With rivals Leeds United and Sunderland rising to the Premier League, former Middlesbrough midfielder Neil Maddison feels that this season may seem lacking for Boro when it comes to the big derby game atmosphere.
"When you talk about games, fixtures, coming up that mean something, they've kind of disappeared," Maddison told BBC Radio Tees.
"The nearest one now, is it Hull? Or Sheffield Wednesday?
"It's a little bit of a disappointment that you haven't got a team that there's a little bit of a rivalry for both sets of fans. But it is what it is.