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It has since helped form 30 new Boro supporters clubs or groups around the world throughout the years since the BFU scheme has been set up.
One of its first contacts was from Finnish Boro fan Virpi Kytoaho, who has been a regular visitor to Teesside to take in Boro home games since contacting BFU coordinator and Middlesbrough Official Supporters Club chairman Sue Gardener in 2004.
Virpi is shown here with fellow fans before the Southampton game.
Pictured from left to right are Bethany James, Virpi Kytoaho, Jessica James, Sheila Richardson, Brogan James, Sue Gardener and Joe Hammill.
Our second picture shows Jessica, Bethany and Brogan James flying the flag before kick-off.
ENGLISH teacher Tom Muldowney is recruiting new Boro fans in Jeollabuk do, South Korea, where he is currently working.
"Middlesbrough are a club people are aware of here due to the South Korean striker Lee Dong Gook, who had a short spell at Boro a few years ago," he said.
"I'm doing my best to convince the teenage boys I teach that there is football in England outside of the Premier League. Due to the time difference though, I don't get the results until Sunday morning.
"It's a far cry from my home in Thornaby, but I will be coming back home in time for the game against Leeds in March."
BORO Fans United members in Canada got together to watch Boro's last-gasp 1-0 win at Bristol City.
Boro fans are scattered widely across Canadian and USA but some manage to meet up when on their travels.
Supporters in Toronto started began getting together for coffee and more are joining the group all the time.
Pictured left-to-right are: Andrew Baker, Ahmed Etriby, Barry Crowe, David Marhsall, Maureen Marshall, Jeff Collins (kneeling in front) and Ben Church (end).
THREE North American Boro fans put aside their ice hockey rivalries when they met up at a recent pre-season fixture.
Ben Church from Toronto met Matt Lamont from New York and Matt Green, from nearby Albany, when Toronto Maple Leafs took on Buffalo Sabres.
"I'm a Sabres fan and Ben's a Leafs fan, being from Toronto," explained Matt Lamont.
"I had a friend come over from Boro for a week so we drove up for the game, stopping on the way and meeting up with Matt Green for dinner and then getting to Niagara Falls for tea-time.
"It was an eight-hour drive - the equivalent of driving from Boro to Whitby here in the US!"
Regular Boro Fans United visitors Virpi and Joona Hytoaho, from Finland, joined Sue Gardner and other MOSC members for a drink ahead of the Millwall game.
Manchester-based MOSC members Rich Crewe spent time working in and enjoyed chatting with Virpi about his time there.
The photo includes, (left-right) Sue, Gareth Oyston, Rich, Sheila Richardson, Virpi and Joona.
Meanwhile, Boro fans in Manchester and the surrounding areas are invited to come along for a supporters get together on November 4 starting from 7.30pm to 8pm in the White Lion, Liverpool Street.
A FAMILY for Boro fans from Canada had an unforgettable evening when they met up with right-back Tony McMahon at the recent MOSC meeting.Our picture shows Tony with Dave Marshall, from Toronto, his daughter Louise Bean and her husband Aaron Bean and Dave's son John Marshall.
The family thanked MOSC for a wonderful time which they will never forget.
The family were over visiting Teesside for a couple of weeks and attend the Birmingham City and Coventry City games.
Our second photo shows the family with MOSC's Sheila Richardson and Boro Fans United coordinator Sue Gardner.
Meanwhile, here's Nigerian Boro fanatic Enny Akinosho with his new arrival, Lily Temitope Akinosho.
Enny has been to Teesside for a couple of home games and even went pitchside for a presentation before one match. He now lives in London with his partner, Leanne.
THE BORO Fans United scheme, which helps supporters throughout the world keep in touch with each other, is undergoing a revamp ahead of the 2011-12 season.
Middlesbrough Official Supporters Club chair Sue Gardener has coordinated BFU for a number of years and helped hundreds of Teesside exiles and other overseas supporters get together to follow their team.
The contacts are listed on our Supporters Club page but Sue has been alerted to the fact that some of them are now out of date.
So we'd like you to email us once again if your group is still up and running, or if you'd like to get a supporters club started wherever you are in the globe.
Sue's latest success is in New Zealand, after 14 fans got in touch with her to welcome a fellow Boro follower who is emigrating there this month.
All existing BFU contacts or anyone who would like to start a new group are asked to email Sue on suem.g58@googlemail.com.
BORO fans Chris Shane, from Connecticut, USA, and Ray Moon, of Vancouver, Canada, returned to Teesside for the last game of the season.
Chris, who is a member of the USA/Canada Boro Fans United's (BFU) group, brought Ray to meet up with old and new friends for an end-of-season get together.
Our photo shows, from left to right, Chris, MOSC chair Sue Gardener and Ray.
FINNISH Boro superfan Virpi Kytoaho returned to Teesside to take in the Watford game.
She couldn't bring her son Joona with this time due to it being school term but did persuade her friend Jari and his wife Johanna to came along.
Our pictures include, from left to right, Sue Gardener, Virpi, Johanna, Jari, Sheila Richardson, Donna James and her son Jon-Paul James in front.
LIFELONG Boro fan Gary Renahan is spreading the Boro message while teaching English at a kindergarten in Wenling, China.
Acklam-born Gary is doing his best to recruit plenty of young supporters - even if he had to bribe them with Boro goodies to get them!
"I gave my old Boro scarf to a girl Li Yu Xi, a Roary the Lion teddy to a girl called Shao Yu Xuan and my Boro shirt to a lad called Ye Jun Hao," he explained.
"My Boro flag went with me and I had it signed by some colleagues for a memory that will last forever and also had it involved for some photos including a class photo.
"I check the Boro website everyday as it is my homepage on the internet and every Saturday night is spent watching the result come through on text alerts.
"I hope these pictures amuse you if not anything else and know that sounds of You Are My Boro are echoing around the world!"
*If there are any more Boro fans in the Zhejiang province, please contact Sue Gardener at suem.g58@googlemail.com and she'll put you in touch with Gary.
HE may never have been any closer than 7,000 miles from the Riverside Stadium, but that doesn't stop loyal Singapore Boro Supporters Club member David Yeo from flying his colours with pride.
David, a regular contributor to the mfc.co.uk Letters page, sent us these pictures of his car, emblazoned all over with the old and new Boro crests.
The car is guaranteed to get him noticed wherever he goes in the Far East city state.
"It's in my blood" said David. "I cannot tell you how proud I am when I am on the road, especially in my country, Singapore, where Boro fans can easily be counted.
"I think I am attracting more Boro fans here!"
David started following Boro at the age of 16 back in 1995 after seeing a game against Nottingham Forest.
"It was a love at first sight," he said. "Nothing can explain that. Since then I've always followed them.
David meets up with about half a dozen fans whenever they're able to get a live game on TV.
"It's hard because most of the time the live televised match here in Singapore is mainly on the big four clubs," he said.
Meanwhile, our second picture shows Boro fan Norman Alborn doing his bit to spread the faith in his current home, Equatorial Guinea, West Africa.
He took a Boro shirt for workmate Ryan Patricio, from the Philippines, to wear on Christmas Day.
A BORO-LOVING librarian in a children's book sparked an Argentine love affair that has lasted 30 years and is still burning brightly.
The story began three decades ago when Gustavo Gavasso, from Quilmes, Buenos Aires, was studying English at high school.
His textbook featured a thin, unlucky librarian called Arthur, who was bullied by his boss but had a burning passion for football.
"He used to wait anxiously every weekend to go to the stadium to watch Boro, with his radio and old red scarf," recalls Gustavo.
"I told that funny story to my kids many years ago and since that moment everybody at home is a Boro supporter and they wait anxiously every Saturday to receive the match results by Internet or ESPN."
Now Gustavo, daughter Melina and son Alejo, gather round the TV or computer screen every week to follow games.
Being a fellow countryman, Julio Arca is naturally something of a favourite in the Gavasso household and Gustavo has a special message for the midfielder in his own language.
"Fuerza Julio, lo mejor para vos en esta temporada 2010 defendiendo los colores de nuestro querido Boro!"
Any other Boro fans in his area can contact Gustavo at gustavo.gavassa@speedy.com.ar.
The Gavasso family are pictured viewing their favourite website, mfc.co.uk.
FORMER Boro star Peter Brine was a big hit when he visited the club's Supporters Club in Brisbane to relive a golden age in the club's history.
Peter, now 56, emigrated to Townsville, Queensland, where he now runs the restaurant A Touch Of Salt, named in reference to his dressing room nickname, Salty.
Born in London but the son of a Boro exile, he joined the club as a teenager in 1970. An attacking player, he made 76 starts and 26 sub appearances for the club, scoring eight goals, before a knee injury prematurely ended his career in his mid-20s.
He visited Brisbane along with his wife, Chris, who is originally from Brambles Farm.
"We all had a great time chatting and laughing about the good old days," said organiser Trevor Harrington - known to many locals as Teesside Trev.
"Peter kept us all entertained with his stories about Big Jack Charlton and all his team-mates from the golden era of the 70s.
Peter added: "They're a really nice bunch of guys and we had a great night."
He is pictured centre of this group, wearing a light blue, collared shirt.
BORO Fans United founder Sue Gardener has thanked supporters all over the world who have taken part in the initiative with their very own dedication on the Boro Brick Road.
When Sue's husband, Terry, asked her what she wanted for a wedding anniversary, her answer was instant - if a little unusual!
Sue explained: "I said I'd like a brick and after the usual questions of which type of brick - house brick, Lego brick etc - I said a Boro Brick."
They took advantage of the special offer by ordering along with their Season Card application and she decided on the inscription "Boro Fans United - Cheers Sue G".
"It puts our BFU in the public eye and I thought was a good way to thank all our Boro fans abroad for their help in this scheme," Sue added.
The BFU scheme continues to go from strength to strength with around 30 new supporters club branches formed over recent years.
For more information contact
suem.g58@googlemail.com.To find out more about the Boro Brick Road, click here.
THEY can't all be there for every game, but Boro exiles and fans around the world are making their presence felt on matchdays by bringing some colour to the Riverside.
Teessiders have populated distant corners of the globe since the days of Marton-born explorer Captain Cook and many still travel for work and leisure, while an increasing number of football fans with no connection to the area are adopting Boro as their team.
But the fortunes of the team are never far from their thoughts.
Now, as part of the Twe12th Man's ongoing drive to get the fans at the Riverside working together, supporters clubs from far and wide are leaving a permanent stamp on the stadium in the form of their own banners.
The idea came from Boro fans based in Newcastle, the group behind the imaginatively-titled Smog on the Tyne banner.
They contacted Sue Gardener, chair of Middlesbrough Official Supporters Club and coordinator of the Boro Fans United scheme in conjunction with mfc.co.uk, which has helped establish 27 worldwide Boro fan branches.
She in turn got in touch with Mick Dunne, of the School of Art and Design at Our Lady of St Bede's School in Stockton, to help with designing and making some of the banners.
Along with the main MOSC banner, which bears the legend Angels All Over The World, flags from Sweden, Norway, New Zealand, Canada and Newcastle have already been put up and Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan and Nigeria should follow soon.
A special MOSC banner was put up as a centrepiece for the individual flags and banners from around the world.
Sue says the scheme has come to fruition thanks to the club, MOSC, the Twe12th Man group and the school all working together.
"A lot of hard work by individuals and groups has gone into establishing these new branches of our supporters club," she explained.
"The flags and banners around the stadium are a way of acknowledging this work, as well as making it known that Boro have fans on every continent and not just around the Teesside region.
"As one branch member said to me, 'Even though we aren't big in numbers and can't attend live games at the Riverside, we give huge and excellent support to the Boro from around the world'."
Branches in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Nigeria, Northern Ireland and New York are among groups run by locals rather than Teesside exiles.
MOSC chair Sue Gardener has been helping Boro fans throughout the world get together to form branches of the supporters club.
If you are interested in forming a branch where you live, contact Sue at suem.g58@googlemail.com.
See our Supporters Club page for contact details of all the branches formed so far.
