Thousands of fans gathered at The Riverside to pay their respects
Middlesbrough fans turned out in force to celebrate the life of BBC Tees football commentator, Ali Brownlee, who recently passed away after a short battle with bowel cancer.
Mr Brownlee’s funeral cortege made its way along Linthorpe and Borough road, before passing through the Riverside stadium, where thousands of fans gathered to pay their respects to the man branded “The Voice of the Boro.”
Sue Bargewell, from Coulby Newham described how fond she was of Ali’s commentary.
She said: “My favourite game from Ali is the Man City one, it was absolutely a game I’ll never forget, it was amazing really.”
“I’ve got a lot of memories with Ali, with my husband as well – he was chairman of the Supporters’ Club but unfortunately he passed away with bowel cancer as well.”
The BBC Tees team pay their tribute
Nigel Eden, a Middlesbrough fan from Saltburn, said on Ali Brownlee: “You kind of felt like you knew him as well as his family, so it’s incredibly sad for all of Teesside – he loved this area.”
After the cortege, a private funeral service was held for Mr Brownlee at St Mary’s Church in Acklam.
“They broke the mold when they made you” – One of the many tributes left to Ali Brownlee.
from Tside