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BOROUGH v BORO BLAST FROM THE PAST I
The usual form for all Boro macthes is to feature reader memories of past encounters between the relevant opposition. So here is the first of our Middlesbrough v Nuneaton Borough memories...
Lillibet M
Nuneaton Borough 1-1 Middlesbrough, 07/01/2006
My only memory of Boro playing Nuneaton was just over a week ago at Manor Park. But it felt like many years ago - as if we'd been transported back to 1986 and were witnessing a Third Division match. Cos it wasn't just the surroundings - we certainly played like that too.
What struck me on arrival in Nuneaton, after we had met up with the COB crew, was the complete lack of matchday atmosphere in the town. I mean, this has got to be the biggest match in the club's recent history but from the town centre you wouldn't even know that there was a match on. Remember what (our) Boro was like when we reached our first cup finals a few years ago?
Fortunately there was plenty of passion amongst the supporters at the ground, all of whom appeared to have arrived several hours early in order to secure a good seat. Oh, sorry, keep forgetting. Well, to secure a good view. Clearly every single Nuneaton fan was packed inside Manor Park.
Standing on the terraces was very retro, and also very amusing. We have clearly been socialised into watching matches in even rows, as everyone automatically formed orderly lines at the edge of each incline. The Holgate was never like that. Thankfully it wasn't that much of a flashback to the terrace days as no-one seemed to be pissing down anyone's leg. Well not mine in any case, thankfully.
A real plus point was that the burger van was actually in the stand so there was no half-time queue to conquer, and we could safely stuff away without missing any of the action.
Oh yes, the action. Well all of our international players were wearing gloves as it was very nippy, but no-one was running that fast to combat the cold. To be fair Nuneaton had every player marked so tightly that you could hardly see daylight between the teams for the first part of the match, so there wasn't really anywhere to go. After Mendieta's perfect free kick we rejoiced appropriately, but that was about all we had to sing about. Let's be charitable and conclude that our lads were thrown by the pace and the conditions. Hmmm. Anyway.
There was a strange feeling of doom as darkness fell, the temperature dropped further and the Boros were equal in more than just name. When the whistle blew for the penalty in the last moments there was a horrified, collective "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" from our end. Well, actually that was just Steve, cos the rest of us were in shock but he spoke for us all, as we knew that the penalty was going in.
The only slight distraction was the stupendous celebrations from the Nuneaton fans. I have never heard or seen its equal. We even had a breakdancer on the penalty spot. Even through the shock and disbelief there was a part of me that was really pleased for them, as this was huge.
Enough has been said about the idiot minority who were intent on causing trouble and it's not worth re-visiting here. What we need to concentrate on is making sure that those celebrations are in the past for the visitors as we dispatch them back home to their memories.
BACK TO NUNEATON MATCH PROGRAMME INDEX
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