Community Group Meet 'Boro Legends Thanks To Vertu Motors
Members of the Team Talk programme operated by the Middlesbrough FC Foundation enjoyed the opportunity to meet up with a number of Club legends thanks to the generosity of Vertu Motors.
As an Elite level partner, award-winning automotive retailer Vertu Motors – which has BMW, MINI and Honda dealerships within 15 minutes of the Club - provided the Foundation with ten tickets for a special event being held at the Riverside Stadium to celebrate 50 years since the team led by Jack Charlton stormed to success in the old Second Division.
In what was the first managerial role for the 1966 World Cup winner, Middlesbrough swept all before them to secure the 1973-74 crown in record-breaking style, earning promotion with seven games remaining and taking top spot by 15 points in an era when a win was only worth two points.
The season – which included a club-record nine successive league wins - featured some of the most famous names ever to pull on a ‘Boro shirt, including the likes of Jim Platt, Graeme Souness, John Hickton and Willie Maddren; the latter pair going on to be voted amongst a list of ‘Middlesbrough Legends’ by fans.
The championship win carried ‘Boro back to the top flight of English football for the first time since being relegated at the end of the 1953-54 season, with a number of ‘Charlton’s Champions’ coming together to celebrate the 50th anniversary.
The ten members of the Team Talk programme who were present after being gifted tickets by Vertu Motors were able to listen to stories from some of those who played a part in the successful season on the pitch, with fans packing into the Legends Lounge at the Riverside for the event.
The Team Talk programme has been created to focus on community care and well-being, offering those who take part with the opportunity to meet new people and socialise on a weekly basis.
Kitchen Therapy sessions allow people to engage in culinary arts and classes so they can bond over their love of food, with walking football sessions catering for those who wish to be more active – sharing their love for the game in a more relaxed manner with a focus on fun rather than competition.
Chris Franklin, Head of Business at Vertu Teesside BMW said, “It’s fantastic that the donation of tickets to the Foundation allowed people from a very worthy cause to go along and meet the ‘Charlton’s Champions’.
“Middlesbrough FC has a huge role to play in the local community, and as a business, we are proud to have played a small part in helping them in their work during the event.”