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ALASTAIR BROWNLEE - LIVE ONLINE AT BORONATION PART TWO - 31-10-07
Alastair Brownlee appeared live on BoroNation.com on Monday evening, 29th October 2007. Here is the second part of his answers to your questions.
CLICK HERE FOR PART ONE OF ALASTAIR'S QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION
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benidorm2boro
Do you think Gareth has spent wisely in the short time he has been manager?
ALI_BROWNLEE
I would say overall Gareth has spent wisely. No one would disagree that Arca, O'Neil and Woodgate have strengthened the squad and at the moment it's too early to judge Tuncay, Aliadaire and Mido but there is genuine hope that they will also be a success.
Every manager has both successes and failures in the transfer market and Gareth is no different.
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borowally
Pigbag - like it or loathe it?
ALI_BROWNLEE
As a Boro fan who first started supporting the team in the 1960s I would have to say that my preferred tune to run out to has to be The Power Game.
After all Everton around the same time chose Z Cars as their theme tune and still use it to this day. I like to think that there is a place for nostalgia in football and for me The Power Game is always linked with the Boro team getting ready to come out and stuff the opposition.
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mr_r_soles
If Boro told Century that you could do the match commentary again but without Bernie then would you do it?
Also which former player would you like to work on the radio with apart from Bernie?
ALI_BROWNLEE
I would hope that the situation wouldn't arise as I think the partnership I have with Bernie works as he is the eternal pessimist and I am the eternal optimist.
Over the years I have worked with a number of ex-players but it was only the partnership with Bernie that managed to get us to New York to pick up the radio award.
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Woman_with_a_willie
Is that invite to go round yours for a parmo still standing? I'm hungry.
ALI_BROWNLEE
I think that next time I invite everybody around I should inform the wife first as last time our road resembled a soup kitchen. She's never cooked so many parmos in her life. Perhaps the invitation will be offered again in May when we get to the Cup Final.
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misterpaul89
Hi Ali. Is there a certain length of time that BBC Tees have the commentary rights for? And can you see Bernie and yourself getting back to the full matchday commentary programme sometime?
I, for one, loved the Century commentary and hope for its return.
ALI_BROWNLEE
The existing exclusive commentary deal with BBC Tees is, as far as I'm aware, for this season only and obviously I hope that Century will obtain the rights to commentate again next season.
Bernie and I have had a lot of positive feedback from the fans about how much they enjoyed listening to us and as I say it's our hope that they will be able to do so again. That's nothing against BBC Tees it's just that I think the fans deserve a choice.
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10hickton
Do you know what the situation is with Shawky? After half a game versus Spurs in the Carling Cup he seems to have disappeared.
Do you also think we are well covered for goalkeepers, as I think Schwarzer will leave in the summer.
ALI_BROWNLEE
Shawky is still part of the squad but at the moment I would prefer to see Gareth persist with Lee Cattermole and Fabio Rochemback as our central midfield pairing. I also think that whilst a lot of attention has been given to the injuries to our strikers, one of the biggest losses this season has been Julio Arca and it would be good to see him back in the team by December.
Concerning the goal keepers I think we have good cover with Ross Turnbull. He is a young player I rate very highly. I know that Mark Schwarzer has some critics amongst the fans but I think that he is still a top quality Premier League keeper and hopefully will stay.
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glippy
What's your opinion of the BBC package? Most Boro fans loved the Century coverage because it was all Boro and totally partizan. Tees manages about two calls in the post match hour and spends half the time going off to Hartlepool, Darlington etc.
ALI_BROWNLEE
Obviously as I am working on a matchday I don't get to hear the BBC Tees coverage. I did however start reporting back in the 80s for the BBC and know that the current team of Paul Addison and Gary Gill care for the club. Nevertheless I strongly feel that the fans should be allowed a choice of where they listen to the Boro commentary and hopefully Century will be able to resume the Boro commentary in the future.
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Turner_86
Who do you think will win the X factor?
I quite like that girl group but I really hope someone would shoot that brother and sister - there's something not right at all there.
ALI_BROWNLEE
Much to my family's frustration I only ever watch football on the telly but bearing in mind that Bernie has a little extra time on his hands on a Saturday perhaps he should enter.
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Lamb4thechop
Taking your red goggles off and being honest - where do you see Boro finishing this season?
And by the way you are a huge loss to Boro fans and an even bigger loss to MFC.
ALI_BROWNLEE
Unfortunately my rose-tinted spectacles are on prescription and cannot be removed. Thanks for your remarks and I think we will finish in 10th place which bearing in mind the current situation I think most fans would be happy with. Let's hope that like last year we can also have a decent run in the FA Cup.
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sasboro
Two questions:-
1) What's Bandy like to travel with to an away match and
2) Is it possible to get your sunday show with Bernie live on the internet for us ex-pats living out of range? The recorded ones dont seem to be up to date on the internet. Us Exiles have trouble getting the show.
ALI_BROWNLEE
Travelling with Bandy was an experience. It was almost like looking in the mirror coz he's as mad about the Boro as I am.
I will bring the second point up with Century and try and get the show live on the internet.
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MFC_2004
Do you think we will survive if Southgate stays in charge for the season?
Also, if he was to be replaced, who would you want as manager and why?
ALI_BROWNLEE
Yes I think we will survive and I also believe that Southgate is the right man for the job.
Football is littered with stories of failure for those clubs who swap their manager as often as some people change their socks. We have to stay behind Gareth and allow him time to build the attacking entertaining side that he is committed to producing.
Gareth is our manager and I don't think it's right to even think of an alternative.
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piggy_nichol
How do you enjoy being part of the crowd again instead of being isolated in the commentary box? Is it what you expected? Does it annoy you that instead of just having Bernie whinging about how rubbish everything is, you now have to put up with half the ground slagging the team off even before we have kicked off?
Still, on the plus side you can anaethetise yourself with a few pints nowadays.
ALI_BROWNLEE
I never think that I am anything other than part of the crowd as I am a fan of the team. I actually still watch the games from the press box as I provide score updates for Century and compile my match report for Tyne Tees Television. I don't think that getting on the backs of the players helps anybody and I especially think that at this time we should cheer the players on and reserve any criticism for the pub after the match.
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Mahatma_Gandhi
Would you join the BBC so you could commentate again? I actually think the BBC commentary fits in well with this current season - it's dull.
ALI_BROWNLEE
I actually started work in the media with the BBC in 1982 and enjoyed many happy seasons until I switched to Century in 1995. Century is committed to the Boro and to try and get the commentary rights back again. That's something that I obviously hope will happen sooner rather than later.
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ElvisRamone
Do you remember your first commmentary on a Boro away win?
ALI_BROWNLEE
I started regularly commentating on the Boro as opposed to giving score flashes in the season 1986-87 and so the first away victory would be at Wigan when goals from Tony Mowbray and Lee Turnbull gave us a 2-0 win. That season was a fantastic one to commentate on the Boro as they came back from liquidation to give the fans their pride back and win promotion.
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PapaJohn
Do you think its time to start planning for next season in the Championship?
I think Mr Gibson took a huge risk by not replacing the forwards. I think he did this because our first six or seven games of the season were against lesser opposition. I believe he hoped we'd get points in the bag early doors which would carry us through until Christmas, ready for us to buy in the January sales. Sadly this has failed and we are now in a huge pickle.
Our only hope is that the other six teams around us continue to provide us with get out of jail free cards and we find some sort of form!
ALI_BROWNLEE
I think the answer is definitely no. We have had a run of games that would test any team in the Premier League and injuries to our strikers have obviously not helped.
There's nothing we can do to strengthen the squad until January and I think it's time for everyone to get behind Gareth and help the team pick up points against Spurs, Bolton, Aston Villa and Reading and then the situation would look a whole lot brighter.
I think anyone who was at Old Trafford would have to admit that there were a lot of positives and hopefully we will take that into the massive game on Saturday.
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manhead
Do you think criticism aimed at a certain ex-Boro striker by people within the club was unfair and do you think it had anything to do with Century losing the commentary rights?
My own view is that it is ludicrous to single out and blame an individual for poor season ticket sales merely for having the balls to say publicly what the rest of us were seeing.
ALI_BROWNLEE
I think that Bernie is as passionate about the Boro as anyone else and a striker who scored 147 goals for the club is certainly entitled to his opinion.
I think that if anybody had an issue with Bernie then probably the best way to resolve the problem would be to speak to him directly.
I certainly don't think that anything a crazy Scotsman with a fetish for showing his backside in department store windows can have anything to do with season ticket sales.
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wonkydonky
Have you ever took advantage of a "free" bar prior to any match, even at half time, and then went on to commentate?
If so, how did you feel? Were you nervous that you may babble on? In fact, do you normally drink before a match?
ALI_BROWNLEE
The answer is a definite no. Anyone who's heard me commentate can only think how crazy it would be if my passion for the Boro was also mixed with alcohol.
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Little_P
What was your first Boro match and how old were you? I was seven when my dad took me to see Boro against Barnsley in the 1967 League Cup.
ALI_BROWNLEE
My first Boro match was against Peterborough United towards the end of the promotion season 1966-67. The match was shortly after my eighth birthday and was part of my birthday present. I caught the Boro bug which I still suffer from today.
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bororeddaz
It's Alastair not Alistair so how come your nickname is Ali? Surely it should be Ala?
ALI_BROWNLEE
The answer is yes it should. My mother is still annoyed every time anyone uses Ali as she gave me the name Alastair. It first came into use at Whinney Banks school and you certainly didn't argue with a few of the characters there.
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bororeddaz
Is it true that the phrase 'ra-ra' was coined for you and your buddies on the coaches in the Seventies and Eighties?
ALI_BROWNLEE
I was a proud member of the Middlesbrough Official Supporters' Club and travelled around the country supporting the Boro from about 1975 onwards. I made some great friends who I am still in touch with today. I also helped form the Junior Reds which was the Young Supporters branch.
So I'm not sure about the phrase "ra-ras" being coined for me - I was just proud to travel the country with a great group of supporters.
CLICK HERE FOR PART ONE OF ALASTAIR'S QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION
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RETURN TO ALASTAIR BROWNLEE INDEX PAGE HERE
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