30th March 1974 Mother of all seasons

[erimus74]

30th March 1974

Mine & my younger brothers favourite season & favourite Boro team of all time

This day back in 1974 the mighty Boro travelled to Kenilworth Road to face our nearest challenges Luton Town, who sit a massive 12 points (2 points for a win back then) behind us

After guarenteeing promotion the previous saturday when David Armstrong scored the only goal of the game at home to Oxford & the 20 year wait to win our place back in the top flight was over, we are back in the 1st divison & with 6 games remaining we now stand 90 minutes away from securing the 2nd divison championship, though TBH, we were a team in waiting once we had beating Bristol City (who were top of the league back then) back on the 29th September 1973

Thousands travelled down to see the mighty Boro clinch the championship, a soccer special was put on with all carriages full as it departed Middlesbrough station

David Mills scored the only goal of the game, Boro were champions & going up in style, securing our 8th & penultimate double of the season

Great days indeed & very fortunate & privileged to be old enough to appreciate that team, thanks dad x

Big Jack's Boro team:

Jim Platt - Ever present up to that point
John Craggs - Ever present up to that point
Jimmy Cochrane - 2nd of 3 Boro 1st team games that season
Graeme Souness - IMHO, Boro's best ever player & Stan Andersons final signing
Stuey Boam - My favourite Boro captain
Willie Maddren - My favourite Boro defender & the best I have seen back then & since
Bobby Murdoch - Big Jacks 1st signing & what a signing, could pass the ball on a sixpence
David Mills - 10th goal of the season, another excellent young talent coming through the youth set up
John Hickton - Mr Middlesbrough, a Boro iconic legend & my favourite Boro player of all time
Alan Foggon - Another excellent signing by Stan Andersons, which turned out to be Stans penultimate signing & very good good player, goalscorer got the Boro
David Armstrong - The little gem, another excellent player that came through the youth setup, scored the winner v Oxford one days short of one year of consecutive Boro games, an amazing footballer, 1st full season with consecutive matches that stretch from March 24th 1973 to 6th September 1980
Sub
Malcolm Smith, scored a few vital goals that season, especially the one that knocked out Man Utd at OT in the league Cup earlier in the season, Malcolm Smith shared the subs bench with Peter Brine, they would alternate most weeks with only one sub back then
Peter Brine, Boro's other supersub, made his full league debut in the same home game as Graeme Souness
I liked PB, a good hardworking player who gave everything for the Boro, had to retire due to a persistent knee injury at the same time as the late, great Willie Maddren

Great memories, great team, great era, what a time to be a Boro fan

[Johnny Thunder]

Class team. Arguably the best ever.

[TerryCochranesSocks]

Great memories. Thanks Erimus

[erimus74]

Great memories. Thanks Erimus

My pleasure TC 👍