Some of Middlesbrough’s senior football fans made a long-awaited return to the stands at the club’s Capital One Cup Quarter-Final last night.
For our nation’s long-standing supporters, making their way to the ground can become increasingly difficult, especially during the winter months. As an early Christmas present, Capital One made sure 30 of the football club’s elderly followers were able to make it to the game against Everton.Amongst them was 75-year-old Gerald Maddon.
A lifelong Boro fan, Gerald lost his sight in 1967 whilst in the Merchant Navy. Supporting his beloved club by listening to commentary each week on his adapted radio, Gerald was able to attend his first game in over 20 years. This was the first time he had visited the club’s Riverside Stadium following their move from Ayresome Park in 1995.
Gerald said: “I’ve followed Middlesbrough throughout my entire life, but it’s been difficult in recent years to make it down to the ground. The atmosphere and sounds of the crowd at the Riverside were fantastic, it was an unforgettable experience.”
Jason Carr, head of sponsorship at Capital One, said: “As sponsors of the Football League Cup we appreciate that it can be increasingly difficult for our nation’s older supporters to attend football grounds and cheer on their beloved team.
“We wanted to remove those barriers and realised an opportunity to reward the fans for their commitment and support to the club over the years by providing them with a memorable match-day experience.”