30th March 1974 - Mother of all seasons

[erimus74]

Mine & our Kev's 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
The previous Saturday we guaranteed promotion when David Armstrong scored the only goal of the game at home to Oxford & our 20 year wait to win our place back in the top flight was over, we are back in the top flight & with 6 games remaining we now stand 90 minutes away from securing the 2nd division championship for the third time in our history, though TBF, we were a team in waiting once we beat Bristol City (who were top of the league back then) 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

On the game itself David Mills scored the only goal of the game, to record his 10th of the season, 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 - My No1 Boro keeper. Ever present
John Craggs - Ever present
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 & CH
Willie Maddren (RIP) - My favourite Boro defender & the best I have seen back then & since
Bobby Murdoch (RIP) - 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 for the Boro
David Armstrong (RIP) - 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
Peter Brine was a good hardworking player who gave everything for the Boro, sadly 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
UTMB 🥰

[erimus74]