MIDDLESBROUGH FOOTBALL CLUB
OVER 25 ORIGINAL AUTOGRAPHS
FROM THE SQUAD OF 1969-70 ERA
PLAYERS INCLUDE
JOE LAIDLAW
STEVE FENTON
DEREK DOWNING
PAT CUFF
WILLIE MADDEN
DAVID MILLS
DAVID ARMSTRONG
STAN WEBB
FRANK SPRAGGON
ERIC MacMORDIE
BRIAN TAYLOR
BILL GATES
MURRAY
ALLEN
MYTON
SMITH
AND SEVERAL MORE.
THE REASON THAT THESE ARE ORIGINAL UNCERTIFIED IS AS FOLLOWS.
IN 1969 (GIVE OR TAKE A YEAR) DEREK DOWNING MET MY NEIGHBOURS WHILST ON HOLIDAY OVERSEAS AND WAS INVITED BY THEM TO SPEND A WEEK AT THEIR HOUSE NEAR GREAT YARMOUTH. AT THAT TIME I WAS KNEE HIGH TO A GRASSHOPPER AND WAS OVERWHELMED THAT DEREK TOOK TIME TO "PLAY OUT" WITH MY NEIGHBOURS SON AND MYSELF AND GAVE US PLENTY OF TIPS AND DISPLAYED HIS FOOTBALL SKILLS ON OUR STREET. BEFORE HE LEFT TO GO HOME AFTER HIS STAY IN SUNNY Gt YARMOUTH (!!) I ASKED HIM TO TAKE MY AUTOGRAPH BOOK WITH HIM TO MIDDLESBROUGH, WHICH HE DID, AND RETURNED IT WITH THESE TWO PAGES OF SIGNATURES, SEVERAL OF WHICH I CANNOT IDENTIFY BUT MANY I CAN, WHO BECAME HOUSEHOLD NAMES TO NOT ONLY BORO FANS BUT NATIONWIDE, I.E DAVID MILLS, DAVID ARMSTRONG AND JOE LAIDLAW. THE NEXT TIME I SAW DEREK DOWNING WAS AT NORWICH CITY V MIDDLESBROUGH WHERE HE SCORED IN THE 1-1 DRAW IN SEASON 1970-71
SO ALL IN ALL A GREAT SET OF NAMES FROM BORO'S PAST
SADLY MY NEIGHBOUR PASSED AWAY SEVERAL YEARS AGO, HIS SON IS STILL IN THE TOWN ALTHOUGH ALSO MANY YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE WE MET, WE DID GROW UP TO PLAY IN THE SAME SUNDAY LEAGUE TEAM FOR A SHORT PERIOD
MANY THANKS FOR LOOKING