When, how and why we become Boro Fans? Autobiography time.

P

Piggledick

Member
Grew up down the road in Northallerton, after living in Great Ayton for a few years previously, but not interested in football at that time.
At around 14, I had a teacher, Mr Webster his name was. Boro fan.
As idiot youngsters in a small town, most of us were obsessed with bigger names, Man U, Liverpool of course, if not Spurs or maybe even Leeds.
This teacher called us out one day, talking about fans, real fans, and what did we mean by 'support'.
'Go and watch a proper team like Middlesbrough' he said 'that's real support.'
As an explorer (was and still am), I was thus intrigued, and went to my first game. Took the bus from outside the chippy in Northallerton and went to see Boro in the 1st Division. Played who, can't remember. Doesn't matter, I was hooked. I forgot my childish far away 'supporter' stuff and was introduced to a whole new world. Around '88 it was I think. Saw Some great games there and timeless players, of home and visitors. I'm far away now, living in China, but this connection, those memories, they are priceless and close to me.
 
Redcar lad, no other choice.

Northallerton is full of dirty Leeds when it shouldn’t be. Also Thirsk train station used to advertise their season tickets when they were in League One. Both towns should be Boro.
 
That's the problem, caught in a no man's land and don't know where to look. Even though we are only 25 minutes away from the Riverside, compared to 90+ to Elland Road and further and further to other unreachable dreamy visions.
 
Brother was a big fan, took me to a few games as a kid in the late 80s and early 90s so was always a Boro fan but I was never properly into footy until I went to secondary school. After that all I wanted to do was kick a ball about and then the mental Robbo years and Euro 96 came and went and I was hooked... and quickly learned that Boro and England will nearly always break yer heart!
 
Grew up in Linthorpe and started going to matches a bit before the famous 4-1 win over Oxford in May 1967 (54 years ???? bloomin' 'ell that is a long long time ago). Biggest disappointment following the Boro was our frankly bewildering loss to Wolves in tha FACup quarter-final in '81 iirc.
 
Born in Middlesbrough General, lived in Guisborough. My dad took me initially, my granddad to night games.Dad fell out of love with the Boro, I never did. I went with a few mates to all of the home games.Not much to the story really - sorry!

Often said to the old man about a trip to the Riverside- sadly he never could muster the enthusiasm to go. Always a regret that he never took in a game
 
Nosmo-King said:
Born in Middlesbrough General, lived in Guisborough. My dad took me initially, my granddad to night games.Dad fell out of love with the Boro, I never did. I went with a few mates to all of the home games.Not much to the story really - sorry!

Often said to the old man about a trip to the Riverside- sadly he never could muster the enthusiasm to go. Always a regret that he never took in a game
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Yes. As a young un, it was a rite of passage going to the match, home and away with your mates. It formed friendships and created adventures. It was mentioned during the "Superleague" debacle that young people are not interested anymore....is that the case? Sad if true!
 
Showed interest in and started playing football at school shortly after Hillsborough disaster (6-7 yo) but didn't know much about Boro, Dad was a big Boro fan but hadn't gone to Ayresome as much during the 'hooligan era'. Watched Italia '90 intently and loved Gazza and Lineker like every lad my age.

Started showing signs of becoming a Spurs fan because of them but was desperate to go to a match (of any kind) so was taken to Boro v Newcastle League Cup first leg in September 1990 (won 2-0 thanks to a Robbie Mustoe brace). Loved it and never looked back, there was just no point supporting anyone else when I could actually go to Boro games and my Dad got back into going because of me too. Dad def didn't want me to be a Spurs fan, but I wasn't forced.

I often wonder if it was that feeling of 'choice' that means I'm less negative about the club than lots of fans. I go/watch them now purely out of choice and enjoyment, no sense of duty or pressure whatsoever, never really feel 'let down' if they lose or whatever. Its all of my own making and I wouldn't have it any other way.
 
My dad was a big boro fan, so I was born one, nothing more complicated than that. Grew up in the 80's when Liverpool dominated so was taken by Rush, Dalglish, Souness, Lee, McDermott, Clemence etc. but dad took me to AP a few times. Didn't really get 'into' boro til a little while later, but I was certainly born boro. When my younger brother started going I took even more interest and we've had STs together for 20? or so years. I'm not the fan my bro is who can tell you in which minute we scored in any game, who scored, describe the goal and probably who assisted, where we were in the league, but I love it all the same. I struggle to remember the last result, let alone that kind of detail
 
My Dad and Mum were season ticket holders. Dad took me when I was 4 in 1962 and I loved it. My brother who was 4 yrs younger than me then started to come with us when he was 4. It was a family day out both home and away . My dad had a Standard 8 which chugged us up and down the country.
 
Born in ‘Parkside‘ Maternity hospital on Park Rd North around 1/2 mile from Ayresome Park. My dad was a massive Boro fan and indoctrinated me into his lifetime of despair. He felt he should not suffer alone. My initial calls to Social Services and NSPCC went unheard, I was considered a vexatious complainant aged 10. Childline, founded in 1986, was founded far too late for me. The bug had already took hold, no vaccines existed back in the early 70’s. I wrote to the only other person that could potentially fix things for me, so I penned an impassioned plea to Jim’ll fixit. He was no help, but at least he did give me the opportunity to milk a cow blindfolded I suppose.
 
Probably through osmosis from my dad and grandad, first game was in 76, Tony McAndrew hat trick v Sheff Utd. From there it grow, around 79 starting going on my own with a gang of mates in the boys end.

We emigrated to South Africa in 81 after dad took redundancy from BS, followed them on a very crackly radio and my nana sending out the gazette every week.

Moved back in 84, and continued going, also doing away games with my girlfriend (now wife) .

Joined up, moved around the UK, and was able to get to more away games, but less home games.

Got a season ticket with my brothers in law, we divvied up the games so we all could use and see the home games. Think this was 98?

Move to NZ in 07, able to follow them on the net now, and through this, which is great. Mam still sent me the back pages of the gazette up until 2 years ago, started when I first joined up in 89.

So long suffering.
 
Yep, my father takes the blame too.

Born in Saltburn, lived in Redcar until emigrating to Oz ( first time ) after just turning the age of eight.
I remember him being so excited when the Boro clippings from several papers that my grandparents sent him arrived
and the what seemed to be " threats " at the time that he would take me to AP when we returned to England.

True to his word, he did and I loved it.
Not for what was happening on the pitch at the time though but for the incredible sights and sounds of the whole experience
as well as being out at night, under those hypnotising floodlights, just me and my Dad alone together amongst a sea of yorkshire caps.

We returned to Oz four years later to have another crack at settling and the rest of my family did, except for him and he returned to England alone.

I'm sure that the father - son relationship would have been so much different had it not been for our shared passion for the Boro.
It gave me reason to call him regularly as I knew that he would be feeling either " Up or Down " like myself due to the Boro results.
He would answer the phone and his reply to my " Hi Dad how are you? " was either Eee Son we were blo*dy awful last night or full of praise.

The conversation was always a long one and after we had hung up and my wife asked how he was etc, It would dawn on me that we hadn't
mentioned anything else that was going on in our lives.

He spent the remainder of his life apologising to me for introducing me to the Boro. I'm so glad that he did though as not only did it forge
a wonderful lifelong relationship with him it also laid the foundation for me having another family of Boro loving brothers and sisters
which I now have on this wonderful and important to me, forum.

Long live FMTTM.
 
Born and brought up in Chesterfield. Moved to Grangetown in 1965 when my Dad's job brought us here. Loved the place from the minute I got out of the car. My first game was towards the end of that season, we stood in the north-west corner of the Holgate - can't remember who we played or the opposition. The next season I stood in the East End, in front of the old score board, behind some holes in the terracing that were for the supports for the roof ready for the World Cup. We were relegated, Raich Carter was gone, the Aylestone Angels were born, the "kop" moved to the Holgate End - and so did I.
Hook, line and sinker! Followed the Boro whenever I can. The family have known for years to check the fixture list before they organise any family event.
I told my kids, from the age of about four, that Boro is the best team in the world. If they heard someone say otherwise then they were lying. We moved back to Chesterfield so they took some right stick at school when we played Chesterfield in those semi-finals, but they held their ground and wore their shirts to school without any pressure from me. Going to Cardiff and Eindhoven are memories we'll never forget.
 
Another one with their dad to blame. Born and raised in Stockton and I just loved footie didn't care about the team. Dad tried to convince me to follow the Boro. First match he took me to was v Leicester in 1988. Typical boro. But I was hooked. Ended up getting a season ticket with him and match day became our time. Used to always look forward to Saturday!
 
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