Middlesbroughs first home game since the padlocks came off the Ayresome Park gates in September 1986 and in an ironic twist it's against Hartlepool Utd, whose ground Boro had used a week earlier for their first home league game of the season. The competition here is the Littlewoods League Cup and it's the first round 2nd leg. The first leg had finished 1-1 and Boro were keen to make a winning start at the beginning of their new history! (corny or what!)
Here's a couple of good bits of trivia - The 1st leg game was the first ever time Boro had met Hartlepool in a competitive first team fixture, the 2nd leg game was the last. Also, Mackem hero Gary Rowell made his final appearance in a Boro shirt in the first leg before going to Brighton.