Newcastle’s third fixture of the season against Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium sets the scene for the first north east derby of the season. Newcastle looking to maintain their current unbeaten run in the Premiership and Boro looking for their first home victory of the season.

Middlesbrough were interestingly enough formed by the town cricket team as a way to remain fit throughout the winter in 1876. The club turned professional in 1889, but reverted to non-professional already three years later, in 1892. They turned professional again for good in 1899. They got promoted to First Division after two years, a league where they would remain in for 22 consecutive years.

Three seasons after being relegated during the 23/24 season to the Division Two Boro won the title, and during that season George Camsell finished the season with an amazing 59 league goals, of which 27 of them came from his nine hat tricks. Camsell would remain Boro’s top scorer for the next ten consecutive seasons. But even if they had a fantastic goalscorer, it was not enough for them to remain in the top flight again as Boro got relegated again straight after their promotion. Though, they bounced right back up into the top flight the first season after their relegation, and they would remain in the top flight until the 53/54 season.

Before the second world war Middlesbrough was one of the main contenders for the title, but they would never get back to their pre-war form once the war had ended. Which led to their eventual downfall which resulted in the relegation of the team after the 53/54 season, which was the start of a 20 year spell outside the top flight.

During their spell outside the top flight one of the club’s top goalscorers emerged, Brian Clough, he scored a fantastic 204 goals over 222 games for Boro before he left them for north-eastern rivals, Sunderland. During that period Boro had steady progress in the Second Division, but were never serious contenders for promotion. After placing 4th in the 62/63 season Boro started a serious decline which eventually would result in them getting relegated to the Third Division for the first time in the club’s history in 1966.

Stan Anderson, the new club manager, returned the club to the Second Division already on the first attempt. Though, Boro would not finish above 9th for the next eight seasons. In 1974 new managed Jack Charlton had taken over and led the team back into the top flight. They ensured their promotion when there still remained eight games of the season, and had a record high 65 points.

The 75/76 season would see Boro lift their first silverware as a professional club, the Anglo-Scottish Cup in its first season after a two-legged win over Fulham. The ’80s saw Boro get into some serious financial trouble, the club was dropping down the table and finished 19th in the 84/85 season. In 1986 the club had to borrow £30 000 from the PFA to pay the players wages. The final game of the season saw Boro relegated to the Third Division once again. That summer the club called in the Provisional Liquidator and shortly afterwards the club was severely wounded, and the gates to Ayresome Park were padlocked. Without the £350 000 capital required for the Football League registration it seemed inevitable that the club would fold permanently. Though, Steve Gibson, a member of the Middlesbrough board at the time managed to bring a consortium together and with ten minutes to spare, the club avoided missing the deadline and completed their Football League registration for the 86/87 season.

Over the run of the next two seasons, Boro gained successive promotions into Division Two and then into Division One. Though, they came straight back down to Division Two the season after, and with them came the then British League transfer record move of Gary Pallister to Manchester United for the record fee of £2.3 Million. But even if the club went through constant promotion and relegation activity, the club was one of the founding members of the Premier League in the 92/93 season.

Bryan Robson from Manchester United took charge as a player-manager in 1994 and following their promotion to the Premier League and their then high-profile purchases like Brazilian Juninho, many people looked upon Middlesbrough to be a club on the way up. Though, a hard 96/97 season resulted in relegation after a three point deduction as a punishment for the club’s failure to fulfill their fixture against Blackburn around Christmas. Without the point deduction Middlesbrough would have had just enough points to avoid relegation. Though, at the same time the club managed to reach both the League and FA Cup finals for the first time in their history, but they lost in both.

The club’s most successful season was the 03/04 season as they finally won a major trophy after beating Bolton Wanderers 2-1 in the League Cup final under the hand of current England manager, Steve McClaren. This success also ensured that Boro would qualify for Europe and the UEFA Cup for the first time, in which they reached the last 16. They qualified for the UEFA Cup again the upcoming season. This would lead to what might be the most proud moment of the club as they reached the UEFA Cup final following two amazing comebacks from 3-0 down. Though, in the final in Eindhoven the team lost 4-0 to the Spanish side Sevilla. After the final Boro saw their gaffer McClaren leave for England, and captain Gareth Southgate would take over the position even though he had no coaching qualifications, but thanks to special dispensation he was allowed to continue.

Potential Threats/Star Players

Name: Jonathan Woodgate
Position: Centre Back
Nationality: England

Starting his professional career at Leeds United, Jonathan Woodgate soon got a reputation as one of the greatest up and coming backs in the English game, and he was a part of the Leeds side that made it to the Semi-Finals of the Champions League. He later went to Newcastle where he made a solid impression and became a fan favourite. Though, he stay at the tyneside was ruined by constant injuries and went on to go to the gigantic Spanish side, Real Madrid.

During his stay in Madrid he never really got the chance on the first team, only getting 9 apps over his two year stay and his name which had been mentioned when people talked about the greatest up and coming England stars had been long since forgotten. Though, a loan spell at Middlesbrough was the salvation for Woodgate. He has become a sort of hero at the Riverside, and even though he is an old Toon player, he won’t give any mercy. He’s a player Newcastle will have to work hard to get past.

Name: Stewart Downing
Position: Midfielder
Nationality: England

A Boro fan since his early childhood days, Downing is a player that plays with his heart on the outside of his shirt. He has been at the club his entire career, with an exception of a short loan spell at Sunderland in 2003. He’s become a regular in the English International side, and is one of the best English midfielders in the Premier League. Any player facing him will have to be on the top of their game to get past him, and he has the offensive skills to start surprise attacks that might lead to goals.

Name: Mido
Position: Striker
Nationality: Egypt

A new acquisition at the Riverside and has been touted as one of the brightest and best strikers in the Premiership, but thanks to Robbie Keane and Berbatov, he never really got his first team chance at White Heart Lane. But now that he finally has the chance for a fresh start with Southgate’s side, he’s bound to do his best to prove himself worthy of the trust.