RIVERSIDE

The Riverside Stadium - home of my team - Middlesbrough FC. The stadium has a capacity of 34,988 seats, with a pitch size of 115 x 75 yards.

The Riverside Stadium replaced Middlesbrough's previous home, Ayresome Park, an old ground hemmed in by terraced housing. In 2005 the club erected the old Ayresome Park gates in front of the stadium as a reference to the club's past.

Building works began in 1994 and, after just 32 weeks, the stadium opened on the 26th of August 1995. Building costs were £16 million.

The Riverside Stadium was the first English stadium to be built in line with the requirements from the Taylor Report (all top-flight stadia to be all seater), and paved the way for a new generation of English stadiums.

In 1998 the stadium was expanded with a further 5,000 seats, and planning permission exists for a further extension of 7,000 seats when we get back into the Premier League !

Come on Boro !

On second thoughts - match report - I would have liked to have shown a photo of the winning goal as Boro swept up the league. Instead my match report should be a big blank ! Ironically we have gone one place up the league - how did that happen ?

Well done City for all of your effort - we just looked tired and short on ideas. No wonder we seem to play better away from the stadium at the moment. Still we have 'Mogga' as the best manager ever - and the sun is still shining.

Final word of thanks to the bloke who blocked me into the car park and left me to wait another 20 minutes to start the journey home.