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Love Middlesbrough Opening Eyes

15th October 2009

Type: News

Categories: Love Middlesbrough News

A regional journalist has gotten a taste of the real Middlesbrough – after slating the town in an ill-conceived blog entry.

Darren Burke, features editor of the Doncaster Free Press newspaper, was forced to eat his unkind words posted on the Doncaster Rovers website in advance of a match at Riverside Stadium.

His comments were picked up by Boro fans and the club’s head of communications Dave Allan, a lovemiddlesbrough ambassador.

lovemiddlesbrough campaign manager Claire Wordsworth said: “It’s great that people are more prepared than ever to stick up for our great town and Darren was left in no doubt about how they felt.

Darren quickly requested a visit to get the other side of the story.

He wrote: “My editor thought it would be a good idea to return to Middlesbrough for a feature for the paper showing the good side of the town, its attractions and meet and talk to some of the people, try the local food and drink etc and sample Teesside life as a way of repairing the upset caused!”

Darren Burke in a Love Middlesbrough T-Shirt with the Transporter Bridge in the background

A whistle-stop tour of the town was organised to give him a real flavour of Boro life from a meeting with Mayor Ray Mallon to visits to the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum and mima. Good sport Darren also climbed to the top of the Transporter Bridge sporting a lovemiddlesbrough T-shirt.

His guides included assistant curator at the Dorman Museum, Ian Stubbs, lovemiddlesbrough ambassador and Fly Me To The Moon Boro fanzine editor Rob Nichols, and pharmacist Mike Maguire, chairman of the lovemiddlesbrough steering group.

Used to writing stories, Darren became one himself as he was interviewed on the Alastair Brownlee Show on BBC Tees and his tour was covered by ITV Tyne Tees and the Evening Gazette.

He told the Gazette: “I have had an excellent couple of days. I have been treated like royalty. It has been a real eye-opener. I take back what I said. I have seen a very different Middlesbrough.”

Well done lovemiddlesbrough ambassadors!