Riverside Rollercoaster: Boro's 1996-1997 Season Review

An unforgettable season for Boro began with the arrivals of superstars Fabrizio Ravanelli and Emerson, and ended in the heartbreak of relegation - with two Wembley visits along the way.

[@mitchsullo]

This season still haunts people

[@Scott1433]

I'm a Spurs fan but I remember as a teenager being fascinated with this Boro team. They were brilliant and awful at the same time. They could score 5 or concede 5. I personally never understood why they sold Barmby, I thought he was excellent for Boro and they sold him for virtually the same amount that they paid for him. It's ridiculous that this team was relegated, some of the attacking play was devastating. Such a shame they got relegated, it was that awful spell in the middle of the season that killed them. If this team could have scraped survival I reckon they would have had a decent season the following season. Ravanelli and Juninho actually seemed to love playing for the club it seemed to mean something to them. What an exciting team this was

[@user-qw3rq6xv3n]

It was because they got docked 3 points for not showing for a game against Blackburn because the team was sick after they caught a flu. If they had played that game and lost they still would have stayed up.

[@rauoool80s23]

Celebrated but relegated. In 1997, against the backdrop of a period in which some of the greatest players in history were gracing the game Romario, Ronaldo, Batistuta, Weah, Maldini and so many more, this Middlesbrough team really did capture the imagination and is one which people of certain generations will never forget.

[@bricktop.]

To this day, I still can't believe this team got relegated. What a side we had here.

[@cddb5408]

@stop UFO fakes I'll tell you then, it's because they were docked points for postponing a fixture. They would've finished 14th without the points deduction they had. Very unlucky season for them. They got to 2 cup finals finished trophyless & harshly relegated. They played entertaining football and they gave the champions ManUtd 2 very hard games in the PL season.

[@user-qw3rq6xv3n]

@@cddb5408 Juninho's goal against United at Old Trafford was one of the best team goals ever in the PL.

[@user-bc9cc4tu6b]

As a mag north east sides in the 90s had great sides lady luck has never been with the north east in recent times 😢

[@johnthompson457]

@@user-bc9cc4tu6bcouldn’t agree more. As a southerner, and sorry to say it, but I loved all three north east sides growing up during the 90s. It’s unfortunate one of them didn’t win something. I could go on and on about them, but I’ll just say this. Newcastle Barcelona asprilla hat trick in the Newcastle brown ale sponsor I still remember fondly.

[@nimesh0775]

The joy of the fans at Trafalgar Square; the tears of Ravanelli that Boro didn't get over the line in the League Cup final - this is what football is all about (the highs and the lows)

[@5340robert]

I`m not a Boro fan but i remember when i was getting into football when i was younger i loved this team and could never quite figure out how and why they were relegated.

[@alexlee8376]

Juninho, Ravanelli, Emerson, Beck... One of the most entertaining EPL team ever

[@natureclips5849]

Imagine if they signed Le Tissier

[@theguy8275]

Ravanelli points to beck “serie b, serie b”!

[@user-qw3rq6xv3n]

Branco, Festa.............

[@theguy8275]

That statement “3rd match in 6 days” and people are surprised that we got relegated we played the same players almost every game

[@calvinbaII]

Also, back then clubs didn't have the squad depth like big teams do now. Even top clubs like Man Utd had to shuffle bare squads around to plug gaps (I remember Ferguson had to play G. Neville at fucking CB a couple times in the UCL due to lack of player depth). There is a reason why there was more parity in the league and good teams dropped points all the time. Now clubs like Man City just buy 2-3 top players for each position and rack up 100 points in the league. Fucking booooring.

[@superflybry123]

So glad Juninho was part of the team that finally won us that league cup 6 years later.

[@SeanMBrown8]

finally 96/97 season review!!

[@IndieBoyAlex]

This needs a Quickly Kevin... review!!

[@theguy8275]

That’s what I was thinking haha

[@danugerah98]

How an earth this good quality team to be relegated

[@Tom81sup4]

Fantastic in attack, nightmare of a defense that cost the relegation..if Bryan robson could had spent some money on a very established defender..Perhaps this team could had be in the top 10 that season..

[@thefonz76299]

Or even fielded 11 academy players for the game they got deducted, he could have built on that survival

[@theguy8275]

If they bought festa and schwarzer at the beginning of the season we would have finished top 10

[@Millennial_Mike]

How did this team not stay up... what went wrong

[@natureclips5849]

Premier League Champions Front 4 with a League 1 defence.

[@theguy8275]

No squad rotation

[@stephenfoz1307]

Too many games and too many injuries.

[@jonnoy2963]

Didn’t help that any keeper in the squad had holes in there hands! And we couldn’t defend for sh*t! It was tragic in fact how poor we were at defending! I went to every home game that season cups as well and not once did I ever feel confident we would keep a clean sheet

[@jpwartist]

I'd forgotten how awful our defence was. Not the first time we'd reached the league cup semi finals like the narrator says btw, we got to the semis in the 91-92 season, losing to Man utd.

[@burto3058]

Ya not wrong there pal, I went to both legs, got fuckin drenched at OT when a young lad called Ryan Giggs popped one in in extra time. Still haven't forgiven Pally for clearing John Hendrie's effort off the line 🤬

[@theguy8275]

Can the season end after the first Everton game

[@ernestoglesby5342]

Great strike force. Great midfield. CRAP defence.

[@mitchsullo]

Yea but the side took risks going forward too.

[@ernestoglesby5342]

@@mitchsullo Rav scored a hat trick on his debut. Equalising every time because we conceded soft goals. No wonder he got annoyed, and became unpopular because of his complaints. If only Robson hadn't thought he could get away with playing the same underperforming defence.

[@superflybry123]

The worst part about that Blackburn no-show was that even if we'd sent out a youth team and lost we'd have stayed up that season.