Back of the Net!

It warmed the cockles of my heart to see that Boro Chief Executive Keith Lamb had denounced foreign ownership of English Premier League clubs, preferring instead the tried and tested community model.

Middlesbrough FC - for all it’s limited success - has been a bastion of the Teesside community since the original Middlesbrough AFC turned professional back in1889.  To hear the oft-derided Lamb share the sentiments of many football fans across the country, and particularly on Teesside is extremely encouraging for the clubs long term future as well as being particularly apt after the team professionally dispatched moneybags Manchester City 2-0 on Wednesday evening.

“I can never envisage a time when this club is owned by somebody whose roots are outside the area. It is important that people realise how much Middlesbrough Football Club is part of the community.

“We are only here because of the people of Middlesbrough and this community is so vital.”

Some odd decisions and signings have been attributed to Lamb over the years, but he ended with something that makes perfect sense

“I am not in favour of foreign owners. I believe football clubs should belong to the towns and cities they represent. I am fearful for the long-term future of football if we continue to go down the foreign-ownership line.

“What happens when those tractor-loads of money turn round and go back again?”

The answer is obvious - the real question is how long will it take the clubs concerned to realise this?

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