We look back at five memorable clashes between the sides (Premier League unless stated).

May 24, 2009

WEST HAM 2 MIDDLESBROUGH 1

Middlesbrough, under current England manager Gareth Southgate, had to win the last game of the season to have a hope of staying up after an 11 year run in the Premier League. Instead, Gianfranco Zola’s West Ham sent them down. Carlton Cole put the Hammers ahead in the first half before Gary O’Neil equalised after the break. Junior Stanislas made it 2-1 in the 58th. The defeat marked the start of Boro’s second longest spell in the second tier, which ended with promotion last year.

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April 23, 2006

FA Cup semi-final, Villa Park

WEST HAM 1 MIDDLESBROUGH 0

Alan Pardew’s West Ham booked their place in one of the great FA Cup finals against Liverpool thanks to a 78th minute strike by Marlon Harewood, who held off Southgate before lashing the ball into the roof of the net. The game was preceded by a minute’s silence in respect of former Hammers manager John Lyall, who died earlier in the week. Middlesbrough were managed by Steve McClaren, who would go on to become England boss. Liverpool won the final 3-1 on penalties after extra time ended with the score tied 3-3 and Steven Gerrard scoring twice.

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Sept 4, 1996

MIDDLESBROUGH 4 WEST HAM 1

Italian striker Fabrizio Ravanelli joined Bryan Robson’s Middlesbrough from Juventus in a 7 million pound ($8.61 million) deal that made him the Premiership’s highest paid player at the time. He did not disappoint, scoring six goals in his first five games including a hat-trick against Liverpool on his debut. Current West Ham manager Slaven Bilic, then a Hammers’ defender, had a torrid afternoon as ‘Boro went on the rampage with Ravanelli scoring the third goal.

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April 11, 1989

WEST HAM 1 MIDDLESBROUGH 2

Another Slaven – Irish striker Bernie Slaven – was the man to watch in this one, particularly for West Ham defenders. The Hammers were in last place with just one home win all season, but they were leading with two minutes remaining and the crowd roaring. Then Slaven turned the game on its head with two goals that ended ‘Boro’s run of 11 league games without a victory. Both sides were relegated at the end of the season.

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Nov 26, 1927

Division One

WEST HAM 4 MIDDLESBROUGH 5

The biggest overall scoreline between the sides and Middlesbrough’s biggest win at Upton Park. England striker George Camsell and Owen Williams each scored twice. Camsell would end his career with a club record 345 goals in 453 games. His 59 goals in the 1926/27 season was a league record that only Dixie Dean, 60 for Everton in 1927/28, has bettered. Camsell also scored 18 goals for England in nine appearances.

($1 = 0.8129 pounds)

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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