Knowing the names of the Boro backroom staff when you were a kid

[Lemmy_kilmister]

Mr Smelt was a PE teacher at Oaklands.
I can remember Jimmy Greenhalgh, George Wardle, John Coddington and Lew Clayton.
We also had Danny Bergara, George Armstrong, Eddie Gray and Brian Little

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[Craggyjohn]

Ian Macfarlane,Jimmy Greenhalgh and Jimmy Headridge were coaching staff when I started going

 

[Davey_C]

Steve Smelt's name always made me laugh as someone under 10 at the time.

Im sure his wife was a teacher at Acklam Grange when i was there in the late 80s early 90s

 

[inoffthepost]

David Geddes was a former Villa and Ipswich forward and coach at Boro. The last time I saw him was at a Dorman Museum event for Victorian designer Christopher Dresser as he is very much into antiques.

David geddess was mfc football in the community officer.

 

[Otto42]

Remember when Toddy had Jim Smith as his assistant? Colin and Brucie, always the duo for me. Bruce seemed to be able to recruit well, we had Eddie Gray and Brian Little working for us at times too. Growing up remember Shep’s pen in the programme and when he was Alistair’s expert summariser on the rare occasions Radio Cleveland had second half commentary (Shrewsbury away two seasons running iirc)!

 

[MVBoro]

When Rioch was here (my first proper time following Boro), we had all the Villa guys with North East roots, like Brian Little, Tony McAndrew and I'm sure someone else relatively famous. Little went to Darlo (did well there) and I think Leicester and Villa after that if my memory recalls.

 

[Anton_Berg]

Anyone remember George Armstrong?

ed. Missed earlier post. We've had some big name non-players though.

 

[Otto42]

Anyone remember George Armstrong?

Was he Big Mal’s assistant?

 

[TheWolfman]

Lots of ex-Boro lads used to coach us as kids. Robbie Lake - who Lennie had with the first-team for a while before he got a career-ending knee injury, and he had a MASSIVE quiff - coached me, Michael Waller, Lee Roxby, Lee Turnbull did some Southlands sessions as well.

Some great recollections. With coaching like that Viv how come you didn't make it??

 

[Block_4_Eastender]

Jim Headridge used to come to my junior school and do a bit of coaching. His daughter was a pupil there. Karen if I remember correctly.

 

[viv_andersons_nana]

Some great recollections. With coaching like that Viv how come you didn't make it??

I had suffered a very serious knee injury at 14 and never recovered. It happened the day the kits for the 96/97 season went on sale and I’d camped out all night for the away shirt, which I was wearing when a lad we were playing football with absolutely booted my left leg to bits - which led to a dislocated patella.

I was what they call a fat lad with ability. I was sort of a cross between Gazza and Charlie Adam. But that injury, and the discovery of the Big Tute and Oasis and my mate’s Mam starting a new job working in the local shop - meaning we got 6 cans for the price of 4 - it all conspired against me playing for, nay, captaining the Boro and quite possibly skippering the England side in the 2006 World Cup.