Premier League Betting: Diary of a Middlesbrough fan leading up to the big game

Football Food For Thought / Mike Norman / 10 May 2009 / 1

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As Middlesbrough prepare for one of the biggest games in their history, die-hard Boro fan "Mystical" Mike Norman talks us through the emotions he's going through as kick-off approaches.

Tuesday

Damn it! First bad news of the week comes in... Joey Barton receives a three match ban and will miss the game against Boro. That puts pay to what was going to be my best bet of the game - a Sending Off at [3.2].

On a visit to Middlesbrough's training complex, I take a walk around the pitch and find evidence as to why Boro are the lowest scoring team in the Premier League this season. A sign behind the goal simply says, "Any person breaking, or attempting to break this net will be liable to prosecution". My understanding is that Mark Viduka was the last person to break the net, though he avoided prosecution and suffered a much worse fate - he was sent to Newcastle United!

Wednesday

I settle my nerves by watching Youtube clips of the last time a North East derby had so much at stake. It was 19 years ago almost to the day that Boro had to beat Newcastle on the last day of the season to avoid dropping into the old third division. And beat them we did... Colin Todd's red and white army thrashing Jim Smith's hapless barcodes by four goals to one.

I'm probably exaggerating slightly, but it feels like 19 years ago that Middlesbrough last scored four goals in a game - so don't bank on Any Unquoted Score (any team to score at least four) being the outcome on Monday (available to back at [13.5]).

Thursday

The tension is building and Alan Shearer admits that Monday's game is the biggest of his career. Somehow I doubt it considering he is 'supposedly' walking away in a few weeks time. At least Shearer will be on Match of the Day next season... unlike Newcastle I hope!

I ring the Newcastle ticket office and ask if there are any seats left in the away end. "Well I man", is the reply, "The Mackems only ripped 2,000 of them out but we've replaced them now".

Rumours are circulating that Shearer and Gareth Southgate have held meetings to discuss how to make Monday night an entertaining one for the packed St James Park crowd. Talk of dull and duller (as they're affectionately known up here) both playing an attacking 2-3-5 formation are way off the mark however. Instead, a Susan Boyle lookalike (also known as Gordon Strachan) has been booked to provide some half-time music.

Friday

This game is threatening to take over my life, but surprisingly I slept like a log last night - I woke up in the fire.

I was taking the short drive up to Newcastle to collect some match tickets when I received a call to say my pregnant girlfriend has had an accident at work. Panic stricken, I put my foot on the accelerator... and get to the ticket office in no time at all, wait 20 minutes in a queue and collect my tickets. Don't worry though, the only accident my partner suffered was her waters breaking when a colleague told her that Afonso Alves would be fit to play!

At the pub I got told an interesting stat. According to Pina Colada Peter, he reckons that every time Middlesbrough have scored first in a game and gone on to keep a clean sheet, they have never lost a match in their history - quite staggering if it's true. Let's hope Boro score first on Monday - they are available to back at [2.3] in the Next Goal market.

Saturday

It was quite a nerve-racking day today. West Brom won and join Middlesbrough and Newcastle on 31 points. Sunderland draw at Bolton and might just have enough points to be safe now. But the best result by far was Stoke's victory at Hull meaning whoever wins the North East derby will have a great chance of survival.

(Latest relegation odds; West Brom [1.06], Middlesbrough [1.37], Hull [1.62], Newcastle [1.86], Sunderland [8.4]).

I had to laugh when the pools panel judged the Newcastle/Boro game to be a home win. Both sides to lose would have been my decision!

Going for a quiet drink tonight in the local village pub. Some of the lads are going on a stag night in Newcastle but I'm going to give it a miss and spend some time with my lovely fiancé, have a meal and go home and have an early night.

Sunday

Hi this is Sarah. Unfortunately a drunken Mike was arrested last night as he went to Newcastle with his friends. In his only phone call allowed to me he told me that he was in Shearer's Bar and got up on the karaoke. Don't know what he sang but the lyrics included "Cheer up Alan Shearer, oh what can it mean, to a sad Geordie something and a something football team". He can't remember anything after the first bottle of Brown Ale hit him!

Inciting trouble he is being charged with - hope he gets released in time for the match.

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Brett Angell | 01 June 2009

Erm, that's me in that photo!
It's the UEFA cup final after we lost 4-0...
I was a tad upset.

Where did the photo come from?