SPORT
My
Riverside
rollercoaster
Tees Life co-editor Dave Allan catches up with former
Middlesbrough footballer Craig Hignett – scorer of the first-
ever goal at Boro’s Riverside Stadium 22 years ago – who
talks about his love for the club, his controversial departure
as assistant to Aitor Karanka and his spell as a manager
with Hartlepool United...
PI C T U RE S BY M A RT I N WA L K E R
There were highs and
lows for Hignett at Boro
and Hartlepool.
It’s a club I’d love to manage one day but I
knew I had to learn my trade first. But when
someone takes that away from you, through
them being, shall we say, childish, why
shouldn’t I say what I feel and tell the truth?
TL: How do you spend your spare time on
Teesside?
Higgy: I go boxing. I’ve been going for about
two-and-a-half years now. I go training every
morning with a couple of friends. I love
it because it gives me something to focus
on, keeps me fit and
keeps the weight off.
I go most mornings,
then I’ll go up to the
moors and give the
dog a good walk. I’ll
need to work again
at some point – and
I’m working on that
at the minute – but
right now I’m just
enjoying what I’m
doing, and re-charging
the batteries because
the last job took it out
of me.
TL: In boxing
parlance, losing the Hartlepool job was a bit
of a sucker-punch.
Higgy: It was a great place at first. We were
third bottom when I got there, and we
finished comfortably mid-table. We wanted
to kick on in the next season but when things
start happening to players off the pitch there’s
nothing a manager can do really. We were
always fire-fighting. There was no money-
and when you have people not being honest
with you, it’s not easy. It was an impossible
job but I was quite pleased with the job I did
because the players I brought in for nothing
have all been sold for money. I’m confident
we would have stayed up if I’d stayed. I don’t
blame the chairman totally, he’s listened to
some people he’s brought in, people who are
still there now, who I’d class as ‘hearts are in
the right place, but clueless at what they’re
doing’.
TL: What do you think of Boro’s prospects
this season?
Higgy: I’m really excited. Gary Monk is
going to be supported by (chairman) Steve
Gibson, who has said himself he wants to
obliterate the league. It’s a tough league but
if you have money behind you then you’ve
got a real chance. Hopefully we’ll see some
exciting football and a few goals.
TL: So what’s your next dream?
Higgy: Obviously I want to stay in football.
Unless people really know the ins and outs
of what happened at Hartlepool, I think I’ll
struggle to get a manager’s job. I thought
the football we played was good, but off-
the-field stuff took over. It was more like a
circus than a football club. I’ll need to start
coaching somewhere and then in time I’ll
have another crack at it, because it’s a job I
know I can do.
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