NEWPORT COUNTY finished bottom of Football League Division Three in 1987 as Boro were winning the Conference championship, so the teams came together the following season.  Dave Bowman and Neil Thompson (two, including a penalty) scored as Boro won 3-0 at the Athletic Ground in September 1987.  In April 1988 Boro travelled across the Welsh border to rack up a 4-0 win with goals from Craig Short. Tony Outhart, Steve Richards and Mitch Cook, Newport finished bottom of the League and were relegated to the Conference.  Our teams never met again.

NORTHAMPTON TOWN encountered Boro on fourteen occasions in the Football League, between 1990 and 1997.  The first match was a 1-1 draw at the McCain Stadium in September 1970, but later that season Boro went to Northampton and gained a 2-0 win with John Reed scoring both goals.  Darren Foreman scored a hat-trick as Boro beat the Cobblers 4-2 in October 1992, but one of Boro's best results was a 3-0 away win in January 1995 with Gary Swann, Steve Norris and David D'Auria on target.  The last match between the teams was at Northampton in April 1997, with Town gaining a 1-0 win.

NORTHWICH VICTORIA and Boro were both founder-members of the Northern Premier League in 1968, and we first met when the Vics came to Scarborough on September 28th of that year.  It was the visitors who took the points with a 2-0 win, and the Vics also won the return fixture at the Drill Field as Boro battled against relegation.  In a total of eleven seasons of competing against each other at Northern Premier League level, Boro won ten, Northwich won ten, and two games were drawn.
 
Both our teams then progressed to the new Alliance Premier League in 1987, where in eight seasons Boro won five, Northwich three and no fewer than eight games were drawn.  There were a couple of high scores - the Vics triumphed here in 1981-82 by 4-0, with a side containing the likes of Dave Ryan, Dave Fretwell, Mark Ward and Phil Wilson.  Jim McAnearney was Boro manager at that time, with John King in charge of the Vics.  However the following season Boro won 5-1 here after a Mitch Cook penalty had opened the scoring.  Dave Bowman then scored a couple, with Pat Olney and Bryan Magee finishing the job. 
 
After Boro rejoined the Conference in 1999, Boro won six, lost four and drew two.  In 2000-01 both teams had big home wins - Boro won 4-0 here (Steve Brodie and David Pounder getting two apiece) but lost 3-0 at the Drill Field with Mark Devlin, Gary Fletcher and Mark Barnard on target.
 
In 2002-03 we won 4-1 here when Neil Campbell came on as an early substitute to score two absolute blinders.  Keith Scott and David Pounder got the others, with Gregg Blundell on target for Vics.  We also won 2-0 at Wincham Park with David Pounder scoring both of them.
 
Boro's first away game of 2003-04 was at Northwich, when Wayne Gill crashed in what looked like the winner, only for substitute Chris Ward to hit a last minute equaliser.  In the return game just before Christmas, Ashley Sestanovich got the goal in a 1-0 home win.  In 2004-05 Boro had a fine 3-0 home win over the Vics with a penalty from Neil Redfearn and two late goals from substitute Chris Senior.  The last ever meeting was at Wincham Park on 22nd January 2005 with Northwich getting the only goal.

NOTTS COUNTY did not meet Boro until a 1985 FA Cup tie, although their Reserve side had played Boro many times in the Midland League.  The 1st Round Cup tie at Meadow Lane ended 6-1 to County, although the game was by no means as one-sided as the score suggests.  Marshall Burke netted the Boro goal.  In 1996 the clubs met again in the Auto Windscreens Shield, with County winning 1-0 at the McCain. 
 
Our only league meetings came in 1997-98, with County destined to win the Division Three title.  Neil Campbell's goal could not prevent a 2-1 defeat at the McCain, and the away game was a 1-0 Notts victory as they made it four wins from four encounters with Boro.

NUNEATON BOROUGH have the strange distinction of having played Boro in twenty six and a half matches.  Our first meeting explains the "half a match" - it was when Boro, then in the Northern Premier League, were drawn against Nuneaton of the Southern League in the FA Trophy in 1976-77.  This was at the quarter-final stage of the competition and the game took place here at the Athletic Ground on 19th March 1977.  By half time Boro were 2-0 ahead through goals from Jeff Barmby and John Woodall, but an amazing torrential downpour of monsoon proportions left the pitch under water in places, and despite the best efforts of supporters using hats, umbrellas and anything they could lay their hands on, they could not get the water off the pitch and the referee had no choice but to abandon the game.  When the match was replayed the following Wednesday, a Woodall goal was only enough to gain a 1-1 draw, but a Barmby strike the following week was enough to win the game at Manor Park.  The Boro starting line-up in the first match was Chapman, Jackson, Marshall, H Dunn, Ayre, Deere, Aveyard, Donoghue, Woodall, Barmby and Blampey.  In the Nuneaton team was Brendan Phillips, who was later to spend three good years here at Scarborough and much later take the manager's position at Nuneaton.  The attendances at the two homes games were over 4,100 in both cases, and at Nuneaton an incredible 5203 watched the game.  Boro went on to triumph in a four-game semi-final marathon against Altrincham that year before claiming the FA Trophy at Wembley against Stafford Rangers.

Scarborough and Nuneaton both performed well enough in their respective leagues to be included as founder-members of the new Alliance Premier League (later re-named Conference) in 1979.  Indeed, at the end of that inaugural season both our teams finished in mid table, separated only by goal difference with 39 points from 38 games under the old two-points-for-a-win system.  Our first league meeting was on 15th September 1979 at Manor Park, with Nuneaton getting the points in a 3-1 win.  Boro turned the tables later in the season with a 2-1 home win.  In seven seasons of competition prior to Boro's promotion to the Football League (Nuneaton were absent in 1981-82, in the Southern League) Boro won all seven home games but lost five of the seven away fixtures.  Boro's best performance was a 4-0 victory at Manor Park in 1980-81, the season when Nuneaton were relegated and Boro finished third in the league.  Pat Olney scored twice, with Neil Sellers and Bryan Magee adding the others.  Nuneaton's best performance against us was a 5-2 home win in 1984-85 when they finished as runners-up to Wealdstone and Boro ended the season sixth.

Boro returned to the Conference in 1999 and played against Nuneaton for four seasons, the first seven games between our sides being close affairs, with four draws and three 2-1 results in the seven meetings.  We won twice at Manor Park (Gareth Williams netting twice in April 2001, Darryn Stamp and Darren Connell doing the business in April 2002) but Nuneaton won here in 2001-02 with Steve Whitehall and Mark McGregor on target.   The final Conference meeting was at the end of the 2002-03 season, with a 4-1 home win for Boro condemning Nuneaton to relegation.

Our clubs' final two meetings were in Conference North on 2006-07.  Early in the season we drew 1-1 at Manor Park with Tony Hackworth on target, but Nuneaton came  to the McCain in April 2007 and won 3-1.

OLDHAM ATHLETIC faced Boro in Cup competitions in 1972-73 and again in 1989-90.  The first meeting was an FA Cup game at Boundary Park on 18th November 1972, with a Jeff Barmby goal earning a replay for the Northern Premier League side.  A crowd of 5,752 watched the replay at the Athletic Ground, and goals from Alan Franks and Gerry Donoghue earned Boro a 2-1 win.

The Latics got their revenge in 1989 - and how!  Boro had just beaten Chelsea in the Second Round of the Littlewoods Cup, but the Third Round took Boro over the Pennines to play on the infamous plastic pitch at Boundary Park, and a woefully unprepared Boro side were pounded 7-0 with Frankie Bunn famously notching five of them.

OSSETT ALBION met Boro on three occasions in the FA Cup.  In 1962-63 Boro won 2-1 at Dimple Wells with Eddy Brown and Derek Boyes providing the goals.  In 1964-65 Barry Dunn scored twice in a 2-1 home win. 
 
In 2006-07 Boro gained a 1-1 draw in Ossett through a Jamie Vermiglio goal and won the replay 2-0 with goals from Vermiglio and Chris Thompson.

PETERBOROUGH UNITED were Boro's opponents in the Midland League from 1934 until the Posh were elected to the Football League in 1960 having been Midland League champions four years running. 

Our clubs then met in the Football League between 1987 and 1991 and then again between 1997 and 1999.  Indeed, Boro's final game as a League club was against Peterborough, a 1-1 draw at the McCain Stadium with Darren Roberts getting the goal.  How different would things have turned out, had Boro won that game?

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE met Boro in the Coca Cola Cup in 1992-93.  Boro earned a fantastic 3-3 draw on the South coast with strikes from Chris Curran, Mark Jules and John Ashdjian.  Tommy Mooney and Andy Mockler got the goals in the replay - meaning a total of five different Boro players had the honour of beating the great Peter Shilton on the Plymouth goal - which clinched a 2-1 win and earned a home tie with Arsenal!  

The first league meetings were in 1995-96, a 2-2 draw at home and a 5-1 defeat at Home Park as Argyle headed for promotion. 

In 1998-99 Boro earned a goalless draw in the away match.  When Plymouth arrived at the McCain in the final week of the season, Boro won 3-0 with Chris Tate (2) and Steve Brodie on target, meaning Boro would be safe from relegation if they won their final game at home to Peterborough or if Carlisle failed to beat their last opponents - Plymouth Argyle!  Cue Jimmy Glass…

PORT VALE never met Boro in a League competition, but our paths crossed four times in Cup campaigns. 
 
The first encounter was in the FA Cup 2nd Round on 15th December 1973.  Boro, as FA Trophy holders - having beaten Wigan Athletic 2-1 at Wembley the previous April - had entered the FA Cup at the 1st Round stage, where they beat Crewe Alexandra after a reply to go through to play Port Vale -   managed at that time by Gordon Lee, and amongst the players was Brian Horton.  Boro were under the guidance of player-coach Gerry Donoghue following the departure to Grimsby Town of manager Colin Appleton.  When our teams met at Vale Park in front of a crowd of 3,528 it was Boro who had the better of the first half, and soon after the restart Tony Lee put the Seadogs 1-0 ahead.  However Vale came back to equalise and then get the winner in the last few minutes. 
 
It was to be a further twenty years before our teams met again.  To be precise, it was the 3rd December 1994 and again it was the 2nd Round of the FA Cup, but this time here at the McCain Stadium.  Boro were managed by Billy Ayre and were rock-bottom of Football League Division Three having won only three of their 17 games, whereas Port Vale under John Rudge were in Division One.  However it was Boro who were to progress to the next round, thanks to a solitary goal from Gary Swann.  The Vale side included the likes of Paul Musselwhite, Neil Aspin, Steve Guppy and Joe Allon, whilst Boro fielded Jason Rockett, Steve Charles, Darren Knowles and Andy Toman.
 
Our teams were destined to met twice in 2003-04.  Port Vale visited the McCain Stadium in the less-than-prestigious LDV Vans Trophy, a low-key game which Boro won 2-1 through goals from Chris Senior and Jimmy Kelly.  Within a couple of months the FA Cup 2nd Round draw had paired our clubs again, with the game at Vale Park attracting a crowd of 4,651 including a wonderful travelling support for the Seadogs.  Ashley Sestanovich broke clear down the right to calmly net the winning goal for Boro who went on to beat Southend United before losing 1-0 to Chelsea.

PORTSMOUTH faced Boro in the 1988-89 Littlewoods Cup 2nd Round over two legs.  Down on the South coast Boro gained a superb 2-2 drawwith a goal from Neil Thompson and a penalty from Mitch Cook.  A fortnight later at Seamer Road, Boro enjoyed a memorable night as goals from Steve Norris, Mitch Cook and Tommy Graham earned Boro a 3-1 win.

PRESTON NORTH END first met Boro in an FA Cup tie on 13th December 1975.  On a snow-covered pitch, goals from Harry A Dunn, John Woodall and Sean Marshall (in the final minute) earned Boro a 3-2 home win over a side featuring the likes of Bobby Charlton and Mark Lawrenson.  August 1991 saw a remarkable encounter in the Rumbelows Cup (Football League Cup) with Preston winning the first leg 5-4 on the plastic pitch at Deepdale and Boro winning the second leg 3-1 after extra time to win the tie despite having played much of the game with ten men. 

The first league meeting came in August 1993, another high-scoring affair - Stuart Young, Darren Knowles and Steve Charles (penalty) netted for Boro, but North End went away with the points by scoring four!  The return game later in the season at Deepdale ended 2-2.  1994-95 saw a 1-0 Boro defeat at Deepdale and a 1-1 draw at the McCain, whilst the following season Preston did the double over us, 3-2 in Lancashire and 2-1 in Yorkshire - and also beat us 2-1 in an Auto Windscreens Shield game at Deepdale.

RED STAR (Crvena Zvezda) BELGRADE were the surprising opponents for Boro in a pre-season friendly on 30th July 1990.  A crowd of 1,902 saw an entertaining game with five first-half goals.  The game finished 4-2 to the touring team, with Darko Pancev (2), Dejan Savicevic and Mitar Mrkela on target.  Boro's scorers were both centre-backs - Lee Hirst and Adie Meyer.  Oh, and Red Star went on to win the European Cup that season, beating Glasgow Rangers and Bayern Munich on the way to the Final, where they overcame Olympique Marseilles on penalties after a 0-0 draw.  It was Pancev who netted the decisive spot-kick.

REDDITCH UNITED met Boro in the Conference in 1979-80 and then in Conference North in 2006-07.  The clubs first met at Redditch on 20th October 1979, with two goals from Bob Gauden earning a 2-1 win. Gauden also scored twice in the return game, a 3-1 win with the other goal coming from Martin Harris.

Boro next visited the Valley Stadium on 2nd September 2006 to earn a 1-1 draw with Chris Thompson on target, then saw off Redditch 3-2 at the McCain Stadium on a December evening with goals from Tony Hackworth, Chris Thompson and Ged Dalton.

RHYL ATHLETIC met Boro four times in the FA Cup.  The first occasion was in 1930-31 and produced Boro's record FA Cup score, a 6-0 home win watched by a crowd of 4,535.  In 1948-49 Boro gained a 2-0 win in North Wales, but in 1950-51 Boro went down to a 2-1 home defeat witnessed by 6,938 spectators.  The final meeting was in 1956-57, with Alan Parkinson and Geoff Bowman netting Boro's goals in a 3-2 away defeat.

ROCHDALE first met Boro in the First Round of the FA Cup in 1977-78 at the Athletic Ground.  A crowd of 4,978 saw Boro win at a canter, with Dave Smith netting a hat-trick and Harry A Dunn also on target.
 
Following Boro's promotion to the Football League in 1987, we met for twelve consecutive seasons.  The first in the series was a 1-1 draw at Spotland, followed by a 2-1 Boro win at the McStad with Craig Short netting the winner.  Many of the games were unremarkable, although in 1996-97 the clubs met twice In February and drew the games 3-3 and 2-2, with Gary Bennett netting home and away.  In 1998-99 our clubs met three times in a ten-day period, a 1-1 draw in an FA Cup game at the McCain, a 1-0 Boro win at Spotland followed by the Cup replay which Rochdale won 2-0.  The last League meeting between the clubs was on 28th March 1999, with Boro scraping a 1-0 win with a Steve Brodie goal.

There was to be one final meeting, on 28th September 2004 in the LDV Trophy, with Rochdale winning 4-1 at Spotland.

ROTHERHAM UNITED entered a Reserve team in the Midland League which played Boro regularly between 1928 and 1958, although the initial meeting at first team level was in the Freight Rover Trophy pn13th October 1987, with the Millers winning their home tie 1-0.  While Boro spent twelve years in the bottom division of the Football League, Rotherham yo-yoed between the divisions and therefore met Boro in 1988-89, 1991-92, and then again between 1997 and 1999.  Steve Norris got the winner in the first ever League meeting, a 1-0 home win for Boro in October 1988.  In Boro's final League season the Millers pounded the Seadogs 4-0 in both meetings.

RUNCORN first met Boro in the new Northern Premier League on 24th August 1968 and took the points with a 2-0 win at Canal Street.  Boro did the double over the Linnets in 1971-72, 5-0 at home (Tony Lee 2, Colin Appleton 2 and Malcolm Thompson) and 1-0 away (Chris Dale).  In eleven season in the NPL, Boro won 8 matches and lost 4, with 10 games ending as a draw.  Runcorn narrowly missed qualification for the Alliance Premier League in 1979, but made the step up in 1981 - and won the championship!  The encounters between our clubs that season were both won by the home team, 2-0 for Runcorn and 3-0 for Boro.  In 1986-87 Runcorn visited the Athletic Ground as the season neared its end, Boro hoping to clinch the GM Vauxhall Conference championship with a win - but 3,764 fans were disappointed on the day as Runcorn scored two late goals to win 2-1.  There were three meetings of our clubs in the FA Trophy, and we also met in the Final of the Northern Premier League Cup on 1976-77 at Maine Road, Manchester, the game being settled 1-0 in Boro's favour by a Johnny Woodall goal.

RUSHDEN & DIAMONDS competed against Boro for two seasons in the Conference before gaining promotion to the Football League. In four matches, Boro failed to score a single goal, losing 1-0 at home and drawing 0-0 in Irthlingborough in 1999-2000.  The following season Diamonds won 3-0 at Seamer Road and 1-0 in the return match.

Our only other game was in the FA Trophy in 2006-07 - when Boro finally found the net!  Boro came back from 2-0 down through goals from Tony Hackworth and Ged Dalton, but an injury-time strike from Curtis Woodhouse was the knock-out blow.

SCARBOROUGH PENGUINS were Boro's big rivals when the town boasted two professional clubs in the 1920s.  The Penguins played at the sports field just off North Leas Avenue in Northstead but local derbies tended to be played at the larger Athletic Ground.  The clubs only met in league competition in the 1926-27 season in the Yorkshire League, when Penguins finished higher in the league than Boro!  The two meetings of the clubs both attracted a crowd of over 6,000, with Boro winning the first game 3-1 but Penguins trouncing Boro 5-1 in the return game.  After this season Boro moved to the Midland League and Penguins' fortunes declined until they merged with Boro in 1928.  The clubs had met in the FA Cup in 1924-25 (5-2 to Boro) and 1927-28 (3-0 to Boro) and also in the FA Amateur Cup in 1925-26 (a 2-1 Boro win).

SCUNTHORPE UNITED were long-term members of the Midland League before joining the Football League, and therefore competed against Boro regularly between 1927 and 1950.  We did not meet again until Boro joined the Football Legue in 1987, when we commenced a series of twelve consecutive seasons in opposition.  We met in the Football League Cup in 1989-90 (Boro winning the home leg 2-0 and drawing the second leg 1-1) and again in 1997-98 (2-1 and 2-0 wins for the Iron) and in the FA Cup in 1997-98 (Scunthorpe winning 2-1 at Glanford Park).  In Boro's relegation season, the Iron won 4-1 at the McCain and 5-1 at Scunthorpe.

SHEFFIELD FC were regular opponents of Boro Reserves in the Yorkshire League, but the only ever meeting at first team level was in the FA Amateur Cup in 1902-03.  Earlier in the season Boro had beaten Sheffield 5-1 in a friendly, but when Scarborough travelled to the West Riding for the Cup match on 24th January 1903 they suffered a 3-0 defeat.

SHEFFIELD UNITED always had a good relationship with Boro and sent many teams to Seamer Road for pre-season friendlies or pre-season tournaments such as the "Yorkshire & Humberside Cup".  Amazingly, our clubs only met once in serious competition - in the FA Cup in 1889.  Sheffield United had only just been formed, and this was the first season in which they entered the FA Cup.  Their first ever opponents were: Scarborough.  The game took place on 5th October 1889 at Bramall Lane and the home team won 6-2.

SHREWSBURY TOWN first met Boro in the Midland League, where our club had already been competing for ten years prior to Shrewsbury joining the set-up in 1937.  Our first ever meeting resulted in a 1-0 win here at the Athletic Ground on 6th October 1937, but barely a month later we played the return fixture at Gay Meadow and lost 3-0.  The Shrews were to end that season as Midland League champions, with Boro in third place, well ahead of teams such as Scunthorpe United, Boston United, Burton Town and Peterborough United.
 
Shrewsbury won the Midland League on two more occasions before joining the new Football League Division Three (North) in 1950.  It is interesting to see that in the final Midland League table for 1949-50 the Shrews could only finish in tenth place - one position below Goole Town and one ahead of Bradford Park Avenue Reserves!  In the twelve matches played between Boro and Shrewsbury in the Midland League, Boro only won two and drew one, with the Shrews winning the other nine! 
 
Our clubs' paths did not cross again until 42 years later, with Boro now in Football League Division Three and Shrewsbury newly relegated from the higher division.  Our first Football League meeting was on 15th September 1992, and the programme of that match is reprinted alongside.  At that point of the 1992-93 season, Boro were in 8th place with 8 points from 5 games, with the Shrews in 13th with 7 points from 6 games.  Shrewsbury won 2-0 that night, and in a total of eight Football League clashes, Boro won two, drew one and lost five.  We gained some consolation by knocking the Shrews out of the FA Cup in 1996-97, Andy Ritchie's goal earning a 1-1 draw at Gay Meadow before John Kay scored the only goal in the replay here at the McCain.
 
In our relegation season of 1998-99, we entertained Town in early September and won 2-0 in front of a crowd of 1,910 with Steve Brodie and Liam Robinson getting the goals.  The Boro line-up was Elliott, Kay, Atkinson, Worrall, Lydiate, Marinkov, Bullimore, Hoyland, Williams, Brodie and Robinson.  At Gay Meadow in February 1999 we went down 3-1 watched by 2,378 and with Brodie again getting the goal.
 
There were to be two more meetings, when Shrewsbury spent the 2003-04 season in the Conference.  The match at the McCain was a 1-1 draw with Mark Quayle on target, while the match at Gay Meadow was a 4-1 win for the Shrews.

SOUTHAMPTON were twice paired with Boro in the Football League Cup.  In 1988-89 Boro overcame Halifax and Portsmouth to meet the Saints in the Third Round of the Littlewoods Cup.  A home crowd of 5,885 saw a thrilling 2-2 draw thanks to a late goal from Mitch Cook after Jimmy Case and Matt le Tissier seemed to have won the tie for the visitors despite Steve Norris' earlier strike.  Boro put up a plucky performance in the replay at The Dell, before going down 1-0 to another le Tissier goal.

In 1991-92 the Rumbelows Cup brought the clubs together again for a two-leg Second Round tie.  At the McCain Stadium goals from Alan Shearer (2) and Glenn Cockerill gave the Saints a 3-1 win with Boro's reply coming from Tommy Mooney.  Again Boro performed superbly on the South coast, earning a 2-2 draw with goals from Gary Himsworth and Andy Mockler (pen) but bowing out on aggregate.

SOUTHEND UNITED played Boro twice in the FA Cup, and Boro competed against The Blues in the 1989/90 season and again in the fateful 1998/99 season. 
 
The historic first meeting of our clubs, however, was in an FA Cup tie way back in the 1932/33 season!  Boro finished fifth in the Midland League that year, and had beaten West Stanley in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round before a splendid 3-1 away win at York City in the First Round in front of 8,558 spectators.  Southend, who were destined to finish 13th in the Third Division (South) that year, had come through the First Round of the FA Cup with a 3-0 replay victory over Exeter City.
 
Our two sides therefore met on 10th December 1932 at Southend's old Kursaal ground, uniquely situated within an amusement park!  Local newspaper the Southend Standard scathingly previewed the game by stating "Like most of the teams comprised of players from colliery districts, Scarborough are all brawn and muscle"!
 
The day of the match was bitterly cold, with a crowd of 7,813 paying gate receipts of five hundred and two pounds, eight shillings and sixpence!  Boro took the field in mauve shirts with gold hoops, and had around 100 supporters in the crowd.  Despite a goal from top scorer Wraith, Boro were well beaten 4-1 thanks to a hat-trick from Morfitt and one from Robson.  Southend went on to beat Watford (!) after a replay in the Third Round before losing 3-2 at home to Derby County at the next stage.
 
After a gap of nearly sixty years, we returned to Southend on 7th October 1989 but lost 1-0 at Roots Hall watched by 3,432 fans in a Division Four fixture.  The return game - the first occasion Southend had ever visited Seamer Road - took place on 17th March 1990 and ended 1-1 thanks to a goal from Boro centre-half Steve Richards.  The Blues, who had been relegated from Division Three the previous season, finished in third place to regain their place in the higher league.
 
And so to 1998/99, with Southend again having been relegated to join the Seadogs in the re-named Division Three.  Boro's season began on 8th August 1998 with a 2-1 home defeat to Southend despite a Steve Brodie goal in front of 2,295 fans.  Down on the Essex coast on 9th January 1999, a crowd of 3,453 saw the Blues beat Boro 1-0.  Southend therefore took all six league points from us that season, and indeed were destined to finish the campaign in 19th place - just six points ahead of Boro at the foot of the table!
 
Our teams then met in the FA Cup 3rd Round in 2003-04.  Boro came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw at Roots Hall thanks to Scott Kerr's goal.  The replay, for the right to entertain Chelsea in the next round, was a tense occasion watched by a crowd of 4,859.  Late in the game, Jimmy Kelly broke clear on the right and crossed for Mark Quayle to tap in and put Boro through to the FA Cup 4th Round for the only time in their history.

SOUTHPORT first met Boro way back in 1938.  In the last full season to be played before the outbreak of the Second World War, Boro were destined to finish ninth in the Midland league, one place behind Boston United and one place above Peterborough United, yet a good eighteen points behind champions Scunthorpe United.  Because of a magnificent run in the previous season's FA Cup (reaching the Third Round before losing to Second Division side Luton Town after a replay), Boro were granted exemption to the First Round in 1938/39, where they were drawn at home to Southport who were then playing in the Football League Division Three (North).
 
The first ever meeting of Scarborough and Southport therefore took place at the Athletic Ground on 26th November 1938, with a crowd of 6,816 witnessing a goalless draw.  The replay at Haig Avenue three days later ended in an exciting 5-3 win for the Lancashire team in front of 7,100 spectators.  The Boro goalscorers were Walter Rivers, Albert Lister and Harold Hardy.
 
Our teams were not to meet again until Southport were demoted from the Football League in 1978 to join Boro in the Northern Premier League.  Boro won both games between our clubs that season, and were then selected as one of the founder members of the Alliance Premier League (later renamed the Conference) whereas Southport actually chose not to join the new league.
 
The FA Trophy brought our teams together again in 1985-86, with a 0-0 draw here followed by a 1-1 draw at Southport and a 1-0 defeat for Boro in the second replay, which had again been held at Haig Avenue following a lucky guess in the coin-toss - no penalty shoot-outs in those days!  
 
Not until 1999 did our teams meet again, with Boro having been relegated from the Football League to join Southport in the Conference.  We played each other for four seasons until Southport's unfortunate relegation in 2003. Our first meeting in the Conference was a 0-0 draw at Haig Avenue in August 1999, followed by a 3-0 home win in February 2000 thanks to goals from Shaun Rennison, Chris Tate and Stuart Morris.
 
In 2002-03, both games between our teams were drawn, 2-2 here and 1-1 in Lancashire.  At home Boro were 2-0 ahead after only five minutes through Paul Shepherd and Keith Scott, but Marc Lloyd-Williams and Peter Thomson levelled the game.  At Haig Avenue Steve Soley put Southport ahead before a Boro equaliser from Olivier Brassart - his only Boro goal in 31 appearances.
 
Our clubs' final meetings were in 2005-06.  Southport won 1-0 at the McCain, but Boro went to Haig Avenue and won 2-0 with Lee Fowler and David McNiven on target.
 
Our teams met 18 times in total, Boro boasting six wins, Southport five, and there were seven draws.  Boro's biggest win against these opponents was the three-nil home victory in 1999-2000 as mentioned above, whilst Southport's best performance was a two-goal margin - firstly in the FA Cup match mentioned above, and then in a 3-1 Conference win at Haig Avenue in 2000-01, with Stuart Whitaker, Ian Arnold and Simon Parke netting for the home team and Chris Tate getting the Boro goal.

STAFFORD RANGERS and Boro met on thirty-six occasions, Rangers holding the upper hand with sixteen wins, compared to eleven wins for Boro and 9 games undecided. 
 
Both our clubs were amongst the country's elite non-league sides in the 1970's, with Boro reaching the FA Trophy Final on four occasions and Stafford reaching Wembley on three occasions.  The Conference was not formed until 1979, so both our clubs were members of the Northern Premier League during that decade.  For ten years running Boro finished in the top five without once claiming the championship, whereas Stafford's final placings were more inconsistent but they topped the league in 1972 and were runners-up on two other occasions.  Hardly surprising, then, that both our clubs were later selected as founder-members of the Conference.
 
Stafford had not initially been chosen as members of the new Northern Premier League when it was formed in 1968, but they stepped up from the Cheshire League one year later and hosted the first match between our clubs at Marston Road on 23rd August 1969.  In front of 2,001 spectators, Boro went down 4-1, their heaviest defeat of the season, with Gerry Coyne getting the Boro goal.  The return game finished 1-1 with Alan Franks on target for Boro.
 
Not until our clubs met for the eighth time did Boro claim all the points, a 1-0 home win in April 1973 with Franksie on target again.  Our first away win at Stafford came the following year, a 2-0 victory thanks to an own goal and, yes, that man Franks again! 
 
The most memorable game between our clubs was of course the 1976 FA Trophy Final, which has been rated as one of the most exciting games ever to have taken place at the majestic old Wembley Stadium.  Stafford went in front after only five minutes through Roger Jones, but before half time Boro were level when John Woodall scored following a corner from Harry A Dunn.  Jones headed Rangers in front shortly after the re-start, but Boro were soon level when another Dunn corner was headed on by Billy Ayre for Derek Abbey to score.  Boro were on top for much of the game, but extra time was needed.  Boro earned a penalty when Dave Hilley was brought down, but Woodall's kick was superbly saved by Jim Arnold.  Then, with a replay seemingly on the cards, a handball offence gave Boro another spot-kick, and this time Sean Marshall scored to win the Trophy.
 
In Boro's Conference-winning season of 1986/87 we drew 0-0 at Marston Road and won the return game at the Athletic Ground 2-0 thanks to a Mitch Cook penalty and a strike from Stewart Mell.  With Neil Sellers and Andy Harrison out injured at that time and Tommy Graham serving a suspension, Boro were grateful to have the services of Ray McHale on loan from Rochdale and had also just finalised the permanent signing of goalkeeper Kevin Blackwell following his loan period from Barnet.  Neil Warnock was Boro manager and Ron Reid was in charge of Rangers.
 
Stafford visited Boro in the FA Trophy in 2003-04, but Boro rested nine players as the game took place three days before the vital FA Cup replay with Southend United.  Stafford won 2-1 - but the tactic paid off, as Boro beat Southend and went through to entertain Chelsea in the next round.  The final meeting of our clubs was an FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round match in 2006-07, with Stafford winning 3-0 at Marston Road.

STALYBRIDGE CELTIC played Boro in the FA Trophy in 1982-83 and in 2002-03, in the  Nationwide Conference in 2001-02, and in Conference North in 2006-07
 
The first ever meeting was an FA Trophy 2nd Round tie on5th February 1983 at Bower Fold.  The Boro side was Steve Gosling, Kenny Dennis, Kevin Pickard, Bryan Magee, John Cottam, Mitch Cook, John Steeples, Neil Sellers, John Hanson, Dick Dawson, and Malcolm Smith.  Goals from Steeples (2) and Dawson earned Boro a 3-1 win on front of 1204 fans.
 
In the Conference season Boro entertained Stalybridge on 4th September 2001 and a crowd of 867 saw a 1-1 with Steve Brodie on target for Boro.  The return game was on 12th  March 2002 and was a 3-2 win for the Seadogs thanks to goals from Jason Blunt, an own goal, and Darryn Stamp (penalty)
 
The FA Trophy game on 11th January 2003 was an easy 3-0 win for Boro, with Tommy Raw and Mo Sillah amongst the scorers.
 
Our final meetings were in 2006-07.  An evening game in September ended 2-2 and was memorable for a scorcher from Lee Whittington, whilst the game at the McCain on 14th April 2007 - Boro's last-but-one home match - was a disappointing 1-0 defeat.

STAMFORD were one of the opposition clubs during Boro's five-year spell in the Midland League in the 1960s.  The very first meeting, on 14th December 1963, was also the most memorable.  With Boro 2-0 ahead just before half time, the Stamford keeper suffered a broken arm.  With no substitutes allowed and an outfield player in goal, Stamford were overpowered in the second half as Boro rammed in another nine goals without reply.  Derek Boyes, normally a defender, was playing at centre-forward for Boro - and hit six goals!  Barry Dunn and Alan Franks scored two apiece, with Joe Rose netting the other.  The results of subsequent games were much closer, but Stamford's last visit to the Athletic Ground on December 1967 ended in a 5-1 win for Boro with Terry Adamson hitting a hat-trick.

STEVENAGE BOROUGH made seven visits to the McCain Stadium and gained five draws and two wins - not a solitary Seadogs' success!
 
Our teams first met when the Seadogs re-entered the Conference following their relegation from the Football League.  Whilst Boro (Scarborough, that is!) were enjoying a twelve-year stay in the Football League, Stevenage were rocketing upwards through the non-league pyramid. 
 
The first meeting of our teams was therefore in the Conference season of 1999-2000, when on 28th August we were in third place and still undefeated after five games but our visitors were top of the league without even having conceded a single goal.  Stevenage's Michael Love put through his own goal to end his club's tremendous run of clean sheets, but goals from Carl Alford (2) and Junior Samuels gave our visitors all three points watched by a crowd of 2,291. The Boro team on that occasion was Kevin Martin, Simon Betts, Mark Tyrell, Lee Sinnott, Scott Middlemass, Marcus Jones, Gareth McAlindon, David Bass, Steve Brodie, Brian McGinty and Darren Roberts.  However our first-ever visit to Broadhall Way ten weeks later was a profitable one, as a solitary Matty Russell goal produced a 1-0 win.
 
The opening day of the following season saw us travel to Stevenage and give a Conference debut to David Pounder.  The game ended in a 1-1 draw after goals from Steve Brodie and Darren Hay, whilst the return match was also drawn, Pounder and Simon Betts (penalty) scoring in a game which finished 2-2 thanks to Ryan Kirby and Darren Hay.  In season 2001-02, we went down to a 2-0 defeat at Broadhall Way with Adrian Clarke and ex-Boro striker Chris Tate on target for the hosts, whilst the game here at the McCain ended 1-1 with Jason Blunt and Simon Wormull netting the goals.
 
In 2002-03 we returned from Broadhall Way with a point after Richard Pacquette, on loan from QPR, had netted the equaliser to Neil Campbell's early goal.  Stevenage were at the foot of the table that Christmas, but the arrival of manager Graham Westley and a handful of Farnborough players turned things around and saw the club climb to twelfth in the final standings.  In-form Stevenage came to the McCain in March of that season and triumphed 2-1, with Dino Maamria and Danny Carroll on target.  Paul Shepherd scored Boro's goal from the penalty spot.
 
Both meetings in 2003-04 finished all-square at 2-2.  At Broadhall Way, Tony Battersby scored from the spot before Mark Hotte scored his first-ever Boro goal.  Gould scored against the run of play in the second half, but substitute Chris Senior netted a superb overhead kick to bring back a point.  At the McCain in April, all four goals came in the final half an hour.  Boro seemed to have the game in the bag when Clint Marcelle and Karl Rose put the home team 2-0 ahead, but Michael Brough and sub Dean Brennan replied.

The 2004-05 season saw a truly remarkable game here at the McCain in November.  Boro raced into a 3-0 lead within the first nine minutes, with Chris Senior scoring twice and Kevin Nicholson hitting the other.  But Stevenage fought their way back into things, and ended the game at 3-3 with Anthony Elding scoring twice and Rob Quinn getting the other.  In February Boro travelled down to Hertfordshire and were beaten by a solitary goal scored by the home team's new signing, ex-Boro forward Darryn Stamp.
 
In 2005-06 Stevenage gained a opint in a 1-1 draw at the McCain and beat Boro 2-0 at Broadhall Way.

STOKE CITY only met Boro once in a competitive match, in 2000-01 in the LDV Vans Trophy.  Substitute Danny Brunton netted Boro's goal in a 3-1 defeat in Staffordshire.
 
SUNDERLAND once had a "A" team in the Northern League and met Boro for four seasons between 1902 and 1906.  The only meeting at first team level was in the Freight Rover Trophy in Boro's initial Football League season of 1987-88.  Sunderland came to the Athletic Ground and eased to a 3-0 win.

SUTTON UNITED met Boro on four occasions in 1986-87, and then competed against us again in the Conference in 1999-2000.

The first meeting of the clubs was on 15th November 1986 at the Athletic Ground, with Boro recording a 2-1 win thanks to Stewart Mell and a Mitch Cook penalty.  In January 1987 our clubs were paired in an FA Trophy tie, with Sutton gaining a 2-2 away draw but Boro going through 2-0 in the replay at Gander Green Lane.  Mitch Cook netted from the penalty spot in both games. 
 
Boro went to Sutton as Conference leaders on 25th April 1987 and virtually clinched the championship with a 2-0 win with Stewart Mell and Mitch Cook on target.

In 1999-2000 Boro did the double, 3-0 at home and 2-1 away.  Chris Tate scored twice in the away win along with David McNiven, while Shaun Rennison and Steve Brodie netted the home goals.

SWANSEA CITY played Boro in four seasons of Football League competition, in 1987-88 and then again from 1996 to 1999.  Tommy Graham and Ernie Moss scored as Boro beat the Swans 2-0 at the McCain on19th September 1987, but the away leg was a heavy 3-0 defeat as Swansea edged towards promotion. 
 
In 1996-97 both games were won by the away team, Swansea winning 1-0 at the McCain and Boro winning 2-1 at the Vetch Field with Gary Bennett and Gareth Williams on target.  The following season Michael McElhatton scored twice and Williams once as Boro sent Swansea away with a 3-2 defeat, and the return game was drawn 0-0. 
 
In Boro's relegation season of 1998-99 Boro lost 2-0 at Swansea but won 2-1 at the McCain, Chris Tate and Darren Roberts getting the goals.