Our Spurs Stat Attack
BORO'S magnificent 2-1 victory over Spurs has thrown up eight very interesting facts, as Boro statto SHAUN WILSON discovered.
Strikes from David Wheater and Mido sent most of the 32,623 fans extremely happy indeed. But did you know the following amazing facts?
1. By winning on Saturday, for a few hours at least, we were in fourth position and it would have been second if not for the late own goal. The last time we reached fourth was on November 20 2004 when goals from Chris Riggott and Bolo Zenden saw us beat Liverpool 2-0 at home. The last time we topped the table was for four days between August 22 to 26 2000.
2. The average age of the side that started the Spurs game was 24.5. This was the youngest average age Boro side since the famous all-Academy team which took the field v Fulham in May 2006 wih an average age of 20.
3. The Spurs game was the first opening game where our starting line-up did not include a debutant for quarter of a century, since August 1983, when we won away at Portsmouth.
4. The crowd of 32,623 was our biggest home gate on the opening day of the season since the 2-2 draw with Newcastle in 2004/05.
5. It was the first ever win at the
Riverside on the opening day in the Premier League.6. David Wheater's goal was the first time a Boro defender had scored on the opening day since Gianluca Festa notched against Charlton in 1997.
7. Counting the last two games of last season, the win was our third in a row. The last time we did that was in January 2007 when we defeated Sheffield United, Charlton and Bolton.
8. Boro won the game comfortably despite Spurs dominating possession. Gareth Southgate's men completed 250 passes compared to 440 from the North Londoners.
9. It was the third biggest Riverside crowd for a league game for more than three years. It was biggest than any Riverside attendance throughout the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons, while only the visits of Liverpool and Manchester United topped it last season.
10. It was Boro's second biggest crowd for our opening home match since the start of the new millennium - and 7,000 up on the opening day last season, when just over 25,000 attended the game against Blackburn.
