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TOBY HIGGINS - THE ROCKLIFFE FILES
MASSIMO - A HERO AT LAST 11-4-06
Allow me, if you will, to take you back to the summer of 2002. Having already scored two scorching goals for his country's under-21 side against England, and made history by becoming the first Italian in twenty years to represent his country at full international level while playing in Serie B, Massimo Maccarone became Middlesbrough Football Club's most expensive signing ever when he left Empoli for a staggering £8.15 million.
Labelled 'the new Ravanelli', Massimo was set to be the hottest thing to come out of Italy since Mr Pizza Hut (or whoever invented them) put spices on a pizza. Bald headed, quick and with an eye for goal, big things were expected of the then youngster, and two goals on his home debut against Fulham soon meant his reputation was bigger than any pizza known to man.
We all wanted to love Massimo. We all wanted him to score twenty goals every season, to do the number 9 shirt he requested justice and to justify his hefty transfer fee. Above all though, we sought a hero to join names like Slaven, Juninho and of course Ravanelli on the list of Boro goal scoring greats who will always be remembered. Massimo was set to be the one.
But it didn't happened. Maccarone looked too lightweight against the strength of his Premier League opponents, and he finished the season with a disappointing return of just nine goals. His second season was blighted by injury, and his haul of just seven goals indicated to fans that maybe Massimo wouldn't make it at the highest level. While we all craved a hero, maybe it was time to look elsewhere.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Mark Viduka arrived in the summer before Maccarone's third season, leaving him well down on the clubs vast list of strikers. A disappointing spell on loan to Italian side Parma was followed by a switch to Siena, where Maccarone scored an impressive seven goals in as many starts. The fact that many fans still checked to see if Massimo had scored for his Italian sides shows that although he was gone, he was not forgotten.
And so, at the start of this season, having failed to attract sufficient interest from abroad, 'The Gladiator' returned for what would surely be, his very last chance. No longer a youngster, it was time for the twenty-six year old to produce. A rare start against Arsenal saw Maccarone at his best and his composed finish to net the winner reminded fans why Massimo's reputation and price tag had been so high. Not yet a hero, but in one game he'd won the respect of many Boro fans for his hard working attitude, even if the ability was sometimes lacking.
But on Thursday 6th of April 2006, Massimo finally achieved what we all hoped he would. With so many more recognised strikers on the pitch and with his side on the verge of exiting the Uefa Cup, the Italian became a hero. His goal in the 90th minute against FC Basle will be remembered always on Teesside.
It must have been destiny that Massimo would one day, as we all hoped he would from the very beginning, become a hero on Teesside. Even if he never scores again, he will always be remembered for that goal, on that night, in that competition. The weight of expectation that surrounded Massimo from the very beginning of his Boro career was lifted, and the stadium bounced at it sang his name.
Massimo Maccarone: a hero at last.
But Thursday night wasn't just about Massimo. Every single player did their shirt, their club and their fans proud. Viduka showed the kind of form that begs the question, "why has he never played for a very top team?" and Hasselbaink and Boateng showed the kind of form that begs the question, "where are those contracts then?"
I have sympathy for anyone who couldn't attend the Riverside on Thursday, as such a night may never happen again. For those who couldn't be arsed or just would rather watch on the tele, I have no sympathy. How the attendance can rise from 24,521 to 31,202 in the space of three days is remarkable. Obviously on Sunday the Riverside was full of 'part-time', Teesside based Geordies hoping to catch a glimpse of 'their' side.
The fact that Newcastle's visit was probably the most unanticipated in the history of Tees-Tyne derbies tells a story in itself. Not for many years, in fact, maybe never before, can we as Boro fans say that the two games either side of a home match with Newcastle were more important than the derby itself.
The Geordies may have taken the points on the day, but quite frankly, who cares? Not this writer, and, judging by the performance, the players were not as bothered as they maybe could have been. Surely though, knowing that we are two games away from the FA Cup final and two games away from the Uefa Cup final, it's fairly easy to see why. I said it last week and I'll say it again, we've got bigger fish to fry.
Local pride may have gone to Newcastle this weekend, but come the final week of the season, we'll see whose laughing. Surely, there is no better way that to secure local pride than by winning a trophy?
Speaking of laughing, Me Mark Page got a chuckle out of the thirty odd thousand Boro fans on Sunday, by playing the theme tune to 'The Bill' prior to kick off. This in turn lead to a chorus of what now must be one of the most popular songs ever to be chanted, "Geordies at home, watching the Bill". It's certainly one of my favourites.
Other songs that have brought a grin to my face include "you're just a big fucking Cisse", Aston Villa's chant, "There's only Juan Pablo Angel" fot the sheer simplicity of it" and Bolton's rendition of Amarillo about El Hadji Diouf. My pick of Sunday's songs though is one that every Geordie will cringe at the thought of.
As Alan Shearer wandered ineffectively around the Riverside pitch for the final time in his long career, the words he heard booming down from the terraces won't be the words he hopes to be remembered by. "Alan, Alan Shearer, won fuck all in black and white."
If any Boro fan had to pick the seven words to sum up Shearer's career, the final seven words of that song would surely be them.
It'll be even worse for poor old Alan, when he spends the final week of his season watching his neighbours on Teesside lift two cups... never mind, old son.
Same time next week. UP THE BORO!!
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