We’ve reached the last day of the transfer window and our manager said yesterday that the hope was that we would be signing a “game changing” striker on loan. Erol Bulut also confirmed that we were signing another forward. Croatia under 21 striker Roko Simic will be signing for us, but, in shades of the Kenneth Zohore deal nearly a decade ago, he will be spending the season on loan to FC Kortrijk, Vincent Tan’s Belgian club.
At his press conference yesterday for the weekend visit of Middlesbrough, Erol Bulut wouldn’t or, perhaps, couldn’t say much about Simic and called the decision to loan him out a “club decision”.
There’s so much more I could say about this and I daresay I will if the transfer window closes without us having added a striker who would be eligible for us this season, but all I’ll say for now is that, first, Sunderland were supposed to be in for Simic a few days ago and, presumably, the intention of the team that currently leads the Championship was that he would become a member of their first team squad. Second, Simic played Champions League football last season for Red Bull Salzburg, so it seems very odd that we, apparently, feel he is not ready for Championship football yet – it all seems typically Cardiff City to me!
Anyway, on to tomorrow’a home game with a Middlesbrough team that was much fancied before a ball was kicked, but have made what has become their traditional slowish start to a new season in recent years.
When Middlesbrough beat a strong looking Leeds team 3-0 at Elland Road in the League Cup to follow up their opening day win over Swansea, it seemed they were off to a flying start, but, since then a loss at Derby, a home draw with Portsmouth and a 5-0 home hiding in the League Cup to Stoke have altered the mood around the Riverside Stadium.
Middlesbrough also have a heap of defensive injuries apparently, but, nevertheless, I’m reluctant to predict a first league win for City because I’ve watched us play at home in the last four seasons and I remember how Middlesbrough sauntered to a 4-1 win at Cardiff City Stadium less than six months ago.
Here’s the usual quiz.
60s. Starting out with a team which makes me think of a fruit which is grown thousands of miles away, this forward had a career goalscoring rate which would have guaranteed him a host of admirers today, but he never really rose above English second tier level when you consider the clubs he played for. His record of just short of a goal every other league game spread over more than a hundred appearances for his first club persuaded Middlesbrough to pay out a decent fee by the standards of the time for him, but he experienced a relegation on Tees side and although his scoring rate was still good, a bust up with his manager meant that he was sold for about half of the fee Boro had paid for him. Although Boro were probably the biggest club he played for, his first and third clubs may dispute that opinion, he next turned out for a capital club and his popularity at Middlesbrough was proven as a coachload of their supporters went to watch his debut for his new club. Now at the centre of things, our man was part of a run to a Cup Final which ended in defeat, but in three years at this club, he only played thirty odd times before leaving for the west coast and an isolated club that lost their league place in his last season with them, can you name the player concerned?
70s. It’s ages since we’ve had a picture in one of these quizzes, so who is this?
He was unbeaten iu his two appearances for Middlesbrough against us and never scored a goal in almost fifty league appearances for them. By contrast, he managed nearly fifty for his only other league club which was on the east coast as opposed to a few miles away from it like Middlesbrough is – the two places were completely different in character as well. In twelve years with his second club, he made over 400 appearances for them and ran into City four times – there was a win in an FA Cup tie as well as two defeats in the league in the same season and then a heavy loss seven years later at Ninian Park. Can you name him?
80s. 142 millilitres turning out in Middlesbrough and City midfield, well, kind of!
90s. Ape and key in FA Cup defeat. (4,5)
00s. A member of the Middlesbrough team beaten by City in the FA Cup in 2008, he lost his job as manager of the Mariners after they were beaten by the Green Army in a local derby, who is he?
10s. He scored the winning goal in a game between City and Middlesbrough during this decade and is currently Director of Football at a club we played in a pre season friendly, can you name him?
20, Bright sounding green and gold versions, while others cut the bull from the chaff!
Answers:
60s. Jim Irvine started out with the Tangerine Terrors, Dundee United, in his native Scotland before signing for Middlesbrough in 1964. After scoring thirty seven goals in ninety one league appearances for Boro, Irvine headed back to Scotland to represent Hearts and was in the team that was defeated by Dunfermline in the 1967 Scottish Cup Final. Irvine finished off at Barrow where he played for a couple of years before their relegation from the Football League in 1972.
70s. Allan Moody started off with Middlesbrough before signing for Southend United in 1972, he played against us three times in our 75/76 promotion season and then in 82/83 in a side beaten 4-1 as we closed in on another promotion.
80s.The old imperial measure, a gill was the equivalent of a quarter of a pint or 142 millilitres. Gary Gill was a midfielder with Middlesbrough in the 80s and played a few games for us at the end of the 91/92 season before his retirement.
90s.Andy Peake.
00s. Julio Arca was sacked as manager of South Shields FC after a defeat by Blyth Spartans in 2022.
10s. George Friend’s late own goal gave City a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough at Cardiff City Stadium in October 2015. He is now Director of Football at Bristol Rovers who we’ve defeated 2-0 in both a pre season friendly and a League Cup tie in recent weeks.
20s. Sonny Finch.