Middlesbrough FC pride in Steve Gibson situation made clear as takeover question posed | OneFootball

FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit believes a takeover in the near future is likely

Middlesbrough have become one of the most high-profile Championship clubs in recent history, and it largely stems from the past success provided by boyhood supporter and owner, Steve Gibson OBE.

Gibson is the perfect example of a 'local boy done good', having put so much back into the local community which he grew up in during Boro's prior days at Ayresome Park, where he attended matches frequently in his childhood and early-adult life before making a critical course of action that would change the trajectory of the Teesside club.

In 1986, Gibson fronted a consortium of 10 directors which pulled together to save the North East club from the brink of extinction following relegation to what is now League One in 1986, completing their registration to compete in the EFL for the 1986/87 season and beyond, subsequently charging a rise that would see them into the top-flight by the summer of 1988.

Therefore, the end of the current season will mark 40 years of service to his boyhood club as either director or chairman, having begun his role as the latter in 1994 after taking over from Colin Henderson.

Gibson has completely transformed the fortunes of the club in that time, overseeing the move to the Riverside Stadium in 1995 and seeing the club become a strong Premier League force in the decade that followed.

However, with football finance an ever-growing topic of discussion, Football League World asked our resident Boro fan pundit, Liam Day, whether he believes a takeover is on the cards in the near future, and whether that comes internally or externally.

With there even being some form of financial disparity between clubs in the Championship, due to those newly-relegated from the Premier League receiving the benefits of 'Parachute Payments', it has been argued that sides such as Middlesbrough, who were last relegated in 2017, will find it increasingly tough to compete without hefty investment.

As a result of said landscape, Day admits that he believes Gibson's long-standing reign as Reds owner could reach a natural end in the coming years, whilst also reflecting on his work over the aforementioned time-span with great affection and fondness.

"I do certainly think Steve Gibson's reign is coming to an end," he said. "It just does feel like, with how football's going these days, a takeover's going to be an external one.

"I don't know much about Steve Gibson's business if I'm honest. I don't think there's going to be a natural successor there, but I hope that there is.

"I'm proud that we're owned by someone who supports the club and knows what it's like to be a fan, and I think that's quite important," Day stated.

"Whoever was to take over, I hope they know what they're getting themselves in for and that they're prepared to invest to the level Steve Gibson has because, without him, we'd be nowhere.

"He deserves all the credit he gets. Anyone who's against him is ridiculous, to be completely honest," our fan pundit claimed.

As well as overseeing the move to the Riverside, Gibson's investment has seen plenty of high-profile stars, such as Juninho, grace the turf for Middlesbrough in the past 30 years - circumstances which would have almost been laughed beforehand.

The boyhood supporter also oversaw the club's first major trophy success in 2004 with an EFL Cup final success over Bolton Wanderers in Cardiff, as well as a run to the UEFA Cup final in 2006.

The 67-year-old, who has a reported net worth of £640m through companies such as Bulkhaul Limited and Gibson O'Neill Company Ltd, continues to plough his fortunes into the club as they look to start the Rob Edwards era in style, with the former Luton Town boss making wholesale changes to the squad following his June appointment.

Day, like supporters of other clubs, would naturally want Gibson's successor to be a local businessman who understands the core values of the club, with foreign investors showcasing varying levels of commitment and mismanagement, such as Tom Wagner and Dejphon Chansiri - the current custodians of Birmingham City and Sheffield Wednesday.