THE YEAR WAS 2004 Boro trophy win was well worth wait
IT was the year the barely warm North East hotbed of football finally had something to shout about.
After more than 30 years without a top domestic trophy, one of the region’s big three clubs finally lifted a cup.
However, it was not Newcastle United or Sunderland adding to their tally, last extended in 1955 and 1973 respectively.
It was their Teesside rivals Middlesbrough who basked in glory as Bolo Zenden’s penalty earned Steve Mcclaren’s side a 2-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers in the Carling Cup final in Cardiff, which was hosting English football’s showpiece events as Wembley underwent a major rebuild. It was the club’s first trophy in its then 128-year history.
The year 2004 was also significant up the road at St James’ Park, where Sir Bobby Robson was removed from the manager’s post and replaced with Graeme Souness as the disappointment of failing to qualify for the Champions League at the end of the previous season lingered at boardroom level.
At Sunderland, meanwhile, Mick Mccarthy’s men failed to regain their Premier League status a year on from being relegated with a then-record low points total of 19 after losing in the promotion play-offs. They also managed a run to the semi-fnals of the FA Cup, in which they lost to Millwall.
Elsewhere in the region in 2004, construction of the Sage Gateshead music venue – now one of the North East’s most reconisable landmarks – was completed with the opening taking place in December.
North East voters also rejected the chance to have an elected regional assembly in a devolution referendum.
In UK and world affairs, former US president Ronald Reagan died aged 93, serial killer Harold Shipman was found dead in his prison cell and a tsunami in the Indian Ocean killed thousands of people in Asia.
■ One Boro fan gets an elevated vantage point in a tree at Middlesbrough’s victory parade, which prompted around 100,000 fans to pack the streets of the town to welcome their heroes back with the Carling Cup trophy