Middlesbrough's 150th anniversary legacy game has sparked a major ticket surge, with over 25,000 sold ahead of Sunday's event at the Riverside Stadium. The match, kicking off at 4pm, will feature a stellar cast of former players headlined by Juninho, who will play on home turf for the first time since 2011.
Ticket sales passed the 20,000 mark immediately after the Brazilian's return was confirmed last Friday, with 10,000 sold in the five days that followed. The club had sold just over 10,000 tickets the previous Monday, illustrating the powerful 'Juninho effect' on fan interest for this celebratory fixture.
Legends across generations gather
Joining Juninho on the pitch will be fellow overseas stars Fabrizio Ravanelli, Geremi and Christian Karembeu. Scores of other legends will attend in non-playing roles, with former managers Aitor Karanka, Tony Mowbray and Lennie Lawrence set to be present. The gathering spans generations, from 1970s players Frank Spraggon and Tony McAndrew to 'Class of 86' heroes Gary Pallister and Colin Cooper, and popular figures like Yakubu, Tuncay Sanli and current captain Jonny Howson. The attendees will be split into two squads for the head-to-head match, arriving by coach at the Riverside around 1.45pm.
Ravanelli shares cup final memories
Ahead of the main event, Fabrizio Ravanelli will host a special event at Middlesbrough Town Hall on Saturday. The Italian striker is set to share stories from the memorable 1996-97 season, which featured his opening-day hat-trick against Liverpool and the club's run to both domestic cup finals.
The celebration comes as the current team enjoys a strong start to the Championship season, sitting third in the table with 15 points from eight games. Their next league fixture is a key home match against fourth-placed Wolves on October 10, a game for which the club will switch to blue commemorative kits honouring the colours worn by the first-ever Middlesbrough side in 1876. Fans can check the full upcoming schedule on the club's fixtures page and view the current standings.
More detail at yorkshirepost.co.uk
