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A tribute to Dean Windass - one of Middlesbrough's most underrated strikers
For sheer will-to-win, determination and honest 90-minute endeavour there were few better, claims Eric Paylor[Published 23rd February 2020]
[Edited]
Dean Windass is unlikely to win a place on the list of Boro’s top strikers of all time.
But for sheer will-to-win, determination and honest 90-minute endeavour there were few better.
It was these qualities, allied to a fair bit of football nous, which led Terry Venables and Bryan Robson to bring Windass to Boro early in 2001.
Venables had been brought in as head coach by Steve Gibson just a few months earlier to try to lift a Boro side which had started to tread water.
The former England manager took control in December 2000, and made an immediate impact.
Four weeks later he took Boro to Bradford City for an FA Cup third round clash on a cold, wet, windy night and came away with a 1-0 win. Hamilton Ricard scored the crucial goal midway through the second half, yet the main story of the tie was the way in which Boro were ripped apart time and time again. The man who did the damage was Windass, with his strong, physical runs through the middle which, on another night, would have brought a Bradford win rather than a Boro one.
Venables and Robson were so impressed that, following heated negotiations, they completed the £1m signing of Windass a short while later.
Dean Windass celebrates after the 1st goal in the 3-0 win for Boro against Arsenal at Highbury in 2001
Venables and Robson wanted somebody with guts to lead by example on the pitch. Windass was their man.
In fairness, Dean wasn’t the greatest footballer in the world and could sometimes find the going hard against the better sides.
Yet he fitted comfortably into a resurgent Boro side, once he got there. Windass’s debut was delayed because of an injury picked up without kicking a ball.
He was due to make his first start in a derby at Newcastle United. However he ricked his back when taking his kitbag out of the boot of his car after arriving at Boro’s Rockliffe Park training ground ahead of the short coach trip to St James’ Park.
Fortunately Windass was fit to play two weeks later at Chelsea and scored Boro’s goal in a 2-1 defeat. He quickly provided fresh spark and inspiration and played his part in Boro comfortably pulling away from the danger area. The following season Windass was one of many players inherited by new boss Steve McClaren. He remained a key member of the squad despite spending a loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday.
When Boro entertained Leeds United in a Riverside derby in February 2002, Windass was named initially on the bench.
Dean Windass holds off Patrick Vieira of Arsenal during the FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford in 2002 (Image: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Boro were enjoying one of their best spells of the season at that stage, having gone unbeaten in five league and cup games. The highlight from this run came at the Riverside towards the end of January, when Boro beat Manchester United 2-0 in the fourth round of the FA Cup. It was a very cold day when Boro toppled the Reds, but the attendance of only 17,624 was rather strangely low, especially taking into account all the local Man U fans who are traditionally attracted to the Riverside for this fixture. The tie appeared to be heading for a draw until Noel Whelan ran through to finish off a long goal kick from Mark Crossley and then Andy Campbell headed home from a Windass cross soon afterwards. Whelan, who was a £2.2m Robson signing from Coventry City in the summer of 2000, had first made his name at Leeds.
At the time that Boro entertained Leeds in 2002, Whelan was enjoying a purple patch and was Boro’s key attacker.
After netting Boro’s goal in a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal at the end of December, Whelan scored an average of a goal every two games up until early March.
He had not arrived on Teesside at the best of times, joining a Boro team which quickly began to struggle in Robson’s last season.
When Venables was drafted in to save the sinking ship, Whelan did not get too many opportunities and nor was he a permanent fixture under McClaren.
Noel Whelan celebrates his goal for Boro against Manchester United during an FA Cup fourth round tie at the Riverside
However Whelan was McClaren’s first choice striker for a while and did himself proud.
Against Leeds, Whelan was accompanied up front by the Italian Benito Carbone, who was making his debut having followed Windass to Boro from Bradford City.
It was a good bit of business by McClaren. The Bantams were not keen to lose Carbone but were struggling to meet his £40,000 per week wages.
Carbone was a crowd pleaser wherever he went, having initially made a name for himself in England with Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa.
While Boro had Whelan and Carbone as an attacking partnership, David O’Leary’s Leeds fielded the experienced duo Mark Viduka and Robbie Fowler up front.
The visitors, who were chasing a Champions League place, were particularly strong in midfield through the illustrious quartet Olivier Dacourt, Eirik Bakke, David Batty and Harry Kewell. Boro countered with Paul Ince, Jonathan Greening and Phil Stamp, with Gianluca Festa and Frank Queudrue operating as wing-backs whenever possible. Ince had reached the grand old age of 34 but was still a warrior and a valuable member of the team, holding the Boro midfield together. However it was the Leeds midfield who dominated in the early stages and Boro were on the back foot in the opening 25 minutes.
Boro's Benito Carbone holds off Rio Ferdinand of Leeds at the Riverside in February 2002 (Image: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Leeds took the lead in 19 minutes when a Viduka back-heel sent Fowler clear and the former Liverpool man selflessly squared the ball for Bakke to tap in.
The visitors were still leading at the break, at which time McClaren switched to a flat back four with Robbie Mustoe replacing Jason Gavin, and also brought on a third striker in Alen Boksic for Stamp. The switches paid dividends within six minutes when Ince tried his luck from 20 yards and the ball bounced awkwardly off a bad patch of ground and deceived goalkeeper Nigel Martyn.Unfortunately Boro were back on terms for only three minutes before Fowler scored following an Ian Harte free kick. Leeds looked capable of holding on but Boro finished strongly after bringing on super-sub Windass in 79 minutes. Carbone took a corner on the left and Windass pounced to head home the equaliser, which maintained Boro’s unbeaten run and dented Leeds’ faint hopes of staying in the title race.
It was the only goal which Windass scored for Boro all season but it was an important one.
Windass still gave Boro a hard running, physical presence on the pitch and perhaps his finest moment came at Old Trafford in the FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal. Boro were suffering a run of injuries at the time, while skipper Ince was suspended, Carbone was cup-tied and there was another late blow when Jonathan Greening dropped out as a result of a calf injury. Frenchman Mickael Debeve came in for his full debut while Windass was paired up front with Boksic.
Mickael Debeve challenges Fredrik Ljungberg of Arsenal during an FA Cup semi at Old Trafford
Windass quickly made the Gunners well aware that he was on the pitch by leading Boro’s bright start and bringing a brilliant early save from goalkeeper Richard Wright. Late on, with Boro trailing to Gianluca Festa’s unfortunate own goal, Windass had a goalbound header cleared off the line by Lee Dixon.
Dean epitomised Boro’s fighting spirit on the day and was a contender for man of the match.
He struggled to get into the team the following season and was eventually sold on to Sheffield United, before moving back to Bradford City and then Hull, where he had retained cult status. In May 2008, shortly after reaching 700 career appearances, Windass scored the goal in the play-off final against Bristol City which put the Tigers into the Premier League for the very first time.
Despite his occasional knock-backs, Windass always bounced back to the top of the pile.
[https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport...bute-dean-windass-one-middlesbroughs-17790152]It was these qualities, allied to a fair bit of football nous, which led Terry Venables and Bryan Robson to bring Windass to Boro early in 2001.
Venables had been brought in as head coach by Steve Gibson just a few months earlier to try to lift a Boro side which had started to tread water.
The former England manager took control in December 2000, and made an immediate impact.
Four weeks later he took Boro to Bradford City for an FA Cup third round clash on a cold, wet, windy night and came away with a 1-0 win. Hamilton Ricard scored the crucial goal midway through the second half, yet the main story of the tie was the way in which Boro were ripped apart time and time again. The man who did the damage was Windass, with his strong, physical runs through the middle which, on another night, would have brought a Bradford win rather than a Boro one.
Venables and Robson were so impressed that, following heated negotiations, they completed the £1m signing of Windass a short while later.
Dean Windass celebrates after the 1st goal in the 3-0 win for Boro against Arsenal at Highbury in 2001
Venables and Robson wanted somebody with guts to lead by example on the pitch. Windass was their man.
In fairness, Dean wasn’t the greatest footballer in the world and could sometimes find the going hard against the better sides.
Yet he fitted comfortably into a resurgent Boro side, once he got there. Windass’s debut was delayed because of an injury picked up without kicking a ball.
He was due to make his first start in a derby at Newcastle United. However he ricked his back when taking his kitbag out of the boot of his car after arriving at Boro’s Rockliffe Park training ground ahead of the short coach trip to St James’ Park.
Fortunately Windass was fit to play two weeks later at Chelsea and scored Boro’s goal in a 2-1 defeat. He quickly provided fresh spark and inspiration and played his part in Boro comfortably pulling away from the danger area. The following season Windass was one of many players inherited by new boss Steve McClaren. He remained a key member of the squad despite spending a loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday.
When Boro entertained Leeds United in a Riverside derby in February 2002, Windass was named initially on the bench.
Dean Windass holds off Patrick Vieira of Arsenal during the FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford in 2002 (Image: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Boro were enjoying one of their best spells of the season at that stage, having gone unbeaten in five league and cup games. The highlight from this run came at the Riverside towards the end of January, when Boro beat Manchester United 2-0 in the fourth round of the FA Cup. It was a very cold day when Boro toppled the Reds, but the attendance of only 17,624 was rather strangely low, especially taking into account all the local Man U fans who are traditionally attracted to the Riverside for this fixture. The tie appeared to be heading for a draw until Noel Whelan ran through to finish off a long goal kick from Mark Crossley and then Andy Campbell headed home from a Windass cross soon afterwards. Whelan, who was a £2.2m Robson signing from Coventry City in the summer of 2000, had first made his name at Leeds.
At the time that Boro entertained Leeds in 2002, Whelan was enjoying a purple patch and was Boro’s key attacker.
After netting Boro’s goal in a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal at the end of December, Whelan scored an average of a goal every two games up until early March.
He had not arrived on Teesside at the best of times, joining a Boro team which quickly began to struggle in Robson’s last season.
When Venables was drafted in to save the sinking ship, Whelan did not get too many opportunities and nor was he a permanent fixture under McClaren.
Noel Whelan celebrates his goal for Boro against Manchester United during an FA Cup fourth round tie at the Riverside
However Whelan was McClaren’s first choice striker for a while and did himself proud.
Against Leeds, Whelan was accompanied up front by the Italian Benito Carbone, who was making his debut having followed Windass to Boro from Bradford City.
It was a good bit of business by McClaren. The Bantams were not keen to lose Carbone but were struggling to meet his £40,000 per week wages.
Carbone was a crowd pleaser wherever he went, having initially made a name for himself in England with Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa.
While Boro had Whelan and Carbone as an attacking partnership, David O’Leary’s Leeds fielded the experienced duo Mark Viduka and Robbie Fowler up front.
The visitors, who were chasing a Champions League place, were particularly strong in midfield through the illustrious quartet Olivier Dacourt, Eirik Bakke, David Batty and Harry Kewell. Boro countered with Paul Ince, Jonathan Greening and Phil Stamp, with Gianluca Festa and Frank Queudrue operating as wing-backs whenever possible. Ince had reached the grand old age of 34 but was still a warrior and a valuable member of the team, holding the Boro midfield together. However it was the Leeds midfield who dominated in the early stages and Boro were on the back foot in the opening 25 minutes.
Boro's Benito Carbone holds off Rio Ferdinand of Leeds at the Riverside in February 2002 (Image: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Leeds took the lead in 19 minutes when a Viduka back-heel sent Fowler clear and the former Liverpool man selflessly squared the ball for Bakke to tap in.
The visitors were still leading at the break, at which time McClaren switched to a flat back four with Robbie Mustoe replacing Jason Gavin, and also brought on a third striker in Alen Boksic for Stamp. The switches paid dividends within six minutes when Ince tried his luck from 20 yards and the ball bounced awkwardly off a bad patch of ground and deceived goalkeeper Nigel Martyn.Unfortunately Boro were back on terms for only three minutes before Fowler scored following an Ian Harte free kick. Leeds looked capable of holding on but Boro finished strongly after bringing on super-sub Windass in 79 minutes. Carbone took a corner on the left and Windass pounced to head home the equaliser, which maintained Boro’s unbeaten run and dented Leeds’ faint hopes of staying in the title race.
It was the only goal which Windass scored for Boro all season but it was an important one.
Windass still gave Boro a hard running, physical presence on the pitch and perhaps his finest moment came at Old Trafford in the FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal. Boro were suffering a run of injuries at the time, while skipper Ince was suspended, Carbone was cup-tied and there was another late blow when Jonathan Greening dropped out as a result of a calf injury. Frenchman Mickael Debeve came in for his full debut while Windass was paired up front with Boksic.
Mickael Debeve challenges Fredrik Ljungberg of Arsenal during an FA Cup semi at Old Trafford
Windass quickly made the Gunners well aware that he was on the pitch by leading Boro’s bright start and bringing a brilliant early save from goalkeeper Richard Wright. Late on, with Boro trailing to Gianluca Festa’s unfortunate own goal, Windass had a goalbound header cleared off the line by Lee Dixon.
Dean epitomised Boro’s fighting spirit on the day and was a contender for man of the match.
He struggled to get into the team the following season and was eventually sold on to Sheffield United, before moving back to Bradford City and then Hull, where he had retained cult status. In May 2008, shortly after reaching 700 career appearances, Windass scored the goal in the play-off final against Bristol City which put the Tigers into the Premier League for the very first time.
Despite his occasional knock-backs, Windass always bounced back to the top of the pile.