game I had to endure the same as him.
We got the tickets, the game had to be played at 3 pm on a school day,it was during the miners strike and the 3 day week was on,so floodlights were not allowed to be used hence the afternoon game, we lost the game 3 0 I think,but like now Man Utd were massive at the time so it was a big game.
When Jack Charlton arrived as manager in the early 70s we were all convinced we were actually going to win some thing or even get to an FA cup final, but it never happened and I was convinced we would never win anything but there was always hope, but when he left it was Bob Hope or No hope.
My favourite time as a Boro fan was after liquidation, we went up from the third to the first in successive seasons, subsequently relegated, but that team was made up of local players, and it did give a sense of we were all part of that team, even the supporters.
I have seen us in a Cup Final, I have seen us win a major trophy, and also appear in a major European Final all of which I would never of believed when I started going all those years ago, like I said in a previous post I don"t have the same passion as I used to have,but since Mowbray took over from Strachen I have took more of an interest I think I like the idea of local players and management representing the town,it just gives the club a stronger link to to the town and does help give the place a push and a boost, any way must stop rambling on ironing to do. Balla lifestyle me you know.
