Steve Vickers

I think I’ve told my “How Steve Vickers became my favourite Boro player” story before, but why not roll it out again!

My nana owned a static caravan at a site close to Bishop Auckland, and the whole extended family would go along when we were kids. One year, I was about 6 I think so it must’ve been around 1995, my older cousins told me they had heard Steve Vickers lived just up the road and it would be a good idea to take my Boro shirt (the red dickens one with blue collar) to get signed by him. So off we went, walking up this steep bank lined with houses where they had heard he lived, knocking on every door and asking “Does Steve Vickers live here?” About 5 or 6 doors in, a lady answers and says Steve Vickers doesn’t live here, but I’m his mam and if you leave your shirt with me I’ll get him to sign it and you can come back tomorrow and get it. I was chuffed to bits, and if I remember right a tiny bit suspicious that maybe somebody had just wanted my Boro shirt!

Anyway, next day comes along and me and my cousins walk back to the house and knock on the door. No answer, and I remember thinking I’m not getting my shirt back! We knock louder and the lady finally opens the door. She apologises and says she didn’t hear us because she was in the back garden. She tells me my shirt is in the garden and we should come round the back to get it. So we do, and as I open a gate to get into the back garden, there is Steve Vickers holding my signed Boro shirt. I was in shock! As a kid I was overwhelmed but with hindsight, I realise it was such an incredibly thoughtful thing to do for a kid knocking on doors harassing people! It’s something I’ve never forgotten and it’s the reason I ended up wanting to be a centre back as a kid. Its really one of the first special memories I have of football.

So thanks Steve, and Happy Birthday! Top man and top centre half.
 
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He scored a cracking goal on a frozen Roker Park pitch in January 1994. Slid in at the back post in front of the Boro fans and smashed it in. He was a very good player for Boro. Him and Hignett cost Lennie about £1.25m for the pair, we got great service out of both of them. They’d both breeze into the current team and be the best two players. And Vickers would be captain.
 
He scored a cracking goal on a frozen Roker Park pitch in January 1994. Slid in at the back post in front of the Boro fans and smashed it in. He was a very good player for Boro. Him and Hignett cost Lennie about £1.25m for the pair, we got great service out of both of them. They’d both breeze into the current team and be the best two players. And Vickers would be captain.
You've gone too far 😆
 
I think I’ve told my “How Steve Vickers became my favourite Boro player” story before, but why not roll it out again!

My nana owned a static caravan at a site close to Bishop Auckland, and the whole extended family would go along when we were kids. One year, I was about 6 I think so it must’ve been around 1995, my older cousins told me they had heard Steve Vickers lived just up the road and it would be a good idea to take my Boro shirt (the red dickens one with blue collar) to get signed by him. So off we went, walking up this steep bank lined with houses where they had heard he lived, knocking on every door and asking “Does Steve Vickers live here?” About 5 or 6 doors in, a lady answers and says Steve Vickers doesn’t live here, but I’m his mam and if you leave your shirt with me I’ll get him to sign it and you can come back tomorrow and get it. I was chuffed to bits, and if I remember right a tiny bit suspicious that maybe somebody had just wanted my Boro shirt!

Anyway, next day comes along and me and my cousins walk back to the house and knock on the door. No answer, and I remember thinking I’m not getting my shirt back! We knock louder and the lady finally opens the door. She apologises and says she didn’t hear us because she was in the back garden. She tells me my shirt is in the garden and we should come round the back to get it. So we do, and as I open a gate to get into the back garden, there is Steve Vickers holding my signed Boro shirt. I was in shock! As a kid I was overwhelmed but with hindsight, I realise it was such an incredibly thoughtful thing to do for a kid knocking on doors harassing people! It’s something I’ve never forgotten and it’s the reason I ended up wanting to be a centre back as a kid. Its really one of the first special memories I have of football.

So thanks Steve, and Happy Birthday! Top man and top centre half.
Lovely story block_21
 
I like Vickers and at a time he was probably my favourite player along with Mustoe, not because he was the best but following a couple of seasons of star players coming in and then swanning off when it suited them to the detriment of the club (Juninho, Rav, Merson etc) I appreciated the lack of ego and willingness to get the job done that players like those (and Higgy) brought to the club.
 
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