The Drop

Middlesbrough 96/97: Bitter Sweet Symphony

Listen on

Episode notes

From the ashes of Middlesbrough's liquidation in 1986 came a more dynamic, ambitious club led by local businessman Steve Gibson. His investment brought a brand new stadium, a high-profile manager and world class players who ordinarily wouldn't be able to point to Teesside on a map. Ten years after going bust Middlesbrough fancied a crack at English football's elite; but what followed was a rollercoaster season that saw them lose two cup finals, land themselves in hot water with the authorities and somehow manage to slip out of the Premier League with some of the best talent in the division.

Host: Mark Godfrey.

Guests: Robbie Mustoe, Craig Hignett, Andy Campbell, Anthony Vickers, Rob Nicholls, Daniel Gray, Tom Flight, David Broome.

Music: Javolenus - Hanging A-round with MDB (CC BY-NC 3.0) | Juanitos - Sambarama (CC BY 2.0 FR) | HaveMercy - The End of Puzzles (CC BY-NC 3.0) | Septahelix - Hanging Improvisation (CC BY-NC 3.0) | Monk Turner - Killer Kiara (CC BY-NC 3.0) | Scott Holmes - Levels of Greatness (CC BY 4.0) | Javolenus - Latinium (CC BY-NC 3.0)