Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊

Register Log in

Excellent – and amusing – piece about us on the Middlesbrough official site

















Thunder Bolt

Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
Aug 18, 2009
65,515
Beside the seaside, beside the sea
studio150 said:
Link?
Click to expand...

http://www.mfc.co.uk/news/article/2014/ken-daly-boro-brighton-2830202.aspx

Ken Daly takes an offbeat look at the history of Middlesbrough and Brighton...
What It Means: Originally Beorthelm's farm, Bristelmestune in the Domesday Book, then the fishing village of Brighthelmstone. Slurred speech or affectation shortened it to Brighton, like Cholmondley became Chumley, or Sunderland Sunlan.'

Why It's There: a fishing village without a harbour, just boats on the beach, like Redcar but with shingle not sand. At least until most of it got washed away in a storm in 1703. Ideally-placed when the kind of people who used to party with the Prince in Blackadder the Third discovered medicinal sea-bathing. Well, nearly all of them - Baldrick probably had a bijou hollow in a field on the Downs, surrounded by enticing turnips. London's vastly expanding population of Baldricks followed with the railway in 1841. Became a city in 2000, the last victory over Middlesbrough there.

Why They're There: Brighton United, formed 1897, became Brighton and Hove Rangers in 1899, then Albion in 1901. Joined the League in 1920.

The Field of Dreams: The Amex is like Huddersfield nestled among dry, sunny chalk hills as opposed to dark satanic hills and mills, and the total opposite of the Goldstone Ground, which looked like a committee had put it together after closing time, with three different shed-like stands on one side. It was the site of judicial hangings and firing squads, and ancient Druidic rituals in front of the giant Gold Stone.

When It All Began: February 1906, 1-1 (FA Cup). Boro eventually won after a second replay. December 1958 (league).

Local Heroes: Alan Mullery (who turned Boro down in 1981), Peter Ward, Steve Foster, John Crumplin, Dick Knight, (the man who saved the club in 1997); Robbie Reinelt, scorer of the goal in last-day showdown with Hereford in 1997 that kept them in the league. And Bobby Zamora. "When the ball hits the goal it's not Shearer or Cole it's Zamora." Yes, that's how long he's been playing.

Local Villains: Bill Archer and David Bellotti (who sold the Goldstone Ground to share with Gillingham); Brian Clough the manager (left for Leeds after a year, including 8-2 home defeat by Bristol Rovers); Brian Clough the player (see below); Lewes Council, who owned the land next door and objected to it becoming a car park; David Cameron (no relation), sacked after just 17 games for being overweight, described by then Assistant Manager Alan Cork as "useless, full stop;" And Crystal Palace, "neighbours" up the M23, especially since a notorious 1977 cup tie - the fans hated travelling to Gillingham but even though it's much closer few would have gone to a groundshare at Selhurst Park.

Boro Highs: 6-4 (December 1958); 4-2 (October 1990); 2-0 (March 2014), 3-3 (January 1986), after being 2-0 down.

Boro Lows: 0-3 (May 1984); 0-2 (September 1981), bottom after only three games - and for most of the next 39.

Hello to: Mick McNeil (December 1958), Gary McDonald (November 1980), Eric McManus (January 1986), Phil Stamp (October 1993), Stuart Parnaby, second time round (October 2012).

Goodbye to: Graeme Hedley and Andy McCreesh (September 1981), Mick Baxter (May 1984).

Boro Hero: Brian Clough (December 1958), hat-trick in 6-4; Bernie Slaven (October 1990), three in 4-2; Craig Johnston (November 1980), the only goal for the last away win for 18 months; David Mills (November 1984), double in 2-1 including 89th-minute winner, one of five last-gasp goals which (just) kept Boro up.

Your're Welcome: Brighton's first-ever game in Division Two after becoming the last-ever champions of Division Three South was a 9-0 defeat at Ayresome Park. Boro then won 6-4 at the Goldstone in December. Brian Clough scored eight of them.

Typical Boro: 1-2 (April 1980), first meeting in Division One and defeat to a side which had only won twice since Christmas, and kept them up; 0-1 (February 1990), stunning volleyed goal inevitably from Mark Barham, released by Boro the previous summer. And after Brighton missed a penalty.

Tense Boro: 0-3 (May 1984), the only time in 18 seasons between 1982 and 1999 Boro went into the last week of the season knowing which division they'd be in come August.

Nearly Boro: In 1983 Brighton became only the third team to reach (and lose) the FA Cup final and get relegated. It was inevitable who'd be next.

Cultural Claim: more restaurants per head than anywhere outside London; introduced Abba to the world when it staged the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest; appears in Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Vanity Fair, Pinter's The Birthday Party, and of course Brighton Rock.

Historical Claim: George Friend played in the Amex's opening match, as Doncaster lost 2-1 in August 2011.

Historical Grudge: Played second fiddle four thousand years ago to a neolithic settlement at Whitehawk, and again now to Whitehawk FC, the lowest-ranked club left in the FA Cup until this week.

Your Boys Took One Hell of a Beating: Holly Willoughby, Fatboy Slim, Steve Bell, Ismbard Kingdom Brunel, Natasha Kaplinsky, Simon Cowell, Aubrey Beardsley, Tony Hawks, and more actors than former members of The Fall, from Olivier downwards, and Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop, responsible for millions of British women smelling like a fruit salad.
 


Frutos

Frutos

.
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
May 3, 2006
35,571
Northumberland
What is the connection between Brunel and Brighton, as per the "your boys took a hell of a beating" bit?

Good article though, nice to see something a bit different.
 














Tim Over Whelmed

Tim Over Whelmed

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 24, 2007
10,194
Arundel
Excellent article
 




Bwian

Bwian

Kiss my (_!_)
Jul 14, 2003
15,898
Archer and Bellotti rightly mentioned but the third villain Stanley gets away with it yet again.
 




perseus

perseus

Broad Blue & White stripe
Jul 5, 2003
23,457
Sūþseaxna
It is wriitten in English, to be fair, as it is south of Hadrian's Wall.
 


Cowfold Seagull

Cowfold Seagull

Fan of the 17 bus
Apr 22, 2009
21,646
Cowfold
Frutos said:
What is the connection between Brunel and Brighton, as per the "your boys took a hell of a beating" bit?

Good article though, nice to see something a bit different.
Click to expand...

Not sure, not looked it up, although his name does appear on the front of a Brighton & Hove bus, so there must have been a connection at some point, however spurious.
 


Thunder Bolt

Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
Aug 18, 2009
65,515
Beside the seaside, beside the sea








Giraffe

Giraffe

VERY part time moderator
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Aug 8, 2005
26,551
Monkey Man said:
Does Simon Cowell support BHA?
Click to expand...

No

Quite a lot of poetic license with the others too!
Your Boys Took One Hell of a Beating: Holly Willoughby, Fatboy Slim, Steve Bell, Ismbard Kingdom Brunel, Natasha Kaplinsky, Simon Cowell, Aubrey Beardsley, Tony Hawks, and more actors than former members of The Fall, from Olivier downwards, and Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop, responsible for millions of British women smelling like a fruit salad.
Read more at http://www.mfc.co.uk/news/article/2014/ken-daly-boro-brighton-2830202.aspx#0fT8Q6w8m7eBR6cf.99
 


You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Albion and Premier League latest from Sky Sports


Top
Link Here