• Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

North East Connected

Hopping Across The North East From Hub To Hub

Boro fans enjoyed a night of nostalgia when they joined the team of 1986-87 for a 30 th anniversary reunion dinner, led by manager Bruce Rioch and captain Tony Mowbray.

Middlesbrough Former Players Association organised the event that recalled a season that saw Boro bounce back from liquidation to win the first of two successive promotions.

The club went bust in the summer of 1986 and, with the gates of Ayresome Park locked by the official receiver, the players went without wages for several weeks whilst training on local parks.

But, inspired by Rioch, a young Boro achieved promotion from the old Division Three at the first time of asking.

Those attending the dinner along with Rioch and Mowbray were several others who went on to achieve legendary status with the club including Bernie Slaven, Gary Pallister, Colin Cooper, Stuart Ripley and Stephen Pears.

Midfield star Gary Hamilton, who now lives in the USA, was also a guest along with his former team-mates Dean Glover, Alan Kernaghan, Lee Turnbull, Paul Kerr and Mark Burke.

Former full-back Gary Parkinson, who has had locked-in syndrome since suffering a stroke in 2010 at the age of just 42, also attended with his wife Deborah.

Rioch said: “It was a truly unique time and the fact that we are still gathering together now 30 years later tells you about the unique bond we forged at a time of overcoming great adversity.

“I’ve never forgotten what we faced and achieved, nor the special relationship we had between players and fans, and I never will.”

All profits from the dinner went to the Former Players Association, which helps ex-Boro players who fall on hard times.

The dinner was organised by the Association’s committee of former players Alan Peacock and Gordon Jones plus ex-club staff Graham Fordy and Dave Allan.