Today I'm going back 35 years to 1987 and York City's visit to Ayresome Park, home of Middlesbrough FC on Football League duty. The match was attended by 10,546 people. It's almost impossible these days to imagine York City ever visiting Middlesbrough to play a League fixture and, today, with Middlesbrough challenging for promotion from the second tier whilst York continue to slum it at the sixth level of English football, it's hard to believe that it will ever happen again, I do hope I'm wrong!
Today's programme cover star is Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough's home for 92 years from 1903 to 1995 when they relocated to a brand new stadium at the Riverside. The old stadium was demolished to be replaced by a housing estate but I understand that one or two markers of the existence of the old stadium have been incorporated into that housing estate. These include a bronze football marking one of the penalty spots, a pair of boots marking the location of the centre spot and even a mound of earth designating the place where Pak Doo Ik scored his famous goal for North Korea against Italy during the 1966 World Cup. The old wrought iron gates of Ayresome Park have been transported to the Riverside to provide a link with the past at the new stadium alongside statues of Middlesbrough's most famous sons: George Hardwick and Wilf Mannion.
The featured match finished 3-1 to Boro with goals from Stuart Ripley, Archie Stephens and substitute Lee Turnbull. York's reply was scored by the one and only "mean" Keith Walwyn. Boro at the time were being managed by Bruce Rioch and their side included centre back Gary Pallister who would go on to have a long and successful spell at Manchester United winning four Premier League titles and three FA Cup winners medals as well as the European Cup Winners Cup and a League Cup for good measure. Denis Smith's York side that day included John Lowey at number 11 on loan from Wigan Athletic who would make just six appearances in total for City.
It might surprise you to learn that York had beaten Middlesbrough 3-1 earlier in the season so the two clubs finished honours even that season. However it was Middlesbrough who were promoted come the end of the season, finishing in second place behind Champions AFC Bournemouth. York finished much further down the table in 20th position, just one place and four points above the four relegated clubs (Bolton Wanderers, Carlisle United, Darlington and Newport County) and they would go on to be relegated the following season.
CRB Match No, 503
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