[Archived] Rovers vs Boro

[cn174]

Well it’s nearly half past midnight and after celebrating our famous victory against Barnsley tonight, I’ve just decided to start the Boro preview. I’m wondering why I put myself down for this preview because it appears I know very little about Middlesborough. So this is just going to be a collection of useless facts, trivia and stuff stolen from the internet.

100 Years Ago Exactly…

The game on Friday night will be exactly 100 years since Rovers played at Middlesborough in 1912. Surprisingly there is very little detail on this game (shocker) except for it finished 0-0. I can only imagine that our defence was much better than our current rabble!

Cup Fever in 1935 from British Pathe

The game finished 1-1, but I think the coverage is better than what we can get now on Football League Show on a Saturday!

http://www.britishpa.../query/wildcard

http://www.britishpa...lackburn rovers

Highest Win Margin

Rovers beat Boro 9-0 on the 6^th November 1954. Thanks to the brilliant books by Gordon Ormerod I can tell you that our scorers that day were Quigley (3), Mooney (3), Crossan (2) and Langton. The result saw us top of the 2^nd division and we had a crowd on of 29,189!

Must Be Love

Tim Flowers and Jan Aage Fjortoft get to know each other in 1995. Boro won 2-0 with goals from Hignett and Barmby

Juninho and Co & 3 Point Deduction

In the late 90s Middlesbrough went a little bit mental and started buying exotic footballers for lots of money including Ravanelli, Emerson, Beck and Gianluca Festa. But my favourite was Juninho, I always wanted him to sign for Rovers! Alas all these players didn’t really go together and Boro had a pretty disastrous season in 96/97 – getting losing two cup finals and getting relegated.

It gets brought up every time but the reason why Boro got relegated was because they didn’t fulfil a fixture at Ewood just before Christmas because they had 17 players out leading to a 3 point deduction. It seems to be something that still really narks Boro fans - http://miniboro.com/...-gibsons-letter

Players for Both

I think we’ve got a fair few players in common but ones that I can think of off the top of my head include Stuart Ripley, Craig Hignett, Yakubu, Alan Wright. Any more?

Other random links

Jeff Stelling’s Rant about Middlesbrough

Missing Men – Rovers 3-2 Boro in March 2006. I got a time of 3 minutes 12 seconds for the first 10 players, then another 5 minutes trying to work out the double barrelled name. http://www.skysports...2838569,00.html

Very random fact to finish

Middlesbrough is twinned with Oberhausen in Germany, which is where Paul the Octopus (http://en.wikipedia....aul_the_Octopus) lived. I’m sure if he was still alive today he’d go for a 3-2 victory for Rovers which is what I’m going for too.

[old darwen blue]

A good preview that Clare, well done.

[Jackie_Moon]

^{Great keepers kit Flowers has on. Don't make them like they used to.}

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

1-1

Infront of a gate busting 12,000

[alexanders]

This one is on telly in Norway. Looking forward to watching the famous blue and whites while having a beer after an exhausting week!

Love football on friday evenings.

Fun fact: I am related to Jan Åge Fjørtoft

Fun fact x 2: One of my clients know Nuno Gomes and his Mom from their place in Portugal

[bradeagle]

2-2 (hopefully 3-2)

[Mike Graham]

Great review Clure (as always).

1v1

11,500

[True Blue & White]

Great Preview.

We'll be 3-0 down at half time after only having 25% possession, only to go on and win 4-3 in due to Gomes, a Rhodes brace and one going in off their keeper's backside in stoppage time. Kean to hail squad as greatest since 94/95 and will be granted a 200% pay rise and new 20 year deal.

[rog of the rovers]

Good preview.

Due a decent home performance and as will be appropriate for almost every match this year, ''If we play to our potential we will win.''

I'd bring Nuno Gomes back in for Rochina, also bring Bruno in for Orr and Fabio Nunes in for MGP.

Robinson

Bruno-Dann-Hanley-Martin

Formica-Etuhu-Murphy-Nunes

Nuno Gomes-Rhodes

Subs - Sandomierski-Henrique-Dunn-MGP-Rochina-Orr-Lowe

Also, whilst were on the subject, not a fan of the Friday Night kick offs.

[A cup of beans]

Enjoyable preview, Clare

Apparently, Boro were awful at Blackpool last night.

Rovers to continue our lucky streak and keep a clean sheet.

1nil. deflected goal.

[sharpysharps]

Great preview, they are always a good read.

My team for this would be

Robbo

Orr, Dann, Givet (if he's back), Martin Olsson

Bruno, Etuhu, Murphy, Nunes

Nuno Gomes, Rhodes

Subs: Sandomierski, Rochina, Formica, Pedersen, Dunn, Lowe, Hanley

[bennyboyt11]

Both teams to score yet we win with an 80th minute strike by the new Shearer.

[WaKKo-]

My team

Robbo

Orr Dann Givet Olsson #3

CKR Ethuhu Murphy Nunes

Gnomes Rhodes

Bruno just looked lost on Saturday against Bristol City.

[braddock]

Nice preview!

I'll go for a defeat. Overdue one. 1-3. Have to go for Rhodes I guess, already a fans favourite and knows both where the net is and how to get into the positions to score. Full of effort too!

[dew22]

Fun preview.

[braddock]

Fun fact: I am related to Jan Åge Fjørtoft

He was the guy with the Russian dancing style celebration wasn't he?

It's the one I used to use in the playground.

[bradeagle]

thought it was a plane?

[braddock]

Maybe he only did it once then. Perhaps against Man United.

[roverthepond]

Very excited that this one will be on tv in the U.S.

[3rdpillar]

11k 3 - 2

[Salgado Is A Hero]

I can see Middlesbrough being a tough test, they've got some decent players.

Leadbitter, Kevin Thompson, McEachran, Marvin Emnes and Woodgate are all very good players at this level imo.

Can see a draw here I meant to say....although it wouldn't surprise me this season if we scored 6 or 7 in a game in this division, so who knows?

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Draw this one and Kean could be sacked - if the rumour mill about required points totals is true.

[Ricky]

Boro are coming off the back of a bad result as well. Can't see us winning this one.

[iBL4cKBuRn]

We'll lose this one imo. Luck will run out here. Kean will say we've had hard run and doing well...

[92er]

I think Darren Collier played for both teams.