Middlesbrough marked its 150th anniversary with a coordinated supporter display at Riverside Stadium, staged before a win over Wolves.
The celebration also coincided with a milestone from the club's academy, where a 15-year-old striker took his first step into under-21 football.
Supporters Fund and Produce Stadium-Wide Tribute
The display was organized by Red Faction, South Stand MFC, and the Twe12th Man group, according to a report by Gazette Live.
It featured 31,000 colored cards spread across all four stands, with volunteers spending three days preparing the presentation before the anniversary fixture.
In the South Stand, a large fan-produced tifo depicted one of Middlesbrough's earliest teams.
Supporters funded and produced the display themselves.
Across the North, East, and West stands, gold cards formed the messages "150 years," "1876-2016," and "MFC."
Red and white cards filled the remaining sections, creating a coordinated scene as the players emerged from the tunnel before kickoff.
Several players referred to the display in postmatch interviews and social media posts following the victory over Wolves.
Academy Striker Makes Early Under-21 Appearance
Separately, 15-year-old striker Billy Linacre made his Middlesbrough under-21 debut last Wednesday evening at the age of 15 years and 292 days.
He entered the match against Grangetown Boys for the final 15 minutes of a 7-2 victory in the second round of the North Riding Senior Cup.
Before that appearance, Linacre had played four times for the under-18 team this season and scored one goal.
He had also been scoring regularly for the under-16 side, despite not yet being old enough to begin a scholarship.
Linacre was absent from the under-21 squad for the subsequent match against Everton, which ended in a 2-1 defeat for Mark Tinkler's team.
Cruz Ibeh featured instead and scored Middlesbrough's goal on his 18th birthday.
Another former Middlesbrough youth striker, Hazeem Bakre, has begun a new chapter in Singapore after joining Premier League side FC Jurong.
The 20-year-old previously joined Middlesbrough from Huddersfield Town in the summer of 2024 following a prolific season with Huddersfield's under-18 team.
Bakre scored ten PL2 goals during his first season at Middlesbrough and also impressed during a loan spell at Darlington, before being released at the end of the previous season.
Speaking to FC Jurong's official website, Bakre said he was happy and excited to join the club and looked forward to meeting everyone and giving his best on the pitch.
