Middlesbrough FC’s victory in the Carling Cup this weekend brought a flurry of activity for journalists at the Evening Gazette.

The team beat Bolton 2-1 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff – and as the final whistle secured the team’s first major trophy at 4pm on Sunday, the production team swung into action to work on its coverage.

The Trinity Mirror title produced 12 broadsheet pages on the game and after-match reaction yesterday and published early, producing an extra 20,000 copies to cope with the expected interest.

The paper carried reports, colour pieces, photos, editorial opinion, interviews with those taking part and interviews with the fans – as well as squeezing in all the other news making the headlines away from the world of football.

The massive editorial output was on top of two ‘Boro for the Cup’ supplements produced two weeks before and two days before as a prelude to the big match, as well as an in-paper supplement on Saturday.

And now a 48-page glossy cup final special is nearing its final stages, ready for printing this week.

The victory was all the more poignant because of three recent cup final defeats for Boro.

Editor Steve Dyson said: “Middlebrough was like a ghost town during the game.

“We took some of our best advertisers and top contacts to the match, including a local furniture businessman Clive Race, who first watched them in 1931.

“It’s been a long wait for him to see them get a trophy and although he uses a wheelchair he was up on his feet cheering like the rest of us when the cup was finally won!

“There was a strange feeling around the town. People thought we might just do it.

“This victory will be great for the town and the area, and of course, for the Gazette itself.

“The efforts of the staff we sent down to Cardiff and those who came into the office to get the souvenir edition out was highly impressive.

“This was a moment that everyone at the Gazette wanted to be a part of, and that pride, passion and skilled ability has shone out in the exceptional coverage we were able to provide.”

Do you have a story about the regional press? Ring 0116 227 3122/3121, or
e-mail [email protected]