Formed in 1876, Middlesbrough FC have played at the Riverside Stadium since 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889. The club played at the Linthrope Road ground from 1882 to 1903 and at Ayresome Park for 92 years, from 1903 to 1995. The club has counted some of Britain’s top players among its ranks, including Paul Gascoigne, Bryan Robson and Graeme Souness. Middlesbrough’s glory years came in 2004, when they won the League Cup and in 2006. when they were runners-up in the UEFA Cup. The club’s main rivals are Sunderland, Newcastle United and Leeds United. The Middlesbrough crest has gone through some changes since the formation of the club. Initially, the badge was simply the town of Middlesbrough’s crest with a red lion instead of a blue lion in order to fit in with the club’s colours. Following the adoption of the white band on the shirts in 1973, only the red lion remained with the letters “M.F.C” underneath in red. This was further adapted following the reformation of the club in 1986 to a circular crest with the lion in the middle and the words “Middlesbrough Football Club 1986” around the circle in order to reflect this new era. In 2007, Middlesbrough changed their crest again, this time with the lion inside a shield and the words “Middlesbrough Football Club 1876” underneath.
