Tside » In the relegation red?

In the relegation red?

By Dan Walker Added 12.07pm, 23-July-09

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DARKS times are hitting Middlesbrough. Corus looks set to close, our MPS have been shamed in the expenses scandal, and perhaps worse of all it looks like the towns beloved Boro will be relegated.

It’s happened before, and when fans favourites such as Fabrizo Ravanelli and Juhinho left the club, it sparked the beginning of an end of the love of affair between The Boro and fans. That turbulant relationship has continued to this day with The Boro still stuggling to fill The Riverside.

The consequences and pain of another relegation will be felt well away from The Riverside, impacting on the self-esteen, profile and commerce of the entire Tees Valley, and inevitably businesses, the council and community leaders are thinking back to Middlesbrough FC’s last spell in the old First Division.

Local pub landlord Dave Smith, of The Colby Farm pub on Stokesley Road, Middlesbrough remembers how customers and crucially match day food sales plumetted that season.

He said: “They weren’t not on TV as much, so there wasn’t as many games on Sky – we took a big hit becauuse of that.

“On match days we get families coming in for a meal before the game, and with so many fewer attending when we were in the old First Division is made a big difference. Food is the bread and butter of the pub industry. It’s where we make a lot of our money. I am worried about next season.”

For the club the price of relegation is clear – thanks to the huge difference in television revenue. It means a drop in income of at least pounds 10m, while sides going the other way can look forward to a windfall of pounds 25m even if they come straight back down.

Relegated clubs receive a “parachute payment” from the Premiership of around pounds 7m, but even so, wage structures, commercial forecasts and match revenue expectations have to be downsized.

And many fans are concerned that it could spell financial ruin for both the club, and the town which is in desperate need of the cash injected in to local business economy by the fortnightly home games.

Robert Nichols, editor of Middlesbrough Fanzine ‘Fly Me To The Moon’, said: “Relegation is a massive downer for the whole town not just the football club and Boro fans.

“ I think it is a source of pride for everyone in the area that we have a Premier League football club week in, week out putting us on the national and international map.

“It could not come at a worse time when the area has been hit with a series of economic blows. The football club and the whole area will have to dig deep now to come backk as soon as possible.”

Staff at Middlesbrough Council are also concerned about how the relegation will financially hit the town. Bars and clubs in the area have seen a massive down turn in profits over the last two weeks – sparked by both the smoking ban and the credit crunch.

Angus Hoy, spokesman for the council, said: “When Middlesbrough win games and are doing well the whole town is a happier place. When we won the Carling Cup in 2004 the whole town was buzzing. There was real sense optomism in the air.

“There is no doubt that relegation will have an effect on the local economy like it did last time we went down.”

But Mr Hoy, like many in Middlesbrough believe that this time the effect of relegation won’t be quite as bad as last, due to the massive regeneration the town has seen over the last ten years.

He added: “You have to look past the negatives and see the positives. The Championship is still a really good league and we will be attracting different fans from other places in the country who will see how much the town as got to offer.

“Since the last time we were relegated there has been the opening of Mima, the University has expanded, and the regeneration of Middlehaven has made a massive difference to the area and tourists will find loads of things to do.”

And his thoughts were echoed by young peope in the town, excited about the variety of new opportunities on offer.

Suzanne Lister, 19, student at the University of Teesside, said: “The town has plenty more to offer, not everybody in Middlesbrough cares about the football team.

Dave Smith

“There are great nights out, loads of cool shops and the Indie scene is second to none. Middlesbrough has much more going for it than just footie.”

And while landlord Dave Smith is worried, he believes there is hope for the future.

Dave said: “We survived last time and we will survive this. A lot of local businesses are prepared and we have so much more going on in the town now than we had before. I am sure it will all work out.”