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How to build a gaming PC for 2020, part two: choosing a mouse, keyboard and monitor

You’ve bought the perfect PC – now you need to complete your setup to get the best from your games. Here are our suggestions

When you’re buying a new gaming PC from scratch, the machine itself is only part of the picture. To get the very best out of the most demanding modern games, you’ll need the rest of your setup to be working hard too – especially if you ever want to win at Call of Duty: Warzone.

Here then, are our picks for the best gaming monitors, keyboards and mice. Helping me to make the selection are Alan Dexter, senior hardware editor at PC Gamer, Chris Wilson, design director at Cardboard Sword, Al Bickham, communications manager at Creative Assembly, and Nic Claassen, head of product business at Acer UK.

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Microsoft Surface Pro 7 review: the best Windows 10 tablet PC you can buy

USB-C completes top Windows 10 tablet with great screen, design and kickstand, plus latest Intel chips

The Surface Pro 7 is an update of the excellent Surface Pro 6 with new processors and, finally, a USB-C port.

That means the design of the new Surface Pro 7 hasn’t changed since the 2017 Surface Pro 5, with Microsoft taking an “if it ain’t broke” approach. It’s competitively priced at £699 and up – but you have to pay at least £125 for the keyboard if you want one – which annoyingly is not included in the standard price.

Screen: 12.3in LCD 2736 x 1824 (267 PPI)

Processor: Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 (10th generation)

RAM: 4, 8 or 16GB

Storage: 128, 256, 512GB or 1TB

Graphics: Intel UHD (i3) or Intel Iris Plus (i5/i7)

Operating system: Windows 10 Home

Camera: 8MP rear, 5MP front-facing, Windows Hello

Connectivity: Wifi 6, Bluetooth 5, USB 3.0, USB-C, headphones, TPM, microSD

Dimensions: 292 x 201 x 8.5 mm

Weight: 775 or 790g (i7 version)

The Surface Pro 7 ships with a standard version of Windows 10 Home with device encryption

The tablet no longer supports on-screen interaction with Microsoft’s Surface Dial accessory

Pros: great screen, good battery life, brilliant keyboard (essential additional purchase), microSD card reader, excellent kickstand, Windows Hello, solid build, easy to carry, USB-A and USB-C

Cons: no Thunderbolt 3, fairly expensive, keyboard should be included, Core i7 version fans are more audible

Microsoft Surface Pro X review: not yet ready for prime time

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 review: still sleek, just no longer unique

Microsoft Surface Go review: tablet that’s better for work than play

Microsoft Surface Studio 2 review: in a class of its own

16in MacBook Pro review: bigger battery, new keyboard, new Apple

Apple MacBook Air review: the new default Mac

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Worried about Zoom's privacy problems? A guide to your video-conferencing options

From FaceTime to Houseparty, there is no shortage of platforms for work and play as you shelter in place

With offices and schools around the world temporarily shut amid the coronavirus crisis, the video platform Zoom has seen overnight success. But growing concerns over security across the platform have many consumers wondering about tech alternatives.

Privacy-minded consumers should consider video chat options carefully, said Arvind Narayanan, an associate computer science professor at Princeton University who has been outspoken about the security concerns surrounding Zoom.

Related: ‘Zoom is malware’: why experts worry about the video conferencing platform

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America's billionaires are giving to charity – but much of it is self-serving rubbish | Robert Reich

Well-publicized philanthropy shows how afraid the super-rich are of a larger social safety net – and higher taxes

As millions of jobless Americans line up for food or risk their lives delivering essential services, the nation’s billionaires are making conspicuous donations – $100m from Amazon’s Jeff Bezos for food banks, billions from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates for a coronavirus vaccine, thousands of ventilators and N95 masks from Elon Musk, $25m from the Walton family and its Walmart foundation. The list goes on.

Related: Call for super-rich to donate more to tackle coronavirus pandemic

Why should we believe that Gates or any other billionaire’s 'boldness' necessarily reflects society’s values and needs?

Robert Reich, a former US secretary of labor, is professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley and the author of Saving Capitalism: For the Many, Not the Few and The Common Good. His new book, The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It, is out now. He is a columnist for Guardian US

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Xbox Game Pass subscriptions hit 10 million

Pay-monthly service sees huge surge in players and gaming time due to Coronavirus lockdown

Microsoft has announced that its Xbox Game Pass subscription service has passed 10 million members. The initiative, which adopts a similar model to Netflix and other streaming platforms, gives subscribers unlimited access to more than 100 Xbox and PC games for a monthly fee.

Commenting on the figure, Xbox chief Phil Spencer said that use of Game Pass, as well as the company’s online multiplayer gaming service Xbox Live, had increased substantially in recent weeks due to Covid-19. “Since March, Xbox Game Pass members have added over 23 million friends on Xbox Live, which is a 70% growth in friendship rate,” he said. “Game Pass members are also playing twice as much and engaging in more multiplayer gaming, which has increased by 130%.”

We saw record engagement in gaming this quarter:
• Xbox Live has nearly 90 million monthly active users
• Xbox Game Pass has more than 10 million subscribers
• Project xCloud has 100s of thousands of active users in preview across 7 countries, with more coming

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Microsoft launches faster Surface Book 3 and Surface Go 2

Windows-maker updates top and cheapest PCs, and launches new headphones

Microsoft is launching a revamped line of its most powerful and cheapest Windows 10 PCs, the Surface Book 3 and Surface Go 2, as it adjusts to continue operations during the pandemic.

The new products, announced by blogpost rather than an event, are Microsoft’s premium computers competing directly with the likes of Apple and Dell, but with more novel designs.

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Assassin’s Creed Valhalla among 13 games announced for Xbox Series X

Xbox livestream showcases new titles designed to support the advanced features of the forthcoming console

Microsoft has revealed 13 games coming to its Xbox Series X console when the machine launches this winter. In an hour-long presentation, streamed live on Thursday, the company announced that well-known titles such as the recently announced Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, as well as Madden NFL 21 and Yakuza: Like a Dragon, will all be on Xbox Series X.

Also featured was Paradox Interactive’s vampire adventure, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. Codemasters presented its racer DiRT 5 complete with impressive lighting and mud splatter effects, and an option to run it in 4K at 60 frames-per-second or in a lower resolution at 120fps. Namco Bandai showed a new anime-style sci-fi thriller named Scarlet Nexus, about a group of psychic law enforcers.

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US Nasdaq index recovers all of 2020's losses triggered by Covid-19

Gains from the likes of Amazon, Netflix and Microsoft boosted the index as it turned positive

The technology-heavy Nasdaq index turned positive for 2020 on Thursday, boosted by gains in the share prices of companies such as Amazon, Microsoft and Netflix, which have fared well during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The US index caught up all this year’s losses, taking it back to its level at the beginning of January, after rising 1.4% on Thursday to 8,979.66. It ended last year at 8,972.

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Robert Armstrong obituary

Robert Armstrong, who has died from a brain tumour aged 76, was a Guardian sports writer, specialising in football, rugby and tennis, his own game. Known for the “no frills” accuracy of his reports, he filed reassuringly ahead of deadline from World Cups and major tours in far-flung corners of the world, as well as from Wimbledon.

But he also left his mark on the paper for which he worked for almost 30 years as a highly effective National Union of Journalists (NUJ) official, championing better pay and conditions for his colleagues.

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George Mackie obituary

George Mackie, who has died of pancreatic cancer aged 70, was a straightforward man, but one of paradox. He was a Kincardineshire Scot who lived in southern England, an Essex farmer who was also a socialist, a formidable Scottish rugby international who was notably soft-spoken. “A gentle giant, never the loudest around the dinner table, but usually the wisest,” said his friend Brian Wilson, the politician.

The son of Jeannie (nee Inglis Milne) and John Mackie, George sprang from a progressive farming dynasty in north-east Scotland. Radicalised by poverty he saw in Glasgow as a young man, his father became a leading Tribune Group leftwinger. MP for Enfield East (1959-74), he was a respected junior agriculture minister, later chairman of the Forestry Commission (1976-79) until Margaret Thatcher sacked him.

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Market reflects living with virus for 12-18 months: BNY Mellon's Levine

Alicia Levine, BNY Mellon chief investment strategist, and David Rolfe, Wedgewood Partners CIO, join 'Power Lunch' to discuss the state of the markets as stocks continue to rally on optimism the economy will open.




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Household debt hit $14.3T in the first quarter, here's what it means

Douglas Holtz-Eakin, American Action Forum president, joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss the rise of corporate and household debt surging amid the Covid-19 pandemic.




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Government and corporate debt are set to surge, here's why

CNBC's Steve Liesman reports on why debt will rise across the board.




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States expanding liability protections to business as economies reopen

As businesses start to reopen, many are wondering if they can be legally responsible if someone gets sick. CNBC's Ylan Mui reports on liability protection efforts.




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Watch CNBC's full interview with Parsley Energy CEO Matt Gallagher

Parsley Energy CEO Matt Gallagher joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss Parsley Energy's positive quarterly earnings despite the Covid-19 pandemic. He also speaks on the company's production and the state of the oil industry.




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Investors need to prepare for a slow and uneven recovery: RBC Capital's Lori Calvasina

Eric Marshall, Hodges Capital Management portfolio manager, and Lori Calvasina, RBC Capital Markets head of U.S. equity strategy, join 'Power Lunch' to discuss what the economic data is indicating to investors.




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Banks well positioned to withstand coronavirus crisis: WaFD Bank CEO

Brent Beardall, WaFd Bank CEO, joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss the state of the Paycheck Protection Program and how many PPP loans the bank has processed.




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Big Ten commissioner on the future of college sports amid the coronavirus pandemic

Kevin Warren, Big Ten commissioner, joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss the future of college sports and what will weigh into the decision on allowing college sports to return.




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US puts 20-year bond up for auction on May 20, first time in over 20 years

CNBC's Rick Santelli reports on the announcement.




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CBRE CEO on company earnings and the future office space

CBRE is the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm. Bob Sulentic, CBRE CEO, joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss the company's quarterly earnings, what the future office space could look like and the impact the company has seen from Covid-19.




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Elon Musk: I am not Buffett's biggest fan

Elon Musk spoke with Joe Rogan and here some of the highlights from the two-hour podcast.




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Unemployment benefits taxed as ordinary income—How to avoid the tax hit

Even though you may have seen a drop in income this year due to Covid-19, you could face a tax bill next year if you're receiving unemployment benefits. CNBC's Sharon Epperson reports on how to avoid the hit.




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Coronavirus outbreak could put 500K summer restaurants jobs in jeopardy

Restaurants across the U.S. are slated to reopen during the summer season as coronavirus restrictions are lifted. CNBC's Kate Rogers reports on what that could mean for restaurant jobs.




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Trading Nation: Cramer's 'Covid-19 Index' stocks up 7% this week—Here's some of the best performers

Todd Gordon, Ascent Wealth Partners and John Petrides, Toqueville Asset Management, discuss the stay-at-home stocks they're watching with Seema Mody.




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Minority job loss requires strong response in next CARES Act: Former New Orleans Mayor

Marc Morial, former mayor of New Orleans and CEO and president of the National Urban League, discusses the worst U.S. jobs loss since the end of World War II and the groups that are struggling the most.




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NYC brokers expect real estate prices to fall up to 20%

Many real estate deals were renegotiated or cancelled when the world was placed on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. CNBC's Robert Frank reports the numbers.




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Uber earnings and big layoffs hit Silicon Valley's lucrative start-up sector: CNBC After Hours

CNBC.com's MacKenzie Sigalos brings you the day's top business news headlines, and what to watch as the coronavirus pandemic continues to keep most of America on lockdown. Today, CNBC's Kate Rooney also takes a look at the widespread layoffs hitting the lucrative tech sector and start-up scene.




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April jobs report can shed light on how long the unemployment crisis could last, economist says

The April jobs report is expected to show the worst unemployment rate since the Great Recession. Michelle Girard, chief U.S. economist at NatWest Markets, and Beth Akers, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, joins "Squawk Box" to discuss what they expect.




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Futures point to higher open ahead of April jobs report

U.S. stock futures rose early Friday morning after more gains in tech led to the Nasdaq Composite erasing all of its losses for 2020. CNBC's Frank Holland reports.




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Moderna CEO on Covid-19 vaccine timeline, how it might be distributed and more

The FDA has approved Moderna's coronavirus vaccine candidate for a phase 2 trial, something the company calls a crucial step in its timeline. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel joins "Squawk Box" to discuss.




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Gottlieb: Covid-19 vaccine may be available for selective use before official approval

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, member of the boards of Pfizer and biotech company Illumina and former FDA commissioner, tells "Squawk Box" that a Covid-19 vaccine could be made available for use in "selected circumstances" before it receives official approval for wider distribution.




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Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi on earnings, assisting drivers during pandemic and more

Uber reported its biggest loss in three quarters, but shares of the ride-hailing giant on the rise after pointing to early signs of recovery in different markets across the globe. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi joins "Squawk Box" to discuss.




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US economy loses 20.5 million jobs in April, raising unemployment rate to 14.7%

CNBC's Steve Liesman breaks down the April jobs report, which came in at 20.5 million nonfarm payrolls lost in the month. This is the most historic job loss within a single month.




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Wharton's Jeremy Siegel on why historic April job losses aren't impacting stocks

Jeremy Siegel, finance professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, joins "Squawk Box" to discuss the April jobs numbers and what the data means for the U.S. economy.




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Large-cap tech and bio-tech companies helping to boost market despite pandemic, says Ed Yardeni

Ed Yardeni, president of Yardeni Research, and David Kelly, J.P. Morgan Asset Management's chief global strategist, join "Squawk on the Street" to discuss the historic April job loss and what it means for markets.




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Why Goldman's Jan Hatzius believes job losses may be higher than reported

Jan Hatzius of Goldman Sachs joins "Squawk on the Street" to discuss the latest jobs number, which saw the unemployment rate soar to 14.7 percent.




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Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel on impact of coronavirus on travel

Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking Holdings, joins "Squawk on the Street" to discuss the company's Q1 earnings results and how coronavirus has stalled travel plans globally.




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Live Nation president Joe Berchtold on outlook amid the pandemic

Joe Berchtold, president of Live Nation, joins "Squawk Alley" to discuss the company's outlook amid the coronavirus shutdown.




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Why BMO's Brian Belski says the market has more room to run

CNBC's "Halftime Report" team is joined by BMO's Brian Belski to discuss his investment strategies amid the coronavirus pandemic.




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Impossible Foods CEO on how meat shortages are driving demand for plant-based products

CNBC's Aditi Roy talks about meat shortages in the U.S. and the growing demand for products like Impossible Foods with the company's CEO Pat Brown.




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Labor Secretary Scalia on April jobs data: These are very difficult numbers for us to see

CNBC's Tyler Mathisen talks about the historic job losses in April with Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia.




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Bloomin' CEO on reopening restaurants and Covid-19 impact

David Deno, Bloomin' Brands CEO, joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss what their reopened restaurants look like, the company's first quarterly earnings, what customers are ordering and the April jobs loss number.




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Dr. Scott Gottlieb on remdesivir rollout and US coronavirus response

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, Former FDA Commissioner, joins "Closing Bell" to discuss the coronavirus pandemic.




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Jim Cramer: Wall Street welcomes positive coronavirus news, but investors should remain cautious

"We need to acknowledge that good things can still happen without going into denial about all the bad things that are currently happening," the "Mad Money" host said.




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Airbnb struggles through its Covid-19 response

Airbnb is one of the many businesses in the travel industry that has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. In March of 2017, Airbnb was valued at $31 billion. By the end of April 2020 that value dropped to $18 billion. With the threat of more cancelations as the pandemic halts the travel industry, guests, hosts and investors alike are left asking what Airbnb will look like after the novel coronavirus pandemic, or whether the company will survive at all.




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Harley Willard: ‘Iceland’s a good place just to concentrate on your football’

The winger, who was part of the Guardian’s first Next Generation in 2014, talks about rebuilding his career after being released by Southampton

Harley Willard made one of those sliding-doors decisions that can turn anyone’s life around last December. He had arrived at Heathrow airport, packed and ready for the 14-hour slog back to Phnom Penh, and at that point another season at the Cambodian club Svay Rieng felt like a trade-off he could just about stomach. The football there offered few real prospects but he had enjoyed the lifestyle and, after such an uncertain year and a half since leaving Southampton, surely his happiness was the most important thing.

Related: Next Generation: after five years, how has our first full class of picks fared?

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Next Generation 2019: 20 of the best talents at Premier League clubs

The Guardian selects the best young players at each club born between 1 September 2002 and 31 August 2003, an age band known as first-year scholars. Check the progress of class of 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014

Photographs by David Price/Arsenal/Getty Images, Neville Williams/Aston Villa/Getty Images, AFC Bournemouth, Paul Hazlewood/BHAFC, Paul Dennis/TGS/Shutterstock, Clive Howes/Chelsea/Getty Images, Danny Loo/PPAUK, Emma Simpson/Everton/Getty Images, Nick Taylor/Liverpool/Getty Images, Manchester City/Getty Images, Ash Donelon/Manchester United/Getty Images, Jason Dawson/Jasonpix, James Wilson/Sportimage, Simon Bellis/Sportimage, Robin Jones/Digital South/Southampton FC, Tottenham Hotspur/Getty Images, Alan Cozzi/Watford, Arfa Griffiths/West Ham United and Sam Bagnall/AMA

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Next Generation 2019: 60 of the best young talents in world football

Eidur Gudjohnsen’s son, the new Paul Pogba and Barça’s Ansu Fati are among our 60 most talented players in the world born in 2002. Check the progress of our 2018 picks | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014

Photographs by DZfoot, BackpagePix, Club Atlético Belgrano, EFE, EPA, Getty Images, Uwe Gruen/Hoffenheim, AMA/Getty Images, Rex/Shutterstock, Zuma Press/PA, FIFA, Tigres, Damir Krajac/CROPIX, Alamy, Daniel Reyes/Ecuafutbol, Reuters, Atromitos, Imago/PA, fotoBERNAMA, New Straits Times, José Alonso Paredes Sánchez, Agencja Gazeta, David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty, AP, Asian Football Confederation, Danubio FC and Championat Asia

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Betrayal and bombast: the surreal story of the Terry v Bridge saga | Jonathan Liew

More than a decade on, fact and fiction remain entangled in the tale of former teammates turned enemies. The human core of the entire episode, though, is not a footballer

Officially, nothing happened. This is, by the way, no minor detail: to this day Vanessa Perroncel fervently denies that any affair took place between her and John Terry in late 2009, and she has the printed apologies and legal documents to back it up. Normally this bit is begrudgingly buried at the bottom of the piece. But it’s worth dwelling on, if only because it forces us to confront the vast, incalculable gulf between what we definitively know and what, over the years, we’ve simply assumed.

A decade on, fact and fiction remain knottily entangled. Over time, the story of how Terry and his former friend and Chelsea teammate Wayne Bridge found themselves at the centre of one of English football’s most hysterical scandals begins to feel surreal, perhaps even a touch unreal: a bad memory that most would prefer to pretend never happened.

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Juninho, Ravanelli, Emerson … Middlesbrough's exotic past reborn | Louise Taylor

Charity match for victims of Covid-19 promises to be a wonderful wallow in nostalgia for Boro fans

Anthems are invariably repetitive but the paean celebrating Middlesbrough’s journey to the 2006 Uefa Cup final took things to extremes. “Small town in Europe, we’re just a small town in Europe,” Teessiders chorused on the road to Eindhoven and defeat against Sevilla.

The limited lyrics failed to prevent those seven words becoming an evocative, now rather poignant, soundtrack to the season when Gareth Southgate, Stewart Downing and the rest of Steve McClaren’s team annotated the town’s place on football’s European map.

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