Middlesbrough Football Club ( ) is a professional
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
club based in
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
,
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in Northern England.The Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas of City of York, York and North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire are in Yorkshire and t ...
. They compete in the
EFL Championship
The English Football League Championship, known simply as the Championship and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Bet Championship, is a professional association football league in England and Wales. Contested by 24 clubs, it is the highest divi ...
, the second level of the
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in England, with five teams from Wales, one from Guernsey, one from Jersey and one from the ...
. Nicknamed the Boro, they were formed in 1876 and are the 11th
oldest football league club in England and Wales. The club have played at the
Riverside Stadium
The Riverside Stadium is a football stadium in Middlesbrough, England, which has been the home of Middlesbrough since its opening in 1995. It has an all-seated capacity of 34,742, although provisional planning permission is in place to expan ...
since 1995,
having previously played at
Ayresome Park for 92 years, from 1903 to 1995.
Middlesbrough were one of the founding members of the
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
in 1992, and have spent all but two seasons of their entire history as a professional club competing within the top two tiers of English football.
Their highest league finish to date was third place in the top flight in the
1913–14 season. The outbreak of the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
stunted their push for a first top division title, though the club pushed again during the inter-war years, finishing fourth in the
1938–39 season before the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
halted the English leagues and again prevented a push for a first title. The club came within minutes of folding in 1986 before they were saved by a
consortium
A consortium () is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations, or governments (or any combination of these entities) with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a ...
led by board member and later chairman
Steve Gibson.
A remarkable
recovery saw the club immediately earn back to back promotions to the top division in the
1986–87 and
1987–88 seasons. The club were runners-up in the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
and
League Cup in 1997 while also being relegated following a controversial 3-point deduction, and losing another League Cup
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
the following season. Under
Steve McClaren, the club won the League Cup in
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
, its first major silverware, and reached the
2006 UEFA Cup final
The 2006 UEFA Cup Final was a association football, football match that took place at Philips Stadion in Eindhoven, Netherlands on 10 May 2006 as the culmination of the 2005–06 UEFA Cup. The match was contested by Middlesbrough F.C., Middlesbrou ...
. The club has played one Premier League season since relegation in 2009.
Middlesbrough is the only major professional football club in the greater
Teesside area (the 14th biggest
urban area
An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
in England), the
Tees Valley, and the county of
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in Northern England.The Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas of City of York, York and North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire are in Yorkshire and t ...
(the largest county in England by area
). The club has regional rivalries with the two closest major clubs,
Newcastle United (the
Tyne–Tees derby) and
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
(the
Tees–Wear derby).
The club's traditional kit is red with white detailing, often in the form of a white chest band. The home shorts and sock colours have interchangeably been shifted between red and white, complementing the red shirt that was adopted in 1899. The various crests throughout the club's history, the most recent of which was adopted in 2007,
incorporate a lion rampant.
History
Formation and early years (1876–1914)

Middlesbrough were formed in 1876, and won the
FA Amateur Cup in 1895 and again in 1898. The club turned professional in 1889, but reverted to amateur status in 1892.
They turned professional permanently in 1899.
After three seasons, they won promotion to the
First Division, where they would remain for the next .
In 1903, the club moved to
Ayresome Park, their home for the next . In 1905, the club sanctioned the transfer of
Alf Common
Alfred Common (25 May 1880 in Millfield, Tyne and Wear, Millfield (Sunderland) – 3 April 1946 in Darlington) was an English footballer who played at inside forward or Forward (association football)#Centre-forward, centre forward. He is most fa ...
for
£1,000, a record fee.
In the same year,
Tim Williamson became the first Middlesbrough player to play international football.
Over these early years in the top flight, their form fluctuated greatly, rising to sixth in
1907–08 before dropping to 17th two seasons later. The club rose to their highest league finish to date, third, in
1913–14.
The
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
soon intervened, and football was suspended.
Ups and downs (1914–1966)
Before league football resumed, Middlesbrough won the Northern Victory League,
but the team were unable to maintain their previous form and finished the
1919–20 season in mid-table. They remained in the First Division for the next few seasons, but were relegated in
1923–24 after finishing bottom, 10 points adrift of their nearest rivals.
Three seasons later, they won the
Division Two title. During that season, debutant
George Camsell
George Henry Camsell (27 November 1902 – 7 March 1966) was an English Association football, footballer who scored a club record 325 league goals in 419 games for Middlesbrough F.C., Middlesbrough, and 18 goals in nine appearances for England ...
, who had signed from
Third Division North side Durham City the previous season, finished with a record 59 league goals, which included nine hat-tricks. He would continue as top scorer for each of the next 10 seasons.
Middlesbrough's tenure back in the top flight lasted only one season, and the club were relegated.
They were promoted at the first attempt in
1928–29, winning another Second Division title.
The club remained in the First Division until 1954.
The decade before the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
saw the emergence of
Wilf Mannion and
George Hardwick, both of whom would go on to become
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
internationals in the years ahead. Middlesbrough climbed to fourth in the last full season before the war, and were expected to challenge for the title the following season, but the war intervened.
After the war, the club was unable to recover the form of the previous seasons before the war, hovering around mid-table and exiting in the early rounds of the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
. Soon after the war, the team began to falter, and were relegated in
1953–54. This was the start of a 20-year spell outside the top division, but this was the spell too that saw the emergence of one of the club's top goalscorers,
Brian Clough, who scored 204 goals in 222 games, before he left for
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
.
On 6 May 1950 Middlesbrough were represented by a Black player for the first time, Jamaican-born
Lindy Delapenha making his debut in an away game against Fulham on that date. In total he went on to make 270 appearances, scoring 92 goals, before he left for
Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the third level of the English football league system.
The club was formed in 1897 as Mans ...
after the 1957–58 season. Over that period, Middlesbrough maintained reasonable progress in the Second Division, but were never serious contenders for promotion. After a fourth-place finish in
1962–63, the club endured a steady decline and were relegated to the
Third Division for the first time in their history in 1966.
Resurgence, 'Charlton's Champions', and financial crisis (1966–1994)
New manager
Stan Anderson returned the club to the second flight at the first attempt.
Middlesbrough would not finish below ninth during the next six seasons in the Second Division, finishing 4th (just outside the top three promotion winning places at the time) on three of those occasions.
In 1973,
Jack Charlton took over as manager and guided the team back to the top flight. A team led on the pitch by
Willie Maddren and
Bobby Murdoch, and including a young
Graeme Souness, ensured promotion as early as 23 March 1974, and with eight games of the season left, they became runaway champions, finishing with a league record 65 points (based on the 2 points for a win format).
After a very promising start to their first campaign back in the first division
Bob Paisley
Robert Paisley (23 January 1919 – 14 February 1996) was an English professional football manager and player who played as a wing-half. He spent almost 50 years with Liverpool and is regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time. ...
, manager of eventual runners up Liverpool, tipped Middlesbrough as favourites to win the league, however they ultimately fell short finishing seventh. Middlesbrough won their first silverware as a professional side in
the 1975–76 season, lifting the
Anglo-Scottish Cup in its inaugural season after a two-legged final win over
Fulham
Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...
.
In 1979,
John Neal
John Neal (August 25, 1793 – June 20, 1876) was an American writer, critic, editor, lecturer, and activist. Considered both eccentric and influential, he delivered speeches and published essays, novels, poems, and short stories between the 1 ...
made the club's first international signing, with
Boško Janković arriving from
Željezničar Sarajevo.
The club experienced severe financial difficulties during the mid-1980s. Middlesbrough were dropping down the table, and finished 19th in the
1984–85 season.
In April 1986, the club had to borrow £30,000 from the
Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) to pay wages.
The final game of the season saw Middlesbrough relegated to the Third Division again.
That summer, the club called in the
Provisional Liquidator, and, shortly afterwards, the club was wound up and the gates to Ayresome Park were padlocked.
Without the £350,000 capital required for
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
registration, a new rule, the club risked folding permanently.
Steve Gibson, however, a member of the board at the time, brought together a consortium, and with 10 minutes to spare before the deadline they completed their registration with the Football League for the
1986–87 season.
Following the registration came both a change of club crest and a change of the official company name to Middlesbrough Football and Athletic Club (1986) Ltd.
Over the next two seasons, Middlesbrough gained successive promotions into Division Two and then into Division One,
the latter being the first and only time a second-tier side
directly relegated a first tier side through the
English Football League play-offs. The next season however, they came straight back down to Division Two, and with it came the then British transfer record move of
Gary Pallister to
Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
for £2.3 million. Following promotion again, Middlesbrough became one of the founding members of the
FA Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football ...
when it was launched in the
1992–93 season.
Bryan Robson years (1994–2001)
Player-manager
Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson (born 11 January 1957) is an English association football, football manager and former player. He began his career with West Bromwich Albion F.C., West Bromwich Albion in 1972, where he amassed over 200 appearances and was club ca ...
, from Manchester United, took charge in 1994.
Following promotion to the Premier League Middlesbrough made high-profile purchases like Brazilian international
Juninho and previous season's
Champions League final goalscorer and Italian international
Fabrizio Ravanelli. A difficult
1996–97 season, however, was compounded by a deduction of three points imposed just after Christmas as punishment for the club's failure to fulfil a fixture against
Blackburn Rovers, which ultimately resulted in relegation.
Without the points deduction imposed by the FA Premier League despite the club having taken advice from the Premier League themselves prior to calling off the match, the club would have had enough points to avoid the drop. At the same time, the club reached both the
League and
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
finals for the first time, but lost both games. Despite being in the second tier, they were again runners-up in the
League Cup final the next year.

Despite losing high-profile players Ravanelli and Juninho due to relegation, Middlesbrough were promoted back to the Premier League at the first attempt, in 1998. The following season saw them settle well and they had a 12-game unbeaten run midway through
1998–99, including a 3–2 win at
Old Trafford in January during which they took a 3–0 lead; it was Manchester United's only home defeat during their
treble-winning
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...
. Middlesbrough continued to stay secure in mid-table the following season, due mainly to the goals of
Hamilton Ricard and the signings of prominent players such as
Paul Ince and
Christian Ziege. In
2000–01, they had a brief relegation scare that was solved with the arrival of
Terry Venables as co-manager, and a 3–0 win away at
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
in April was the team's best result. The trend of buying high profile European-based players continued with the acquisitions of
Christian Karembeu and
Alen Bokšić. Bryan Robson left the club before the start of
2001–02 season, having served as manager for seven years.
Return to top flight and venture into Europe (2001–2009)

After Venables decided not to take on the role of full time manager, in June 2001 Manchester United assistant coach
Steve McClaren was appointed to replace Robson.
In his first season, McClaren led Middlesbrough to a respectable 12th place league finish and an FA Cup semi final, narrowly losing 1–0 to Arsenal. A slight improvement in the league saw the club finish 11th the following season. The
2003–04 season saw the club again finish 11th in the league, but much more significantly win a first major trophy by beating
Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
2–1 in the
League Cup final.
The League Cup win also ensured that Middlesbrough would qualify for Europe – the
UEFA Cup
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star.
Computer scientists and Mathematici ...
– for the first time – the following season, where they reached the
last 16 of the competition.
UEFA Cup qualification was achieved for the
second consecutive year after a 1–1 away draw with
Manchester City
Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
on the final game of the season. The match concluded with a dramatic last minute late penalty save by goalkeeper
Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer ( , ; born 6 October 1972) is an Australian former professional football player who played as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. He represented Australia men's national soccer team, Australia at international level ...
which saw Middlesbrough finish above City in 7th place and qualify for Europe again.
Middlesbrough enjoyed one of its most successful cup campaigns to date in the
2005-2006 season. Domestically the club reached the League Cup quarter final and the FA Cup semi final, losing out to a late goal in a 1–0 loss to
West Ham
West Ham is a district in East London, England and is in the London Borough of Newham. It is an inner-city suburb located east of Charing Cross.
The area was originally an ancient parish formed to serve parts of the older Manor of Ham, a ...
at
Villa Park
Villa Park is a association football, football stadium in Aston, Birmingham, with a seating capacity of 42,918. It has been the home of Premier League club Aston Villa F.C., Aston Villa since 1897. The ground is less than a mile from both Witt ...
. The club also reached the
2006 UEFA Cup final
The 2006 UEFA Cup Final was a association football, football match that took place at Philips Stadion in Eindhoven, Netherlands on 10 May 2006 as the culmination of the 2005–06 UEFA Cup. The match was contested by Middlesbrough F.C., Middlesbrou ...
following two miraculous last minute comebacks from 3–0 down on aggregate in the quarter and semi finals against
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel, FCB, or just Basel, is a Swiss professional Association football, football club based in Basel, in the Basel-Stadt, Canton of Basel-Stadt. Formed in 1893, the club has been List of Swiss footba ...
and
Steaua Bucharest respectively,
however ultimately fell short losing 4–0 to
Sevilla in the final in
Eindhoven
Eindhoven ( ; ) is a city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, located in the southern Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant, of which it is the largest municipality, and is also locat ...
.
McClaren's teams featured local youth players such as
Stewart Downing,
Adam Johnson and
James Morrison as well as experienced international players such as forward trio
Yakubu,
Mark Viduka
Mark Antony Viduka ( ; born 9 October 1975) is an Australian former Association football, football player who played as a centre forward. Viduka captained the Australia men's national soccer team, Australia national team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup ...
and
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, and midfielder
Gaizka Mendieta. Middlesbrough fielded the youngest starting 11 (average age 20) in the final Premier League game in the 2005–06 season, against
Fulham
Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...
. Nine players were teenagers – all English – and two more came on as substitutes.
Following the European Cup final loss, McClaren left to manage the
England national team, and captain
Gareth Southgate
Sir Gareth Southgate (born 3 September 1970) is an English professional Association football, football manager and player, who played as a Defender (association football), defender and midfielder.
A Crystal Palace F.C., Crystal Palace Crystal ...
took over as manager. Despite not having the coaching qualifications, he was allowed by the Premier League board to continue after receiving special dispensation.
Southgate led the club to a 12th-placed finish and an FA Cup quarter final in his
first season as manager. In the subsequent
2007-2008 season, Middlesbrough again made the
FA Cup quarter final, but despite being 2nd favourites to win the cup ahead of their quarter final home tie to Championship side
Cardiff City, Middlesbrough lost the tie and eventually finished 13th in the league, beating Manchester City 8–1 on the final day.
In January 2008, the club broke its record transfer fee, paying £13.6 million for
Brazilian international striker
Afonso Alves
Afonso Alves Martins Júnior (born 30 January 1981), better known as Afonso Alves, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a striker. He represented Atlético Mineiro, Örgryte, Malmö FF, Heerenveen, Middlesbrough, Al- ...
. The club was relegated to the
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
at the end of the
2008–09 season in 19th place.
Decline, brief revival and relegation (2009–2017)
Middlesbrough sacked
Gareth Southgate
Sir Gareth Southgate (born 3 September 1970) is an English professional Association football, football manager and player, who played as a Defender (association football), defender and midfielder.
A Crystal Palace F.C., Crystal Palace Crystal ...
as manager in October 2009, when Southgate's team were one point from leading the Championship, and replaced him with
Gordon Strachan. At the time of Southgate's dismissal, Boro were fourth in the Championship but their form under Strachan declined and they finished mid-table. On 18 October 2010, Strachan resigned and was later replaced by
Tony Mowbray. Following a poor run of form at the start of the
2013–14 campaign, Mowbray left the club with immediate effect on 21 October.
Aitor Karanka, a former assistant coach at
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...
to
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix (; born 26 January 1963) is a Portuguese professional Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former player, who is currently the head coach of Süper Lig club Fenerba ...
, became the new Middlesbrough manager.
He became the first non-British manager at the club,
and led Boro to a 12th-place finish.
In Karanka's first full season in charge, Middlesbrough finished fourth and thus qualified for the
2015 Football League play-offs. After defeating
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross.
Its economy has dive ...
5–1 on aggregate in the semi-final, the club lost 2–0 to
Norwich City at
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
. The following
2015–16 season ended in dramatic fashion. The final match of the ordinary season was a head to head between 2nd placed Boro and 3rd placed
Brighton & Hove Albion at The Riverside. Boro required 1 point from the match to finish above Brighton in second place and secure automatic promotion. After taking a first half lead, they were pegged back, but ultimately held on for the draw, securing promotion back to the Premier League.
Middlesbrough dismissed Karanka in March 2017 following a poor run of form, and the team were relegated in 19th place, after just one season back in the top flight. The team won only 5 league games, and scored 27 goals, the lowest in the league.
Return to the Championship (2017–present)
The club appointed former
Leeds United manager
Garry Monk as manager in the off-season. Expectations at the club were high, having spent close to £50 million in the transfer window on player purchases, in order to mount an immediate promotion challenge back to the Premier League. Monk left in December, with Middlesbrough ninth in the Championship,
and
Tony Pulis was appointed as his replacement. Pulis led the side to finish 5th in the table, however, they lost in the play-off semi-finals to Aston Villa.
In the
following season, a poor finish to the season caused them to finish 7th and miss out on the play-offs by one point.
When Pulis's contract was not extended, he was replaced by former Middlesbrough defender and first team coach,
Jonathan Woodgate on 14 June 2019 on a three-year contract. Woodgate was sacked with the club only outside of the relegation zone on goal difference with eight games left of the 2019–20 season, and
Neil Warnock was appointed as his replacement on the same day. Warnock ensured survival from relegation, securing safety on the final day of the season and a 17th-place finish.
On 6 November 2021, Middlesbrough parted company with Warnock, who was replaced by
Chris Wilder the following day. After 11 months in charge, Wilder was sacked with the club in 22nd position.
Former Manchester United midfielder
Michael Carrick
Michael Carrick (born 28 July 1981) is an English professional Association football, football coach and former player who was most recently the head coach of club Middlesbrough F.C., Middlesbrough. He is considered as one of the best midfield ...
was appointed as his successor and led Boro to a fourth-place finish, but lost in the play-off semi-finals against Coventry City. On 26 May 2023, the club officially became affiliated with the women's team.
In the
2023–24 season, Middlesbrough reached the semi-finals of the League Cup for the first time since 2004. Despite defeating Chelsea in the first leg, Middlesbrough lost 6–2 on aggregate.
Colours and crest
Middlesbrough's original home kit upon election to the Football League in 1899 was a white home shirt with red shorts, and they did not adopt their colours of blue and white until later that season.
Previous kits included a white shirt with a red and white
polka dotted collar from around 1889.
[ The Middlesbrough kit has remained broadly the same since 1899; a red shirt with white detailing, with shorts and socks of either red or white. The distinctive broad white stripe across the chest was introduced by Jack Charlton in 1973 (following an attempt to change the home shirt to a Leeds United-style white shirt), and brought back for a one-off in 1997–98, and, then again, for the 2000–01 and 2004–05 seasons due to popular demand.] The club subsequently announced in December 2007 that the club would allow fans to decide via an online and text vote whether the white band should return for the following season. On 8 January 2008, the club announced that, with 77.4% of voters voting in its favour, the white band would return to the home kit, and that fans would choose the final shirt appearance from a selection of three designs, of which the winner was announced on 7 May 2008.
The Middlesbrough crest has gone through four changes since the formation of the club. Initially, the badge was simply the town of Middlesbrough's crest with a red lion instead of a blue lion in order to fit in with the club's colours. Following the adoption of the white band on the shirts in 1973, only the red lion remained with the letters "M.F.C" underneath in red. This was further adapted following the reformation of the club in 1986 to a circular crest with the lion in the middle and the words "Middlesbrough Football Club 1986" around the circle in order to reflect this new era. In 2007, Middlesbrough changed their crest again, this time with the lion inside a shield and the words "Middlesbrough Football Club 1876" underneath. The club's chairman Steve Gibson stated that the intention was to reflect the club's long history and not just their post-liquidation status.
Kit information
Middlesbrough's first sponsor in 1980 was Datsun
Datsun (, ) was a Japanese automobile manufacturer brand owned by Nissan. Datsun's original production run began in 1931. From 1958 to 1986, only vehicles exported by Nissan were identified as Datsun. Nissan phased out the Datsun brand in Marc ...
Cleveland on a two-year deal. Further two-year deals continued until Dickens was the sponsor for the 1994–95 season only. From 1995 to 2002, the club was sponsored by mobile phone service Cellnet, followed by two years with mobile retailer Dial-a-Phone. Online casino 888.com (2004–07) and satellite navigation company Garmin
Garmin Ltd. is an American multinational technology company based in Olathe, Kansas. The company designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes GPS-enabled products and other navigation, communication, sensor-based, and information ...
(2007–10) followed. In 2010–11, the club had several temporary sponsors including pawnbrokers Ramsdens, who then became permanent sponsors and signed a five-year deal in 2013. At its end, 32Red became the sponsors. Early in Ramsdens' sponsorship in March 2011, the company ceded its advertising space to Marie Curie Cancer Care for two games.
Italian manufacturers Erreà made Middlesbrough's kits from 1994 to 2009, when the role was taken up by Adidas
Adidas AG (; stylized in all lowercase since 1949) is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the ...
, who had previously made the kits from 1979 to 1983. Danish company Hummel, which had made the kits from 1984 to 1987 during the club's winding up and rebirth, secured the contract again in 2018. Erreà returned in 2022.
Stadiums
After formation in 1876, and with the club still amateurs, Middlesbrough's first two years of football were played at Albert Park in Middlesbrough. After seeing the damage being caused by players and supporters, the Park Committee ordered the club to find an alternate venue. The club moved to Breckon Hill, behind the former Middlesbrough College longlands site, after agreeing to rent the land from its owner. However, two years later in 1880, the owner increased the rent and the club decided to move. They moved into the Linthorpe Road ground in 1882, home at the time of Middlesbrough Cricket Club. The cricket club departed in 1893–94 to move to the Breckon Hill field, and Middlesbrough Football Club became sole users of the ground.
With the club's growing size, and entry to the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in the world, and was the top-level football league in England from ...
, they had to move to a new ground in 1903, Ayresome Park. It was designed by Archibald Leitch
Archibald Keir Leitch (27 April 1865 – 25 April 1939) was a Scottish architect, most famous for his work designing association football, football stadiums throughout Great Britain and Ireland.
Early work
Born in Glasgow, Leitch's early work w ...
and would be the club's home for the next 92 years, having also been chosen as one of the stadia for the 1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup was the eighth FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial Association football, football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was played in England from 11 to 30 July 1966. England defeated West Germany 4–2 in the 1966 FI ...
. Following the Taylor Report in 1990, the ground either needed modernising or the club needed a new stadium. The club decided on the latter, and moved out at the end of the 1994–95 season. Ayresome Park was used as a training ground during 1995–96, before it was demolished in 1997 and a housing estate built in its place. Since the 1990s, the club trains at a £7 million complex at Rockliffe Park, in Hurworth, on the outskirts of Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. It lies on the River Skerne, west of Middlesbrough and south of Durham. Darlington had a population of 107,800 at the 2021 Census, making it a "large town" ...
.
The Riverside Stadium
The Riverside Stadium is a football stadium in Middlesbrough, England, which has been the home of Middlesbrough since its opening in 1995. It has an all-seated capacity of 34,742, although provisional planning permission is in place to expan ...
, named by the supporters of the club after a vote, became the club's home in 1995. It was the first stadium to be built in line with the Taylor Report's recommendations on all-seater stadiums for clubs in the top two divisions of the English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in England, with five teams from Wales, one from Guernsey, one from Jersey and one from the ...
. It was originally a 30,000-seater stadium, constructed at a cost of £16 million, before it was expanded in 1998 to a capacity of 35,100 for an extra £5 million.
Since then, several reorganisations of the Riverside Stadium have taken place. At the start of the 2013–14 season, away fans were moved from behind the goal in the South stand to the South East corner, while home fans were situated behind both goals to help create a better atmosphere inside the stadium. A giant TV screen was also installed at the back of the South-East corner, replacing the older style scoreboards attached to the North and South stand roofs. For the start of the 2016–17 season (and a return to the Premier League), the club had to improve the stadium's broadcasting facilities and floodlighting in order to meet Premier League requirements. The club also took this opportunity to move the main camera gantry to the back of the East stand, so that it faced the main West stand. As of the 2017–18 season, the stadium capacity is 34,742.
Supporters
Middlesbrough's average historic attendance is the 16th highest of all the clubs in England and Wales.
Traditionally, supporters come from Middlesbrough itself and towns in the immediate area. As of May 2001, Middlesbrough had one of the highest proportions in Britain of locally-born season ticket holders at 80%, and one of the highest proportions of female fans at 20%. A survey at the start of the 2007–08 season found Middlesbrough supporters were the seventh-loudest set of fans in the Premier League. Middlesbrough Official Supporters Club, which features its own team in the local football league, has links with supporters' clubs across the globe. The largest supporters' clubs include the Official Supporters' Club, the Middlesbrough Disabled Supporters' Association, Yarm Reds, Red Faction and Middlesbrough Supporters South.
For Middlesbrough supporters, their main rivals are Newcastle United (with whom they contest the Tyne–Tees derby), followed by Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
(with whom they contest the Tees–Wear derby), and also, according to a planetfootball.com's 2004 survey, Leeds United.
The nickname ''Smoggie
Smoggie is a colloquial term used to refer to people from the Teesside area of North East England. The term is also used to describe the local accent and dialect spoken in the area. The term relates to the area's notoriety for its high levels o ...
s'' was first used as a derogatory term by opposing supporters; it relates to the industrial air pollution – smog – that used to hang over the town, but it was later used by Middlesbrough fans in a somewhat self-deprecating manner, before finally being adopted as a badge of pride by supporters of the club. An example of this can be seen on the banners carried to away games stating "Smoggies on Tour". Middlesbrough fans received praise from UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; ; ) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach soccer, beach football in Europe and the List of transcontinental countries#A ...
Chief Executive Lars-Christer Olsson after their behaviour during the 2005–06 UEFA Cup
The 2005–06 UEFA Cup, the 35th edition of the UEFA Cup, was won by Sevilla, beating Middlesbrough in the final. It was the first victory for Sevilla in a European competition, and the first appearance by Middlesbrough in a European final. The ...
campaign. He commented that: Middlesbrough fans also received praise from Cleveland Police for their behaviour in previous rounds, particularly in the light of aggravation prior to and during the match at Roma.
Media relations
Middlesbrough was the first football club in the world to launch its own TV channel – Boro TV. The first broadcasts were tied to the club's first ever major cup final appearance in 1997, a full year ahead of Manchester United's MUTV, which still claims to be the first in the world. The channel was the brainchild of then NTL marketing director, Peter Wilcock. The programme became synonymous with former Middlesbrough player Bernie Slaven and radio commentator Alastair Brownlee, who proved to be as popular on TV as they were on radio. Its programmes were not live initially but were pre-recorded and hosted by local radio/TV broadcaster & Boro fan, Dave Roberts. In August 2001, Boro TV claimed another first when it became the first English football club to broadcast time-delayed full-match footage of their league games on its own channel. Boro TV ran through NTL cable television until July 2005. The club then began to show match highlights through a subscription-based scheme on its official website.
Middlesbrough's official matchday programme, ''Redsquare'', was ''Programme Monthly's'' 2006–07 Programme of the Year. There are numerous other fanzine
A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleas ...
s available, most notably ''Fly Me to the Moon'', formed in September 1988 following Bruce Rioch's quote to Tony Mowbray, stating "If I had to go to the moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...
I'd want him by my side".
Community
Middlesbrough Football Club in the Community (MFCIC) was founded in 1996 by club chairman Steve Gibson and is one of the largest community-based football schemes in the United Kingdom. It is run separately from the football club, but receives support from both the club in terms of providing players, staff, stadium facilities and PR for articles in the matchday programme and other publications, as well as support from other local organisations. In 2012, MFCIC was relaunched as MFC Foundation. The Foundation aims to use the club's profile to deliver sport, health, education and inclusion projects in vulnerable and disadvantaged communities across Teesside. Since 1996, the Foundation has delivered 20,000 qualifications, engaged over 500,000 people and invested £25 million in local communities to tackle inequality and disadvantage.
Since 2002, the club and MFCIC have also run the Middlesbrough Enterprise Academy, a scheme which helps local children improve their entrepreneurial skills and increase their awareness of business planning and finance. In March 2008, plans were announced by the Premier League to roll out the scheme nationally amongst all Premier League clubs.
It was announced in December 2007 that Middlesbrough football club had carried out more community work during 2006–07 than any other Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
club, rising from second place the previous year, with the club making 318 appearances – almost twice the Premier League average of 162. They were in the top two for community appearances again in 2007–08, with 374 – a 17% increase on the previous season.
Middlesbrough's mascot is Roary the Lion. The club runs Roary's Children's Charity Fund, which purchases items for local children's charities.
In 2009, steel producer Corus Group announced the possibility that it would mothball its Teesside plant, with up to 4,000 employees and contractors facing redundancy, after a consortium of steel magnates walked away from a 10-year deal. Middlesbrough Football Club helped with the "Save Our Steel" campaign by hosting dozens of steel workers and their families as they marched around the ground, promoted the campaign via the stadium's PA system, scoreboards and in matchday programmes, while players wore T-shirts during warm-ups promoting the campaign. Chairman Steve Gibson said:
European Football
Non-playing staff
Corporate hierarchy
Coaching staff
Academy coaching staff
Managerial history
The following are all the full-time Middlesbrough managers since the club turned professional in 1899.
Players
Current squad
Out on loan
Reserves and Academy
Notable players
Middlesbrough Legends
These 10 players were voted for by fans as part of a campaign with the '' Evening Gazette''.
* George Camsell
George Henry Camsell (27 November 1902 – 7 March 1966) was an English Association football, footballer who scored a club record 325 league goals in 419 games for Middlesbrough F.C., Middlesbrough, and 18 goals in nine appearances for England ...
* George Hardwick
* Wilf Mannion
* Brian Clough
* John Hickton
* Willie Maddren
* Tony Mowbray
* Bernie Slaven
Bernard Joseph Slaven (born 13 November 1960) is a former professional Association football, football Forward (association football), striker. He scored 223 goals in 567 league and cup appearances throughout an 18-year career and also earned sev ...
* Juninho
* Gareth Southgate
Sir Gareth Southgate (born 3 September 1970) is an English professional Association football, football manager and player, who played as a Defender (association football), defender and midfielder.
A Crystal Palace F.C., Crystal Palace Crystal ...
Top appearances
These players made more than 430 appearances during their time at the club. The number in brackets indicates the number of appearances in all competitions.
* Tim Williamson ''(602)''
* Gordon Jones ''(532)''
* John Hickton ''(499)''
* John Craggs ''(487)''
* Jim Platt ''(481)''
* George Camsell
George Henry Camsell (27 November 1902 – 7 March 1966) was an English Association football, footballer who scored a club record 325 league goals in 419 games for Middlesbrough F.C., Middlesbrough, and 18 goals in nine appearances for England ...
''(453)''
* Jacky Carr ''(449)''
* Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer ( , ; born 6 October 1972) is an Australian former professional football player who played as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. He represented Australia men's national soccer team, Australia at international level ...
''(446)''
* David Armstrong ''(431)''
Top goalscorers
These players scored more than 140 goals during their time with the club. The number in brackets indicates the number of goals scored in all competitions.
* George Camsell
George Henry Camsell (27 November 1902 – 7 March 1966) was an English Association football, footballer who scored a club record 325 league goals in 419 games for Middlesbrough F.C., Middlesbrough, and 18 goals in nine appearances for England ...
''(345)''
* George Elliott ''(213)''
* Brian Clough ''(204)''
* John Hickton ''(193)''
* Micky Fenton ''(162)''
* Bernie Slaven
Bernard Joseph Slaven (born 13 November 1960) is a former professional Association football, football Forward (association football), striker. He scored 223 goals in 567 league and cup appearances throughout an 18-year career and also earned sev ...
''(146)''
* Alan Peacock ''(141)''
Player of the Year award winners
Football League 100 Legends
The Football League 100 Legends is a list of 100 legendary football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
players produced by The Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in the world, and was the top-level football league in England from ...
in 1998, to celebrate the 100th season of League football.
* Alf Common
Alfred Common (25 May 1880 in Millfield, Tyne and Wear, Millfield (Sunderland) – 3 April 1946 in Darlington) was an English footballer who played at inside forward or Forward (association football)#Centre-forward, centre forward. He is most fa ...
* George Camsell
George Henry Camsell (27 November 1902 – 7 March 1966) was an English Association football, footballer who scored a club record 325 league goals in 419 games for Middlesbrough F.C., Middlesbrough, and 18 goals in nine appearances for England ...
* Steve Bloomer
* Wilf Mannion
* George Hardwick
* Nobby Stiles
* Graeme Souness
* Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson (born 11 January 1957) is an English association football, football manager and former player. He began his career with West Bromwich Albion F.C., West Bromwich Albion in 1972, where he amassed over 200 appearances and was club ca ...
* Paul Gascoigne
English Football Hall of Fame
The English Football Hall of Fame is housed at The National Football Museum in Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of top English footballers and footballers who have played in England. These players appeared for or managed Middlesbrough at some point in their careers.
* Brian Clough ''(2002 inductee)''
* Paul Gascoigne ''(2002 inductee)''
* Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson (born 11 January 1957) is an English association football, football manager and former player. He began his career with West Bromwich Albion F.C., West Bromwich Albion in 1972, where he amassed over 200 appearances and was club ca ...
''(2002 inductee)''
* Viv Anderson ''(2004 inductee)''
* Wilf Mannion ''(2004 inductee)''
* Jack Charlton ''(2005 inductee)''
* Graeme Souness ''(2007 inductee)''
* Nobby Stiles ''(2007 inductee)''
* Terry Venables ''(2007 inductee)''
* Steve Bloomer ''(2008 inductee)''
* Malcolm Allison
Malcolm Alexander Allison (5 September 1927 – 14 October 2010) was an English football player and manager. Nicknamed "Big Mal", he was one of English football's most flamboyant and intriguing characters because of his panache, fedora a ...
''(2009 inductee)''
* Raich Carter ''(2013 inductee)''
* Paul Ince ''(2021 inductee)''
Scottish Football Hall of Fame
The following former Middlesbrough players and managers have been inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame.
* Bobby Murdoch ''(2004 inductee)''
* Graeme Souness ''(2004 inductee)''
* Gordon Strachan ''(2007 inductee)''
Honours
Source:
League
* Second Division / First Division / Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
(level 2)
**Champions: 1926–27, 1928–29, 1973–74, 1994–95
**Runners-up: 1991–92, 1997–98, 2015–16
**Play-off winners: 1988
* Third Division (level 3)
**Runners-up: 1966–67, 1986–87
* Northern League
**Champions: 1893–94, 1894–95, 1896–97
Cup
*FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
**Runners-up: 1996–97
* League Cup
**Winners: 2003–04
**Runners-up: 1996–97, 1997–98
* Full Members' Cup
**Runners-up: 1989–90
* FA Amateur Cup
**Winners: 1894–95, 1897–98
*UEFA Cup
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star.
Computer scientists and Mathematici ...
**Runners-up: 2005–06
* Anglo-Scottish Cup
**Winners: 1975–76
* North Riding Senior Cup
**Winners on 55 occasions since 1882
*Kirin Cup
The is an association football tournament organised in Japan by the Kirin Brewery Company. The host, Japan national football team, Japan, is a participant in every edition. The tournament was founded in 1978 then known as Japan Cup (Internatio ...
**Winners: 1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
Middlesbrough Women
Middlesbrough Women is the women's football club affiliated to Middlesbrough. Founded as Cleveland Spartans in 1976, they became officially affiliated with the men's team in 2023, and currently play in the FA Women's National League Division One North, the fourth level of English women's football.
References and notes
External links
Official websites
MFC.co.uk
– official club website
Middlesbrough
at The Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in the world, and was the top-level football league in England from ...
's official website
News sites
*
Middlesbrough news
from Sky Sports
Sky Sports is a group of British broadcasting of sports events, subscription sports channels operated by the satellite television, satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television ...
{{Authority control
Football clubs in England
Sport in Middlesbrough
Premier League clubs
Association football clubs established in 1876
Football clubs in North Yorkshire
EFL Cup winners
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1876 establishments in England
Northern Football League
Companies that have entered administration in the United Kingdom