Gibson forgets the facts after relegation

What happens at the Riverside Stadium a few miles away is usually of little or no interest to Hartlepool United fans, but when somebody at Bore-o starts spouting rubbish we tend to sit up and take notice – and, let’s face it, it happens often enough. The latest to get us to sit up and listen is Bore-o chairman Steve Gibson.

He is widely regarded as one of the best chairmen in football, and it’s a reputation we believe he probably deserves.  What a pity he’s spoiled it.
We are used to certain Teesside-based radio commentators getting themselves all worked up and forgetting the facts, but we thought better of Gibson.
Discussing his club’s relegation and the challenge faced next season in the Championship, Gibson says in the Northern Echo:  “The amount of money taken through the gate this year was £7m – it cost £4m to run the stadium.
"Middlesbrough have perhaps more restraints on it than any other club in the Premiership. We are the smallest town – everyone talks about Hull but they’ve a population twice the size of Middlesbrough. These factors made life very difficult for Gareth.
“I have to take responsibility for some of that. We have to punch above our weight. We’ve a lower income than everybody else and have to be more clever than other clubs.”
Let’s take that point by point: 

£4m to run the stadium? Steve, chauber, you are being robbed.
Bore-o the smallest town? Hull possibly is twice the size, but Hull has no Stockton, Billingham, Redcar,  etc etc next door. Hull is far more isolated than Bore-o, and thousands of people there are Rugby League fans anyway.
Newcastle is not a lot bigger than Bore-o, but with Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside it is a major conurbation … like Teesside is when the surrounding towns are added in (please don’t include Hartlepool though).
These factors make it difficult for Gareth? What, the size of the town makes it difficult for the manager? Don’t get that one Steve.
Bore-o have a lower income, Steve, because the team was rubbish last season and many of your fans are part-timers.

Gibson is also quoted as saying that most football fans in Stockton are Sunderland supporters. That is an out-and-out pile of poo. There are some and there always have been, mostly in Billingham, but there are more Darlo fans in Stockton than there are Mackems.
Mr G should perhaps face the facts – no matter how big their town is, Bore-o are NOT  a big club and their fans are moaners.