NORTH Ormesby is a traditional part of Middlesbrough. Yesterday, the community was celebrating the Queen Mother's 100th birthday with bunting in the High Street and a fair for youngsters - most of them wearing the latest Middlesbrough strip.

There are only remnants of Teesside's industrial heritage overlooking North Ormesby now, but that has been replaced with Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium.

Some of North Ormesby's older residents are shocked at the spiralling wages at the club, while lifelong fans are finding admission prices too high to afford, particularly on a basic state pension of £67.50 a week.

Maurice Taylor, 62, has lived in North Ormesby all his life. He does not mind the noise, people and traffic match day brings to the area because it is the closest he gets to the atmosphere.

Mr Taylor has always been a keen Middlesbrough fan, and used to go to Ayresome Park, but increased ticket prices mean he is now relegated to listening to match reports on the radio.

His radio may have told him yesterday that £2.5m signing Alen Boksic will get £63,000 a week.

The reports were dismissed as "rubbish" by Middlesbrough manager Bryan Robson, but he is still believed to be the highest paid footballer in British history, with higher earnings than Manchester United's £52,000-a-week midfielder Roy Keane.

Mr Taylor is not surprised, although he is saddened, to hear the reports.

He said: "It is the public and the supporters who are paying for it, and that is why I won't go any more.

"It costs far too much to go. The shirts are a big rip off as well. There is no chance of me going there whatsoever."

Samuel Hill, 84, said: "It seems an awful lot of money - it is more than I have earned in my lifetime. I don't think they are very fair on the supporters. I don't support them now, but I used to go to Ayresome Park."

Alfred Harker, 80, said: "I think it is more in the nature of commercial business and not sport. It is a shame. It is too expensive to go."

A Boro spokesman said: "We are trying to make it as affordable as possible. All the money we get is ploughed back into maintaining the fabric of the football club.

"We do have concessions because we don't want to alienate our traditional supporters. We don't want to price them out of coming to a match at Middlesbrough.