Bernie Slaven
Encyclopedia
Bernard Joseph "Bernie" Slaven (born 13 November 1960 in Paisley
) is a Scottish-born former Republic of Ireland international
footballer. A striker, with 162 goals in 423 league games, in a 12 year career, he also earned seven caps for the Republic of Ireland
.
He started his career in his native Scotland with Greenock Morton
in 1980, before moving on to Airdrieonians
, Queen of the South
, and then Albion Rovers in 1983. He stayed with Albion Rovers until 1985, when he signed with English Football League
club Middlesbrough
. It was with 'Boro that he made his name, staying for eight years, he made over 300 appearances, scoring an average of 1 goal ever 3 games. He then transferred to Port Vale
, where he spent one season, before finishing his career at Darlington
in 1995.
Despite being born in Scotland, his Irish grandfather enabled win to win seven caps for the Republic of Ireland
, which he did between 1990 and 1993. This short international career resulted in the honour of being named in Ireland's 1990 FIFA World Cup
squad – though he did not feature in the tournament.
in 1983, Slaven joined Airdrieonians
and played two games before moving on to Dumfries
side Queen of the South
later in the year. He played two games during the Willie Harkness era: a 1–0 win over Cowdenbeath
on 26 November 1983 and a goalless draw with East Fife
on 10 December 1983, both at Palmerston Park
. In the second game Slaven was substituted, his replacement being Billy Gordon. When later interviewed for the club, team mate George Cloy
said of Slaven, "He was just a man who liked playing football. He was a nice enough guy but he wasn’t one of the more rowdy ones.”
From Queens Slaven signed for Albion Rovers later in 1983. With the Coatbridge
side he scored 31 goals in the 1984–85 season, winning the 1984–85 Daily Record golden boot in the process. In 42 league appearances with Rovers Slaven hit 27 league goals. During this time as a semi-professional he was working as a gardener
. Slaven, who then lived with his parents in Castlemilk, Glasgow, was a fanatical trainer and non-drinker. Slaven made it clear while at Rovers that he wanted to try his hand at full-time football, and luckily for him, he was contacted by a Sunday Post reporter. The reporter wrote to all the top English and Scottish clubs on his behalf, and Middlesbrough were one of two teams to offer him a trial. In the trial game against Bradford, Slaven scored and impressed the Boro management enough to snap him up. Bradford boss Terry Yorath also wanted him to sign on the dotted line, but the then Albion Rovers owner negotiated a deal with Boro which satisfied all parties.
He did not leave the club on good terms.
before him, Slaven was to play for Middlesbrough
after leaving Queen of the South. Then Boro manager Willie Maddren
picked Slaven up in October 1985 for a bargain price of £25,000 and he stayed until 1993. He is often considered one of the best buys ever made at the club due to his prolific goalscoring exploits. An accurate finisher with good positional sense and good close control 'The Wolfman' scored 146 goals in 381 games, mostly playing in the number 7 shirt. Slaven was a model of consistency finishing top scorer for five consecutive seasons. Team-mate Stephen Pears
said of him: "He passed the ball into the net." Despite his fantastic scoring record and unashamedly selfish nose for goal, he was weak in the air and a poor tackler.
The 1986–87 season followed the club's survival from liquidation
, during this season and all future seasons at the club Slaven's consistent goalscoring gave hope to the fans. He helped secure a second successive promotion in 1987-88
, which saw Middlesbrough return to the First Division after six years away, though they only survived at that level for one season. They won promotion again in 1992, gaining a place in the new FA Premier League
. Slaven was instrumental in securing Middlesbrough's promotion, scoring a late equaliser for a side reduced to 10 men at Wolverhampton Wanderers
, which was quickly followed by a late winner from Paul Wilkinson
which saw Middlesbrough automatically promoted on the final day of the season in second place.
However, they were relegated the following season
and Slaven finally left the club at the end of that campaign, having scored 119 league goals for Boro in eight years.
His customary goal celebration was to jump upon the fence at the Holgate End at Boro's old ground, Ayresome Park
– the fans were to see this celebration many times. When the ground was knocked down in 1996, Slaven acquired a section of the fence from the Holgate End, where it now sits, by his own admission, in his back garden.
on a free transfer. He quickly gained the devotion of the Vale fans, scoring the goal that took Vale to their first Wembley performance in the then Autoglass sponsored Football League Trophy
. In the final
Slaven scored Vale’s second in the 2–1 victory over Stockport County
and, to many, became a Vale legend in doing so.
for Darlington
in February 1994, where he hit 7 league goals in 37 league games.
through his Irish
grandfather.
His international career included a call-up for Jack Charlton
's Ireland squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup
. Slaven didn't play in any of the games and later admitted in his autobiography that, during the World Cup Second Round match versus Romania, he was hoping Ireland would lose so he could travel home to Middlesbrough to see his dogs. Slaven became the third player with Queen of the South among his ex-clubs to travel to the World Cup finals after George Hamilton
and Sam Malcolmson
.
He donned the green jersey for the last time in an international friendly against Wales
. The game, which finished in a 2–1 victory for Ireland, would also be John Byrne's last international duty.
Slaven's former international teammate Tony Cascarino
claimed in his autobiography
that, Slaven would telephone his dog
every night when away from home with the squad: "... Bernie would be howling like Lassie
into the phone 'Woof
, woof, aru, aru, woof!' He'd be kissing the receiver and lavishing affection – 'Hello, lovey dovey' – on a dog!"
, who held a close relationship with Middlesbrough.
He is now a presenter on The Legends football phone-in on Real Radio in the North-East
along with other legends Malcolm Macdonald
(formerly of Newcastle United
) and Micky Horswill (Sunderland
). He represents Middlesbrough as their Legend.
He recently had an autobiography, Legend?, published. In August 2006 he released a DVD
called Lucky Slaven, which features 90 of the Middlesbrough
goals during his spell at the club. In October 2006, Slaven and his commentary partner Alastair Brownlee, won an award in New York
for their commentary on Middlesbrough's UEFA Cup run in the 2005–06 season.
In 1999, Slaven bared his backside
in Binns department store window in Middlesbrough
following a bet on Century FM. He bet that if Middlesbrough beat Manchester United
at Old Trafford
, he would perform the dare
. Middlesbrough ran out 3–2 winners, so Slaven had to go ahead with the dare, with the score painted on his cheeks.
In 2002, still a popular figure in the area, Slaven ran for the position of Mayor
of Middlesbrough. Slaven admitted knowing little of politics and his campaign was ultimately unsuccessful.
In early July 2007 Middlesbrough football club sold the rights of radio coverage of all matches for the forthcoming three years to BBC Tees.
with Port Vale
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
) is a Scottish-born former Republic of Ireland international
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
footballer. A striker, with 162 goals in 423 league games, in a 12 year career, he also earned seven caps for the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
.
He started his career in his native Scotland with Greenock Morton
Greenock Morton F.C.
Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....
in 1980, before moving on to Airdrieonians
Airdrieonians F.C.
Airdrieonians Football Club, more commonly known as Airdrie, were a Scottish professional football team from the town of Airdrie, in the Monklands area of Lanarkshire....
, Queen of the South
Queen of the South F.C.
Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club founded in 1919 and located in Dumfries. The club currently plays in the Scottish First Division, the second tier of Scottish football. They are officially nicknamed The Doonhamers, but usually referred to as Queens or QoS...
, and then Albion Rovers in 1983. He stayed with Albion Rovers until 1985, when he signed with English Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
club Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
. It was with 'Boro that he made his name, staying for eight years, he made over 300 appearances, scoring an average of 1 goal ever 3 games. He then transferred to Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
, where he spent one season, before finishing his career at Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
in 1995.
Despite being born in Scotland, his Irish grandfather enabled win to win seven caps for the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
, which he did between 1990 and 1993. This short international career resulted in the honour of being named in Ireland's 1990 FIFA World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
squad – though he did not feature in the tournament.
Scottish football league
After leaving Greenock MortonGreenock Morton F.C.
Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....
in 1983, Slaven joined Airdrieonians
Airdrieonians F.C.
Airdrieonians Football Club, more commonly known as Airdrie, were a Scottish professional football team from the town of Airdrie, in the Monklands area of Lanarkshire....
and played two games before moving on to Dumfries
Dumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
side Queen of the South
Queen of the South F.C.
Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club founded in 1919 and located in Dumfries. The club currently plays in the Scottish First Division, the second tier of Scottish football. They are officially nicknamed The Doonhamers, but usually referred to as Queens or QoS...
later in the year. He played two games during the Willie Harkness era: a 1–0 win over Cowdenbeath
Cowdenbeath F.C.
Cowdenbeath Football Club are a professional Scottish football team based in the town of Cowdenbeath, Fife. They currently play in the Second Division of the Scottish Football League. The club plays its home games at Central Park in the centre of the town which has the unusual feature of a motor...
on 26 November 1983 and a goalless draw with East Fife
East Fife F.C.
East Fife Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the Fife coastal town of Methil...
on 10 December 1983, both at Palmerston Park
Palmerston Park
Palmerston Park is a multi-purpose stadium on Terregles Street in Dumfries, south west Scotland. The site of the ground was formerly a farm called Palmers Toun. This is on the Maxwelltown side of the River Nith in Dumfries. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of...
. In the second game Slaven was substituted, his replacement being Billy Gordon. When later interviewed for the club, team mate George Cloy
George Cloy
George Cloy is former professional footballer who played his entire 12 year senior career with Dumfries side Queen of the South Cloy also played for Kello Rovers, Threave Rovers, Dalbeattie Star and Crichton...
said of Slaven, "He was just a man who liked playing football. He was a nice enough guy but he wasn’t one of the more rowdy ones.”
From Queens Slaven signed for Albion Rovers later in 1983. With the Coatbridge
Coatbridge
Coatbridge is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. The town, with neighbouring Airdrie, is part of the Greater Glasgow urban area. The first settlement of the area stretches back to the Stone Age era...
side he scored 31 goals in the 1984–85 season, winning the 1984–85 Daily Record golden boot in the process. In 42 league appearances with Rovers Slaven hit 27 league goals. During this time as a semi-professional he was working as a gardener
Gardening
Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...
. Slaven, who then lived with his parents in Castlemilk, Glasgow, was a fanatical trainer and non-drinker. Slaven made it clear while at Rovers that he wanted to try his hand at full-time football, and luckily for him, he was contacted by a Sunday Post reporter. The reporter wrote to all the top English and Scottish clubs on his behalf, and Middlesbrough were one of two teams to offer him a trial. In the trial game against Bradford, Slaven scored and impressed the Boro management enough to snap him up. Bradford boss Terry Yorath also wanted him to sign on the dotted line, but the then Albion Rovers owner negotiated a deal with Boro which satisfied all parties.
He did not leave the club on good terms.
Middlesbrough
Like Ian DicksonIan Dickson (footballer)
Ian William Dickson was a Scottish professional footballer whose played as a forward. He played for Queen of the South, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough...
before him, Slaven was to play for Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
after leaving Queen of the South. Then Boro manager Willie Maddren
Willie Maddren
William Dixon 'Willie' Maddren was a football player for Middlesbrough Football Club between 1968 and 1979.-Footballer at Middlesbrough:...
picked Slaven up in October 1985 for a bargain price of £25,000 and he stayed until 1993. He is often considered one of the best buys ever made at the club due to his prolific goalscoring exploits. An accurate finisher with good positional sense and good close control 'The Wolfman' scored 146 goals in 381 games, mostly playing in the number 7 shirt. Slaven was a model of consistency finishing top scorer for five consecutive seasons. Team-mate Stephen Pears
Stephen Pears
Stephen Pears is an English former footballer. Born in Brandon, County Durham, he played as a goalkeeper for Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Liverpool and Hartlepool United in a career spanning 20 years...
said of him: "He passed the ball into the net." Despite his fantastic scoring record and unashamedly selfish nose for goal, he was weak in the air and a poor tackler.
The 1986–87 season followed the club's survival from liquidation
Middlesbrough F.C. survival from liquidation
This article details Middlesbrough Football Club's liquidation in 1986.-Lead-up:At the start of the 1981-82 season, Middlesbrough were in the Football League First Division. The season ended with them finishing bottom of the league and being relegated...
, during this season and all future seasons at the club Slaven's consistent goalscoring gave hope to the fans. He helped secure a second successive promotion in 1987-88
1987-88 in English football
The 1987–88 season was the 120th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Liverpool won the league title with a comfortable nine-point margin and just two defeats all season....
, which saw Middlesbrough return to the First Division after six years away, though they only survived at that level for one season. They won promotion again in 1992, gaining a place in the new FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
. Slaven was instrumental in securing Middlesbrough's promotion, scoring a late equaliser for a side reduced to 10 men at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
, which was quickly followed by a late winner from Paul Wilkinson
Paul Wilkinson
Paul Wilkinson CBE was Emeritus Professor of International Relations and former Director of the University of St Andrews Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence...
which saw Middlesbrough automatically promoted on the final day of the season in second place.
However, they were relegated the following season
1992-93 in English football
The 1992–1993 season was the 113th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season saw the birth of the FA Premier League. This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions....
and Slaven finally left the club at the end of that campaign, having scored 119 league goals for Boro in eight years.
His customary goal celebration was to jump upon the fence at the Holgate End at Boro's old ground, Ayresome Park
Ayresome Park
-External links:**-References:...
– the fans were to see this celebration many times. When the ground was knocked down in 1996, Slaven acquired a section of the fence from the Holgate End, where it now sits, by his own admission, in his back garden.
Port Vale
In March 1993 Slaven left the Premier League 'Boro to sign for Port ValePort Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
on a free transfer. He quickly gained the devotion of the Vale fans, scoring the goal that took Vale to their first Wembley performance in the then Autoglass sponsored Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
. In the final
1993 Football League Trophy Final
The 1993 Football League Trophy Final was the 10th final of the domestic football cup competition for teams from Football League Second and Third Division, the Football League Trophy. The final was played at the Wembley Stadium in London on 22 May 1993. The match was contested by Port Vale and...
Slaven scored Vale’s second in the 2–1 victory over Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
and, to many, became a Vale legend in doing so.
Darlington
Slaven left Vale ParkVale Park
Vale Park is a football stadium in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. It is the home ground of Port Vale F.C., who have played at the ground since 1950....
for Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
in February 1994, where he hit 7 league goals in 37 league games.
International career
Slaven qualified for Republic of IrelandRepublic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
through his Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
grandfather.
His international career included a call-up for Jack Charlton
Jack Charlton
John "Jack" Charlton, OBE, DL is a former footballer and manager who played for Leeds United in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and was part of the England team who won the 1966 World Cup...
's Ireland squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
. Slaven didn't play in any of the games and later admitted in his autobiography that, during the World Cup Second Round match versus Romania, he was hoping Ireland would lose so he could travel home to Middlesbrough to see his dogs. Slaven became the third player with Queen of the South among his ex-clubs to travel to the World Cup finals after George Hamilton
George Hamilton (footballer)
-External links:* *...
and Sam Malcolmson
Sam Malcolmson
Samuel "Sam" A. Malcolmson was an association football player who represented New Zealand. He was a capable defender who liked to attack and was very strong in the air, he was often used as a striker and scored more than 50 goals in New Zealand National League.Malcolmson served in the Royal Navy...
.
He donned the green jersey for the last time in an international friendly against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
. The game, which finished in a 2–1 victory for Ireland, would also be John Byrne's last international duty.
Slaven's former international teammate Tony Cascarino
Tony Cascarino
Anthony Guy 'Tony' Cascarino is an former association football player who played as a forward for various British and French clubs and internationally for the Republic of Ireland national team, with whom he competed in the 1988 European Football Championship and two World Cups in 1990 and...
claimed in his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
that, Slaven would telephone his dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
every night when away from home with the squad: "... Bernie would be howling like Lassie
Lassie
Lassie is a fictional collie dog character created by Eric Knight in a short story expanded to novel length called Lassie Come-Home. Published in 1940, the novel was filmed by MGM in 1943 as Lassie Come Home with a dog named Pal playing Lassie. Pal then appeared with the stage name "Lassie" in six...
into the phone 'Woof
Bark (dog)
A bark is a noise most commonly produced by dogs and puppies. Other animals that make this noise include wolves and quolls. Woof is the most common representation in the English language for this sound...
, woof, aru, aru, woof!' He'd be kissing the receiver and lavishing affection – 'Hello, lovey dovey' – on a dog!"
Post-retirement
Following his retirement, he played a handful of games for Billingham SynthoniaBillingham Synthonia F.C.
Billingham Synthonia F.C. is a football club based in Billingham, England. They were established in 1923, playing first in the Teesside League, and joining the Northern League in 1945. In the 1993–94 season, they reached the Quarter-Finals of the FA Trophy, in a run which included victories over...
, who held a close relationship with Middlesbrough.
He is now a presenter on The Legends football phone-in on Real Radio in the North-East
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
along with other legends Malcolm Macdonald
Malcolm Macdonald
Malcolm Ian Macdonald is a former English footballer nicknamed Supermac, famed for scoring goals for Luton Town, Newcastle United and Arsenal.-Football career:...
(formerly of Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
) and Micky Horswill (Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
). He represents Middlesbrough as their Legend.
He recently had an autobiography, Legend?, published. In August 2006 he released a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
called Lucky Slaven, which features 90 of the Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
goals during his spell at the club. In October 2006, Slaven and his commentary partner Alastair Brownlee, won an award in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
for their commentary on Middlesbrough's UEFA Cup run in the 2005–06 season.
In 1999, Slaven bared his backside
Buttocks
The buttocks are two rounded portions of the anatomy, located on the posterior of the pelvic region of apes and humans, and many other bipeds or quadrupeds, and comprise a layer of fat superimposed on the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles. Physiologically, the buttocks enable weight to...
in Binns department store window in Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
following a bet on Century FM. He bet that if Middlesbrough beat Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
, he would perform the dare
Dare
-Arts and entertainment:* Dan Dare, a classic British science fiction comics hero* Dare , a 1965 novel by Philip José Farmer* Dare, a 2007 novel by BET host Abiola Abrams* Dare , a 2009 film- Music :...
. Middlesbrough ran out 3–2 winners, so Slaven had to go ahead with the dare, with the score painted on his cheeks.
In 2002, still a popular figure in the area, Slaven ran for the position of Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Middlesbrough. Slaven admitted knowing little of politics and his campaign was ultimately unsuccessful.
In early July 2007 Middlesbrough football club sold the rights of radio coverage of all matches for the forthcoming three years to BBC Tees.
Honours
with Middlesbrough- Full Members CupFull Members CupThe Full Members Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992....
runner up: 1990
with Port Vale
- Football League TrophyFootball League TrophyThe Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
winner: 19931993 Football League Trophy FinalThe 1993 Football League Trophy Final was the 10th final of the domestic football cup competition for teams from Football League Second and Third Division, the Football League Trophy. The final was played at the Wembley Stadium in London on 22 May 1993. The match was contested by Port Vale and...