Boro v Millwall Matchday Thread Written By Erimus74

[BoroRedKen]

And yesterday there was none of this....

[erimus74]

Yesterday seen our 996th used registered 1st team players with those 3 debutants, with Deing our 84th registered keeper

[Sir Digby]

Did anyone else see Watmore go to the wrong bench when he was subbed yesterday 😂

[John Trebor]

Did anyone else see Watmore go to the wrong bench when he was subbed yesterday 😂

Loved it. I reckon he knew what he was doing 🙂

[Poolielad]

Bloody hell Erimus...That is very impressive ..... well done fella.

[erimus74]

Bloody hell Erimus...That is very impressive ..... well done fella.

Cheers Poolielad 👍

[AtomicDog]

Saturday 5th August, kick off 15:00 Hrs at the Riverside Stadium... Welcome to our 1st Red Roar match day thread of the season

In our proud history we've started the season 59 times with a home game, 24 of those were home wins, our  last opening home win was 9th August 2014 beating Birmingham 2-0

This season will be our 115th season in the football league, 50 of those seasons spent in the second tier, previously named the 2nd division, 1st division & now, the Championship & in that time, the club have seen 11 promotions & 11 relegation's with just under 1,000 registered Boro 1st team players who have represented the mighty Boro throughout that period
Maybe on Saturday the 1,000 figure will be passed

The last time we won promotion back to the PL (2015/16) we spent 7 consecutive seasons in the Championship, next season will be our 7th consecutive season in the Championship, add to that, it's 50 years since Charltons Champions (1973/74) stormed away with the 2nd division championship, what better incentive for the club & fans, to celebrate our finest team & manager than see Michael Carrick & Johnathan Woodgate take us back in to the PL

After last seasons heartbreak when our magnificent run seen us climb from 3rd bottom in October, when Michael Carrick arrived, following the sacking of Wilder, to seriously challenge the top 2, only to fall away at the worst possible time
With Michael Carrick & Johnathan Woodgate having a full summer to work on their plans, players brought in, it will be interesting to see how we'll set up, our formation, playing style & hopefully, look forward to the new season with excitement

The seasons curtain raiser v Millwall with, possibly, 2 former Boro players in their starting line up, the invisible George Saville & the never say die, Duncan Watmore

5th August is not the earliest we have started a season in our history, 3 earlier dates were played
30th July 2022  -    WBA home
2nd August 2019  - Luton away
3rd August 2013 -  Leicester City home

We have faced Millwall 3 times on the opening day of the season
15th August 1987 drawing 1-1 at Ayresome Park
17th August 1991 winning 1-0 at Ayresome Park
4th August 2018 drawing 2-2 at the New Den

12th August 1969 winning 3-1 at Ayresome Park - It was our 1st home game, but 2nd game of the season

Recording a double over Millwall in 1973/74 & 2014/15

During our history we've enjoyed some big games against Saturday opponents, some of our mature Boro fans, me included, will remember:

8th February 1972, my 2nd ever FAC match, 4th round replay, after throwing away a 2-0 lead at the Den with 5 minutes to go. 3 days later, on a Tuesday night in front of 36,489, Boro won the replay at Ayresome Park with John Hickton scoring a re-taken penalty after Millwall keeper dared to saved big John's spot kick, JH re-took the kick, scoring our 9th FAC penalty, normal service was resumed
 
26th April 1986 our final home fixture at Ayresome Park before liquidation, in front of 5,484, seen the Boro win 3-0 with Brian Laws scoring our 3rd goal, a thunderous 25 yarder

29th October 1988 before kick off Peter Davenport had agreed to sign for the Boro after (unlucky for us) turning down an approach from Aston Villa, the atmosphere leading up to kickoff was excellent as unbeaten Millwall came to the Boro in a 1st division (now PL) clash, before football was invented actually
In this end to end match, Boro went 1-0 up,  then finding ourselves losing 2-1 at the interval, 2nd half seen the mighty Boro take full control, as we drew level, went infront & then put the game to bed  Boro 4 Millwall 2
A typical Bruce Rioch Boro game during that excellent era, which had everything, Gary Hamilton v Trevor Hurlock

13th October 1990 - Who can forget, Bruce Rioch's 1st return as an opposing manager, when again, unbeaten Millwall arrived at Ayresome Park. Boro were one up & defending our box when Boro legend, Robbie Mustoe, played the ball to John Hendrie just outside our box, John just ran & ran, running almost the full length of the pitch to score at the Holgate end. Boro winning 2-1

15/1/1913 - 1st fixture between Boro & Millwall on Teesside with the Boro winning 4-1
Boro v Millwall fixture will be the 31st fixture on Teesside on between the 2 teams with the following record:

Won - 18
Drew - 8
Lost  - 4
Goals scored - 52
Goals against - 23

Hat tricks v Millwall x 3
15/1/1913 -  Boro 4 Millwall 1 FAC 2nd round - John Carr  became the 6th different Boro HT goalscorer when his scored his 1st Boro hat trick, the clubs 3rd FAC HT, our 10th HT & 12th overall
23/2/1929 -  Boro 3 Millwall 0 2nd division  - George Emmerson became the 19th different Boro HT goalscorer when his scored his 1st Boro hat trick, the clubs 3r8 HT, our 42ndth HT & 51st overall
6/12/2014 -  Millwall 1 Boro 5  Championship  - Jelly Vossen became the 58th different Boro HT goalscorer when his scored his 1st & only Boro hat trick, the clubs 40th away HT & 142nd overall & Boro's  last away HT too

Debuts v Millwall

18/1/1969 - Alan MOODY HOME DREW 1-1
7/10/1972 -  Peter Brine home won 1-0
26/4/1986 - Lee Turnbull home won 3-0
15/8/1987 - Dean Glover home drew 1-1
16/1/1988 -  Kevin Poole away lost 2-1 - Our 46th goalkeeper
17/8/1991 -  Paul Wilkinson & Willie Falconer home won 1-0 - (WF was a player exchange with Trevor Putney who went to Watford)
6/12/2014 - Milos Veljkovic away won 5-1  - 71st loaned player - Loaned from Spurs - 49th at the Riverside
4/8/2018 - Aiden Flint away drew 2-2
5/8/2023 - ??


A number of  players that played for Boro & Millwall

Boro goalkeeper Pat Cuff  - Between 1974 & 1978 he played 36 games for the Boro signed for Millwall June 1978

Alf Wood - 1976/7 season he played 28 games for the Boro scoring 2 goals, previously played for Millwall between 1972/74

Terry Cochrane - Between 1978 - 1982 he played 128 games, scoring 12 goals, played one game for Millwall in November 1986

Paul Kerr - Between 1987 - 1991 he played 152 games for the Boro scoring 17 goals - ironically his final goal for the Boro was away to Millwall in a 2-2 draw on the 20th March 1991, with Boro were trailing 2-0, Paul Kerr came on as sub & scored the 1st goal, Mogga equalised, PK played one more game before his transfer to Millwall

Brian Horne - August 1992, with Stephen Pears injured & Ian Ironside being the only recognised goalkeeper Brian Horne was signed on loan from Millwall, named as sub, wearing the No12 shirt against Ipswich at home, our 16th loaned player & 1st sub keeper, replacing injured Ian Ironside in the 55th minute, the 1st Boro keeper to wear the No12 shirt & be named as sub.
BH played the next 3 games, winning 2 & drawing one

Ben Roberts - Between 1997-2000 he played 24 games for the Boro, in 1999 he played 11 games on loan at Millwall

Uwe Fuchs, 1995  he played 15 games, scoring 9 goals  - 22nd loaned player - Kaiserslautern & last Boro player sent off & last Boro player to score a hattrick at AP -  Signed for Millwall 1995

Paul Wilkinson - Between 1991 & 1997 he played 232 games, scoring 80 goals, signed for Millwall in 1997

Colin Cooper –  2 spells at the Boro either side of playing for Millwall, between 1986/91 & 1998/2006  he played respectively 233 games, scoring 6 goals & 183 games, scoring 5 goals -  signed for Millwall July 1991

Noel Whelan - Between 2000/03 he played 73 games for the Boro, scoring 10 goals, signed for Millwall in  2003

Scott McDonald - Between 2010/13 he played 124 games, scoring 40 goals, signed for Millwall in 2013

George Saville - Between 2018/21 he played 118 games for the Boro scoring 12 goals - 89th loaned player - Loaned from Millwall & after 16 games & 2 goals signed permanently - 56th at the Riverside - Resigned for Millwall summer of 2021

Duncan Watmore - Between 2020/23 he 92 games, 21 goals for the Boro, signed for Millwall, January 2023, hopefully, if selected, he gets a warm reception on his return to the Riverside


Did you know:-

15th January 1913 - FAC 1st round replay at Ayresome Park - John Carr scored our 1st ever FAC penalty, our 17th home penalty at the time, against Millwall Boro ran out 4-1 winners

In season 1967-68 David Smith, outside left, played 4 games for the Boro, 2 in the cups & 2 in the league, with both league games against Millwall

29th October 1988 - Gary Parkinson scored our 200th home penalty when beating Millwall 4-2

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