McAllen's Hamilton getting support for Middlesbrough job

Gary Hamilton thinks he might be the right man to bring English soccer club Middlesbrough FC to prominence.  And at least 300 people on Facebook agree.

Hamilton, who currently serves as the executive director of the McAllen Youth Soccer Association and head coach of the Dynamo South Texas Academy, is a darkhorse candidate for the vacant manager position at second-division Middlesbrough, the club he played for from 1983 to 1992. His candidacy is being supported by a Facebook group called “Gary Hamilton for Middlesbrough FC Manager” started last Tuesday by his daughter Liz Hamilton.

“I kind of did the gentle nudge to say, ‘Why can’t you apply for that? You’re qualified,’” Liz said. “I guess he didn’t have the confidence but I wanted to show him how many fans do love him and are rooting for him. And it’s worked.”

Since the group started, it has grown to 302 members as of Saturday afternoon. On Friday, he appeared on BBC radio in Middlesbrough to talk about his candidacy, one that seems well-received by the club’s supporters.

He hopes that backing, and his love of the club, can give him a chance to manage despite his inexperience at that level, one step below the prestigious Barclays English Premier League that features top clubs such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

“In the interview the other day, I said to them they didn’t have a problem when I was 16 years old throwing me into a man’s world,” Gary said. “Well now I am a man. I think I can do a man’s job.”

To get the job, he’ll have to beat out numerous candidates with bigger managerial résumés. One of them is former Middlesbrough teammate and close friend Tony Mowbray, who last managed at Scottish power Celtic FC after a stint with West Bromwich Albion of the English Premier League.

If Mowbray, who is considered one of the favorites for the job, is appointed, that could open other doors for Hamilton, who is realistic about his chances.

“I’ve spoke to him at length. My dream job would be to become his assistant at some time and then learn that way,” Hamilton said. “But there’s people before in prior years that have been appointed with no experience.”

While he played for Middlesbrough, Hamilton became a fan-favorite because of his aggressive yet skilled style of play as a midfielder, along with his devotion to the club.

In the summer of 1986, that devotion faced an extreme test. Because of increasing financial woes, the club, which had been relegated to the third tier of English soccer, was literally minutes away from ceasing to exist. Its stadium was locked up and the demise of the club was reported on area TV stations before being rescued by owner Steve Gibson.

After bouncing between leagues, Middlesbrough seemed to have established itself in the top division by the late 1990s. Its highest points came in 2004 when it won the League Cup, Middlesbrough’s first major trophy, and 2006 when it lost in the UEFA Cup final.

Since then, Middlesbrough’s fortunes have dipped. It was relegated from the EPL in 2009 and currently is under a caretaker manager sitting in 22nd place in the second division, a spot that would see them relegated after this season.

Through all of that, Gary’s love for the club has never wavered.

“It’s something that’s always been in my heart,” Gary said.

Brian Sandalow is a sports writer for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4436.