Middlesbrough hire club legend Mowbray
Steve Gibson has listened to Middlesbrough's supporters and named Teesside legend Tony Mowbray as Gordon Strachan's successor at the Riverside Stadium.
The pre-season favourites to win the Championship, who currently find themselves ten points off the play-offs in 22nd, had three men who have previously won Premier League promotion to choose between - Gary Megson, Phil Brown and Mowbray - and eventually went with the fans' preference.
Mowbray established himself at Hibernian before spending almost three years at West Brom, losing the play-off final in his first season, winning the title in his second then suffering relegation in the third, however he retained the support of most Baggies supporters because of his positive approach.
His popularity diminished when he decided to leave them last summer for Celtic - replacing Strachan ironically - but he failed miserably at Parkhead, where he was also loved as a player, being dubbed "the white John Barnes" by Rangers fans and getting sacked in March after a 4-0 defeat to St Mirren.
Gibson's decision to make a crowd-pleasing appointment is understandable given the steady drop in attendances that has seen the Riverside only 49.3 per cent full on average this season, figures that should improve for Saturday's game against Bristol City, which they are [2.0] to win. Boro are [6.0] to finish in the top six.
Is Mowbray the right man to lead the Middlesbrough revival? Have your say below...
Published: 26 Oct 2010
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