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Middlesbrough F.C.

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{{Football club infobox | clubname = Middlesbrough | image = Image:Middlesbrough_crest.png 125px|Middlesbrough F.C. crest | fullname = Middlesbrough Football Club | nickname = Boro | founded = 1876 | ground = Riverside Stadium,
Middlesbrough | capacity = 35,100 | chairman = Image:England_flag.svg 20px|English Steve Gibson (chairman) Steve Gibson | manager = Image:England_flag.svg 20px|English Steve McClaren | league = FA Premier League | season = FA Premier League 2004-05 2004-05 | position = Premier League, 7th | pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=_whitehorizontal|pattern_ra1=| leftarm1=FF0000|body1=FF0000|rightarm1=FF0000|shorts1=FF0000|socks1=FF0000| pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=_thinblacksides|pattern_ra2=| leftarm2=0000FF|body2=0000FF|rightarm2=0000FF|shorts2=0000FF|socks2=0000FF| }} '''Middlesbrough Football Club''' is an England English football (soccer) football club, commonly known as 'The Boro', currently in the FA Premier League. The team plays at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough. Its current manager is Steve McClaren, and the chairman of the club is Steve Gibson. The mascot is '''Roary the Lion''', played by Andrew Morgan of Yarm. The official historian/statistician is Harry Glasper. Middlesbrough won the League Cup in 2004, the club's first major trophy since its formation in 1876.

History
Members of Middlesbrough Cricket Club founded Middlesbrough Football Club in 1876. This was a common practice at the time because football was seen as a game to be played in cricket's off season. Middlesbrough FC turned professional in 1889, returned to amateur status in 1892 and then became professional for good in 1899. The club faced huge financial problems in the 1980s, falling briefly into liquidation in 1986 and falling into the Third Division for only the second time in their history. At the end of that year, the club was brought back to life through the influence of Teesside businessman Steve Gibson, founder and chairman of Bulkhaul Limited, which was established in 1981 and is dedicated to the global transportation of bulk liquids, powders and gasses. He was quick to bring the club back onto a sound financial footing and then build on that foundation to create the modern club. Gibson, a lifelong Boro fan, has often been seen as a fan funding his passion, rather than a businessman working for profit. This meant that the fans were quickly won over and he continues to be held in the highest regard by the fans of his club - in stark contrast to the position at some other clubs. In the seasons following Gibson's takeover, Middlesbrough had two single season spells in the top division, in 1988/89 and 1992/93, before the 1994 appointment of former England national football team England captain Bryan Robson as the team's player-manager. Robson brought tremendous excitement in his time at the club, most notably with the purchases of the Serie A star Fabrizio Ravanelli and the tiny Brazilian international Juninho, perhaps Boro's best-loved player since that other tiny genius Wilf Mannion. There were also three appearances at Wembley but, although Robson brought with him some of his former Manchester United teammates, he was ultimately unable also to bring to Boro the North-West giants' knack of winning trophies. In his first season as manager, 1994-1995, Boro were promoted to the Premiership. However, they were relegated again in 1997 and also lost both domestic cup finals - the FA Cup to Chelsea and the League Cup to Leicester City F.C. Leicester City. Controversy surrounded the relegation - Middlesbrough had been deducted three vital points after they failed to send a team out for the FA Premier League Premiership fixture at Blackburn Rovers F.C. Blackburn Rovers. The club's explanation was that so many of the squad had been laid low by 'flu that it coudn't field a competitive team. The Football Association rejected this explanation and the punishment, combined with an appalling run of form at the end of the season, was enough to see Boro relegated. They did, however, bounce back to the big time the following season. During this period, Robson also acted as a coach to the England team under Terry Venables, who later joined him at Middlesbrough for a short coaching spell when the club was in danger of relegation. Mainly thanks to Venables, Boro survived. Robson's fun but fruitless tenure nonetheless ended at the end of the 2000-2001 season. Seeking a replacement for Robson, Mr Gibson again looked west, this time poaching Sir Alex Ferguson's number two, Steve McClaren. This has proved a much more successful appointment. Under McClaren, Boro attained Teesside's holy grail of a first senior trophy with victory over Bolton Wanderers F.C. Bolton Wanderers in the 2003-04 League Cup final. Like Robson, McClaren combines his club work with involvement in coaching the England team under Sven-GÃ¶ran Eriksson.

Former Grounds
*Linthorpe Road -1903 *Ayresome Park 1903-1995 *Riverside Stadium 1995-

Honours
*'''League Cup''' winners 2003-2004 04; runners up 1996-1997 97, 1997-1998 98 *'''FA Cup''' runners up 1996-1997 97 *'''Football League First Division''' ''(new)'' champions 1994-1995 95; runners up 1997-1998 98 *'''Football League Second Division''' ''(old)'' champions 1926-1927 27, 1928-1929 29, 1973-1974 74; runners up 1901-1902 02, 1991-1992 92 *'''Football League Third Division''' ''(old)'' runners up 1966-1967 67, 1986-1987 87 *'''FA Amateur Cup''' winners 1894-1895 95, 1897-1898 98 *'''Anglo-Scottish Cup''' winners 1976

Current status
At the end of the 2004-2005 season Middlesbrough FC was in probably its strongest ever position. A seventh-place finish in the Premiership, the club's best finish since 1951, was sufficient to earn Boro a berth in the 2005-06 UEFA Cup. The club also has a strong youth development programme; Middlesbrough won the FA Youth Cup in 2004.

Current squad
{{Fs start}} {{Fs player| no= 1| nat=Australia | pos=GK| name=Mark Schwarzer}} {{Fs player| no= 3| nat=France | pos=DF| name=Franck Queudrue}} {{Fs player| no= 4| nat=England | pos=DF| name=Ugo Ehiogu}} {{Fs player| no= 5| nat=England | pos=DF| name=Chris Riggott}} {{Fs player| no= 6| nat=England | pos=DF| name=Gareth Southgate}} (captain) {{Fs player| no= 7| nat=Netherlands | pos=MF| name=George Boateng}} {{Fs player| no= 9| nat=Netherlands | pos=FW| name=Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink}} {{Fs player| no=10| nat=Brazil | pos=MF| name=Fabio Rochemback}} {{Fs player| no=11| nat=England | pos=FW| name=Malcolm Christie}} {{Fs player| no=12| nat=Austria | pos=DF| name=Emanuel Pogatetz }} {{Fs player| no=14| nat=Spain | pos=MF| name=Gaizka Mendieta}} {{Fs player| no=15| nat=England | pos=MF| name=Ray Parlour}} {{Fs player| no=17| nat=Brazil | pos=MF| name=Doriva}} {{Fs player| no=18| nat=Italy | pos=FW| name=Massimo Maccarone}} {{Fs player| no=19| nat=England | pos=MF| name=Stewart Downing}} {{Fs player| no=20| nat=Nigeria | pos=FW| name=Aiyegbeni Yakubu}} {{Fs mid}} {{Fs player| no=21| nat=England | pos=MF| name=Stuart Parnaby}} {{Fs player| no=22| nat=Australia | pos=GK| name=Bradley Jones}} {{Fs player| no=23| nat=England | pos=DF| name=Colin Cooper}} {{Fs player| no=24| nat=England | pos=DF| name=Andrew Davies (footballer) Andrew Davies}} {{Fs player| no=25| nat=England | pos=MF| name=James Morrison (footballer) James Morrison}} {{Fs player| no=26| nat=England | pos=DF| name=Matthew Bates}} {{Fs player| no=28| nat=England | pos=DF| name=Andrew Taylor (footballer born 1986) Andrew Taylor}} {{Fs player| no=29| nat=England | pos=DF| name=Anthony McMahon}} {{Fs player| no=30| nat=England | pos=FW| name=Danny Graham (footballer) Danny Graham}} {{Fs player| no=34| nat=England | pos=FW| name=Jason Kennedy}} {{Fs player| no=36| nat=Australia | pos=FW| name=Mark Viduka}} {{Fs player| no=37| nat=England | pos=MF| name=Adam Johnson}} {{Fs player| no=38| nat=England | pos=GK| name=Christopher Pennock}} {{Fs player| no=39| nat=England | pos=MF| name=Lee Cattermole}} {{Fs end}}

Out on loan
{| {{Fs player| no=16| nat=Cameroon | pos=FW| name=Joseph Desire-Job | other=on loan to Al-Ittihad}} {{Fs player| no=27| nat=England | pos=GK| name=Ross Turnbull .html">Crewe Alexandra F.C. Crewe}} {{Fs player| no=31| nat=England | pos=DF| name=David Wheater | other=on loan to Doncaster Rovers}} |}

Important Former players
''Listed according to year of Middlesbrough first-team debut (year in parentheses):'' *Tim Williamson (1901) *Alf Common (1905) *Steve Bloomer (1906) *Jacky Carr (1911) *George Camsell (1925) *Wilf Mannion (1936) *George Hardwick (1937) *Dicky Robinson (1945) *Brian Clough (1955) *John Hickton (1966) *Jim Platt (1971) *David Armstrong (footballer) David Armstrong (1972) *Graeme Souness (1973) *Bobby Murdoch (1973) *Craig Johnston (1978) *Willie Maddren (1969) *Tony Mowbray (1982) *Bernie Slaven (1985) *Gary Pallister (1985) *Juninho (1995) *Fabrizio Ravanelli (1996)

Sponsors
* 2000 - BT Cellnet * 2001 - BT Cellnet * 2002 - Dial-a-Phone * 2003 - Dial-a-Phone * 2004 - Dial-a-Phone * 2005 - 888.com * 2006 - 888.com

External links
{{BBC Football Info|BBClinkname=m/middlesbrough}} *'''[http://www.boroforum.co.uk The Unofficial Boro Forum for supporters of the Boro and other clubs]'''
- Official site
- Fly Me To The Moon, the Middlesbrough supporters' fanzine
- 4thegame.com's Middlesbrough page
- BoroBarmy.com
- Bororules.co.uk, the unofficial MFC website
- Middlesbrough Football Chants {{FA Premier League}} {{UEFA Cup 2005/06}} Category:English football clubs Category:FA Premier League Category:Middlesbrough F.C. Category:Middlesbrough Category:Sport in North Yorkshire cs:Middlesbrough FC de:Middlesbrough F.C. es:Middlesbrough Football Club fi:Middlesbrough FC fr:Middlesbrough Football Club he:×ž×™×“×œ×¡×‘×•×¨×• nl:Middlesbrough FC ja:ãƒŸãƒ‰ãƒ«ã‚¹ãƒ–ãƒ©FC no:Middlesbrough FC pl:Middlesbrough F.C. pt:Middlesbrough FC simple:Middlesbrough F.C. sv:Middlesbrough FC th:à¸ªà¹‚à¸¡à¸ªà¸£à¸Ÿà¸¸à¸•à¸šà¸à¸¥à¸¡à¸´à¸”à¹€à¸”à¸´à¸¥à¸ªà¹‚à¸šà¸£à¸Šà¹Œ vi:Middlesbrough F.C. zh:ç±³å¾·å°”æ–¯å ¡è¶³ç?ƒä¿±ä¹?éƒ¨ Category:Middlesbrough Category:English football clubs

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