What do you remember of your first Boro Match?

Trying to work my way into my grandads legs at the Holgate turnstiles as I was buffeted around, the stench of something which I later found out to be beer. But mostly the noise as the swell of the voices assailed the sky when the chanting started.
 
Was around 85/86 as I remember it. The street I lived in was having the pavement relayed, had a massive pile of sand on the corner of the street an I had built a few tunnels in the sand with my Star Wars figures. Then a tractor came told me to get out way and scooped it all the sand taking Star Wars figures.

I cried a lot and when my grandad and uncle came to drop car off on front before walking to the game, I was upset so they took me with them and got my first squeeze. Sat in the south at Ayersome I think it was, top tier towards halfway line.

remember very green grass , the camber on the pitch , the sky been very black and the floodlights beaming down, not understanding what was going on (somethings don’t change) .... slightly foggy... and remember the song you are my Boro only Boro, you make my happy when sky’s are grey....

no idea who we played or the score.

been hooked ever since ,
 
My mam took me one evening game near the beginning of the season as it was still light at the start of the game and I’d have been about 9 I think, Rioch was manager. My older brother went all the time and I think I pestered her enough over a while for her to take me.

We stood in the holgate near the north stand and we won, can’t remember who it was against, I’m thinking Barnsley but could be wrong.
 
New Years Day 1985, Oxford at home, the only thing I really remember is how big the Holgate end was and thinking it was amazing that I had this much room to run about in.

It turns out it was the one and only game the me, me dad, my uncle and my grandad ever went to together.
 
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Beating QPR 2-0 in an FA cup replay. Andy Campbell and Robbie Mustoe scored the goals.

I remember my Dad buying me a Teletubbies Boro scarf from somebody under an underpass on the way to the stadium. I've still got it.
 
1969 v Bolton, the great Charlie Hurley was playing for Bolton after a long and cult hero status at Sunderland.... Just after kick off Big John steamed in at full pelt and nicked the ball of him square with goal about 50 yards out and ran and ran and GOAL..... My Dad was going balistic as Charlie looked on in disbelief ...... had a love affair ( not literally) with Hugh McIlmoyle who was the perfect CF back then with great heading ability... Won 4-0 with another Hickton goal and a couple from Hughie...Watching Hughies first in theis match was typical, a pearler of a left wing cross from Gordon Jones , Hughie hanging in the air between two defenders , in the net and the two defenders rolling around on the floor as Hughie lands on his feet.... How did he do it... great great memories and the start of a lifelong roller coaster with the Boro ... Thanks to my late Dad for buying me a season ticket back then....

 
fmttmadmin said:
I posed this question to over 150 Boro fans, a few former players and then waited by my inbox for their replies.
How was your lockdown I? The results were really interesting and have made what I think is a unique book because in true fanzine fashion I stood back and left everything in the fans own words.
Gillie Hatton asked me some questions in an interview at the end of last week - oh and what an incredible cover photo by the great Paul Thompson and lovely design from Graeme of 6e. Interview here - The Tees Online
Click to expand...
Best of luck with it Robert, it looks like it will be a good read. If it does go well there are probably others that you could do in a similar format, awayday memories, European reminiscing, etc.
 
My first ever game was in the 1980/81 season at home against Spurs only 8

Was taken to the match by my then stepdad who was a Spurs fan and we sat in the East Stand seats behind the goal but towards the top.
I remember other family members there who were Boro fans but don`t remember much more than that.

We won 4-1 but I don`t remember much other than Jim Platt I was told made some saves by sitting on the ball and Spurs should have won.
 
A bloke behind my Dad and I shouting ‘Dirty Barnsley, dirty F***ing Barnsley “ over and over. My Dad telling me to ignore him and watch the match. Don’t remember anything else. Must’ve been early 80s.
 
Late 50’s, my Dad took me in the old ‘Bob End’, think it may have been first match of the season against Swansea Town, as they were then known. We won 2-0, Peacock and Cloughie scored I think. Remember being able to sit on the old concrete crush barriers and burning my mouth on the Bovril at half time !
 
I remember the cold more than anything. Stood in the North East Corner I think. I had my first ever Bovril, and did not like it (I love it now mind). I remember Hughie McIlmoyle was playing and I think it was Carlisle we were playing, but my head was a personal shed at the time for reasons I wont go into.
If you had said to me then that football, and Boro in particular, would go on to play a hugely important part in my life I would have laughed in your face. Funny old world 😀
 
I was 8 and we got beat by Liverpool 0-1

When they scored, I remember asking 'Who scored, them or us?' :D

I was bitterly disappointed (still am) that we didn't score a goal that game, even if we got beat - all I wanted was for us to score a goal.
 
Approx 1969/70 V QPR on a night. Again its the sight of the grass in the floodlights as I reached the top of the terrace in block 1, the smells and the noise. I was 10.
 
I went with my Dad. It would have been some time in the early 60s. All I remember is that the other team played in blue shirts and white shorts. The game had started by the time we got on to the South Terrace and I remember being surprised, firstly by how loud the crowd noise was and secondly by the fact it was in colour. I had only ever seen football in black and white and that's what I was subconsciously expecting to see. I don't remember the score, but it being the Boro in the 60s, it was probably 0-0.
 
The date and the result - August 1953 and the result we lost 4-0 at home !! To Preston North End. with Tom Finny and Mannion playing for us. The exotic names playing for us Ugolini and Delapena. I saw Stanley Matthews and Sam Bartram later in the season

It's a long time ago
 
Night match v Blackburn Rovers..1959? my dad took me in the back of a van, there was 6 adults and me, I was 9...remember Alan Peacock scoring a headed goal..also about 3 people fainting in the ground round about us and being hand passed down to the front..came out after the match and the van had gone !!! a policeman on a motorbike ,with a windscreen ( remember them?) said " I like a good mystery, I'll get to the bottom on this" eventually after about 2 hrs we found the police themselves had towed it away as the driver (george) had parked it on a corner..got home to Whitby about 1am and was hooked after that :) . I dont know how true it was but someone said there was over 40,000 there that night...
 
Hopefully you will all be interested in our new book then, featuring Boro 1st match memories between 1940s and 2010s. A few ex players including Jim Platt, Bernie Slaven, Billy Ashcroft.
Fans include Mark Benton, Harry Pearson, Clem, Mackenzie Thorpe. Over 150 memories in their own words. Cover photo taken at Ayresome in the 90s by Paul Thompson who also talks about his first game inside.
Trackless to curly wurlys. Tanners to season cards. Ayresome Parkhttps://6e.net/product/my-boro-debut/
 

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Beating Derby 6-1 Ravanelli hattrick and me thinking Schwarzer allowed Derby to score so they didn't feel so bad. The joys of being a 10 year old.
 
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