Nicknamed the Boro, they were formed in and are the 11th oldest football league club in England and Wales. The club have played at the Riverside Stadium since , [ 1 ] having previously played at Ayresome Park for 92 years, from to Middlesbrough were one of the founding members of the Premier League in , and have spent all but two seasons of their entire history as a professional club competing within the top two tiers of English football. The outbreak of the First World War stunted their push for a first top division title, though the club pushed again during the inter-war years, finishing fourth in the β39 season before the Second World War halted the English leagues and again prevented a push for a first title.
The club came within minutes of folding in before they were saved by a consortium led by board member and later chairman Steve Gibson. The club were runners-up in the FA Cup and League Cup in [ 4 ] [ 5 ] while also being relegated following a controversial 3-point deduction, [ 6 ] and losing another League Cup final the following season.
The club has played one Premier League season since relegation in Middlesbrough is the only major professional football club in the greater Teesside area the 14th biggest urban area in England , the Tees Valley , and the county of North Yorkshire the largest county in England by area [ 7 ]. The club has regional rivalries with the two closest major clubs, Newcastle United the TyneβTees derby and Sunderland the TeesβWear derby.
The club's traditional kit is red with white detailing, often in the form of a white chest band. The home shorts and sock colours have interchangeably been shifted between red and white, complementing the red shirt that was adopted in Middlesbrough were formed in , and won the FA Amateur Cup in and again in The club turned professional in , but reverted to amateur status in In , the club moved to Ayresome Park , their home for the next 92 years.
Over these early years in the top flight, their form fluctuated greatly, rising to sixth in β08 [ 14 ] before dropping to 17th two seasons later. Before league football resumed, Middlesbrough won the Northern Victory League, [ 16 ] but the team were unable to maintain their previous form and finished the β20 season in mid-table.
