Source: SKY_Sports
Tears for Teesside
FanZoner Dan Gilgan has mourned the loss of Juninho, the loss of Tuncay Sanli, the loss of Premier League football during his years as a Boro fan. But now he is mourning the worst thing of all, dishonesty from the chairman...
It's been a hugely significant week for Middlesbrough Football Club.
The love affair between Steve Gibson and his adoring Teesside public is fractured. The relationship is in serious trouble. Lies have been told and promises left unfulfilled. The once great partnership has descended into distrust and confusion.
It all started with great optimism and promises beyond our wildest dreams. Steve made bold pronouncements about becoming a force to be reckoned with in European football. 'Rolls Royce' players and a famous manager would transform our club. After 100 years of failure, silverware was on its way!
In those glorious early days we were smitten. Our sugar daddy started to make good on his promises; a new stadium, superstar players and a high profile manager. We were soon established in the glamourous new Premier League and trips to Wembley became a regular feature of our season. There were a few hiccups along the way, (points deducted, relegation and cup final defeats), but we were happy. Gibson had taken us to a new level, we were mixing with the big boys and it felt good.
As time went by we settled into a routine. Always in the Premier League but never making it beyond mid-table mediocrity. We had the occasional superstar player but they were often surrounded by journeymen and over-hyped youngsters. These often bland league campaigns were brightened up by our cup adventures.
A glorious afternoon in Cardiff saw us lift the Carling Cup and a few years later we went on an amazing run to the final of the UEFA Cup. Those nights will live long in the memory and how we loved to sing his name: "Stevie Gibson, he's one of our own!".
That night in Eindhoven proved to be a turning point. Our manager left to take the England job and Gibson announced to the world that he was searching for a, 'top draw manager', to take the club forward. The Teesside public held its breath, who would the new man be?
There were weeks of feverous speculation in the media and we were connected with a host of established, successful managers. Then the club announced a press conference. Who was the top draw manager that Steve had found to take us to the next level? To build on our European success?
When he walked into the room with Gareth Southgate I nearly choked on my morning cuppa! Every Boro fan can remember where they were at that moment, in the same way my parents' generation can all remember where they were when President Kennedy was shot.
The top-draw manager didn't materialize. Steve had lied to his adoring public.
We were in denial at this point. We didn't want to believe that he would do this to us, maybe he saw something in Gareth that we fans didn't? We decided to trust the chairman's judgment, after all he had never let us down before.
Then something strange started to happen. The team of internationals that had won the cup and brought us such joy in Europe started to be dismantled. Slowly, one by one the high profile players left, Woodgate, Viduka, Hasselbaink, Mendietta, Zenden, the list went on.
Those international stars were replaced by inferior players. It looked like the chairman could no longer fund a Premier League club. In the era of billionaire owners, Gibson's hundreds of millions now looked like loose change.
At these moments in a relationship honesty is needed. Both parties need to know where they stand, the new plans need to be laid out for all to see. That never happened. Steve continued to promise us Rolls Royce but had started to deliver a rusty Cortina.
At the end of last season he went on local radio to assure fans that it was business as usual, that he would provide a quality team to take us back to the Premier League. He talked of last season's mistakes and the need to bring in experienced campaigners to help the youth.
As the transfer window shut yesterday it became clear there would be no experienced midfielder or centre-forward coming in. The squad has been stripped to the bare bones, some of our talented youngsters remain but the rest of the squad is made up of 'has-beens' and journeymen.
Southgate had been talking about the need to sell before we could buy. But all that happened was the departure of our last few international stars. Mixed messages and confusion was the order of the day.
All may not be lost, we could still mount a promotion charge with our young team but please, Mr Gibson, be honest about the future.
You brought us some of the happiest days in our club's history. Don't make any more promises that can't be delivered: don't spoil the memories.
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