STEWY DOWNING COMING HOME!

When the news broke about Stewy coming back to the club, I thought na, can’t see it being possible he’s had a fine season at West Ham last season playing under Sam Alladyce in the no10 role. On big premier league wages, if we had got promoted I thought Stewy would sign no problem. So I ruled it out and have tried to dismiss it every time I have seen news on it.

2-3 weeks later and he is on the verge of returning to the club after leaving the club 6 years ago. What can I say? I am excited to see the best player out of the Boro academy in my opinion return and play for the club again. I can only praise Steve Gibson yet again for pulling this deal off and making it possible. What a signing the signing of the summer! After the disappointment of the playoff final back in May, I think the timing of this is spot and has created a great buzz on Teesside ahead of the new campaign. 

I have always been a big Stewy Downing fan since watching him break through into the first team at Boro. The UEFA Cup game v Steaua Bucharest been his best game for us, having followed his progress since leaving us in 2009. I never really understood the criticism he receives, he gets a lot of unnecessary stick. Stewy has a lot of quality, he’s going be a massive player for us. Creating chances, scoring goals and plenty of experience to help our younger players, it can only help players like Adam Reach’s game. 

It’s a win win situation. Stewy wanted to come back home, he always said the day that he left the club he had unfinished business, it be a fitting return to take the club back to the premier league. We are getting a hell of a player for a good price in today’s market, he could have easily walked in to most premier league clubs. Get promoted and we will still see a good few years of him at the top level. It really is massive capture from Steve Gibson. It is a real state of intent, ambition to get out of the Championship and back to the Premier League.

I can’t wait to see the first images of Stewy back in a Boro shirt! Exciting times ahead! Nothing beats seeing a local player pull on the shirt of the team you support. Stewy Coming Home! Maybe he can be the DJ at the promotion party! UTB! 

Wembley Heartache Again!

Was it a bad dream?

Waking up this morning to realise it wasn’t a bad dream it really did happen, Boro lost again at Wembley in a major final. A game which we started slowly and paid the price for it. They was a end to end moment with Bradley Johnson hitting the bar for Boro to go straight down other end and hit bar with Vossen long range strike. After this Norwich profit, from an Ayala slip to take the lead through Cameron Jerome. Could we comeback? it got more difficult, bang another goal for Norwich a double blow the lively Redmond with Norwich 2nd. 2 goals in 3 mins.

15 mins gone and two down was a real nightmare start, plenty of time for the comeback. It just didn’t happen 2nd best on the day, froze on the big stage. We upped the tempo 2nd half but really struggled to create any real opportunities in front of goal and test the Norwich keeper Ruddy. Struggling to break Norwich down who put everyone behind ball.

It was a guttering end to a great season, at moment it’s hard to see the positives missing out on automatic promotion by a few costly games and losing in the championship final playoff. Will we get a better chance of going up? We know how hard this league is to get out off. I cant help but think was a massive opportunity missed.

It’s hard to accept, another 46 game season in the championship, a painful blow yesterday. When I’ve slept on it and had time to reflect we will see we have made big strides this season. It’s time to enjoy a break it’s been a long season which has offered some great memories. I’ll enjoy the break and be back in August.

Everyone feeling hurt and pain right now, the team, the fans everyone around the club. I have just watched George Friend after the game interview. Who was our best player yesterday tried his best to rally us. It was a very emotional listen, you can see how gutted he is. I so glad he represents our club. An adopted Teessider like says. ‘This is a special club, special area, community, togetherness. We are going to need that togetherness again next season.

George Friend Interview

Playoffs are torture unless you win. I can’t take anymore of them! We need to see what happens in the summer, get few players in and aim to win the league in front of a sellout at The RIverside, it would be the perfect way!

Enjoy the summer! see you in August! UTB!

Wembley!

 On Monday 25th of May 2015, a busy bank holiday Monday I and thousands (40,000) of other Boro fans will be at Wembley to cheer our team, Middlesbrough Football Club, on in a big stake Championship Playoff Final game v Norwich at National Stadium. I have been lucky enough to have visited the new wembley on two occasions. Both to watch England qualifier games.

Nothing will beat Monday’s game, It’s what you dream off. Seeing your own team, My club playing in a major final at the national stadium. The game itself is quite nervy, when think what is at stake. Financially it is massive, one game away from returning to the Premier League after our relegation in 2009.

Walking round the town this week everyone is talking about the game. Whether your into football or not they want the team to win for the area. Passionate about where they are from. It’s got people talking, It’s great to have the town buzzing with shops having displays of red and white good luck messages to the team.

Middlesbrough can return to the premier league after spending 6 seasons in the Championship. It would be fitting to clinch promotion at Wembley to mark our 20 year anniversary since we moved to the Riverside in the Robbo years. Getting to the premier league can only help, the town’s  profile, create more business for companies and more Jobs in the area. 

I can’t wait to arrive in London and be at Wembley to see the Boro invasion of fans in our colours of Red and White. First i’ll spend some time in Wembley way soaking up the atmosphere and hoping to bump into some familiar faces, last visit following Boro at the old wembley I bumped into Boro legend Mogga for a photo. I’m sure be plenty of past players going to watch The Boro. Then i’ll be heading into Wembley to find my seat and be part of Boro wall of noise. Like playoff game last Friday the Riverside was bouncing from start to finish, a game that will live me. It was definitely one of the top 3 atmosphere’s at the Riverside. One I’m sure we will repeat on Monday.

It’s not going be easy, going be another rollercoaster of emotions, tense, nail biting, edge of your seat stuff. Like this season, we will need the spirit like at Birmingham when we went down to 10 men and came back to draw. Everyone dug in and it felt like a win that day. The trip to Derby and Norwich away were back to the wall stuff but we grinded out top wins.

You would think the experience of playing at anfield, etihad and the emirates this season will help the players with the occasion. It is on the day and who copes with the pressure and nerves the most.

It is a new Wembley, we are not playing a team in blue, let’s make it a Premier league return for our club. Come On Boro! Be loud, be proud, let’s have a sea of Red and cheer them on to victory!

This is our time! We can do it! Our Club, Our town,  Let’s make Wembley Our’s! Come on Boro! Wear Red! Believe UTB!