ON THIS DAY

Middlesbrough had to wait until Leap Year Day in 2004 to win their first major national competition - the Carling Cup (League Cup). Against Bolton in the final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff Middlesbrough took a two goal lead inside the first seven minutes (Joseph-Désiré Job and Boudewijn Zenden the scorers) before Bolton pulled one back through Kevin Davies to leave The Boro 2-1 winners. " John Helm

Three stories from that day show how much the buying power of money has changed over the years. Arsenal's FA Cup tie against Derby at Highbury that night saw ticket touts make a killing - selling £1 seat tickets for £20! Manchester United paid a club record fee of £125,000 to Aberdeen to sign future club captain Martin Buchan - do any of their players earn less than that in a week now? And on the same night Fulham played Benfica in the official opening of the Riverside stand at Craven Cottage. The stand cost £334,000 to build - you can pay that to add a conservatory to the back of a house in London nowadays!

In only their second season in the Football League Oxford United became the first Fourth Division side to play in the 6th Round - the quarter-finals - of the FA Cup. They were beaten 2-1 at their Manor Ground home by Preston North End. Second Division Preston enjoyed their own bit of FA Cup glory in 1963/64 going on to reach the final where they were beaten 3-2 by West Ham at Wembley.