THE MEN who made the goals for one of Boro's greatest ever goalscorers have been reunited for the first time in almost half a century.

Brian Clough's fellow striker Alan Peacock welcomed wingers Eddie Holliday and Billy Day and forward Derek McLean to the Riverside as his guests in the Middlehaven Lounge for the Watford game.

Together they formed a famous five-man forward line in one of the club's most exciting and yet frustrating sides.

For while they racked up 84, 83, 87, a post-War record 90 and 83 goals in successive seasons in the late 1950s and early 60s, a notoriously leaky defence conceded almost as many at the other end - as Boro remained exiled in the old second division.

But when it comes to scoring goals, Peacock believes that team takes some beating.

He said: "I looked back in the record books last night and I can't believe quite how many we scored.

"I'm not biased but I think these three guys, myself and Brian Clough were the best forward line Boro have ever had.

"I've never seen two faster wingers than Eddie and Billy and they could cross the ball at pace.

"They were so good that if they were playing now I think they'd be playing outside-left and outside-right for England. They had myself and Cloughie at the top and Derek did all the running for us."

Middlesbrough Former Players Association chairman Peacock and Holliday both had their contribution rewarded with England caps, but there was only room for one star of the show - the inimitable Cloughie.

"Brian was an exceptional player," says Holliday. "He won two caps but he could have won 22, 32 or 42.

"We all knew we were playing with a man who was a machine for scoring goals. We weren't in the first division but we played together for England and that was brilliant."

Supplied by the speedy Holliday, Day and McLean and ably assisted by Peacock, Clough recorded amazing figures of 38, 40, 43, 39 and 34 over five seasons.

Sadly, all five players were to have their careers cut short by injury and Clough's departure for Sunderland for £55,000 in July 1961 ended their time together at Ayresome Park.

But it is a period all four surviving players look back on affectionately.

"I came here when I was 15 and for two years five of us had to clean the whole ground by ourselves," said Holliday, who started off on the club's groundstaff after his mother wrote asking if he could have a trial.

"There was me, Esmond Million, Stan Skelton, Matty Rees and the head groundsman, Wilf Atkinson.

"After a Saturday game Wilf would say, 'This all has to be done by Monday morning'. But I enjoyed those two years under Wilf as much as any time in my career."

It's hard to imagine a young player today spreading fertiliser and cutting the grass but this was in the dying days of the minimum wage, when footballers still lived along the road from the ordinary fans.

McLean got the bus from Brotton for training every day.

"I was born there and I've lived there all my life," he said. "The bus would be packed with supporters coming from Loftus, Staithes and Whitby but I'd always get a seat. Mind, if we lost they'd say, 'You can stand!' on the way back!"

"We appreciate being recognised, it's nice because most of us are local boys," says Day, who lives in the West Lane area of Middlesbrough as he has done since childhood.

Holliday, now back in his home village of Royston, South Yorkshire, lived in York Road, Linthorpe, during his playing days and though he married a local girl it was a rare return to Teesside.

But the memories are still fresh and he would love to see more of the kind of devil-may-care attacking flair that saw Boro start the swinging 60s by scoring just ten short of 100 league goals in a season.

"I tackled once but I didn't like it so I didn't do it again," he joked. "You've got to have the confidence to go forward and attack."

*You can meet a host of your former Boro heroes at Middlesbrough Former Players Association's second Gala Dinner at the Tall Trees in Yarm on Sunday May 6.

The event will raise money for MFPA, which helps former players in need and also assists local charities. A three-course dinner will be followed by an auction of football memorabilia.

The host is Century FM's Boro commentator Alastair Brownlee and a special cabaret will include TV impersonator and Boro fan Kevin Connelly and comedian Mickey Gunn.

Tickets cost £35 each or £350 for a table of 10.

Please make cheques playable to Middlesbrough Former Players Association and forward them to Hilary Maddren, Townend Farm, Elton, Stockton-on-Tees TS21 1AG.

For further details contact MFPA committee member Ron Darby at the Bluebell Hotel on 01642 593939.

To find out more about the MFPA visit their own website, Forever Boro, on the right-hand side of this the official Boro website.

*If you know a former Boro player who would like to meet up with ex-team mates, whether they played just once or hundreds of times for the team, they would love to hear from you. Email jim.platt@mac.com.