TWE12THMAN

After two seasons of transition it is understandable that the team are expected to make progress on the pitch this season.  It should be an exciting season off the pitch as well.

The Club have been rightly congratulated for introducing £95 junior season tickets and the atmosphere at The Riverside should benefit from the increase in enthusiastic young supporters.

Hopefully The Riverside crowd will also take up the challenge thrown down by the larger contingents of away fans in the South Stand.  Many of the big teams and northern clubs with large followings will sell their full allocation and it will be up to us, the home support, to respond passionately and positively.

At the next home game against Stoke City on August 30^th, The Twe12th Man will unveil three new banners.  The Boro Legends banner is almost complete and looks fantastic.  This banner will be displayed along the back of the East stand.

Over the summer we also invited Boro fans to vote on slogans for two banners that will be displayed in the north and south west corners.  Many good suggestions were made and the two winning slogans were ‘Spirit Of ‘86’ and ‘Our Club, Our Town, Our Teesside’. All three banners will add to the colour and character of our stadium.Improving the vocal support from the crowd is our long term aim.The Twe12th Man will distribute ‘song sheets’ containing ideas for new chants at early away games this season. In days gone by it is true that fans on the terraces didn’t need any form of organisation and the traditional atmosphere in British grounds was very much spontaneous.  Unfortunately this is no longer the case.The Twe12th Man is prepared to trial any method which may have a positive impact on the atmosphere at The Riverside and on the road.  Let us hope that as fans we can be as committed to the cause as we expect the players to be in 2008/09.We Shall Overcome.

The next Twe12th Man meeting will be held at The Ironopolis Club, Bright Street, Middlesbrough on Thursday 11^th September at 19:30.

Banner 2 : General Theme

Thank you to everyone who voted in the first stage of voting.

The most popular TWO slogans go forward to the final head to head vote.
Please vote for the ONE that you want to be used.
Vote here or by email contactus@twe12thman.co.uk

Voting closes at 8pm Sunday 13th July 2008

SPIRIT OF ‘86

AYRESOME ANGELS : PAST & PRESENT

Banner 1 : Teesside Theme

Thank you to everyone who voted in the first stage of voting.

The most popular TWO slogans go forward to the final head to head vote.
Please vote for the ONE that you want to be used.

Voting closes at 8pm Sunday 13th July 2008

Vote here or by email contactus@twe12thman.co.uk

OUR CLUB, OUR TEAM, OUR TEESSIDE

PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF TEESSIDE

BANNER 2: GENERAL THEME

Twelve choices on the shortlist.

Vote for you favourite THREE choices here or by emailing contactus@twe12thman.co.uk.

Voting closes Friday 4th July 12pm.

The most popular TWO will go forward to a further vote.

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29-02-2004

INFANT HERCULES b. 1876

DEEP IN OUR HEARTS, WE DO BELIEVE

SPIRIT OF ‘86

BORN IN BELIEF 1876

RED HOT IRON, WHITE HOT STEEL

AYRESOME ANGELS : PAST & PRESENT

WE ARE F.C, NOT PLC

WE ARE BORO, YOU ARE NOT WORTHY

LOCAL CLUB : LOCAL PEOPLE

BORN BORO, LIVE BORO, DIE BORO

WE SHALL OVERCOME

BANNER 1: TEESSIDE THEME

Twelve choices on the shortlist.

Vote for you favourite THREE choices here or by emailing contactus@twe12thman.co.uk.

Voting closes Friday 4th July 12pm.

The most popular TWO will go forward to a further vote.

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THIS IS TEESSIDE

TEESSIDE: THE RIVER UNITES

PRIDE OF TEESSIDE

THE HEART OF TEESSIDE

TEESSIDE PRIDE

OUR CLUB, OUR TEAM, OUR TEESSIDE

PROUD TO COME FROM TEESSIDE

TEESSIDERS

WE ARE TEESSIDE

TEESSIDE STEEL

PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF TEESSIDE

OWNED BY TEESSIDE, FOR TEESSIDE

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Imagine the Riverside, alive with colour and sound. A vibrant, noisy and encouraging atmosphere for the Boro. An intimidating, hostile environment for the opposition.

Crowd participation taken to the next level. Driving the team on. Win, lose or draw. The potential is there, for Middlesbrough FC in conjunction with the Twe12th Man, to create something unique in the English Premier League

The Ideal Scenario.

A ‘Singing Section’ within the North Stand (ideally in the centre), where
likeminded fans can gather and ‘organize terrace chorography’
Flags, Banners, Drums, Streamers etc. Vocally & visually impressive.

Other Ideas.
Europe?…… No Ireland!
(60 second burst smoke canisters, in front of the stands for safety, as used when ‘paintballing’)

How about the above, using Boro players, hanging from the West Upper?

Imagination is the beginning of creation - George Bernard Shaw

Our passion lies in that we know where we came from, we know that were not a massive club but were still damn proud of our team and our town.

With the start of the new season approaching, the Twe12th Man would appreciate your help in deciding on ideas for two new permanent banners at The Riverside.

We intend to hang banners in both the North West and South West corners of the ground. The banners will be attached to the barrier that separates the two tiers.

The red banners are approximately 15 metres long. Please give your ideas for what can be sewn on to the banners. Any design has to be approved by MFC as these banners will be permanent additions to the Riverside.

These two areas of the ground are largely undecorated and the Twe12th Man hopes to improve the character of the stadium by adding colour in every area.

Please submit your ideas over the next week. The most constructive/popular will be put to a vote across all Boro related internet forums.

“Play up, Pompey! Pompey, play up!” So goes the resonant chant of today’s opponents. As all wheelchair-user fans are located in front of the (Home fans) Fratton End, I have had, on many occasions, first hand experience at closer quarters than desired of the racket generated by the supporters at Portsmouth FC. However, I must admit to a certain begrudging admiration of them in the way they build and maintain the vocal atmosphere…it’s ‘rhythm’ can be infectious too, although I would stop short of joining in with them!! Whether it is due to the acoustics of an old stadium, the varied beat of the drummer, or the ringing of the ‘Bell Man’, the noise is constant and incessant, even when their team is losing, as witnessed earlier this season when Tuncay’s winning strike secured us 3 valuable points. Their team must surely appreciate such unconditional backing if this is the norm at Fratton Park…

What would it take for the Riverside Stadium to become a similar cauldron of noise? And on a regular basis, not just against the ‘big’ clubs or matches? It has been shown by the Twe12th Man’s recent initiatives that Boro can match, if not surpass, other Club’s in the ‘visual’ department with the banners, surfers and flags, and the periodic card displays are unquestionably impressive, even if governed by the right timing and circumstance, e.g.: Cup matches, etc. However, to dream of vocally emulating the likes of Pompey’s fans, we have to replicate the vociferous ‘away day’ atmosphere at our home games. Next season perhaps provides an ideal opportunity to encourage the Boro faithful to be noisier with the creation of the new Family Enclosure and the Clubs plans to increase the younger fan base with the favourable pricing policy. These next-generation groups should be encouraged to take the lead from the ‘New Holgate’ by joining in with the singing or better still, making up new songs and chants. Young ‘uns can make a noise if given the opportunity - remember the game against Chelsea a few years back when the kids silenced the visitors with the seemingly never-ending “Who are ya!” chanting.

Our two final home games have added significance now following Saturday’s last minute defeat at SOL; the team need to know we’re fully behind them and hopefully they’ll reciprocate with performances to warrant OUR unconditional support and guarantee Premier League football next season. Let’s throw off our inhibitions; create a wall of noise; get the Riverside rocking and show Pompey we can match them in generating an atmosphere.. …PUMP UP THE VOLUME!!

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Yet again we face another ‘must win’ game this Saturday. The 3 points at stake are massive to us, not so to Derby. If we get them, we would be, in my opinion, 1 more win from safety. The last 2 games have shown us that the squad does have quality, spirit and fight, things sadly missing from the Cardiff debacle.

This, of course, is the first home game since ’shambolic Sunday’ and I hope the crowd see it for its importance and not as a way to demonstrate their disgust at the FA Cup exit. That has been done already on the message boards, written media and across the airwaves. Saturday is the time to get behind the lads and win those 3 points. Saturday is also a time for Gareth to tell the players “go out there and show the fans you care ,you owe them!”

We all want Premier league football played at the Riverside next season so let’s pull in the same direction. Give the team your full vocal support on Saturday, sing your hearts out for the lads !!!!