From The Victoria Ground To Berchem & Back.......(Part 2)

Boro Boys We Are Here..

Moving on from excitement and scary experience of my first visit to ayresome park..i soon became a regular in the east stand with my dad and or his mate paul (a boro nut from birth).
Now living in linthorpe, just a stones throw from ayresome, we'd set off calling at drews sweet shop on st barnabas road for a quarter of midget gems, before taking our seats with the boro faithful in the stand..
One thing that i realy loved was the teams running out to the fanfare of "THE POWER GAME" a rousing tune that realy set the atmosphere and got the vocal holgate end into voice with loads of "come on boro's and the unique hymn of "we are the ayresome angels....."

Under the reign of manager john neal boro were becoming quite a force in the first division..a team of vast experience with local youth blended in..many of the younger players moved on to bigger stages in those days..i remember david mills heading off to west brom for half a million pounds..a massive sum in those days..then greats like darren wood and tony mc andrew heading south to chelsea..BIGGEST  heartbreak was the departure of david hodgson to liverpool along with "SKIPPY" craig johnstone..then the now boro coach heading to the trent to join boro legend brian clough at nottingham forest.

Although sad at the time to see these players go..there always seemed to be a new favourite coming in to stir the passions of the faithful..many greats like bosco jankovic..heine otto..and my all time favourite TERRY COCHRANE came to ayresome and were worshipped like gods..

Pictured above TERRY COCHRANE arrived on teesside from turf moor burnley..SOCKS PULLED UP here , he would often have them round his ankles,ball at his feet and jinking and dribbling down the wing on another boro attack...his trademark step-over would send many a full back the wrong way, leaving him clear  to cross for the oncoming forwards to slam the ball in the back of the net..

Zoom forward a few years and supporting the boro was becoming a chore, rather than a pleasure..things were getting bad on the pitch and crowds were down to a meagre 4000...i was now becoming a regular in the holgate terrace with my mates, with the odd time venturing into the south stand terrace to taunt the visiting fans..
Talking of visiting fans..it must have been quite an experience for many a hardy fan to come to ayresome..the atmosphere was always hostile towards them, and a punch up very often on the agenda..
This was the era of the casual..the trendy "JOEYS" in their designer sportswear..i cant honestly remember when it all started at boro as violence before during and after games was all very normal from my first visit in the 70's.
Numbering at least 300, these lads would take their seats in the east stand or south stand and cheer on the boro while keeping an eye on visitors like a lion stalking its next meal..

I dont want to focus on the hooligan element too much..but it was part and parcel of supporting the club, and loyalty and respect was gained from standing your ground..backing up your mates and never running from anyone..its only since i started using the internet a few years ago, i realised the boro crew name was the frontline..To me it was just the boro lads..some mentioned the beer belly crew and others the boro battle crew..most of these people i knew..i'd grown up with them so to speak and the ones i didnt were soon to become known to all..NOBODY ever handed out membership cards..you just went to the games and if trouble broke out, it was get stuck in and get away from the bobbies before you got lifted..many times i'd get home with a bust nose,ripped clothes and yet another tongue lashing from my mam..
This just went over my head..the next game was just around the corner and the buzz from getting to ayresome park with my mates was becoming addictive..

If boro were away i'd often be found at hartlepool watching my first football passion the not so mighty pools (back then)..my dad was working in aberdeen in the oil industry so i'd also get the odd call from him that i'd be able to fly up north to see him and the dons of aberdeen..all exciting stuff for a young lad growing up in the boro , and the envy of my a lot of my mates.
Taking in a couple of cup finals and a few games, aberdeen were quite a force in the 80's and were to be respected all over europe..
Zooming back a bit and not forgetting my education into the beautiful game..i shall share with you my visits to the tiny murton fc in what was then the wearside league on my next installment..oh and so much more from teesside to the back streets of lowestoft..