The Drop The Set Pieces

From the ashes of Middlesbrough's liquidation in 1986 came a more dynamic, ambitious club led by local businessman Steve Gibson. His investment brought a brand new stadium, a high-profile manager and world class players who ordinarily wouldn't be able to point to Teesside on a map. Ten years after going bust Middlesbrough fancied a crack at English football's elite; but what followed was a rollercoaster season that saw them lose two cup finals, land themselves in hot water with the authorities and somehow manage to slip out of the Premier League with some of the best talent in the division.

Host: Mark Godfrey.

Guests: Robbie Mustoe, Craig Hignett, Andy Campbell, Anthony Vickers, Rob Nicholls, Daniel Gray, Tom Flight, David Broome.

Music: Javolenus - Hanging A-round with MDB (CC BY-NC 3.0) | Juanitos - Sambarama (CC BY 2.0 FR) | HaveMercy - The End of Puzzles (CC BY-NC 3.0) | Septahelix - Hanging Improvisation (CC BY-NC 3.0) | Monk Turner - Killer Kiara (CC BY-NC 3.0) | Scott Holmes - Levels of Greatness (CC BY 4.0) | Javolenus - Latinium (CC BY-NC 3.0)

When Mike Ashley took ownership of Newcastle United in 2007 there was a degree of optimism that he would plough in the funds required to restore them to the Premier League's elite. He further won the fans over by bringing their messiah - Kevin Keegan - back to manage the club. But that was just about the last decision he got right. The 2008/09 season was a nightmare from start to finish. Keegan resigned and sued the club for constructive dismissal. His replacement, Joe Kinnear, came in like a four-letter hurricane and left in an ambulance before Geordie hero Alan Shearer asked the players to dig deep to save the Magpies from relegation, only to find that some of them had thrown away their shovels. This was the beginning of the long-running saga between Newcastle supporters and their controversial owner, all played out to a backdrop of protests and paranoia.

Host: Mark Godfrey.

Guests: Lee Ryder, Ian Murtagh, Harry De Cosemo, Alex Hurst, Marc Corby. 

Music: Javolenus - Hanging A-round with MDB (CC BY-NC 3.0) | Daniel Birch - This Maybe All Gone Tomorrow (CC BY-NC 4.0) | HaveMercy - The End of Puzzles (CC BY-NC 3.0) | Septahelix - Hanging Improvisation (CC BY-NC 3.0)

The early 1990s were a time of great opportunity for the big Premiership clubs, and while most of them recognised the sporting and financial opportunities afforded to them by greater TV exposure, Everton FC - one of England's oldest and grandest clubs - allowed itself to drift and decline. Just two years on from the greatest shake-up in modern football history, the Toffees - twice champions just a handful of years earlier - found themselves on the brink of relegation needing a last gasp miracle to avoid a disastrous relegation. This is the story of their 93/94 campaign and a manager out of his depth, an incredible final 90 minutes of the season and supporters who needed a stark reminder about what exactly their club meant to them. 



Host: Mark Godfrey. 

Guests: Neville Southall, Tony Cottee, Tony Grant, Dave Prentice, James Corbett, Simon Hart, Graham Ennis, Jim Keoghan. 

Music: Javolenus - Hanging A-round with MDB (CC BY-NC 3.0) | Javolenus - Latinium (CC BY-NC 3.0) | Septahelix - In With The Blue (NonCommercial Sampling Plus 1.0) | Robbero - Incognito (CC BY-NC 3.0) | Daniel Birch - This Maybe All Gone Tomorrow (CC BY-NC 4.0) | Scott Holmes - Levels of Greatness (CC BY 4.0).

Coming soon: The Drop by The Set Pieces







Music: Hanging A-round with MDB by Javolenus (CC BY-NC 3.0)