Suporter Middlesbrough Simpan Sentimen Campuran Jelang Final Play Off

Sejumlah pendukung Middlesbrough yang tidak melakukan perjalanan ke Stadion Wembley memadati pusat kota untuk menyaksikan laga final play-off Divisi Championship melalui layar kaca pada Sabtu siang. Kerumunan suporter memenuhi The Dickens, tempat berkumpul populer di Middlesbrough, guna memberikan dukungan sekaligus menyampaikan prediksi mereka terkait pertandingan penentu promosi melawan Hull City.

Sentimen campur aduk dirasakan oleh para penggemar lokal menyusul kelolosan klub yang dipengaruhi oleh sanksi diskualifikasi Southampton akibat skandal Spygate.

Angela Chappell, seorang pendukung berusia 56 tahun, menyatakan keyakinannya meski merasa gugup karena menganggap situasi ini bukan kesalahan klub mereka.

"I'm a bit sick, nervous, but - you know when you have a premonition - I just feel like we're going to do it. I'm excited for the town. Reading everything [about Spygate] and looking what people are saying, this is not our fault, we should never have been spied on. We deserve the opportunity to try get into the Premiership." ujar Angela Chappell.

Kekhawatiran mengenai persepsi publik luar juga membayangi atmosfer pertandingan di kalangan suporter setempat.

"It's a bit tarnished. I would have prefered to get there normally but at the same time you can't allow cheats to go through. If we do win and get promoted, are the other supporters always going to hold that against us? If we had done it naturally, we wouldn't have that." kata Ian McGrath.

Ian McGrath menambahkan pandangan realistisnya mengenai jalannya laga yang diperkirakan akan berjalan ketat dengan skor rendah.

"As a realist, it's going to be low scoring. If we aren't winning by half time, I don't think we will." tutur Ian McGrath.

Suporter lain memilih merelakan tiketnya demi memberikan dukungan moral secara langsung dari kota asal mereka.

"I've been following Boro for 54 years - the ups and the downs. I got a ticket but a friend didn't have any points and he'd just lost his dad so I gave him the ticket. I want to be here in Middlesbrough when we win and be in the town. I think it will be 0-0 and then penalties. If we get promoted that's three North East teams in the Premier League which would be great. It's been 10/11 years since we were in the Premier League, it would be great to see the big teams back at the Riverside." kata Richard White, seorang pekerja konstruksi berusia 57 tahun.

Harapan besar juga digantungkan pada dampak ekonomi dan sosial bagi wilayah Middlesbrough jika klub berhasil menembus kasta tertinggi.

"As soon as we get in the Premier League, it's like the whole area is given a boost." kata Chris Harland, pendukung berusia 28 tahun yang mengharapkan kemenangan besar.

Chris Harland kemudian memberikan pujian tinggi kepada pemilik klub, Steve Gibson, atas kontribusi besarnya selama ini.

"Stevie Gibbo is one of our own. He has done unbelievably for the club. I've worked all over the country and every single time I say I'm from Boro they talk about Middlesbrough football club. They say he's probably the best owner in the whole country, no one has a bad word to say about him." ujar Chris Harland.

Pertandingan final ini menjadi momen dinantikan setelah Middlesbrough absen selama sebelas tahun dari Liga Primer Inggris, seperti dilaporkan oleh Teesside Live.