Only two people have made more appearances for Boro than John Hickton and he's the club's third leading goalscorer of all time. John is a Boro legend in every sense of the word.
We were privileged enough to be in the company of 'The King Of Ayresome Park' last week as Alastair Brownlee launched his new book 'Voice of the Boro' which he dedicated to Big John. John very kindly took time out to answer our questions...
COB: How did you come to sign for Boro from Sheffield Wednesday? Legend has it that you became unhappy after not being included in the 1966 FA Cup Final team?
JH: Correct, I was only 21 and had played fifty games in the First Division and scored twenty-one goals. I was the reserve centre-half but they picked someone else to play in the 1966 FA Cup Final team after the first team's centre-half was injured.
COB: How do you feel about still being dubbed 'The King Of Ayresome Park'?
JH: *smiles* Very proud and honoured.
COB: When Stan Anderson moved you from defence to attack were you excited or dubious about the change?
JH: Excited as my previous league experience was as a striker for Sheffield Wednesday and I loved scoring goals.
COB: You had six consecutive seasons as Boro's top scorer. Do you think this post-war record will ever be surpassed?
JH: I would be very surprised in modern day football because loyalty of players is not what it used to be and they move on.
COB: Of all your Boro team-mates, who was the best?
JH: All the teams I played with got on well with each other and played well as a team. There were a lot of outstanding individual players but if I have to choose then Willie Maddren was my favourite.
COB: What are your thoughts on John O'Rourke? Were you mates and if he had stayed, would we have been promoted under Stan Anderson? We think that the two Johns together may have gone on to be Boro's most successful strikeforce ever.
JH: From what I remember John wanted to move away from Middlesborough FC. He was a good striker and yes we possibly could have been Boro's most successful strikeforce ever.
COB: What was Jack Charlton's secret in gaining promotion in his first season with so little change to Stan Anderson's side?
JH: Good tactics and good team play.
COB: What would you say was the best Boro game you played in and what was your favourite Boro goal?
JH: The best Boro game I played in was the Oxford United promotion game in 1967. I scored a goal and John O'Roke scored three. We won 4-1 with thousands of supporters there inside and outside the ground.
Also beating my old club Sheffield Wednesday 8-0 in the promotion season of 1974 in Jack Charlton's era.
All the goals I have scored for Middlesborough gave me pleasure but a particularly memorable one was against Birmingham in the first game back after promotion from the Second Division. There was also an FA Cup quarter final goal against Manchester United at Ayresome Park in a 1-1 game.
COB: Did Alan Foggon really eat all the pies?
JH: Alan Foggon was a very good player and did outstandingly well for the team.
COB: How did your move to Fort Lauderdale Strikers come about and were you sad to leave Boro? Despite the broken leg early on (was it in the first game?) was the USA experience a good one?
David Chadwick was the coach in Fort Lauderdale. He was an ex Boro player. He had tried to get me over a few years before to play in America. It was all the rage to do at the time. George Best and Gordon Banks were on my team over there. I was very sad to leave Middlesbrough as I loved the football team and the people.
The USA experience was brilliant. If I had not broken my leg in the second game I would have stayed longer.
COB: What do you think about the modern game? Is it as good as when you were playing or is it just big business now? Are there any current players who you rate?
JH: The modern game is excellent, it is fast and furious, and there are some great teams. I do admit that it has developed in to a big business though.
Ryan Giggs and Didier Drogba are two current players I rate.
COB: What do you think about the current Boro team? Destined for success or doomed to fail?
JH: If they all play as a team and fight for each other then they have a chance of remaining in the Premier League.
COB: Were you ever tempted to go into managing or coaching and have you ever thought about writing your own biography?
JH: Managing or coaching didn't really interest me after playing.
As for a biography, I don't think anyone would be interested in my life story! *laughs*
COB: And finally, an obscure question. There used to be photos of you in the Boro Fish Bar on Linthorpe Road. There was one in particular of you scoring a penalty and you are in the back of the net with the ball. Any idea which game this was and where that photo went?
JH: No idea what happened to the photo but I do remember one in there. I'm not sure which game it was!
