poll parties

*TSBB POLL WINNERS* *PARTIES!!!* Photos and details of the two awards nights we held in the McCain Lounge at the end of 95-96 and 96-97!
Through the course of 95-96 the fanzine became very popular with a large selection of Boro fans. Just like Boro with its support, we had a hardcore following! An idea that was originally conceived by Maria Foy, Vicki Bell and my Mum Christine was to hold some sort of quiz night or similar to give that hardcore fanzine following a good night out and throw in a buffet and some awards. Towards the back-end of the season I thought about conducting a Readers Poll, to gauge the fans reaction to what had been a poor season and gather the ideas of the club and the fanzine itself. I set about creating the questionnaire and putting the idea into motion. That original idea of the night for the fans, coupled with the Readers Poll, transpired into what we now know as the TSBB Poll Winners Party! The first of which was to be held on April 20th in the McCain Lounge. A lot of planning was needed - so the collective brains of the organising committee got together and came up with a plan.
As awards were being given - we would need trophies! Trophies were expensive! So we badgered local Boro related businesses to sponsor a trophy - and we had great success. Each trophy was different in size and shape and after the poll results came in, each one was engraved with the winner and their category. A quiz was organised and buffet planned. A raffle was put in place - a mainstay of any night of this calibre!
But the one thing that held the entire night together was acquiring the services of Mike Hammond as Host and Quiz Master for the evening. Mike was Boro Commercial Manager at the time and from his previous experience as DJ on Yorkshire Coast Radio, coupled with his larger than life personality, he was the ideal person to help the night run smoothly and efficiently. And after two months of planning and preparation the night was a fantastic success! We received back 100 poll forms to collate the results and find out the winners. Every member of the playing squad, back room staff and office staff were there, as were over 150 Boro fans, packed into the McCain Lounge. It is over ten years ago now, but from what I remember the evening was amazing and I was very proud to have pulled it off with the help or so many people.
	To see the photos from the first night, the Readers Poll and the results, and other bits and bobs from the first PWP click the ticket to your left!
So after the first night being a great success we were keen to repeat the act, and at the end of the 96-97 season we set about organising the second party! I don't mind telling you the second night was nothing compared to the first. There were many factors to this. Firstly Mike Hammond pulled out at the last minute due to other commitments. He had left his Boro Commercial manager post during the season. Andy Watts from the Yorkshire Coast Radio advertising team stepped in, and whilst he did do a great job, he was no Mike Hammond! The other factors were lack of sponsorship for trophies this time round, and also the fact that hardly any players were willing to turn out for the event to actually receive any awards! Whereas the previous season John Russell had issued a memo informing all players that they must attend the night, Mick Wadsworth stepped in with his usual stance of being in charge and said players did not have to go if they didn't want to. This made the night lacking in personnel from the club and therefore lack of people to pick up awards, etc.
For some reason, which escapes me nine years on, I don't actually have any photos from the second night either! But click on the ticket on the right to view the Readers Poll and the results....... We didn't do either a Readers Poll or a Party for our 3rd season in 97-98. A combination of the bad experience of the second year and the fact we had more on our minds with Boro heading into the play-offs put pay to that... but we did have two awards for Player of the Year and Goal of the Season, which were won by Gary Bennett and Ben Worrall respectively.	Click here to return to the TSBB main page....