October 21 - Ugo’s in at Boro

SUPPORTERS of Bryan Robson’s managerial prowess always used to point to his success at Middlesbrough in his first job as a gaffer.

Two promotions and three major cup finals would indeed be a pretty good record, were it not for the fact that he also presided over relegation and lost all three finals, while it was only Terry Venables’ intervention that prevented a likely second relegation in his last season at the club.

Then there is his cash-based modus operandi which partly explains his utter failure in every other job he has had. Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson has deep pockets and was seemingly very willing to let Robson rummage around in them for cash to splash on a series of big money signings.

In 2000 he was at it again when he took his spending total to almost £80m since taking over in 1994 by signing Ugo Ehiogu from Aston Villa for club record £8m, with the defender making his debut on this day.

The centre-back was 27 and signed a five year contract with the club, with Robson insisting his expensive recruitment policy was justified. “There’s no risk at all spending that kind of money,” he said with all the confidence of a man who knows it isn’t his money. “Ugo has proved himself to be one of the best central defenders in England over the last five years. He’s good enough to play for his country.”

For his part, Ehiogu was pleased to leave Villa. “I felt I was going a bit stale at Villa and I needed a fresh start,” he said. “I didn’t get on too well with John Gregory; over the last few months I have been the lowest I’ve ever been. You can understand it when you’re not playing just for football reasons, but that wasn’t the problem for me. It was a clash of personalities as well.”

John Gregory proved Ehiogu’s feelings about him were entirely mutual with a parting dig at his former charge. “I always thought when he talked of playing for a bigger and better club where he could win things and enhance his England career that he was talking about Arsenal or Manchester United or someone like that,” he said.

The fee represented good value for money for Villa who had paid just £40,000 for the player when they signed him from West Bromwich Albion in 1991, although the Baggies did benefit from a hefty sell on fee.

Ehiogu made his much heralded debut at Charlton on this day, but the new record-signing man lasted just five minutes after he had to come off with a hamstring injury to cries of “What a waste of money” from the home fans ringing in his ears.

Despite a shaky first season at the club which saw Robson depart, Ehiogu went on to make Boro one of the meanest teams in the Premiership, forming a solid defensive partnership with Gareth Southgate, his former Villa club mate who joined in 2001.

As his career wound down and he was no longer required at Boro he went on loan to Leeds before signing for Glasgow Rangers in 2007. He was at Ibrox for just one year but forever endeared himself to the fans by scoring a spectacular winner against Celtic at Parkhead.

See that goal below, and don’t forget to join us again tomorrow for more footballing tales from the past. Also on this day, this was happening.

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