Middlesbrough

Riverside Stadium

Middlesbrough has played in 7 grounds since their formation in 1876. Their longest period was in Ayresome Park, a stadium that the club used for 92 years, from 1903. Plans for the stadium began in 1901 and Middlesbrough moved to the new ground when they failed to extend their tenancy at their previous ground on Linthorp Road. It was a rather hasty move, and the grounds weren’t fully finished by the beginning of the 1903-04 season. Luckily Middlesbrough’s first game of the season was an away game against Sheffield Wednesday. This gave workmen a bit of extra time to finish preparing the grounds.

It was in 1995 when Middlesbrough Football Club moved to The Riverside Stadium. This new stadium was built in a very short time, just 32 weeks. It was opened on the 26th August 1995 and was named specifically by the club's supporters. It is a modern building that can seat 35,100 people. It was originally built to seat 30,000 people, at a cost of £16 million. An investment of another £5 million in 1998 allowed the stadium to be developed to seat an extra 5,100 people. The club also has planning permission to expand the stadium to seat 42,000 if necessary. The stadium is now one of the major landmarks in Middlesbrough. It is east of the city centre and overlooks the River Tees.

It was the decision of the new chairman, Steve Gibson, director, George Cooke, and chief executive, Keith Lamb, to make the move from Ayresome Park to a new ground. After discussions with Middlesbrough Council, the club were offered the Middlehaven site and The Miller Partnership site to build their new stadium. The vision of the new and improved grounds was made real when the stadium opened ready for the 1995-96 season. At the time, it was the biggest football stadium built since World War II. It was also the first stadium in England built in accordance with the Taylor Report. Craig Hignett was the first player to score a goal in the Riverside Stadium, in a 2-0 win over Chelsea.

The arena is an all-seated stadium that has a field size of 105m by 69m. The best view of the football pitch is from the West Upper stand and the East Upper stand. Ticket prices for these areas are therefore more expensive than other parts of the stadium.

How to get there

By Car

There are 2 main ways of getting into Middlesbrough by car:

• Via the A19 if coming from the north or south.
• Via the A66 if coming from the east or west.

Follow the simple directions below to find the Riverside Stadium from the A19:

• Follow the A19 and turn onto the A66 eastbound, heading towards Middlesbrough town centre.
• Stay on the A66 and you will pass the town centre on your right.
• From here you will be able to follow signs to the stadium.
• The Riverside Stadium will be left of the A66.

Follow the simple directions below to find the Riverside Stadium from the A66:

If you are coming from the west:

• Stay on the A66 following signs to Middlesbrough town centre.
• Stay on the A66 and you will pass the town centre on your right.
• From here you will be able to follow signs to the stadium.
• The Riverside Stadium will be left of the A66.

If you are coming from the east:

• Stay on the A66 until you see signs for the stadium.
• Follow these signs to the Middlesbrough ground.
• The Riverside Stadium will be on the right of the A66.

Parking is located all around the stadium. Routes to the different car parks will be sign posted. Follow the signs to the correct place according to your car park pass.

• Car Parks A and B are on the west side of the stadium.
• Car Park C is the largest car park and is located on the east side of the stadium.
• Car Park E is located east of the stadium. You will need to drive round the grounds to reach it.

By Train

Middlesbrough train station is about 10 to 15 minutes walk away from the stadium. It is located west of the stadium, just over 1km away. Follow the simple directions below to find the Riverside Stadium from Middlesbrough train station:

• Exit the station onto Zetland Road.
• Turn left and walk down the road.
• Take the first left onto Exchange Place.
• After about 100m you will reach a cross roads.
• Turn right onto Bridge Street and walk down the road.
• After about 300m, turn right onto Windward Way.
• Follow this road until you reach a roundabout.
• Go straight across onto Dockside Road.
• The stadium is located on this road, just after the roundabout on the left.

Click here to see a map of where the Riverside Stadium is located.

Ticket Prices

Tickets can be purchased online from the official Middlesbrough Football Club website. All you need to do is register your details online, and then you can buy season card and non-season card tickets. Click here to book your tickets online.

Season cards are available that offer supporters cheaper ticket prices. Children can also hold season cards that allow them to buy tickets at ‘pocket money’ prices. Click here to learn more about season cards.

Alternatively, you can call the ticket office on 0844 499 1234 to obtain ticket information.

Ticket prices vary depending on:

• your age
• where you want to be seated in the stadium
• if you are a season card holder
• how early you book your ticket

If you renewed your season card before 11th May 2008, season card prices are as follows:

If you purchased a new card or renewed your season card before 28th June 2008, season card prices are as follows:

After 28th June 2008, full prices are as follows:

The Squad

Goalkeepers

21. Ross Turnbull

• Nationality: English
• Date of Birth: 4th January 1985
• Height: 6’ 4”
• Weight: 13st 5lbs

At 6ft 4in, Turnbull is an extremely talented goalkeeper. Last season he played well for Middlesbrough while Schwarzer was recovering from a hand injury. He will also be making an appearance for Middlesbrough this coming season as Mark Schwarzer is now with Fulham.

22. Brad Jones

• Nationality: Australian
• Date of Birth: 19th March 1982
• Height: 6’ 3”
• Weight: 12st 0lbs

Jones is an excellent goalkeeper from Australia. He has played for Middlesbrough many times in the past since 2000. He has been on the bench for many games for Middlesbrough, but has performed well when filling in for the former goalkeeper, Mark Schwarzer.

32. Jason Steele

• Nationality: English
• Date of Birth: 18th August 1990
• Height: 6’ 2”
• Weight: 12st 7lbs

Steele is a young goalkeeper who has a bright future with Middlesbrough. He has represented his country in the under 16s and under 17s and got to the European Championship finals in 2007. His exceptional performances for the club earned him a place in Middlesbrough’s first team squad in 2007.

Defenders

2. Luke Young

• Nationality: English
• Date of Birth: 19th August 1979
• Height: 6’ 0”
• Weight: 12st 4lbs

A talented right-back defender, who started playing for Middlesbrough in 2007, he came to Middlesbrough in a £2.5 million deal after his former club, Charlton, were relegated from the premier league. He has replaced the former defender, Stuart Parnaby. Young has greatly impressed Gareth Southgate (Middlesbrough FC manager) with his performance during his first season at the club.

3. Andrew Taylor

• Nationality: English
• Date of Birth: 1st August 1986
• Height: 5’ 10”
• Weight: 10st 12lbs

Taylor is a star defender at Middlesbrough. He’s been playing for the team since 2004 and has also played successfully on loan to Bradford City. He became the club's first team left-back defender in the 2006 – 07 season.

5. Chris Riggott

• Nationality: English
• Date of Birth: 1st September 1980
• Height: 6’ 0”
• Weight: 12st 3lbs

Riggott joined Middlesbrough in 2003 in a £3 million deal from Derby. He originally came to the club on a 3 month loan but was permanently transferred to Middlesbrough at the end of the season. He’s been a gifted central defender for Middlesbrough for 4 seasons now.

6. Emanuel Pogatetz

• Nationality: Austrian
• Date of Birth: 16th January 1983
• Height: 6’ 2”
• Weight: 12st 0lbs

Pogatetz is an Austrian defender who joined Middlesbrough FC in 2005. This made him the first ever Austrian to play for the football club. He is an important player for Middlesbrough and was chosen for the role as captain towards the end of last season.

14. Robert Huth

• Nationality: German
• Date of Birth: 18th August 1984
• Height: 6’ 3”
• Weight: 13st 12lbs

Huth is an international defender from Germany. He joined Middlesbrough in 2006 on a £6 million deal from Chelsea. At 6ft 3in, he makes a powerful and intimidating defender. He was named Man of the Match in his Premiership debut at Middlesbrough, helping to defeat Everton with a 2-1 home win.

29. Tony McMahon

• Nationality: English
• Date of Birth: 24th March 1986
• Height: 5’ 11”
• Weight: 11st 4lbs

McMahon is an energetic defender born in Auckland. He has played for Middlesbrough many times since 2004. He was on loan to Blackpool during 2007 – 08, but returns to Boro to show off his skills for the forthcoming season.

31. David Wheater

• Nationality: English
• Date of Birth: 14th February 1987
• Height: 6’ 5”
• Weight: 12st 12lbs

Wheater is a talented defender who has played for Middlesbrough since 2004. His exceptional performance last year has earned him a place in the England squad. As a defender, he still managed to score 4 goals last season, one in an FA cup match.

38. Seb Hines

• Nationality: English
• Date of Birth: 29th May 1988
• Height: 6’ 2”
• Weight: 12st 4lbs

Hines is a remarkable defender. He scored a goal against Hull City in a FA Cup third round replay in 2007. His potential was recognised at a young age and he has played for England at the U16, U17 and U19 level. Despite a number of injuries last year, it is hoped that Seb will be making an appearance in the 2008 – 09 season.

40. Jonathan Grounds

• Nationality: English
• Date of Birth: 2nd February 1988
• Height: 6’ 1”

Grounds is a tough left-back defender for the Middlesbrough team. He recently signed a 2 year contract in March 2008 after showing a number of impressive displays.

Midfielders

4. Gary O’Neil

• Nationality: English
• Date of Birth: 18th May 1983
• Height: 5’ 8”
• Weight: 9st 8lbs

O’Neil is an energetic midfielder who has played at almost every level of British football. He joined Middlesbrough in 2007 in a £5 million deal from Portsmouth. He is now well established at Middlesbrough as a frequent right-midfielder in his first season.

8. Didier Digard

• Nationality: French
• Date of Birth: 12th July 1986
• Height: 6’ 0”
• Weight: 12st 0lbs

Digard is a popular midfielder from France. He started his career in the French team, Le Havre, where he played impressive football for 8 years. In the 2007 -08 season he signed a 3 year contract with Paris Saint-Germain. Despite his contract with PSG, Middlesbrough managed to sign him on a 4 year contract in July 2008 in a £4 million deal.

15. Mohamed Shawky

• Nationality: Egyptian
• Date of Birth: 5th October 1981
• Weight: 11st 11lbs

Shawky is an energetic Egyptian midfielder at Middlesbrough. He has represented his home country 42 times and scored 3 goals, pretty impressive for a midfielder. In 2007, he signed a three year contract for Middlesbrough in a £650,000 deal.

19. Stewart Downing

• Nationality: English
• Date of Birth: 22nd July 1984
• Height: 5’ 11”
• Weight: 10st 1lbs

Downing is a competent and skilful midfielder. He has made a good impression since making it to Boro’s first team. He was born in Middlesbrough and has been loyal to the club since 2002. He briefly played for Sunderland, on loan from Middlesbrough in 2003-04.

20. Julio Arca

• Nationality: Argentinean
• Date of Birth: 31st January 1981
• Height: 5’ 9”
• Weight: 10st 12lbs

Arca is an Argentinean midfielder who started playing for Middlesbrough in 2006. He has been playing football from an early age. He was spotted in an Argentinean Under-21s game against England in 2000 by Peter Reid (ex Sunderland boss), beginning his football career in England. He moved from Sunderland in a £1.75 million deal, signing a 5 year contract with Middlesbrough.

28. Adam Johnson

• Nationality: English
• Date of Birth: 14th July 1987
• Height: 5’ 9”
• Weight: 9st 11lbs

Johnson is a midfielder who plays well at left-wing. He has played for Middlesbrough many times throughout his career since 2004. He played on loan for Watford early last season, but was recalled to Middlesbrough where he made excellent contributions to the team.

35. Graeme Owens

• Nationality: English
• Date of Birth: 1st June 1988
• Height: 5’ 10”
• Weight: 11st 5lbs

Owens is a multitalented midfielder who plays well on either side of the football pitch. He played well for the Reserves side from 2005 to 2007. As a result, he became a member of the first team squad in January 2007.

36. John Johnson

• Nationality: English
• Date of Birth: 15th March 1988

Johnson is a young addition to the Middlesbrough first team, playing as a midfielder. He has shown some promising skills as a player in the club’s reserve team. We hope to see some refreshing talent from this new midfielder in the forthcoming season.

37. Harold Goulon

• Nationality: French

Goulon is a young midfielder from France. He has recently signed a 3 year contract with Middlesbrough to join their Reserve side. He has not yet played in a league match, but shows promising potential for the future.

41. Joshua Walker

• Nationality: English
• Date of Birth: 21st February 1989
• Height: 5’ 11”
• Weight: 12st 0lbs

Walker is a young midfielder with a bright future. He plays well as a central midfielder but he is also very able as a centre-back. He first played for Middlesbrough in 2005 when he made an appearance as a substitute in a pre-season friendly. He recently signed a 1 year contract with the club earlier this year.

Strikers

9. Mido

• Nationality: Egyptian
• Date of Birth: 23rd February 1983
• Height: 6’ 2”
• Weight: 13st 1lbs

Mido is an Egyptian striker and is a favourite with Middlesbrough fans. He is quite new to club, having moved from Tottenham in August 2008 in a £6 million deal. He scored in his first game for Middlesbrough, beating Fulham in a 2-1 win. Unfortunately, his first season ended early due to a serious bone injury.

10. Jeremie Aliadiere

• Nationality: French
• Date of Birth: 30th March 1983
• Height: 6’ 0”
• Weight: 11st 0lbs

Aliadiere is a talented French striker who signed a 4 year contract with Middlesbrough in 2007. He moved from playing at Arsenal where he had played since the age of 16 in a £2 million deal. He’s gone on to score many goals for the club, including a header against Manchester United in 2007 and goals against Wigan and Fulham in 2008.

11. Marvin Emnes

• Nationality: Dutch
• Date of Birth: 27th May 1988
• Height: 5’ 11”
• Weight: 10st 6lbs

Emnes is a skilled Dutch striker who recently signed a 4 year contract with Middlesbrough. He joined Sparta Rotterdam in 2005 and has been with them for 3 years. In July 2008, he joined Middlesbrough in a deal worth £3.2 million.

12. Afonso Alves

• Nationality: Brazilian
• Date of Birth: 30th January 1981
• Height: 6’ 1”
• Weight: 11st 9lbs

Alves is a gifted Brazilian striker who is new addition to Middlesbrough FC. He moved from Brazil in 2002 to play in Sweden, where he scored 12 times in 24 games in his first season. He moved to Holland in 2006, before joining Middlesbrough earlier this year in an £8.15 million deal.

17. Tuncay Sanli

• Nationality: Turkish
• Date of Birth: 16th January 1982
• Height: 6’ 0”
• Weight: 11st 0lbs

Sanli is one of Turkey’s biggest stars and is a talented striker for the Middlesbrough team. He came to the club in 2007 on a free transfer from Fenerbahce. One of his most famous goals was against Arsenal on New Year’s Day 2008, which was voted Goal of the Month by the BBC.

42. Tom Craddock

• Nationality: English
• Date of Birth: 14th October 1986
• Height: 5’ 11”
• Weight: 11st 11lbs

Craddock is a talented striker who has been with Middlesbrough since 2005. He has played on loan for other teams such as Wrexham and Hartlepool over the past two seasons. He has now returned to the Reserves side for the forthcoming season.

Manager

Gareth Southgate

Southgate is a well respected player and has led Middlesbrough to many successes. He was a very popular captain after leading the club to their first trophy win in the Carling Cup 2004. He also led the team to victory in 2006 when they won the UEFA Cup final in Eindhoven. Southgate was made the manager of Middlesbrough in June 2006 after being with the team since 2001. He has managed the team well, but the role has meant he has had to stop playing regularly.

He has had a glorious career in football. He first played for Crystal Palace in midfield and helped them to win the title of Division One back in 1984. He then joined Aston Villa in 1995 in a £2.5 million deal. Here he played a centre-back position and made 192 appearances before leaving in 2001 to join Middlesbrough. Southgate joined the club in a £6.5 million deal and immediately became a favourite with the fans at Riverside stadium. He gave an excellent performance in his first season, not receiving a single yellow card. It was this excellent standard of playing that earned him ‘Player of the Year’. He was then made captain of the club in the 2002-03 season. His skills helped the team to win the Carling Cup in February 2004.

Southgate has also played international games for England during his career. He first played for his country in 1995, when he came on as a substitute in a game against Portugal. He was also part of the England Squad in Euro 1996 where he played an important role in getting England to the semi-finals. Unfortunately, his penalty was saved at the end of this match against Germany, and England were out of Euro 1996 as a result. He has also played in the World Cup 1998 and Euro 2000 and has won 57 England caps.

Chairman

Steve Gibson

Gibson was born in Middlesbrough and is a self-made millionaire. He founded a company called Bulkhaul Limited in 1981. The company transports huge amounts of liquids, gasses and powders all over the world. He set up the company from just £1,000 and it soon became the source of his great wealth.

He has always been a true Middlesbrough fan and became the youngest ever director of the club at the age of 26. Gibson formed an association which saved the football club from liquidation in 1986. He became the club chairman in 1994, succeeding Colin Henderson’s role. A year later he helped move the club to new, improved grounds. Middlesbrough left Ayresome Park and began playing at their new grounds, the Riverside Stadium, in 1995. Gibson is one of Middlesbrough’s most popular chairmen. He has helped the club improve and win victories such as the Carling Cup in 2004.

He has put a lot of money into the club, enabling the purchase of top-name players. He appointed Bryan Robson as Middlesbrough’s manager back in 1994, which raised the club's profile enormously. He also saw the club appear in three Wembley Cup finals in just 12 months, in 1997 and 1998. His investment also enabled the club to win the English League cup, the first trophy that Middlesbrough had won in 128 years.

His name is regularly chanted by the club's fans, showing just how popular Gibson is within his community. His good services have been recognised by the people of Middlesbrough, so much so that he was awarded the ‘Freedom of Middlesbrough’ in March 2004. This is the highest honour that a town can give to one of its people in recognition of the exceptional work they have done for their community.

Other members of the team

• Keith Lamb, The Chief Executive – He is a chartered accountant and a former local footballer. He makes sure that the club is run properly and is responsible for the signing of new players.
• Neil Bausor, Chief Operating Officer – He is responsible for reviewing the club's operations and activities. He also plays a large role in the commercial conduct of the club.
• Malcolm Crosby, Assistant Manager – He joined the club as a reserve manager back in 2004. As a well experienced coach and a manager of other football clubs, Crosby has a lot of skills that benefit Middlesbrough.
• Colin Cooper, First Team Coach – He used to coach the reserve Middlesbrough team, but was appointed first team coach in December 2006. He also had a short period of playing as a defender for the team and is hugely popular with the fans.
• Steve Agnew, First Team Coach – he is an incredibly experienced player and was originally appointed coach of Middlesbrough’s reserve team. He was promoted to the position of first team coach in summer 2008, after Steve Harrison left.
• Stephen Pears, Goalkeeping Coach – He used to play as goalkeeper for Middlesbrough and is seen as one of their best-ever goalkeepers. Now retired from playing for the team, he is passing on his skills to other goalies on the team.
• Martin Scott, Reserve Team Coach – He has had an excellent playing career, improving the status of clubs such as Sunderland and Hartlepool. He was appointed to this position in summer 2008, after coaching the Under-18s since 2007.