“GETTING married again would be less stressful,” said one Boro fan as he sucked in the oxygen after a breathless 98 minutes at the Riverside.
His reaction was typical of the majority of the 33,000-plus crowd who had watched Middlesbrough drag themselves over the line and into the big time with a 1-1 draw against Brighton.
On the pitch after the final whistle had blown, fans expressed both delight and relief at securing promotion to the Premier League.
Barbara Everitt smiles after an anxious time at the Riverside
“It’s fantastic. We have waited for seven years and we are back. We are going up, here we come Premier League,” said Shaun O’Henley. “We never make it easy. Typical Boro, but we got there in the end.”
Malcolm Carling had praise for Boro chairman Steve Gibson.
“After all these years we have got what we deserved,” said Malcolm Carling. “We have seen some really grim times, but we are stubborn and we owe it all to Stevie Gibson – what a man.
A Boro fan is ready to play his part - thankfully they didn't need his services. Photo: Matt Westcott
“They had us hanging on, but we got there in the end. I have got no voice left, but I would be disappointed if I had got one left. Everybody should go home with no voice tonight. Come on Boro!”
Long-time Boro fan Barbara Everitt is singing in a concert this evening. Whether she will be able to hit the high notes is open to question.
BBC sports reporter Mark Tulip interviews a Boro fan about the game. Photo: Matt Westcott
“I have never cried so much at a football match in my life,” she said. “I have been following them for 50 years and I cannot believe what I have just seen.
“My friends were getting worried about me – I daren’t look. It’s an amazing day, an amazing day.”
One of the happiest fans at the Riverside was little Lewis Fryer.
Lewis Fryer celebrates on the pitch.
The seven-year-old was caught by the Sky Sports cameras crying as Middlesbrough were held to a 2-2 draw by Birmingham in their penultimate game.
However, on Saturday he was all smiles along with tens of thousands off others in red and white.
A small number of Brighton fans hang around at the end. Boro fans applauded them, with many wishing them good luck in the play-offs. Photo: Matt Westcott
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