Paul Smith

Maximo Park front man, solo artist and 'Boro die-hard Paul Smith regales us with his Football Firsts.

Maximo Park front man and now solo star Paul Smith relives his life as a Middlesbrough supporter for the benefit of Sky Sports

While some of the musicians we've interviewed for Football Firsts have needed more than the odd prompt to remind them of that memory that really is on the tip of their tongue, it was the exact opposite with Maximo Park front man, solo star, Middlesbrough die hard and all-round good egg Paul Smith. It's fair to say any man who has anecdotes about his club's sponsors down the years knows one end of the pitch to the other. Having released his well received debut solo album Margins in October the affable Teessider is currently touring Europe before returning to British shores next week to play a smattering of sold out UK gigs. We caught up with Smith on the morning after a show in Austria and found him in excellent form despite a time delay and crackling phone line. It felt a bit like Clive James' old satellite link-up interviews of yesteryear at times but there's no denying the Billingham-born lyricist knows his football.

Middlesbrough

My dad's not a massive football fan. He got more into it when he recognised I was obsessed. He'd come into the front room and try to commentate on the Big Match on ITV. He'd say 'Hughesy's doing well' and I'd be like 'there's no Hughesy playing'. I'd get upset at his lack of football knowledge but I guess it was endearing. He still does the same thing now when I go back home. A lot of my family are Boro supporters but my grandad, who died when I was quite young, is from South Shields and was a Sunderland fan. I never really got to know him but if he was still alive I could easily have been a Mackem. I think that's one of the beautiful things about football - being able to pass things down.

Middlesbrough v Watford

The first Boro game I ever went to was against Watford and we lost 2-1. It would have been around 1989. I won the tickets from the local radio station TFM. Every Boro match I would listen to on the radio and at half-time they would have a competition to win tickets for the next game. I was the quickest to ring in and won tickets to see the Boro. I went with my dad and we put on our best gear because we were sitting in the Dickins lounge - they were sponsors at the time, shortly before Heritage Hampers - and there was a sweep about who would score the first goal. I won when Simon Coleman (pictured), who some crueller supporters might have called a bit of a donkey, scored. We eventually lost but I won £30. It was an evening match, I'll never forget the floodlights, walking down to Ayresome Park through the town and cobbled streets.

Bernie Slaven

When I was growing up it had to be Bernie Slaven. He was a real character who came down from Paisley and tried to get a trial at every football club in the league. He's our all-time leading goalscorer. It's a real fairytale and the guy had a sensational quiff. He