The Middlesbrough striker had a golden season in 1926-27, including a festive scoring streak that made life particularly hectic for football statisticiansIn April 1925 a panel of assorted footballing suits and bigwigs gathered to debate a possible method of arresting the decline in the number of goals being scored and decreasing the amount of irritating stoppages being endured. The tweak they agreed on that day immediately engendered a blossoming of high-speed attacking surely beyond the wildest imaginings of those gathered at the meeting, a flourishing of forward play that culminated six years later in a still-unbeaten 3.7 goals being scored in the average league game and Aston Villa alone plundering 128, another record. For all their attacking brio Villa still...
A 2-1 loss and some unpleasant vitriol from the stands made it a day to forget for Boro’s manager on his first visit back to Elland RoadAs football soundbites go, the summer declaration by the Middlesbrough owner, Steve Gibson, that his club would “smash the league” in their attempts to return to the Premier League this season is slowly but surely looking like one of the more misguided utterances.It certainly threatens to become a millstone around the neck of his manager, Garry Monk, whose return to Leeds United – the club he left in controversial circumstances to work for Gibson following Middlesbrough’s relegation last season – ended in a defeat that ended his team’s recent mini-revival. Related: Leeds United 2-1...
Middlesbrough have spent heavily in the chase for an immediate return to the Premier League while Aston Villa lead the Midlands challenge with John TerryOver a long summer it has been difficult to get away from the usual faces at the same select few clubs – none more so than that of the Middlesbrough chief executive, Neil Bausor, who has been pictured with a beaming smile time and again alongside new arrivals at the Riverside. Related: Gary Rowett: ‘We’re trying to take away feeling we’ve a right to be up there because we’re Derby’ Related: League One 2017-18 season preview | Lawrence Ostlere Continue reading...
Anfield manager asks players for final surge to finishing line and they race home once Georginio Wijnaldum breaches Middlesbrough’s defence in 3-0 win‘When you see a finish line you should sprint,” was Jürgen Klopp’s final exhortation to his players before this potentially season-defining final game.Liverpool were willing to take him at his word – Roberto Firmino landed the first shot on target in a little under 30 seconds – though more than half an hour later they were still shooting and acceleration was beginning to be replaced by apprehension. News from the other games had already filtered through. Arsenal and Manchester City had taken early leads, but though the first half had been a procession towards Brad Guzan’s goal, with...
John Terry will say goodbye to Chelsea with the title, José Mourinho will pick his weakest team yet and Manchester City should tread carefully at WatfordThe best team in the league face the worst team in the league in a match that will be played in a carefree atmosphere by everyone except John Terry, whose 717th and final Chelsea appearance will end with him – together with Gary Cahill – lifting the Premier League trophy, followed by a teary-eyed farewell speech to the fans. Sunday is the end of an era for Terry, his club and their opponents Sunderland, relegated at last after 10 successive top-flight seasons. Terry’s beer-glass-emptying, disabled-bay-filling, rival-abusing, full-kit-wearing past means he gets little love from rival...