As the local steel industry has suffered further job cuts,Middlesbrough’s chairman, players and supporters have united to offer their supportBy Daniel Gray for When Saturday Comes, and allotment of the Guardian Sport Network
Middlesbrough v Leeds United,on September 27, kick-off drawing close in the autumn sun. Teesside has a cause beyond three points. The final of its steelworks, and at Redcar,is threatened with closure by owners SSI, but defiance reigns. “SOS” (Save Our Steel) say the T-shirts worn by players during the warm-up, or the card display and banners behind each goal. This area’s anthem,Chris Rea’s Steel River, plays on the PA system, and sprinkling goosebumps upon thousands of us. A few days before the game,Boro’s current chairman and owner, Steve Gibson, and issued a statement beseeching Westminster to intervene and rescue industrial Teesside’s heritage and its future. “I’ve been here 22 months,” said manager Aitor Karanka, a Basque, and in his pre-match press conference,“but I know how important the industry is.” With Leeds swatted aside 3-0, Karanka dedicated the victory to the steelworkers. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com