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My Boro, My Shirt shows football is a unifier, no matter your background

Heritage and history

Thursday, 08 August 2024
The exhibition at the Riverside Stadium

The power of Middlesbrough Football Club as a unifying force for good in our town has been captured in a unique project.

My Boro, My Shirt tells the diverse stories of the club’s fans on Teesside and further afield and highlights how supporters make football a welcoming place for everyone, regardless of background.

Fifteen fan portraits were taken by photographers Tom Banks and Paul Thompson - with supporters sharing what their shirt, and the club, means to them.

Robert Nichols, the editor of the Fly Me To The Moon fanzine, and Ellen Sowerby organised the first exhibition of the portraits at the Riverside Stadium on Monday, on behalf of the Middlesbrough Supporters Forum.

The diverse stories on display were even more powerful in the wake of violent far right riots in Middlesbrough and across the country over the weekend.

One of those photographed as part of the exhibition was Sahida Ditta who, representing the Amal Project, was one of the organisers of the clean-up operation which brought together hundreds in the town on Monday morning, following Sunday’s disorder.

Robert said: “It was wonderful to meet up with so many of the fans captured in the portraits for the exhibition at the football club.

“Sadly, the events of the 24 hours before the exhibition made that launch even more important.

“It felt like part of the cleaning and healing process and reclaiming the upper hand for the true Middlesbrough community and extending a welcome to all once again.

“The message is simple - we are all Boro when we wear our shirts, we are all a part of the Boro, Middlesbrough and Teesside communities. We all belong.”

The fans featured in the portraits, along with family and friends were part of Monday's launch, which also saw a panel hosted by compere Gary Philipson and including Brian Robinson (Head of Safeguarding at MFC), Nilesh Chauhan (Football Supporters’ Association’s “Fans for Diversity” Campaign Manager), Liam Bird (Fans Liaison Officer at Level Playing Field), Joe White (Pride in Football & Three Lions Pride Co-Chair) and Ged Grebby (Chief Executive at Show Racism the Red Card).

The exhibition will head to the Dorman Museum for two weeks starting on August 20, before touring other community venues in Middlesbrough and around Teesside.

My Boro, My Shirt is based on a project launched by the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) to improve inclusivity in football, which has been adopted by other sets of fans around the country.

The project was supported by Middlesbrough Football Club, Borderlands Creative People and Places and Middlesbrough Council.

One of the subjects of the My Boro, My Shirt portraits at the exhibition launch