Flashback – No happy Barnsley farewell for Craig Hignett at Wembley

A boyhood Liverpool fan, Hignett strode out on the hallowed turf in the home jersey of Barnsley 20 years ago today in their First Division play-off final against Ipswich Town, just as he did on two earlier occasions for Middlesbrough in both domestic cup showpieces in 1996-97.

He missed out on Wembley selection in Boro’s League Cup final there in 1998, with his replacement in Paul Gascoigne – making his club debut as a second-half substitute – giving him his medal.

Sadly, it was a losing one as the others were.

There was at least a spot of consolation in finding the net for Barnsley – then managed by Dave Bassett – in that 4-2 loss to Ipswich in the club’s first-ever Wembley appearance. But not too much.

Hero of the hour for Ipswich – who had failed in four previous play-off forays under George Burley – was Richard Wright.

Wright may have inadvertently diverted Hignett’s brilliant early strike into the net after it came back off the crossbar – but his part in saving a key penalty on the stroke of half-time from Darren Barnard when the score was 1-1 swung the game decisively to Ipswich.

Town forged a 3-1 lead deep into the second half, only for Hignett to reduce the arrears from the spot. Wright then took centre stage again to make a pivotal save to thwart Georgi Hristov before a late fourth from Martijn Reuser sealed victory for Ipswich.

Hignett told The Yorkshire Post: “We got off to a great start and if we’d scored the penalty near half-time, things might have been different. But it was not a 4-2 game...

“Georgi had the header at 3-2 and he really should have buried it. But Richard Wright had one of those games.

“They were a bit of a bogey side and they’d done us by six at their place. On the day, they had a game plan and I was man-marked and Matty Holland ended up following me all over the pitch.

“When you look back, we had a lot of the game and the big opportunities went their way,” he added.

Fate would also decree that it was Hignett’s final Barnsley appearance before a £2.2m move to Blackburn Rovers.

Hignett, who would later triumph at Wembley in the blue and white of Rovers in the League Cup final of 2002, added: “Harry (Bassett) knew before the game that if we didn’t win, he’d have to wheel and deal to get his budget where it needed to be for next season.

“I was 30 at the time and didn’t really have a say in what happened. He was getting good money for me. It was just a matter of where I would go.”

Wembley may have been the ending no-one wanted, but Hignett’s memories of his joyride at Barnsley – from the time when he netted twice on his debut in a 7-1 win over Huddersfield in November 1998 – remain warm.

The 1999-2000 campaign was one where most of Hignett touched would turn to gold. A 22-goal haul is testament to that, even if it took a bit of time to ignite under Bassett.

He recalled: “It was a really enjoyable season. We knew we could give anyone a game and it was tinged in disappointment that we were in the play-offs as we had a real chance at one stage of having a go for automatic.

“We knew we could score goals; it was whether we could keep them out at the other end.

“I think it was my best scoring season. Every time I got the ball, the goal looked massive.

“Although it took Harry a little bit to get to know us all and me in particular.

“Early on, I was on the bench for a couple of games and I went to see Harry as I heard rumours he was trying to get rid of me. I said: ‘Look, if you want me to go, I’ll go – but if I am in your plans, I’d expect to play.’

“Harry was great and just said: ‘Look, I am not trying to get rid of you, I am just trying to find a system that suits us. I am sure you will get a chance.’

“If you did the business for him, he was a really good man-manager.

“You wanted to play for him and he’d look after you.

“I remember one of the last games where we were guaranteed our place in the play-offs and wouldn’t not go up and down a place. We were playing one of my old clubs Crewe, who were in danger of getting relegated and he said: ‘Look, I am thinking about resting you – get yourself away on holiday, you can have a week off.

“I ended up getting off for a week and it was just the best thing and when I came back for the play-offs, I was fresh and did not feel like I’d had a full season,” he said.

Like at Boro, Barnsley remain a club which made an indelible mark in the soul of the Scouser, who came close to being named as manager on two separate occasions.

Hignett added: “I did nearly end up there and it is ‘what ifs’ in football. But I go back and it is great.

“The club is a little bit different now. But when you pull up and see the old ground, I still get butterflies as I had such a good period there. It was a proper, family local club.

“The way they have redeveloped the ground is brilliant. But whether they can do anything with that Oakwell side, I don’t know.

“I wouldn’t want them to – even though it is old and battered, it looks proper.”

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