Two goals in two games made for the perfect start to life at Boro’ for striker Chris Tate; joining us on loan from Leyton Orient. He arrived in September 2001; Tate not able to command a regular place in the Os first team. The loan deal was made with a view to making it permanent and he did his chances no harm; his first goal scored up at Leigh RMI, before adding a second against former club Scarborough two days later.

The next four matches, however, returned no more goals to add to the tally. After Tate turned out against Dagenham & Redbridge in early October, he returned to the Os. It seems as if money was the main issue for Boro’ deciding against the permanent deal; boss Paul Fairclough explaining: “He has a good contract at Orient on full-time money – and we didn’t think it was for us.”

He also remains, we think, the only Boro’ player to share a name with an Emmerdale character.

Chris Tate: After Boro’

Tate went out on loan again while with the Os; joining Chester City twice in 2002. Two years later, he secured a permanent move away from East London. Mansfield Town is where he ended up – but with not much success. The career path then goes cold for a period. It’s not until 2009 and his arrival at Goole were we able to pick it back up.