The illness that cost Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough were relegated from the Premier League in 1997, two points off safety from Southampton and Coventry. Five months prior, the Boro were deducted three points for failing to fulfil a fixture against Blackburn Rovers.
Manager Bryan Robson had 23 injured players on his books so requested a postponement for the match, which the Premier League rejected.
Boro spent just a season in the second tier before returning to the Premier League in 1998. They would lose the FA Cup final against Chelsea in May of that year but would win their only piece of silverware, the League Cup, in 2004 against Bolton Wanderers. Boro got to the UEFA Cup final in 2006 but were handsomely beaten by Sevilla and would be relegated in 2009. They didn’t return to the Premier League until 2016 but their time in the top flight was fleeting, relegated after just a year. They currently languish in the bottom half of the Championship under the management of former player Jonathan Woodgate.
Would Middlesbrough have European success?
Would Coventry City ever return to the Premier League?
Would Ravanelli, Juninho and Gazza stay at the Riverside?
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Narrated, Written and Edited by Jake Doyle (@jakedoyle93)
All Images Courtesy of Getty Images.
What If Football is a form of footballing storytelling that takes the audience down a different path to our current reality.
What If Football covers football in all forms, from the Premier League to the Champions League, European football and the EFL as well as international tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championships.
What scenarios would you like What If Football to cover? Please let us know in the comments section.

[@rauoool80s23]

Thanks. The main reason this video caught my attention was because I was 11 at the time and can vividly remember watching MOTD and seeing Juninho in tears.

[@WhatIfFootball3417]

Unfortunately it was a year before I got into football but I’d imagine being affected by it

[@rauoool80s23]

Yeah 96/97 was impressive on so many notes. This is not even in hindsight; can recall being gripped by football fever as it was the first post Euro 96 season and quality overseas stars continued to be bought in aswell as of course Arsene Wenger's arrival. United might have won the league and reached the UCL semi but Boro and Chelsea were definitely the most memorable teams that season.

[@mulluppy1982]

Just to add some reality to this wonderful little fantasy.
Had the boro stayed up in 97, we were chasing Romario, Ince, Batistuta, Roberto Carlos, Cafu, and Nadal.
Oh what could’ve been.

[@WhatIfFootball3417]

Would’ve won league in 1999

[@mulluppy1982]

@@WhatIfFootball3417 could’ve built a dynasty

[@timgoodwin4424]

What if Portsmouth lost the 2008 FA Cup final to Cardiff City?

[@lukeevans2461]

Yes that’s perfect thanks mate

[@ChrisRobinsonGeek]

There was talks of Rivaldo signing if we had stayed up

[@timgoodwin4424]

What if Porto did not win the Champions League in 2004?

[@swinno007]

One of the biggest robberies in history what might have been

[@stevefreary7449]

Perchance to Dream !