A loyal football fan shows his support with new tattoo (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

A loyal Middlesbrough football fan shows his support with new tattoo

12:28pm Tuesday 22nd January 2013 in News By Graeme Hetherington

A DEVOTED Middlesbrough fan has shown his support for his club by having the image of its manager tattooed on his back.

Ian Vaughan’s latest ink, which captures Tony Mowbray, joins the six other tattoos on his back celebrating the club's heritage.

The Middlesbrough man already had four club badges emblazoned on his back along with 60s goalscoring legend John Hickton and Brazilian maestro Juninho.

The 48-year-old, who works as a caretaker at Teesside University, said: “I was going to get an older picture of Tony from his playing days at the club, but I decided to wait until I found an image of him I liked from now.

“My partner Debbie spotted the picture of him that I got tattooed on my back and it joins all the others that I have had.

“If I can find space on my back I would like a tattoo of Willie Maddren as he was one of my all-time heroes.”

In the 43 years of supporting the club Mr Vaughan has travelled to games home and abroad and would love to see the club play in Europe again.

He said: “I have enjoyed some ups and down following the Boro over the years, the promotion under Jack Charlton, the relegations and the club almost folding but the highlight has to have been the European nights home and abroad.

“I got to see my club play in places I never thought I would – it was a brilliant couple of years.”