We shall overcome, we shall overcome,
We shall overcome some day.
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall overcome some day.
The view from our balcony before breakfast…
The view from the top of the Championship, at breakfast…
Ok, there are thirty plus games to go – across the cold and wet winter months ahead – and we have played an extra game, due to us featuring in the Friday night fixture. But we are enjoying every moment. It is a glorious sight to behold, as we sit 9,488 km (5,896 miles) from the Riverside Stadium, as the Dapeng flies. The Boro Phoenix is rising, people!
Comparisons between the Boro and Shenzhen were drawn and weighed up in the Day 18 blog, here
The Chinese Super League table as it stands with 2 games to play…
It looks like Shenzhen have the very problem that has haunted the Boro for too many seasons of late, one that has prevented us getting back to the Premier League: not scoring enough, while conceding too many. Although, things look very different at the Boro this season, so far. We are scoring for fun! ‘You can’t start a fire without a spark,’ Will Lankshear, is doing his very own fiery Phoenix impersonation 🐦🔥 The man cannot stop scoring!
Can’t start a fire… Can’t start a fire without a spark. Will Lankshear’s on fire and he’s tearing the Championship apart.
Sung to the tune of Gala’s hit song “Freed from Desire”.
When we play the big boys next season, we will face a far greater challenge; albeit the EFL Championship is, arguably, the most competitive league in World football. So, with that in mind, I set out on a scouting mission today. I am sure Steve and Kim (Mr Gibson and Mr Hellberg, respectively) will appreciate my efforts. I thought I should run the rule over Shenzhen Peng by getting myself to their game against Shanghai.
Have Shenzhen Peng ever won a trophy? Well, interesting question, with an interesting answer. The club itself won the 2023 China League One title, which earned them promotion to the Chinese Super League (CSL), the top tier of Chinese football. However, at the time they lifted the championship trophy, the club was still based in Chengdu and named Sichuan Jiuniu. The team officially rebranded and relocated to Guangdong to become Shenzhen Peng City in January 2024.
So, Shenzhen Peng are the MK Dons of Chinese football. Milton Keynes Dons FC was founded in 2004, following Wimbledon FC’s controversial relocation to Milton Keynes from South London. It’s all about the money 🙄
Shenzhen Sports Centre Stadium was created as a result of a complete reconstruction of the former Shenzhen Stadium. The oval shape of the old stadium was retained. Inside, completely new stands were created in a football-oriented layout, with a new, larger dome-shaped roof over them. This meant the removal of the old athletics track. What would Irons’ fans give for that at their London Stadium! Although I fancy the majority just want their old Boleyn Ground (Upton Park) back.
The stadium has a capacity of 45,000 and is home to Shenzhen Peng City FC. It is located near the centre of Shenzhen and is part of the Shenzhen Sports Centre, which also includes a large sports centre with a retractable roof, and an indoor swimming pool.
I got there quite early. Very impressive arena…
My first impression was that it was the stadium announcer (fuelled by Red Bull, it would seem) that was making all the noise. However, once the players came out all hell broke loose! No shy bairns in Shenzhen. What a racket they make.
The loudest cheer aside from the goal? Shanghai’s goal being disallowed for offside, after a very lengthy VAR moment 🙄 With a healthy dollop of insult exchange between the two opposing fan bases.
Shanghai did strike back, ultimately, though – 1-1
All in all, I was thinking, an extremely enjoyable, ultra-competitive, high-quality, physical, entertaining game. Refreshingly, the referee wasn’t too whistle-happy and allowed some tasty challenges.
And then, the final 10 minutes and the real drama began…
The 85th minute: Shenzhen awarded a penalty…
The referee goes over. We all know how this ends. But no, he sticks with his original decision. Penalty it is!
Deep into injury time. He gives a penalty to Shanghai. VAR intervenes again…
Shanghai penalty…
He misses it! The Shenzhen crew go wild…
Their ultras do a Poznan…
Game over: 2-1 Shenzhen!
Leaving the ground, it felt more Wembleyesque than Boro…
They may have done an MK Dons. They may be backed by Manchester City’s dodgy owners. But that’s not the fans fault is it? I thoroughly enjoyed being in and around them today. It was an authentic football experience. The joy of winning a game in such a way is truly universal.
What is more the young man sat next to me (whose English wasn’t half bad) has vowed to follow the Boro from afar, as his second team. Don’t you just love it!!
Back to the Boro. A little on the dark days, and our very own knight in shining armour.
On 21 May 1986, with debts amounting to almost £2 million, the club called in the provisional liquidator. In late July, the Inland Revenue took the club to court. The club owed £115,156 in tax and the judge issued a winding up order. On the second of August, Rioch and twenty-nine other non-playing staff were sacked and the gates to Ayresome Park were padlocked.
Some players chose to remain and train under Rioch and coach Colin Todd. The club was announced to be wound up, and was only saved by a consortium headed by Steve Gibson. The documents to register the club for the next season were submitted minutes before the deadline.
Bruce Rioch built a young, and largely local squad featuring club legends like Gary Pallister, Stephen Pears, Tony Mowbray, Colin Cooper, and prolific striker Bernie Slaven.
Remarkably, Boro achieved back-to-back promotions in 1986-7 and 1987-8, charging back to the topmost division, the old First Division (pre-Premier League days).
The rest, as they say, is history. We have had some memorable moments since: the League Cup winning triumph in Cardiff on 29 February 2024; and that game, that goal…
… and that commentary by the immortal Ali Brownlee..
That is it. It’s Eindhoven. It’s Eindhoven. Boro have made it. One of the most glorious nights in the history of football. We go back to 1876, the Infant Hercules, fathomed out of the foundries of Teeside, mined out of the Eston Hills, we’re roaring all the way to Eindhoven and the UEFA Cup Final. It’s party, party, party! Everybody round my house for a parmo!
Whatever the future holds we never forget the dark days, and the reminder is there for all to see, young and old, with the old Ayresome Park gates (less chains and padlock) standing proud in front of the Riverside Stadium, next to the fan zone.
Hull City owner Ali Acun Ilicali spoke of Steve Gibson after the heartbreak that was Boro losing to a 95th-minute goal in the Play-Off Final in May.
He’s a great guy, a fantastic guy, and he congratulated me, wishing the best for us, and he really meant it from his heart. I saw it in his eyes. It really affected me, and I hugged him. Of course, I felt sorry for him also.
Nice words. We at the Boro value Gibbo too. He is one of our own, and was indeed our saviour in 1986. If you attend a Boro game you will hear the following, repeatedly so…
Follow, follow, follow, We’re the red army from Middlesbrough, And we stand, and we sing, Stevie Gibson is king, We’re the red army from Middlesbrough…
Where else do the fans sing about the owners, I ask you.
Nice guys can win. Let’s hope this is the year for our number one fan and benefactor.
We haven’t heard the old refrain, often aired at Ayresome Park, for a long while now.
We shall overcome, we shall overcome,
We shall overcome some day.
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall overcome some day.
But we will, for this is our year… I do believe 🙏
Meanwhile, Shenzhen Peng have avoided going down with the Mackems…
Previous China daily blogs here
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