Middlesbrough Football Club will mark its 150th anniversary with a fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers this Saturday at the Riverside. Both clubs are among the oldest professional clubs in the English game and celebrate their 150th anniversaries this season.
The day will feature a packed programme of celebrations alongside the match. Fan group Red Faction has organised a march to the Riverside beginning at 1.15pm, meeting at Hit The Bar from 11.30am. A special edition matchday programme priced at £5 will be available around the ground, featuring a glossy cover with embossed gold crest design and content celebrating the club's history.
What to expect on the day
Middlesbrough will wear a special 150 Kit comprising blue tonal shirts and darker navy shorts, a design that nods to the colours worn by the first-ever Boro team 150 years ago when local cricketers from Middlesbrough CC took up football for the winter months.
The club's mascot on Saturday will be Luca, the great-grandson of legendary striker Alan Peacock, who died last year. All 14 youngsters taking part in the player walkout are relatives of former players who have represented Middlesbrough down the years.
Middlesbrough singer-songwriter Alistair Griffin will perform his song 'We Shall Be' live from pitchside ahead of kick-off. The track is a tribute to Teesside, Middlesbrough's place in the region's history and the spirit of its people.
A celebration video montage produced by students from the Northern School of Art will be played across the Big Screen and LEDs in the lead-up to the game.
Junior supporters and pre-match ceremony
The Generation Red Family Zone will host a host of 150th anniversary activities for junior supporters throughout the day.
Both teams will be greeted onto the pitch by a guard of honour formed by Middlesbrough and Wolves Under-9 teams. The Boro U9s will wear navy shirts with the names of the club's first recorded starting XI from 1876, plus the numbers 1, 8, 7 and 6. Earlier in the day, the two Under-9 teams will play a celebration friendly match at Rockliffe Park.
The teams taking to the pitch will signal the start of a full stadium display organised by fan groups including Red Faction, Twe12th Man and South Stand MFC, accompanied by pitchside pyrotechnics.
A minute's applause will take place before the match to acknowledge all those who have died — players, coaches, staff and supporters for whom Middlesbrough FC has been part of their lives.