How we celebrated here on fmttm Boro's biggest ever win four years ago.

MIDDLESBROUGH FC - CARLING CUP WINNERS 2004!!!

By Reg R

Date: 1/3/2004

Sunday 29th February 2004 - the day history was made as Boro won their first major cup final. What an amazing weekend! Rob_fmttm's not back until later so I'll put up a few words for the time being, if anyone else has any Cardiff memories like ours then drop us a line.

Our Cardiff Cup Final like many others' started on the Saturday with a motorway trip down in time for a night out. The traffic was moving well and a few hours later, once booked in to our hotel and quickly changed, we were off into the centre to savour the atmosphere.

We headed straight for The Gatekeeper, the Boro pub behind the North Stand and were met by a wall of noise as Middlesbrough fans let their presence known. 'Red Army's were exchanged between the pub's 2 tiers and the lager flowed as new friends were made - the match tension was released in song. The Gazette's Anthony Vickers was in jovial spirits wearing the retro Boro Inter Milan away top - not bad for a Newcastle fan ;) A big Hello to FrenchFrank and friends who we met up with before kicking out time, good to see you. The night ended in a blur…

Our matchday started early, the adrenaline of the occasion waking us, and so it was we were off to the train station feeling surprisingly refreshed considering the activities of the previous night. A short journey and we were once again in familiar Cardiff territory - a beautiful sunny day, the streets already packed with Boro fans ready for the main event. Does it ever rain on cup final days??

Next stop was an ex-servicemen's club for the MSS/FMTTM meetup. Soon we were joined by many others including those who had been based further afield on Gazette trips and jet-setters such as the Captain who arrived from Cardiff airport in his personal limousine. BigTL, Relfy, Goal Scrounger, Briggsy, LittleJimmy, Motown, Shacks, Fischer, PK,FW2.... etc etc and all those who I've missed. Everyone was not surprisingly up-beat and for the first time I felt as we could maybe just win this game. Maybe because I was drunk. I won't mention the noisy march by us through the Cardiff shopping area...

And so onto the stadium, and what a stadium it is. The sheer scale of the enclosed arena was awesome, the bright sunshine shut out by the amazing roof. The new Wembley will have to be good to match it! The pre-match announcer did his job of getting the crowd going and although it do not allow much for traditional chants, it was a dramatic build-up that ensured a thunderous response from the crowd as the game got underway.

The game kicked off and the fantasy football began. In an amazing 7 minutes akin to the Liverpool semi of 97/98 we tore into Bolton and left them shell-shocked. In the 2nd minute, Mendieta pounced on a loose Thome header and played a perfect ball wide to Zenden on the left. I had visions of Zenden's Newcastle goal but this time he was to play a perfect ball across the box to an awaiting unmarked Job. ONE NIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GET IN!!!!

And, it was to continue. The goal had hardly sunk in when Job was brought down in the box. Penalty!!! Up stepped Zenden. Please score!!! Come on... Whack!!!! TWO NIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Boro are in heaven!!!!! I, for one, couldn't believe what was happening. It was like a dream, and not for the first time that day, I was shaking! Incidentally, a fellow board member was attacked by a Bolton fan in the Boro end when the 2nd goal went in - that's the reality of ticket touting.

Bolton, however, were not going to back down without a fight and pulled it back to 2-1 and the confident atmosphere soon turned to nervous tension as Bolton pressed us and Schwarzer made a series of saves to keep us in it. We needed half-time to come so that we could re-organise.

The second half kicked off and far more composed Boro were on show - we had a plan. Our counter attacking game reducing Bolton to snap-shots and easy headers as we defended well and broke in groups. The game really suited Juninho and he grew more influential as the game progressed. The minutes increased on the giant scoreboard 60 mins, 70 mins, 80 mins.... could this really be our day??

Juninho continued pushing and had a brilliant run that deserved more, Mendieta came close but we couldn't find the killer goal to finish them off. As the clock neared full-time, victory chants were slowly starting but the memories of the Leicester final were too deeply etched in our minds for fullout celebrations - Boro fans can never be accused of being complacent about cup finals - we have been hurt too many times.

90 mins showed on the clock... but there were to be another 4 minutes of injury time to be played. I haven't a clue where they came from but one thing was clear we needed every player to keep his concentration until the whistle was blown - we could not let this one slip. Boro were holding up the ball in the corners as we should done all those years back at Wembley. The deafening whistles reverberating from the Boro, and with one final Southgate clearing header the final whistle was blown. We had done it!!!! I was in shock, I hadn't been prepared for us winning and stood there shaking as the presentation podium was being assembled. 'Congratulations Middlesbrough' the scoreboard announced. How long have we waited for them words…

The Bolton end cleared very quickly and was as good as empty as the lights dimmed for the cup presentation. So finally onto the moment every Boro fan had been waiting for all their supporting life.. Boro captain Southgate stepped forward to receive the Cup… and as the fireworks lit the arena, the cup was lifted proudly to the biggest roar the Millennium Stadium will ever hear.  YESSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<BR><BR>WE LOVE YOU BORO WE DO, WE LOVE YOU BORO WE DO, WE LOVE YOU BORO WE DO, OH BORO WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who's getting chills down their spine??

On a side note... Returning from the game, the people of Trowel service station, Nottingham, were treated to the legendary Franky Bam Bam on his finest form. Within the space of 20 metres, Franky had a vociferous argument with a car, apologised profusely to a concerned family, and serenaded the occupants of the cafe with a rendition of  We Are The Champions. When we returned from a short toilet break, Franky was not to be seen.

All in all.. Brilliant city. Brilliant stadium. Brilliant Bam Bam. Brilliant Boro. Euphoria.

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