Steve McClaren's 'cringeworthy' Middlesbrough meeting after Riverside protest, receiving 'dog's abuse' & Robbie Fowler shock
The former Boro boss opens up about the famous 2006 season ticket protest vs Villa, the England 'umbrella' furore & his next step
Jonathon TaylorMultimedia Journalist
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Ex-Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren has recalled the moment he trudged up to chairman Steve Gibson's office shortly after a furious fan threw a season ticket at him during a home defeat to Aston Villa.
McClaren was sat in the Riverside dugout when a supporter famously jumped over the advertising hoardings and launched his season ticket in the direction of the then-Boro boss in February 2006.
It came during the second half of a 4-0 home defeat to Villa at a time when Boro , despite their UEFA Cup involvement, sat just one place above the Premier League drop zone and without a home win in six matches.
In a revealing podcast with Colin Murray on BBC Radio 5 Live this week, McClaren opened up about the incident and remembered heading up to Gibson's office for a meeting shortly after - only to be surprised by who was sat there.
The 56-year-old also spoke about his England tenure, the famous 'umbrella' incident that sparked widespread mockery, and his most defining managerial moment at Man City on the final day of 2004/05.
McClaren also spoke of his desire to return to management, that famous Dutch 'interview' while at FC Twente and his advice for any aspiring coach.
Here's a summary of what he said, or you can listen in full HERE:
Best managerial memory
"I have a defining moment, the biggest one of my career. It was in my fourth year at Middlesbrough and we were seventh. Man City were eighth and it was the last game of the season, we were playing them and Stuart Pearce was manager.
"They had to win and we had to draw to claim seventh to get back into Europe, which went on to give me the opportunity to reach the UEFA Cup final and become England manager.
"It's injury time and the score is 1-1, they get a penalty and Robbie Fowler steps up. I think this was the most defining moment of my career. Everyone was going crazy and saying it wasn't a penalty and I looked up to the heavens.
Mark Schwarzer saves Robbie Fowler's penalty in 2005
"After 38 games, 94 minutes and (it all came down to) this. My future - in terms of England, Europe, Boro - was all on this. If we hadn't gone into Europe again, all the money we'd spent would've gone and I could've been in oblivion the next season, sacked after this penalty.
"I know Robbie well, I'd never seen him miss a penalty in training. He stepped up, I've still got the photo and the memory is in my mind, Mark Schwarzer saves it and we finished seventh, getting into Europe.
"The rest is history, but that's the biggest moment in my career. I could've been in oblivion - either that, or go on to better things."
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The low point at Boro
"It was a bizarre season but it was that moment - getting the season ticket thrown at me.
"We'd come back from a training camp and I remember thinking, 'that was a great camp, we're ready now'. We still had Europe and everything.
"But we got beat 4-0 by Villa and the season ticket (incident) happened. I remember (beforehand) having to get in the car and park around the other end of the ground because there was a protest at one end.
"I'm thinking 'oh wow, this is a moment'. There's always dog's abuse, most managers get it wherever they go.
"If you go to Millwall and stand on the bench (you get it), I had it at Newcastle, you get dog's abuse - the swearing and people saying things. You want to respond and say 'me and you, outside, now'. But imagine that!
Boro fan throws season ticket at Steve McClaren in 2006 (Image: Evening Gazette)
"That's the thing that frustrates me the most, it really does. I had it the other week, I only went to watch Darlington play and the abuse I got... I just thought, if that was any normal person (receiving that), 'come on - me and you outside'. But you can't do that.
"(Anyway), after the Villa game I went up to the boardroom. I knew I was in trouble. I went up to see Steve Gibson.
"I always went up to see him after (a game), and I went up and he's sat having a pint with David O'Leary, the manager of Villa who'd just beaten us 4-0. Exactly - you cringe. Imagine my face!
"I'm trying to be polite and say 'well done David, good win' and I'm thinking 'is that the next Middlesbrough manager?' So he downs his pint and off he goes, and Steve says to me, 'don't you worry, don't think about it - he won't be the next one. You're it.'
"I said 'alright' and the next week we beat Chelsea 3-0. Two months later we went to the final of the UEFA Cup.
"People often say 'why do you keep coming back', with all this stick you get and go through the ups and downs again. But you can have a season ticket thrown at you one day and two months later you're playing Sevilla in the UEFA Cup final.
"You have to have different hats, don't you? I've just been to see the Winston Churchill film and he's going to make a speech and his wife says 'just remember, be yourself'.
"He turns around to the hat stand and there's 50 hats and he said 'which self should I be?'. I thought that summed up leadership - you're not the real person, how can you be? You have to have make some part of you morph into something else and do the job you have to do."
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Taking the England job
"I knew the people on the board, I'd been involved for four years with Sven-Goran Eriksson, I'd won a trophy and just been to a UEFA Cup final. None of the other English managers had experienced international or European football.
"For me, I was the standout English candidate for the job so I was confident. I knew the players and thought it was the natural step to take.
"I'd done it before, making the step from a No 2 to a No 1 at club level, I knew the players and I was confident up until I got the phone call (confirming I'd got the job).
Sven Goran Eriksson and Steve McClaren
"Other people were in for it, there was the whole thing with (Luiz Felipe) Scolari and the first question in my press conference unveiling was 'what's it like to be the second choice to be England manager?' I thought 'welcome to the job!'.
"A lot of people said 'you're crazy, what are you doing?' But it's something you can't turn down. I'm not saying it's for your country, for honour or anything like that, but as a player I wanted to play for England at Wembley, and get to a World Cup final.
"Going into coaching I wanted to be realised as the best English coach. Then when I went into management I wanted to be the best, and one of the best jobs in world football is the England manager. I had to give it a go and I'd have felt a bit of a coward by not doing it."
The umbrella & Croatia defeat
"Obviously it was (a bad move). I remember going out before kick-off and it was dry, (Slaven) Bilic was stood there with a beanie hat on and I looked at that and thought 'I'm not putting that on, I'd get killed'.
"It's strange, I went to Holland and at one game it was bucketing down - so it reminded me (of that day with England). One of the FC Twente coaches came to me and said 'trainer, trainer - do you want an umbrella?' 'No', I said.
"I looked along the bench and everyone on the bench were sat with red umbrellas, apart from me - I was sat on the end nowhere near an umbrella.
"Each person was saying 'would you like to take mine' and I kept saying 'no, you keep dry and have it'.
Steve McClaren as manager of England
"I saw that often in Holland with umbrellas. In another country it's acceptable, but not here - not as a northern and Yorkshire lad. I've paid for it since.
"(But the game), first and foremost you're numb. We were 2-0 down to Croatia, and then came one of the best half-time (talks) I've done in my career in terms of changes and (delivering a) message.
"At 2-2 I started thinking 'phew, we're on our way' and then came that goal. It was a shock, I was numb. We had chances but in the aftermath I was just numb.
"I suppose because of everything then came the relief of being (sacked), coming back (home to the North-east). You've seen the long road we drive down (near my house), and that's one of the memories I've got.
"I don't know how many press people were along my road and at my gates. They were there for about two days. I remember the mother-in-law and my wife took cups of tea and coffee out to them. But after a few days my mentality was, 'right, get another job, quick'."
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What would you have changed with England?
"(In that Croatia game), at 2-2 I was on the bench debating with (Terry) Venables, Steve Round and Ray Clemence.
"I remember thinking, 'OK the result is good enough' (for England to qualify for Euro 2008)but we had the momentum going forward, everyone seemed excuberant.
"We didn't get the third (goal) and we had to make a sub. Then damn - they scored.
"We were just about to make a sub. I remember thinking we were just about to do it, to bring Owen Hargreaves on and shore it up, see the game through. But just as we were about to make the change - goal.
England players look dejected following Euro 2008 qualifying defeat to Croatia (Image: Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)
"If I'd done it a minute earlier, who knows? Believe me, this is why I think the England job is for a more experienced person, because I'd know what to do now.
"Now before games I sit down with someone and say 'what if with 10 minutes to go we're 2-1 up, what sub could I make?'
"I know the scenario of every game and that lesson has come from that game."
FC Twente & the famous Dutch interview
"Being England manager has given me so many opportunities around the world that I wouldn't have got by just being Boro manager.
"I said to the (Twente) owner 'why me?'. He responded, 'you're the former England manager, you've had one of the biggest jobs in the world, that holds some sway and gives you a certain profile'. OK the job went however it did, but you were good enough to get that job'.
"(Early life in Holland) all went fine until the Dutch accent (interview) - we all do that abroad!
"I was learning Dutch and that was what I enjoyed, learning a bit of the language. But it was a great experience and there was a lot of comedy. A lot of it was through my own fault.
"If you're looking at breakthroughs in my career, going to Derby with Jim Smith (as a coach) was one, going to Manchester United was one, winning a first trophy with Middlesbrough was one.
"These are what makes the difference, winning things - and winning that title in another country with FC Twente (was special).
"If you look at the flags for the last 50 years of Eredivisie winners it's either PSV or Ajax. It's only Twente and AZ Alkmaar who've punctured that, Feyenoord on a couple of occasions. But that year in Holland, the football we played, it was a perfect season.
"There were horrendous times throughout that but it was the perfect end, and for me, winning the league (is the ultimate achievement), over 38 games in a very competitive tough league."
Ups and downs of his career
"Many people say 'woah, you've had some ups and downs haven't you?'.
"The downs pop up more than the ups, a lot more. I was on Sky the other day talking about the League Cup final and they said, 'oh there's a picture of (Boro) winning the League Cup'.
"It made me think. That doesn't pop into my head every day! But a certain game for Newcastle, one at Derby, that one at Wolfsburg - they pop up at whatever stage.
"But I've learnt a lot with experience. I've just been in in Israel with Jordi Cruyff mentoring him as it's his first coaching job and he's had a horrendous first three months.
"But everything that popped up, I realised 'I've been there, I've done that'.
"All these experiences have made me a better manager and coach with far more perspective. I don't think anything could happen now that I haven't (already experienced).
"My advice to any young coach now would be to deal with conflict head-on. Honesty is key - as soon as you try and fake it, players know.
"Honesty is the best policy, don't sleep on it - I've done that many times. You talk about Mourinho and Klopp (at loggerheads), but you have that every day - falling out with someone, someone not being happy and a player wanting to play who isn't.
"It's so difficult being a manager. The best way, I wouldn't even say 'be yourself', but be as honest as you possibly can because players respect that in the end. They don't like it, but they respect it."
The next step?
"Getting back into the Premier League. I've said to myself and set myself the challenge. 'OK, here's another mountain to climb' and that's what life is all about.
"The next mountain (is ahead), so let's get as high as possible. Because of my experiences I'm a better manager and coach now, nothing can hit me that I haven't been hit with before and dealt with.
"So I'm bullish in terms of that. I don't like to be bullish, I'm quite humble, but that's what I have to offer - that experience.
"I want to carry on as I love the obsession and addiction of building a team, developing individuals and the camaraderie of Monday to Friday, then the tension of Saturday and picking yourself up and going again the next day for the next challenge.
"Someone said to me it's like having an exam every week. Sometimes we have an exam three times a week - you have to do well, prepare properly and do the work.
"I've always done that and been good at that, enjoyed it - the exam is the exam, then you move onto the next one."