Middlesborough
I'm not much of a football fan - I consider it to be a most boring game without the intricacies or excitment of rugby or cricket. I do watch occasionally, and take an interest in a few teams (Norwich, Oxford, Ethnikos Piraeus and Boston mainly). However, I was very pleased to see the Middlesborough side that they put out in the last Premiership match of the season last weekend. They were resting players ahead of the UEFA Cup final this week, they had very little to play before beyond a lower mid-table finish, and it was the last domestic game with Steve McLaren in charge before he becomes England's manager in August.
However, of the 16 man squad he picked, every one was England-qualified, and all but one (i.e., 15 players) were born within 30 miles of the stadium in Middlesborough. Most of them had won England caps at various youth levels, and the average age of the side was 19 (the captain was 18!). Not only that, but they performed very well and only lost narrowly, 1-0.
Credit to a team that I had never really taken much notice of before.
However, of the 16 man squad he picked, every one was England-qualified, and all but one (i.e., 15 players) were born within 30 miles of the stadium in Middlesborough. Most of them had won England caps at various youth levels, and the average age of the side was 19 (the captain was 18!). Not only that, but they performed very well and only lost narrowly, 1-0.
Credit to a team that I had never really taken much notice of before.
posted by Jonathan | Wednesday, May 10, 2006
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