Boro - a lifetime of feeling

El Guapo

El Guapo

Well-known member
Having supported/ watched us since the days of John Neal in the late 70s early 80s I’ve seen both the highs and the lows. From the tear filled shattering of the dream at Molyneux in 81 and the despair of May 86 and the summer of hell that followed to the breathless euphoria of Massimo’s header and the tears of pride as Sir Gareth of Gate lifted our only major trophy I think I’ve about seen and experienced it all. What a journey of emotion that shaped and dictated my life. Over the last few years 2009 onwards from the ludicrous appointment of Strachan I’ve slipped slowly through frustrations, with a brief glimpse of belief under Aitor, to where I reside now in the great pantheon of emotion that being a supporter entails - apathy. Results used to dictate my mood for days, now I simply shrug at a defeat and move on or raise an eyebrow at a win and move on. It no longer matters like it used to. I had to forfeit my ST during the Wilder summer due to affordability issues at that time and haven’t been back since and I have to say I don’t miss going. The constant failure to build properly, the repetition of mistakes, some truely comically bad managers (Agnew/Woodgate/Monk), the scattergun approach to club direction has worn me down, just felt more and more like an unfunny joke. A loveless marriage between 2 people too afraid of life alone to leave and end it so the purgatory persisted. Maybe I just got old and jaded. Never thought I’d feel apathetic towards the club that has meant so much to me for 40+ years. There are occasional sparks but the fire is largely out. In many ways I feel sad about where I am now with Boro. In some ways I feel relieved.
 
El Guapo said:
Having supported/ watched us since the days of John Neal in the late 70s early 80s I’ve seen both the highs and the lows. From the tear filled shattering of the dream at Molyneux in 81 and the despair of May 86 and the summer of hell that followed to the breathless euphoria of Massimo’s header and the tears of pride as Sir Gareth of Gate lifted our only major trophy I think I’ve about seen and experienced it all. What a journey of emotion that shaped and dictated my life. Over the last few years 2009 onwards from the ludicrous appointment of Strachan I’ve slipped slowly through frustrations, with a brief glimpse of belief under Aitor, to where I reside now in the great pantheon of emotion that being a supporter entails - apathy. Results used to dictate my mood for days, now I simply shrug at a defeat and move on or raise an eyebrow at a win and move on. It no longer matters like it used to. I had to forfeit my ST during the Wilder summer due to affordability issues at that time and haven’t been back since and I have to say I don’t miss going. The constant failure to build properly, the repetition of mistakes, some truely comically bad managers (Agnew/Woodgate/Monk), the scattergun approach to club direction has worn me down, just felt more and more like an unfunny joke. A loveless marriage between 2 people too afraid of life alone to leave and end it so the purgatory persisted. Maybe I just got old and jaded. Never thought I’d feel apathetic towards the club that has meant so much to me for 40+ years. There are occasional sparks but the fire is largely out. In many ways I feel sad about where I am now with Boro. In some ways I feel relieved.
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Good post - Similar feelings to myself except my love affair started in the 1960's.
 
El Guapo said:
Having supported/ watched us since the days of John Neal in the late 70s early 80s I’ve seen both the highs and the lows. From the tear filled shattering of the dream at Molyneux in 81 and the despair of May 86 and the summer of hell that followed to the breathless euphoria of Massimo’s header and the tears of pride as Sir Gareth of Gate lifted our only major trophy I think I’ve about seen and experienced it all. What a journey of emotion that shaped and dictated my life. Over the last few years 2009 onwards from the ludicrous appointment of Strachan I’ve slipped slowly through frustrations, with a brief glimpse of belief under Aitor, to where I reside now in the great pantheon of emotion that being a supporter entails - apathy. Results used to dictate my mood for days, now I simply shrug at a defeat and move on or raise an eyebrow at a win and move on. It no longer matters like it used to. I had to forfeit my ST during the Wilder summer due to affordability issues at that time and haven’t been back since and I have to say I don’t miss going. The constant failure to build properly, the repetition of mistakes, some truely comically bad managers (Agnew/Woodgate/Monk), the scattergun approach to club direction has worn me down, just felt more and more like an unfunny joke. A loveless marriage between 2 people too afraid of life alone to leave and end it so the purgatory persisted. Maybe I just got old and jaded. Never thought I’d feel apathetic towards the club that has meant so much to me for 40+ years. There are occasional sparks but the fire is largely out. In many ways I feel sad about where I am now with Boro. In some ways I feel relieved.
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My first game was in 2004 as a wee nipper, so I came a good 25 years after you. I can totally acknowledge that all football clubs carry a greater disconnect with fans than back then. But I think that deep down, Boro remain *our* club as fans, and that will always remain and endure as long as we have local lads at the helm. Recent appointments have appeared to not go to plan, but I don’t see a purgatory. I see a sleeping giant, waiting to reawaken. As someone who luckily had his formative years in our fine club’s glory years, I hope that reawakening comes sooner rather than later. Keep the faith, and up the mighty Boro.
 
MFC as a club despite a lot of fans thinking it’s a small club “ our own” has a lot of potential but for majority of its history we have been ran like a bascat case, we are a big club with big passionate support who historically have been given next to nothing back. No club who’s won one singular league cup has a following like ours the closest is stoke city who in fairness have big support for the lack of success but even then the facts are they’ve averaged 30,000 3 times across there history MFC 12 times they’ve averaged 20,000 plus 42 times across there history MFC 46 and they’ve averaged 25,000 22 times MFC 27 times. People say we have been “ spoilt” but bar a ten year period we have been completely starved of success. But it’ll always remin our club. The away following is as good as anyone the numbers are quite inconsistent history but what club can get 34,000 on despite winning naff all? The next few years look bleak. Our only hope is a kieran Scott Masterclass in January but who’d bank on that, we have a young manager who’s won everything he’s been backed terribly by idiots, we missed a golden opportunity last season. I understand it wasn’t easy task but what they’ve given us is completely unacceptable if the clubs drops down the pyramid I hope Gibson and Scott get the stick they deserve but let’s pray we can somehow find our way back.
 
sambaDTR said:
We’ve gone from the media darlings, scoring goals for fun, favourites for promotion to… nothing.
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Only started in November..
8CB01738-4604-4339-B102-6A26A355B9CE.jpeg
Done by April 19th - game 18 to game 43
25 golden games.. 23 is half a season.. plus we got pumped by Sunderland and Huddersfield. #GoodTimes
 
I feel the same way as the OP in many ways; I think it's a function of aging. It no longer colours my weekend mood to the extent that it once did.

It's also a case that the brutal capitalist pecking order no longer really permits dreaming like it used to. I look on it as a cyclical thing for clubs of our stature: you get a bit of (relative) success/momentum every couple of decades or so, then sink back into the pile. The chances of breaking, even temporarily or permanently, into that upper echelon are next to zero. Look at Leicester now - a story that is so unlikely it will surely never be repeated. Brighton are doing amazingly, but you can't see them ever becoming a top six club even so. If you happen to nick a trophy nowadays, it's probably a once-in-a-lifetime moment, a consequence of the top clubs switching off, as it was for us in 2004.

So what's success? Up to the top table to get beat up by the Man Citys for a bit? Success equates to being proud of your team and especially the football they play. Last season I was, despite eventual 'failure'. Under McLaren and Robson, of course, because we signed players we'd never dreamed of seeing. Under Karanka, not so much if I'm honest. I was happy, but we were grinders. TV pundits were never purring over our scintillating moves. People never said 'Oh you're Boro, great side'; they said 'Oh you're Boro. Yeah, they're doing well.'
 
sambaDTR said:
We’ve gone from the media darlings, scoring goals for fun, favourites for promotion to… nothing.
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'Media darlings' is probably a bit strong. We were starting to get noticed.

It's hard to see us repeating it this year, for sure - other teams have improved, big sides have come down - but hopefully we won't stay this embarrassing. Just need a win or two...
 
For me, I fell out of love with modern day football. The shameless exploitation of football fans via SKY, merchandise and ticket prices shifted our game from its working class roots to one that only some can enjoy. I still see Boro as a representation of our town and area and I love to see us doing well BUT something is missing. I very rarely feel the passion, excitement and comradery that I used to feel. Maybe it is an age thing but I suspect its something else.
 
Wiseman_Vaughn said:
For me, I fell out of love with modern day football. The shameless exploitation of football fans via SKY, merchandise and ticket prices shifted our game from its working class roots to one that only some can enjoy. I still see Boro as a representation of our town and area and I love to see us doing well BUT something is missing. I very rarely feel the passion, excitement and comradery that I used to feel. Maybe it is an age thing but I suspect its something else.
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That has played a part too, yes. Also the obscene money and skewing of the game to favour a few clubs.
 
sambaDTR said:
Just need a win. (y)
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El Guapo said:
Having supported/ watched us since the days of John Neal in the late 70s early 80s I’ve seen both the highs and the lows. From the tear filled shattering of the dream at Molyneux in 81 and the despair of May 86 and the summer of hell that followed to the breathless euphoria of Massimo’s header and the tears of pride as Sir Gareth of Gate lifted our only major trophy I think I’ve about seen and experienced it all. What a journey of emotion that shaped and dictated my life. Over the last few years 2009 onwards from the ludicrous appointment of Strachan I’ve slipped slowly through frustrations, with a brief glimpse of belief under Aitor, to where I reside now in the great pantheon of emotion that being a supporter entails - apathy. Results used to dictate my mood for days, now I simply shrug at a defeat and move on or raise an eyebrow at a win and move on. It no longer matters like it used to. I had to forfeit my ST during the Wilder summer due to affordability issues at that time and haven’t been back since and I have to say I don’t miss going. The constant failure to build properly, the repetition of mistakes, some truely comically bad managers (Agnew/Woodgate/Monk), the scattergun approach to club direction has worn me down, just felt more and more like an unfunny joke. A loveless marriage between 2 people too afraid of life alone to leave and end it so the purgatory persisted. Maybe I just got old and jaded. Never thought I’d feel apathetic towards the club that has meant so much to me for 40+ years. There are occasional sparks but the fire is largely out. In many ways I feel sad about where I am now with Boro. In some ways I feel relieved.
Click to expand...
I feel your pain, my first game was at Ayresome Park 1971 with my dad, I was hooked,it's in my blood and my heart, and as a Boro fan there's been more lows and averages than highs.
I have now lived in Lakes for the past 20 yrs and travel 240 mile round trip for every home game, and when driving home after another heartless performance, I question my sanity, but my heart always beats my head and i'm there again for the next match.
At least I support a team 5 miles away from where I was born and lived for over 40yrs, unlike most Liverpool and Man Utd fans, most of them have never seen a match, were not born in Liverpool or Manchester and have never been to Anfield or Old Trafford.
Supporting your local club is what being true fans is all about, the highs the lows, Yes the lows hurt, but when it's good there's no better feeling. UTB ..
 
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