Lamb slaughters Blues chief's jibe

Keith Lamb has laughed off Birmingham chairman David Gold's claims his side's history is better than Boro's life as a mid-table club.

The Middlesbrough chief executive could not believe Gold was being serious when he suggested that Blues fans would prefer to see their team either winning promotion to the Premier League or being relegated every other season as opposed to being an established mid-table top flight side in which he used Boro as an example.

Lamb said: "I was amused to read David's comments that he would rather his side suffered relegation every other season than be like Middlesbrough. David is a good friend but I can only assume relegation has affected his thinking a little.

"I seriously doubt Boro fans would swap our recent histories.

"Since moving to the Riverside in 1995, we have achieved five major cup finals, are the only English side outside of the so-called big four to have played in a European final, have enjoyed successive seasons of UEFA Cup football, won our first major trophy and enjoyed 11 consecutive years in the Premier League.

"In the meantime, Birmingham have managed a couple of relegations and a lengthy spell in what is now the Championship. Somehow I don't believe even their own supporters would agree their highs and lows have been preferable to ours."