Boro Fan Interview - FA Cup
The FA Cup returns to the Stadium of Light this season and SAFC will be determined to have a good run in the greatest knock out competition in the World. Local rivals Middlesbrough are the opponents and this one should be a cracker! I spoke Boro fan David for his view from 'The Other Side'.....
When the FA Cup fourth round draw took place after our 2-0 win over Peterborough I was itching for us to be drawn at home to Newcastle, but when Boro were announced as our opposition I wasnt entirely disappointed. It is the first time in a good few years that we entertain the 'Smoggies' and although we would never class this game on the same level as the Newcastle match, its still an occassion that gets everyone fired up.
The Boro fans will arrive in their numbers and will relish being the underdogs as both clubs look to continue their cup run this season.
I spoke to Middlesbrough fan and season ticket holder David Marshall ahead of the live televised clash next Sunday....
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Firstly David, tell us a little about yourself, why you support Boro and your early memories of the club......
Hello. My name is David Marshall. I am 45 and live in Chester-le-Street, County Durham. I started supporting Boro back in the 1973/74 season. That was the year they were promoted from the old 2nd Division to Division 1. Boro stormed to promotion that year, and if I remember correctly, they were promoted as Champions by Easter. Every week, they seemed to be winning by fours and fives. There was even a couple of eight nil hammerings. I thought these must be good, so I chose them as my team. At that time, as well as Sunderland and Newcastle, everyone seemed to support Leeds Utd, but i'd chosen Boro and they were to become my footballing love. My first game at Ayresome Park was in the 1976/77 season and was against Newcastle United. We were leading 3-1 when we left the ground with 3 minutes to go, but by the time we'd got back to the car, Newcastle had scored twice, and the game ended 3-3. I was gutted, but it was the start of a footballing journey that has taken me all over England and eventually across Europe.
Boro have had a tough couple of years but are the good times on the horizon again under Tony Mowbray?
I genuinely believe they are. If you'd told me this time last year that we'd be serious promotion challengers, i'd have thought you were crazy. Tony Mowbray has galvanized the club. He's got the players who under-performed so badly under Gordon Strachan, playing not only as a team, but playing good passing football too. To do all this whilst having to deal with all the financial constraints (he's had to sell players, and reduce the wage bill by something like 15-20 million pounds), has been phenomenal.
What is the current financial position of Boro? Is the club vulnerable in the current footballing economy?
Although we are reducing our debt, and are in a much healthier financial position than we were a year ago, the bottom-line is we are still in debt, along with just about every other football club in the Country. Our debt is 'managed' by our Chairman Steve Gibson, We certainly aren't in any danger of doing a 'Portsmouth', and the future looks a lot healthier than it's done for the last three or four years. Obviously, if we can win promotion back to the Premier League, it's reported that that alone is worth 70+ million pounds, so that has to be the target.
What were your pre-season expectations?
We finished last season like a train. We ended up in the top half of the league, and I think we only lost something like two of our last twenty games. Obviously, the worry was the financial side of things (how many players would we have to sell to reduce the wage bill? What sort of players could we attract to replace the ones we had to sell?) With this in mind, I would've been happy with another top half finish, so to be in and around the play-offs has exceeded my expectations.
Have those expectations changed now the season has reached the half-way point?
Undoubtedly. As I said above, a top-half finish and consolidation would've done for me, so to be challenging for the automatic promotion places is beyond most Boro fans dreams. The Chairman has backed the manager in this current window by allowing him to bring in a new striker (Lucas Jutkiewicz from Coventry City for 1.3 million rising to 2.5 million), and if we can keep hold of the likes of Rhys Williams and Marvin Emnes during this current transfer window, then I think we have to target the play-offs as a minimum.
Which Boro players have impressed you most this season?
The whole team have improved dramatically under Tony Mowbray. Marvin Emnes (a player Gordon Strachan didn't rate), started the season on fire. Rhys Williams and Matthew Bates have both been excellent at the back, and the midfield pair of Barry Robson and Nicky Bailey have been superb for us.
Who has been the biggest let down?
I don't think anyone's been a let down. Kevin Thomson seems to be constantly injured since he arrived from Glasgow Rangers and that's been disappointing, because on the rare occasions he is fit, he looks a very tidy footballer.
Middlesbrough are known for their talented youth stars. Who are the cream of the current crop and are there any other exciting youth players impressing in the academy?
There are a number of academy players currently playing for the first team. The goalkeeper (Jason Steele) and left back (Joe Bennett) are currently England U21 internationals and they both appear to have big futures. Another youngster who is tipped to have a good career in the game is a lad called Adam Reach.
Onto the FA Cup and you travel to Wearside for the first Wear-Tees derby in a while. But is it really a derby?
It depends on how you define the word 'derby'. Geographically it is. There is probably only 20 miles between the two clubs. Apart from Hartlepool, the next two nearest league clubs are Newcastle (approx 45 miles) and Leeds (approx 60 miles away), so in that respect, it is a derby.
Newcastle and Sunderland consider themselves 'the big two' in the North East and Boro as 'not really a derby'. Does this frustrate you as a fan?
No, not at all. There's nothing I can do to change Newcastle and Sunderland fans perceptions of their own clubs, or for that matter how they view Boro. What I would say is that I think all three clubs belong in the Premier League, and hopefully within the next year, we can achieve that.
Will Steve Gibson remain in control of Boro, or do you see his reign drawing to an end?
I think (and hope) Mr Gibson will remain as Chairman of Boro for a good while yet. Over the years, I would say that fans of both Sunderland (and in recent years, Newcastle), would've wished for a Chairman (and a fan) who cares passionately about the club. Although Mr Gibson is a succesful multi-millionaire businessman, I would imagine he's a relative pauper now, compared to the Sheiks at Manchester City, or the huge American investors from America involved with Manchester United, Liverpool and indeed Sunderland. But I along with the majority of Boro fans are grateful for what Mr Gibson has done for Boro since the dark days of 1986, and as I said earlier, I hope he remains in charge for the forseeable future.
What is your opinion of Sunderland this season?
Considering the money they've spent, I think they have massively under-achieved. As an outsider, I thought the players Steve Bruce bought were experienced Premier league players (with the exception of Ji and Wickham), and I would've expected them to have performed a lot better. Of course, when you lose two strikers with the ability of Bent and Gyan, you're going to struggle for goals, but speaking to my Sunderland mates, the consensus is the football has been poor, and once the manager starts losing the fans, there is generally only one outcome.
Which Sunderland players have impressed you most?
From what i've seen on t.v. the stand-out player looks like Seb Larsson. His free-kicks have been 'Beckham-esque'. Sessegnon always looks to be putting a shift in, and from what I can gather, a certain Lee Cattermole seems to have improved his form under the new manager.
Can O'Neill bring success to SAFC?
Judging on performances over the last six weeks, he can. It's no secret, that when Boro lost Steve McClaren to England, Martin O'Neill was Steve Gibsons number one target. It's said that the only reason Martin O'Neill didn't accept the job, was he wanted to bring his own backroom staff with him, while Steve Gibson wanted to remain loyal to the backroom staff already in place at the club. Who knows where Boro could be now if Martin O'Neill had taken up the offer.
Who do you dislike more - SAFC or NUFC? And why?
I'm going to be diplomatic here, as I have family and friends who support both teams!!
I have no interest in either team. As they're both classed as our 'local' rivals, it hurts to see the two of them currently in a league higher than us. Hopefully, come May that will change.
How is SAFC cult hero Julio Arca doing these days, and is he likely to feature in the FA Cup tie?
Julio divides opinion on Teesside. He appears to be the footballing version of Marmite. The fans either love him or hate him !
He's the current MFC Player of the year, so you would think he must be doing something right, but as you may know, his contract expired at the end of last season and he left the club to seek pastures new, only to return, two weeks into the start of this season where he signed a new deal on much less money than his initial deal. Fair play to him for that. I imagine he's not short of a bob or two, but not many footballers would do that. This season, in my opinion, he hasn't been as consistent, but i'd imagine (injuries permitting), he'll be at the very least on the bench, and if he plays, i'm sure he'll get a good reception from the Sunderland fans.
What is the mood among Boro fans ahead of the cup game and are there many fans due up to Stadium of Light?
Initially, the mood was excellent at the draw. But now, the fans are quite angry that they've only got 3000 tickets, when we could and should have received over double that amount. I know our home attendances are poor, but our support at away games has been excellent this season and we would have easily sold 6000 tickets. The fact that the game has since been chosen for live t.v. may have quelled the anger slightly, but the feeling on Teesside is that whether the decision has been made by Northumbria Police, or some Health and Safety committee, it's the wrong decision. I'm hearing talk that there will be Boro fans in other parts of the ground. I don't know if that's true, but if it is, let's just hope everyone behaves and enjoys the occasion.
Can Boro beat Sunderland?
Of course they can. Had this game been played six weeks or so ago, I would have fancied our chances of causing an upset, as at the time, we were playing really well, and Sunderland were struggling. But as I said earlier, Martin O'Neill has done an excellent job in the short time he's been here, and our form has faltered in the last two or three weeks, so I expect Sunderland to be clear favourites. But this is the FA Cup, and strange and unexpected result can and do occur. Our priority has to be promotion, but there'll be no pressure on us on the day, so with a little slice of luck, who knows?
What is your prediction of the game?
I'm rubbish at predictions. I'd be happy with a draw right now. Bring you back to the Riverside and make a few more bob ! I'll go for an entertaining 2-2 with both Barry Robson and Lee Cattermole booked !! Could be worth a cheeky little £5 bet!!
Who do you think will win the FA Cup?
Anyone but Sunderland, Newcastle or Manchester United !! If Boro can't/don't, I wouldn't mind seeing someone like Tottenham or Swansea win it. They both try to play the right way, and are easy on the eye.
Finally, any parting words for the SAFC fans ahead of the clash?
Good luck. Enjoy the game and hopefully BOTH sets of fans will behave. Thanks for giving me this opportunity and let's hope we'll be playing you in the Premier League next season.
Up The Boro !!
Thanks for your time David.
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Chestermackem's Conclusion: "Really looking forward to this game and hope that we can create a great atmosphere at the Stadium of Light. I expect Boro to turn up and surprise a few people because they have some good young players and the Championship has proved in recent years that it isnt a million miles behind the Premiership with team like Swansea and Norwich adapting well.
We are favourites and must do the simple things right. Keep our shape and invite pressure as we look dangerous when we counter attack.
If we can keep Boro quiet for the first 20 minutes I believe we have enough quality to beat them fairly comfortably and my prediction is 3-0 with goals from Larsson, Vaughan and Richardson.
I hope all fans enjoy the game from both sides and everybody behaves!"
Photos courtesy of the Guardian.