Roy Chatto recently celebrated his 90th birthday in a village hall close to his home near Dunstable. Fans travelled from all over to join Roy including many making the trip south from his favourite Middlesbrough watering holes. Everyone was happy to pay their respects and to make the journey in reverse that Roy takes over 20 times every season because Middlesbrough born Roy Chatto is Boro’s oldest home and away season ticket holder, or should be away and away because Roy lives 218 miles or 4 hours away (on a good day). And just like the Ayresome Angels of yesteryear Roy never misses a match.

Earlier last season I asked Roy if he could recall his first Boro game but I also looked back to when I interviewed the much travelled Boro fan for Issue 546 of Fly Me To The Moon first published on 26th April 2014 v Barnsley.

“The first time I went to Ayresome Park was in 1944 to see a friendly game against a ships 11.”

“The first Boro game I remember seeing was in 1946/47 when we beat Stoke 5-4. “

This game took place On September 7th 1946. Boro beat Stoke City 5-4 – scorers were Fenton (4) Mannion.

Crowd 43 685

Boro Team:


Cummings, Robinson, Hardwick, Bell, Shepherdson, Gordon, Spuhler, Mannion, Fenton, Dews, Walker

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You might have seen Roy Chatto at Boro games, until recently he used to sport a ponytail and at the slightest hint of sunshine he will be wearing his shorts. One of the elder statesmen amongst our home and away crowd and yet he still enjoys quaffing a real ale of two at the closest CAMRA pub before kick off.

I sit next to Roy Chatto at away games where we both have season tickets. What I haven’t told you yet is that every game is an away trek for Roy who drives up from his home near Dunstable to the Riverside. That is about 220 miles each way. Roy was one of the 32 or so that went to every European game home and away. For a couple of seasons he also had a Luton Town season ticket and still spends the close season following cricket, Yorkshire of course. Like the Ayresome Angels he doesn’t miss a match. Another thing about Roy is that he will be 80 years old on May 27th. A very happy birthday to Roy one of Boro’s greatest fans.

I grabbed Roy for a few minutes in the concourse at Reading in the half time interval and took him back to his early years as a Boro fan some 70 years ago.

Fly: What do you remember about your first Boro match?

RC:
My first Boro match was during the war, 1944 at Ayresome Park.

The first game I remember any details was the first year after the war with Shepherdson at centre half. We played Stoke and every time we scored they scored a few minutes later. So it went to 1-1, 2-2 and 3-3 the score at half time. We scored about half way through the second half and then they scored. Then we scored right near the end and there wasn’t enough time for them to score, so we won 5-4.

Fly: So when you were young who were the main players for Boro?

RC:
Obviously Wilf and George and Johnny Spuhler.

Fly: How much would it cost to get in at Ayresome?

RC:
Not very much. I was usually in the Bob End. So called.

Fly: It had no roof at that time, did it?

RC:
No. There was a special little enclosure for youngsters, can you remember it?

Fly: Yes, the Boys End.

RC:
And most youngsters seemed to clamber over the wall and there was a great long drop where they would hang on to the side and drop down to the bottom.

Fly: How did you get to the match in those days?

RC:
I walked. If I walked fairly quickly and it took me about 12 minutes to walk to the ground from Arlinghton Road, off Tollesby Road.

Fly: There were some massive crowds in that era, do you remember that?

RC:
Yes. The Burnley game and Newcastle game were sell outs 50 000+. We couldn’t get in to the Newcastle game. There was this enormous great big bloke and he said let’s knock the door down. So he bashed against the door, forced it open and we went running in. I remember dashing up the steps and one of the stewards was going to hit me but I sort of dodged him and dashed in and we all squeezed in there. 53, 000.

Fly: When did you first start going to any away matches?

RC:
I didn’t go to many. I remember going to Newcastle and Ugolini was in goal. One thing I can I remember was that they had a shot and Ugolini was stood there and the ball hit him on his head and went over the cross bar. In those days keepers had to be tough because you could get knocked into the net.

Fly: Yes and he wasn’t too tall either, was he?

RC:
No he wasn’t all that tall really but he was quite a courageous goalkeeper and quite a showman. An Italian and a great favourite with the crowd.

Fly: Did you go to the match with your mates in those days?

RC:
Usually by myself or when my dad came back from the war I went with him. My dad was a member of Middlesbrough Supporters Club in the early 1920s. I think I have got his old badge somewhere. And when he was working in Middlesbrough he used to share accommodation with the Middlesbrough team. They all stayed together. Across the road from us was Jack Hatfield. I knew Jack Hatfield junior since I was maybe 2 years old. My father and Jack senior were friends.

Fly: Two people you have mentioned that have sadly recently died in Jack Hatfield junior and Rolando Ugolini.

RC:
Yes that is right. I was a big mate with Jack, I think he was 6 months older than me. I got on well with Jack and his season ticket was just near where I am sitting now in the West Stand. He had a good sense of humour, always had a smile on his face. He did a lot of swimming.

One of the regular quiz questions is which Middlesbrough player scored a hat trick for England at Wembley?

That was Jack Hatfield senior at water polo.

Fly: Who were some of the stand out players in all your time of watching Boro?

RC:
Well Wilf was my idol and he used to live just near us and he would come out with his daughter while we were playing football or cricket. If we were playing football we would deliberately accidentally kick the ball to him and he would control it and kick it back. That was Wilf. Of course in those days when he went back to South Bank he would get the bus. He would be stood at the bus stop queuing for the bus.


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