This day 1977 - The start of a new era

[erimus74]

John Neal, certainly in my top 3 all time favourite Boro managers, who, IMHO, had a hard enough task following in the footsteps of my best ever Boro manager Jack Charlton & what a man to follow, but he tore up big Jacks style of football & changed the whole structure of the playing side, going on to become a very good manager for us, he built a young, exciting team, a team that should have won silverware

John Neal couldn't have picked a harder debut fixture for his 1st game as Boro manager than Liverpool,  league champions & European cup holders & had a certain Scottish international, making his Liverpool debut too, Kenny Dalglish

Like Big Jack had done in his debut season in the dugout, John Neal did likewise, the mighty Boro kicking off his 1st season as manager wearing an iconic strip, a quality Adidas round neck awesome shirt
Boro also included a record signing who was making his debut, John Mahoney, costing £90k, registered No512, mind well short of Liverpool's shelling out £400k & a British record transfer, for Kenny Dalglish
Long before sky ruined our beautiful game, players wore shirt No's 1-11, the sub wore No12, no names on the back of the shirt, no dancing when scoring a goal, just a raise of the arm in celebration, the dug out had the manager, sub, sponge man trainer, doctor, not like today everyman & his dog sat in the dugout
From mine & our Kevs spot in the packed Holgate, watching this exciting new era kickoff, in a lovely, warm Saturday afternoon at traditional 3-0-clock

Kenny Dalglish opened the scoring, putting Liverpool one up with David Armstrong equalising for the mighty Boro & that's how it remained

John Neals 1st picked team he picked

Jim Platt - IMHO, best Boro keeper
John Craggs - Awesome right back who should have played for England
RIP Terry Cooper - still good enough to have played for England while at the Boro
Graeme Souness - For me, the best ever Boro player
Stuey Boam - Best Boro captain
RIP Willie Maddren - Best Boro defender, without a doubt
John Mahoney - Record signing
David Mills - Loved Millsy, ran forever
Billy Woof - 9th 1st team appearance, 4th start 
Tony McAndrew - Youngest Boro player to score a 1st team hat trick & probably our best Mr versatile player
RIP David Armstrong - What a player, incredible & unbelievable consecutive appearances
SUB - Mr Middlesbrough John Hickton - My favourite ever Boro player - Replaced Billy Woof
Attendance - 30,805

















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[Strof]

Was at the game.was rather interesting trying to enter the station to go back to Shildon after the game aged 14.🙈.
Also remember pre season shaking john Neil's hand as he walked across the Dean Street pitch .
That must have been maddrens last season.
When he was being pushed up Wembley way in a wheelchair reminded me of the end of el cid .when they put el cid on a horse despite being dead to inspire his men to victory.
Unfortunately willie couldn't do the same that day.my favourite player

[erimus74]

Was at the game.was rather interesting trying to enter the station to go back to Shildon after the game aged 14.🙈.
Also remember pre season shaking john Neil's hand as he walked across the Dean Street pitch .
That must have been maddrens last season.
When he was being pushed up Wembley way in a wheelchair reminded me of the end of el cid .when they put el cid on a horse despite being dead to inspire his men to victory.
Unfortunately willie couldn't do the same that day.my favourite player

Wilie Maddren, for me, our best ever defender

Remember him been pushed up wembley way

It was Willlies final season, his last was on the 3rd September 1977 away to West Brom

[spottygiraffe (Moderator)]

I thought that first bloke was Adrian Chiles from the one show!

Great post erimus 👏🏼 love all the old pics