The Northern Echo FRONT PAGE

15th August 1997

WORLD-RENOWNED psychic, Uri Geller, last night revealed how he could have used his powers to save a North East football club from relegation.
The famous spoon-bender claims Middlesbrough would still be in the Premiership if they had turned to him for help during the battle to stay in the top flight last season.
He told The Northern Echo that he would have used his psychic ability to transmit confidence into Bryan Robson’s men.
He also suggests Middlesbrough should change the colour of their famous red shirts to make them more successful.
Uri, who lives in Reading, is planning to buy a football team. He claims he has already helped several Premiership footballers, as well as Formula One motor racing drivers.
“Middlesbrough wouldn’t have been relegated if they had approached me when they were struggling at the bottom last season,” he said. “I would have talked to the Middlesbrough players, psyched them up and made them even better.”
“I would even have suggested changing their shirts because a colour like orange makes a team more powerful.”
“If Bryan Robson wants help, he only has to get in touch with me.”
Middlesbrough declined to comment on Uri’s extravagant claims but chairman of the Official Supporters’ Club, Dave Buckton, said he found them amusing.
“We could have done with some divine intervention last season but I think it would have had to come from a higher plane than Uri Geller,” he said.
This is not the first time Uri has tried to use his powers to influence the outcome of football games. In 1995, he said he was going to use his powers to help Reading beat Bolton in a promotion play-off at Wembley. But Bolton won 4-3, to earn a place in the Premiership.
Uri’s offer to help Middlesbrough came as he exclusively revealed to The Northern Echo his plans to visit the town to help the Hostages in Kashmir Campaign.
He is hoping to put on a rare benefit performance at Middlesbrough Town Hall at the beginning of October.
All the money raised from the performance will go towards helping the campaign to free the Western hostages, who include Middlesbrough electrician Keith Mangan.
Uri, who has offered a £50,000 reward for the return of the captives, said: “I want to give a performance in Middlesbrough to raise money for the families to continue their search for the hostages.”
Uri Geller claims he could have kept Boro in the Premiership, if only Bryan Robson had asked him.