1st February 1986 - Willie Maddren

[erimus74]

ONE of our biggest ever legends left our football club for the final time & IMHO, our best ever defender

Just over 10 years earlier to the day (31st January 1976) Willie Maddren scored his last ever Boro goal when as a 1st Division fixture (now PL) he put us 3-1 up at home to Newcastle United, playing in an excellent team, in front of a bouncing Ayresome Park

Roll on 10 years & the scene totally opposite, the transformation, a sparse Ayresome Park & a struggling team, was to be the late, great, Willie Maddren's final Boro match in charge of our great football club

Boro, without a win in the calendar year while, not only collecting one point out of a possible 12 in January, were knocked out of the FAC & have started February in the same run of form

1st February 1986 - The mighty Boro lost 3-1 at home to Charlton Athletic, with Gary Rowell scoring his 10th goal of the season from the penalty spot, our consolation goal

IMHO, Willie Maddren never stood a chance from the beginning, the club was in free fall, we were in the lowest ebb of our entire club history, it seems has to get worse before it improved, which, thankfully, was to be the case

In the early 80's the club had been managed badly at the very top, excellent players sold, not so bought, both managers, Bobby Murdoch & Malcolm Allison, who followed John Neal after his resignation, knew money was tight, especially under Malcolm Allison, who had done a remarkable job with only using 15 or so players available, but with buying stop gap players his hands were firmly tied, we needed to buy for the future, if our club wanted to survive

Big Mal left & big Jack returned for a brief spell of temporary managers role, saving us from another relegation scrap who told the board the next manager HAS to be Willie Maddren, the board agreed

WM took over the reigns of the club, the players he brought in who, not only played a major part in the clubs fantastic period over the next few seasons that were to follow, but, when some of his signings were eventually sold it brought a massive injection of cash in to the Boro's coffers, there were some good players who WM tried to sign but just couldn't get them over the line, but probably his most importing signing was bringing Bruce Rioch to our football club

Sadly Willie was to pay a price, the board were the ONES to blame for the failure of the running of the club, those who thought it best to sell the clubs crown jewels in early 80's & replace with lesser quality players to end up at our present predicament

Ironically, future Boro manager Lennie Lawrences Charlton brought Willie's time to a final conclusion & up stepped sir Bruce to take over the helm & take us to one of the most exciting periods in our history, whoever was lucky enough to play & support the Boro through an era will never forget, or want to

Willie's final team selection v Charlton

Stephen Pears - WM signing
Brian Laws - WM signing
Tony McAndrew - Brought back by WM in part exchange & cash for Darren Wood who signed for Chelsea
Tony Mowbray
Don O'Riordon - Goalscoring DM from Carlisle, brought by WM, decent player but IMHO he didn't work out for him at the Boro.
Gary Pallister - WM signing
Gary Hamilton
Pat Heard - WM signing - Not a good one mind, once signed out of his loan spell
Bernie Slaven - WM signing
Archie Stephens - WM signing
Gary Rowell - WM signing

Sub

Peter Beagrie, who replaced Gary Pallister in the 2nd half - WM gave him his debut

Attendance - 4,465

[In With the Lurpak]

Attendance - 4,465 when Rioch took over ( I bet you were among the crowd Erimus ) He had Teams full of solid grafters not afraid to get stuck in back then Id bet. attendances shot up into the high 20,000s under him did they not maybe into 30k at times.

[erimus74]

Attendance - 4,465 when Rioch took over ( I bet you were among the crowd Erimus ) He had Teams full of solid grafters not afraid to get stuck in back then Id bet. attendances shot up into the high 20,000s under him did they not maybe into 30k at times.

Certainly was, along with my late brother & dad, I was in the chicken run with my dad