Beer and Breakfast
The 12.15 kick-off meant that it was an earlier start than usual on Teesside. Hit the Bar opened from 10am to serve drinks and breakfast to fans from both sides.
Carli McNaught, below, who opened the venue with her partner Dan Stanwick says “We’ve been open since October last year. It’s on the way to the Boro stadium and right next to the train station so we get home and away supporters in which is absolutely fantastic. This is my second business in Middlesbrough. I’ve also got a teashop and we opened this bar to cater especially for the football though we also have live acoustic music and film nights and we’ve just launched a beer, Sleeping Brew Tea.”
On match days it’s really, really busy and you can’t move in here so you’ve got to be down early to grab a place and get some hot food - Carli McNaught
Will it be red sauce, brown sauce or no sauce at all?
It’s red for this fan and if the lady’s coat is anything to go by, then it’s 2-0 to red sauce.
Boro fans chat over a pint whilst City fans Kevin Halpin and grandson Jackson Halpin hangout by a window at Hit The Bar.
Kevin Halpin said “This is Jackson’s first away game of his life in with the City fans. He’s excited but a bit nervous and just looking forward to kick-off now. The Cup in 2011 was fantastic, both the semi-final with Yaya scoring [the only goal in the semi-final against Manchester United] and then the final itself. We hadn’t won anything in all those years and so to then win something was absolutely fantastic after all the bad times I’ve been through, following the team since 1954. I hope we win today and I’m sure we will. We’re playing very well but [sighs] at Stoke on Wednesday night we couldn’t break them down so let’s hope that these will try and play football today and then we’ll beat them. Boro can’t score goals, that’s their problem.”
John Donovan, above, organiser of fans’ group Twe12th Man said “I’m a traditionalist when it comes to football. I remember growing up as a kid and looking forward to the Cup draw on Monday afternoon, huddled around the radio at school. Forget all the razzmatazz and all the celebrity draws they have now. For me the FA Cup is still wonderful with its traditions though TV has moved this kick-off to 12.15pm; but I thought people like a drink, a couple of pints before the game to get them in to the mood and get the atmosphere right, so I had a word with the bar owner who kindly agreed to open this morning at 10am, put food on and get the fans in ... Twe12th Man is all about encouraging people to get involved, take part in the game and recreate a traditional atmosphere. It’s a fans’ driven organisation. It doesn’t have a committee or membership as such so everybody is part of the Twe12th Man and what we encourage is for people to go to games, enjoy the game, express themselves and get behind the team and be positive. The name picks up on what all the pundits say- the crowd were like the 12th man. I organise coaches to away games and I take families because I believe that it’s families that are the future of the game. It’s so easy for kids to do different things nowadays but I don’t want the demographics of football to change so I want them going to the match like I did when I was young. Initially my older brothers took me to matches and then a few of my own age group saved up their pocket money and we’d walk several miles through town to the games at Ayresome Park. When I left school at 16 and got a job I was then able to afford to go to the away games. So then the experience of an away game , which is totally different, was thrust upon me at 16,17,18 and I just loved it and I go to as many away fixtures as I can. I very rarely miss one, it’s like being in a collective, a community or even a family, all supporting your team and your town. It’s a great feeling and I love it. A lot of people prefer away games to home matches because there’s limited numbers and you’re all crammed in the same area the atmosphere’s always better but we’re now trying to recreate that at home by getting like minded fans to congregate together in the same part of the ground. It seems to work and we’ve got a good atmosphere at the Riverside.”
Welcome one and all
The visit of Manchester City and the reward of a trip to Wembley Stadium for the victors, brought 32,228 to the Riverside Stadium.
Manchester City fans Brenda Jeffery, left, and Wendy Lowther walking from the town centre to the Riverside.
Wendy said “After that first game [they attended at Maine Road] we were both hooked and even went to watch the reserves play. We went together on the bus. I remember, early on, the Burnley game and there were 83,000 crammed into Maine Road and it was magic. They beat us that day but they were going for the title.” Brenda reminisced “At the end, there were so many people that we just put our hands up in the air and were carried along, our feet didn’t touch the ground.” Wendy commented “FA Cup memories? The best was beating United in the semi-final at Wembley. It was good but we had to stay behind at the end because I said to Brenda ‘We’re not going down among all the Reds’ fans down there’ because there were fights down below. The coach we went down on had the windows put through which I just don’t understand. We’ve been to Old Trafford many times with my dad and there was never any trouble but we won’t go there now.” Brenda said “I was at Wembley for the final with Wigan. We’d beaten Stoke to lift the Cup two years before and that was wonderful. In the car park the Stoke fans were congratulating us and it was really good. Wigan was sad but in a way I was glad they’d won because of Dave Whelan and the fact that I don’t live far from Wigan. I really enjoyed them winning in a bizarre way, it was a great day. The football we play now is good and you can see that it’s going to be really good. We’re not the sort of fans who complain all the time. Guardiola needs time to get it right. We’ve got an ageing defence and he needs to get them out and get a few new players. We’ll be better next year.”
Manchester City fanzine King of the Kippax on sale outside the Riverside.
The FA Cup’s all about enjoyment. We’ve come to a great stadium, a great part of England so let’s enjoy it and hope we progress. - City fan Paul Sellars
Sellars, above, also said “We’re not going to win the league now after the other night’s episode with the team selection so the FA Cup and Champions League is what we’re looking for now. I must say that the way we’ve been treated here getting in to Middlesbrough has been fantastic, I’ve got to congratulate the police escort and everything as we’ve arrived here on a private minibus from home in Stockport. We’ve not seen the team selection yet but we believe Bravo is in goal so Middlesbrough are going to score at least one. Even if they don’t have a shot on target there’ll be a deflection and it’ll go in the goal.”
Boro fans of all ages outside the Riverside Stadium
Robert Nichols – editor of Boro fanzine Fly Me to the Moon – above, selling the zine said “Me and Uncle Harry, the star writer, have been publishing since 1988. Fanzines aren’t as common as they once were because most things are online nowadays but there’s still quite a few around the country. We were down at Stoke last week and they have The Oatcake which is an original and they overtook us to get to a 300th issue. Sadly there’s not that many that do it frequently any more. For years we had an edition for every home match but now we do one a month which is a sign of the times. The biggest topic for us at the moment is just trying to survive in the Premier League. We don’t really want to be in the same situation as Wigan Athletic who went down the week after winning the Cup. We’ve done it before ourselves, losing a cup final and going down as well. People still like fanzines as they just like something physical in their hands, something they can just touch and so there’s now a new generation doing them who refer to themselves as just zines now and they’re not just for football.”
That staple of FA Cup games - the tin foil replica trophy - was on display at the Riverside. The version below was built by father and son team Mark Sainsbury and six year George.
This is George’s fourth game and he’s following the FA Cup this year. We used tin foil and an old cardboard box with a few stickers. This is our first ever effort as you can probably tell but if we get through to the final we’ll upgrade to a better version - Boro fan Mark Sainsbury
Middlesbrough fans Pamela Holt, left, and Jenny Kenny outside the Riverside ten minutes before kick-off
Holt said “We’ve been watching Boro since Ayresome Park in about 1977. We’ve been to all the cup finals and the FA Cup final twice, winning once. That day was fabulous, just brilliant and the crowds were wonderful as well. The Cup’s good but all matches are special with the Boro, good or bad and we just take the rough with the smooth and like marriage you stick with it through thick and thin. I’m not thinking about Wembley, I’m just keeping fingers crossed that we can stay up. It’s important because of all the industry going down here, with British Steel and everything. This place is full every week now and it’s bringing money in to Middlesbrough and the hotels are thriving. Redcar’s a lovely little place so West Ham stayed there for lunch so all the away fans with lots of coaches were there and brought lots of money to pubs and cafes in Redcar which has been suffering.”
It’s time for the main event
There’s the perfect start for the visitors when, after just three minutes, Boro’s defence are caught uncharacteristically cold and City take the lead. Zabaleta’s first time cross across the six yard box was misjudged by Raheem Sterling but an unmarked David Silva was lurking just behind him and he lashed the ball home with his left boot.
Manchester City’s David Silva, right, is congratulated by Sergio Agüero after he opened the scoring
Leroy Sané, above left, and David Silva continue to cause problems for the Middlesbrough defence
Boro boss Aitor Karanka said that the injury suffered by the lively Rudy Gestede mid-way through the first half disrupted his game plan and hindered Middlesbrough’s cause.
Sergio Agüero and Kevin De Bruyne surge forward as City look to extend their lead whilst at the other end City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo defends it
With City being in control for the majority of the opening 45 minutes, half-time brings a bit of respite for the Boro fans and the chance for a cuppa
We can get a goal in the second half. Perhaps it will go to penalties. I think class wise, City were better than we were. We stood off them a bit at first but we are getting stuck in to them a bit now. Really we did well for them not to get more than one. I think Negredo will score and get us out of this though - Mother and daughter Linda Richardson and Claire Cartwright at half-time
City’s dominance continues in the second half as they close on a couple of occasions and also find Boro keeper Brad Guzan in inspired form as he denied the visitors on a number of occasions.
Guzon is eventually beaten for a second time when a sudden injection of pace by City when Sané breaks down the left and puts in a fabulous, low, pinpoint cross towards the near post, where Agüero gets in front of Fabio to guide the ball past Guzan from six-yards out. It was the City striker’s fourth goal in four FA Cup games.
The Manchester City fans are a happy bunch after that second goal went in.
A fan rolls back the years by bringing an iconic 1980s symbol to the Riverside. According to City, inflatable bananas have been part of “the club’s folklore and have been a staple part of matchdays for City fans for more almost 30 years. The MCFC website explains “Their initial arrival centred mainly around the 1988–89 season especially on the Kippax at Maine Road or at away grounds and the Blues’ faithful were rightly praised by the media for bringing some much-needed humour back to a dull period for the club and football in general.”
Keeping an eye on proceedings.
We got Silva’s shirt, it’s for my lad. Brilliant. The guy’s class. It feels like...THAT is the best feeling in the world. We’ve just watched him...phew what a player that guy is. What a gentleman, what a player. Absolutely fantastic. It means so much to us. He had such a good game and he makes it look so easy. He’s the best player I’ve ever seen in a Manchester City shirt. He creates things, he makes space, he’s a wizard - City fan Karl Dovison
Karl Dovison, left, with his son Cameron, immediately after the team’s Spanish playmaker David Silva handed him his shirt just after the final whistle
Heading home
Eight year old Boro fan Ava-Mae Watson
Amanda Blake, who accompanied scarf owner Ava-Mae Watson, said “I’m a season ticket holder. I took her to Manchester United but she lost her scarf there so she’s got this one today. We played ok in the first half but we didn’t come out the same in the second and it looked like the wind had gone out of their sails. I just wish Karanka would go now. We were hoping that noisy police helicopter had come for him but it doesn’t look like it. He’s terrible. I go home and away every game and they’re boring, just too defensive all the time. It’s frustrating when you’re spending hundreds and hundreds of pounds to see every game. It sounds stupid but we preferred the games last season in the Championship when we were scoring and winning. As for the Cup, we’ve had quite an easy run in it, haven’t we? To be fair I’m glad we are out of it because we need to concentrate on the league though it would have nice to get to Wembley”
Middlesbrough fans wait for a glimpse of their players despite the disappointment of getting knocked out of the cup and Fabio Da Silva obliges by signing autographs and posing for selfies with some young fans. Meanwhile the City team coach leaves the Riverside bound for Manchester and onwards to the semi-final at Wembley.
