Very angry Downing

Former England winger Stewart Downing has revealed the broken promise that led to him leaving boyhood club Middlesbrough with ‘a bitter taste in his mouth’.

The 36-year-old, who is currently playing in the Championship for Blackburn and previously spent time at Liverpool and Aston Villa, featured over 400 times for Boro across two stints before being told to find a new club despite a handshake agreement he would be offered an extension.

It all played out as he helped earn the club promotion back to the Premier League.

“Tony Pulis tried to get me a new deal, I think it was a two-year deal, maybe be part of the academy staff (after), and I said ‘yeah that’s perfect for me, I’ll take that all day long’,” Downing explained on Optus Sport’s Two Sharp Reds podcast with Mark Schwarzer and Ollie Geale.

“This goes on for six months, but I had a clause in my contract that if I played 23 games, I get another extension.

“I got to 22 games and we were playing on New Years Day, and Pulis pulls me in with Jonathan, my brother in law, and he didn’t even know. They’ve had a phone call in the morning from (owner and chairman) Steve Gibson to say ‘Stewart can’t play anymore, can’t start, he’s not getting that new deal’.

“I said ‘right, you’ve left it right until the last game to do this, you’ve known for six months, why didn’t you tell me?’.

“He was embarrassed really, Pulis. I was an important player for him, playing every week, and he said to me ‘you can’t start, but any chance I’ll put you on.’

He was putting me on after 20 minutes in some games, in the first half. It was embarrassing really.
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“It got to a point when there were about 10 games to go and Pulis said to me, 'if you sign this waiver, the club will offer you something in the summer'. Steve Gibson literally promised me, we had a meeting and he said ‘if you sign this waiver to play the last eight games to try and get us promoted, I’ll offer you something in the summer – a reduced contract’.

Downing continued: “I said right, we shook hands, I signed the waiver, played in the last eight games, and then (CEO) Neil Bausor rang me and said 'you’re free to speak to other clubs, you can leave'.

“That left a bitter taste in my mouth. A local lad, played over 400 games (for the club), come back, got promotion and then bang.

“My dad spoke to the chairman and it didn’t end well. A naughty conversation. It was a massive fallout.

“Unbelievable. I’d helped him, I’d signed a waiver, I was going to take a reduced contract. I was home, I was settled.”

“I’ve been back once, played against them with Blackburn. I got an amazing reception, got clapped before the game and came off with 10 minutes to go and got a standing ovation. I was thinking, why didn’t they do that when I was there? I was getting booed the last season!”
 
I am not sure Downing has ever come across as a dishonest man to be fair. There were enough people involved in those conversations for his account of events to be readily refuted. That suggests he is being honest and the club have treated him very badly, lied to get what they wanted then dumped him.
 
Don't forget he also got some unsavoury treatment by the fans too. And the abuse on here could not have helped. (Yes it is read by players)
I liked him right to the end and sadly seems he will never return in any capacity
 
I will hold my hands up, I thought he was the villain holding the club to ransom and I accused him of tarnishing his memory with the fans of MFC by refusing to take a pay cut when he must have amassed a small fortune during his career . Clearly it looks like I was wrong so apologies to Mr Downing.
 
A shame for such a superb player for us for the whole of his first stint. A big mistake to sign him a second time. I’m not incredibly surprised he was shown the door. A lot of his performances were less than adequate. That’s the bit he should be “embarrassed”about, although normally when distasteful stuff like this comes out then both sides have a part to play. Like a messy divorce. It happens
 
ChrisTheRed said:
Former England winger Stewart Downing has revealed the broken promise that led to him leaving boyhood club Middlesbrough with ‘a bitter taste in his mouth’.

The 36-year-old, who is currently playing in the Championship for Blackburn and previously spent time at Liverpool and Aston Villa, featured over 400 times for Boro across two stints before being told to find a new club despite a handshake agreement he would be offered an extension.

It all played out as he helped earn the club promotion back to the Premier League.

“Tony Pulis tried to get me a new deal, I think it was a two-year deal, maybe be part of the academy staff (after), and I said ‘yeah that’s perfect for me, I’ll take that all day long’,” Downing explained on Optus Sport’s Two Sharp Reds podcast with Mark Schwarzer and Ollie Geale.

“This goes on for six months, but I had a clause in my contract that if I played 23 games, I get another extension.

“I got to 22 games and we were playing on New Years Day, and Pulis pulls me in with Jonathan, my brother in law, and he didn’t even know. They’ve had a phone call in the morning from (owner and chairman) Steve Gibson to say ‘Stewart can’t play anymore, can’t start, he’s not getting that new deal’.

“I said ‘right, you’ve left it right until the last game to do this, you’ve known for six months, why didn’t you tell me?’.

“He was embarrassed really, Pulis. I was an important player for him, playing every week, and he said to me ‘you can’t start, but any chance I’ll put you on.’


“It got to a point when there were about 10 games to go and Pulis said to me, 'if you sign this waiver, the club will offer you something in the summer'. Steve Gibson literally promised me, we had a meeting and he said ‘if you sign this waiver to play the last eight games to try and get us promoted, I’ll offer you something in the summer – a reduced contract’.

Downing continued: “I said right, we shook hands, I signed the waiver, played in the last eight games, and then (CEO) Neil Bausor rang me and said 'you’re free to speak to other clubs, you can leave'.

“That left a bitter taste in my mouth. A local lad, played over 400 games (for the club), come back, got promotion and then bang.

“My dad spoke to the chairman and it didn’t end well. A naughty conversation. It was a massive fallout.

“Unbelievable. I’d helped him, I’d signed a waiver, I was going to take a reduced contract. I was home, I was settled.”

“I’ve been back once, played against them with Blackburn. I got an amazing reception, got clapped before the game and came off with 10 minutes to go and got a standing ovation. I was thinking, why didn’t they do that when I was there? I was getting booed the last season!”
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Yup, never trust a Tory (Steve Gibson)
 
It took him along time to sign that waiver, he certainly dragged his heels and didn’t put the club first. Maybe some truth to reneging on a new deal. It could simply be the club couldn’t afford anything close to what he wanted.
 
Probably the best ever player to come through the academy, stayed a long time, we made a good profit on him, if what he's saying is correct & if it's in print then is should be, then to me the club are badly in the wrong, no matter what certain fans thought he should stay or not, if they shook on a deal the club should have kept to their side of the agreement
 
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