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ALAN RAMAGE 5-9-05
Alan Ramage played for Boro between 1975 and 1980, making a total of 77 appearances for the first team. Somehow, Alan also managed to run a parallel career as a first class cricketer with Yorkshire.
COB:You made your Boro debut as an 18 year old at Villa Park in Jack Charlton's great side. Can you tell us all about the experience.
AR: I remember it being the last match of the season and Villa had to win to qualify for Europe. And I remember there being in excess of 40,000 at the game. I had roomed with Boamy the night before. He was a good man. I came on as sub for Teddy Colman who was also making his debut. It's a day I will never forget.
COB: You played for two of the best Boro managers ever. Was there a radical difference between Jack Charlton's and John Neal's managerial styles?
AR: You always new where you stood with Jack. He told you it as it was. I liked him. John was a quiet man who had his favourites...
COB: Who was the best Boro player that you played alongside?
AR: Graeme Souness was the best player in my opinion, both with or against.
COB: It's very rare for a sportsman to excel at two disciplines. How did you combine playing for Boro with playing first class cricket for Yorkshire?
AR: It was a lot of traveling but I was young, fit, single and healthy with plenty of money. I had been three parts around the world before I was twenty doing exactly what I had dreamt of doing all my life, so what's a bit of traveling! I don't think anybody else will do it. Not because they are not good enough, but because the seasons overlap so much now. Lucky me!
COB: You played a season for Northern Transvaal in South Africa whilst apartheid was in force. How did this opportunity come about?
AR: I went to SA as a professional for a club called Berea Park in Pretoria. I broke the league record for wickets taken in a season and was picked to play for Northerns in front of Chris 0ld (ex Yorkshire & England and a good mate) and Simon Hughes (ex Middlesex and as boring as his summaries on Channel 4). It came about through Chilly (Chris Old) and Anton Ferrara, ex Warwickshire. Yogi (Anton) was also playing at Berea and Chilly had been there before on the SAB rebel tour. Six months bliss.
COB: The cricket stats appear to state that you were a better bowler than a batsman. What is your opinion?
AR: I started off as a batsman being the youngest boy ever to play for England under-15's at 12, then as I grew I was able to bowl quickly, so that's how I became a bowler. Oh, I also liked trying to hit batsmen on the head.
COB: Did you ever feel that you had a chance of breaking into the England team at either cricket or football?
AR: I thought I was good enough to play cricket for England as I seemed to have a natural ability at that game. But football, I don't think so. Mind you, some of the hecklers in the old Ayresome Park chicken run will probably disagree with me on that, God bless them!
COB: You were a distinguished cross country runner as well. Did you ever consider going into athletics?
AR: A cross country runner? The only running I did was to and from the pub!
COB: How many other sports have you played at a high level?
AR: I didn't have time to play any other sports. Too busy enjoying the two I was good at.
COB: How do you think you would fare in today's sporting arena? Do you think that things are much different than they were when you were playing?
AR: I think today's game is a lot quicker. The biggest problem I would have today would be staying on the pitch for more than twenty minutes without getting sent off.
COB: How do you think the current Boro side compares to the teams that you played in?
AR: I think the present side would just shade it but it would be a good game.
COB: How did your transfer to Derby County in 1980 come about? How was your Baseball Ground experience?
AR: As I stated earlier John Neal had his favourites and I wasn't one of them. Because Billy Ashcroft hadn't done as well as he had hoped at centre forward, he made him a centre half to justify him paying what was then a club record trasnfer fee and, I think I am right in saying leaving no room for me. Derby came in for me so I went there. I had a good time with them but unfortunately my knee injury fucked both my careers. Yes I was devastated to leave Boro as I am a local lad. But having said that I had a great time!
Alan Ramage will be offering his thoughts on forthcoming Boro matches starting later this week, exclusively on ComeOnBoro.com.
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