Steve Heighway

Steve Heighway

Heighway againstFC Zürichin 1977
Personal information
Full name	Stephen Derek Heighway
Date of birth	(1947-11-25)25 November 1947
Place of birth	Dublin,Ireland
Position(s)	Winger
Youth career
	Skelmersdale United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1970–1981	Liverpool	444	(76)
1981	Minnesota Kicks	26	(19)
1981–1982	Philadelphia Fever(indoor)	23	(19)
Total		493	(122)
International career
1970–1981	Republic of Ireland	26	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Stephen Derek Heighway(born 25 November 1947) is an Irish formerfootballerwho played as awinger.He was part of the successfulLiverpoolteam of the 1970s. Following his eleven-year spell at the club, he was ranked 23rd in the100 Players Who Shook The Koppoll.

Heighway became academy director at Liverpool in a period when the club welcomed players includingSteven Gerrard,Steve McManaman,Robbie FowlerandJamie Carragher.He retired in 2007 but later rejoined the Liverpool Academy in a consulting role, which he held until retiring again in 2022.

Life and playing career

Heighway was born inDublin,Ireland.His early education took place inSheffieldwhere he attended Ecclesall Junior School (until 1959), followed byHigh Storrs Schooland latterly Moseley Hall Grammar School for Boys in Cheadle, nearStockport.

Heighway's early promise as a winger was not spotted by professionals. Instead, he concentrated on his studies ineconomicsandpoliticsat theUniversity of WarwickinCoventry(where he started in 1966) achieving a 2:1.

In 1970, Heighway was studying for his final exams and playing forSkelmersdale Unitedwhen he was spotted by Liverpool's scouting system. With managerBill Shanklykeen to rebuild his ageing, underachieving team of the 1960s, Heighway was signed up swiftly in May of that year. It was due to Heighway's academic achievements that he got hisnickname'Big Bamber', while teammate and fellow university graduateBrian Hallwas dubbed 'Little Bamber' – both after the television programmeUniversity ChallengehostBamber Gascoigne.

A strong and fast left winger with two good feet, Heighway settled into top flight football after making his debut on September 22, 1970, in aLeague Cup2nd round replay atAnfieldagainstMansfield Town(3-2). Heighway opened his goalscoring account in the 51st minute of a 2–0 home league win overBurnleyon October 1, 1970.

A month later, he scored againstMerseysiderivalsEvertonin a hard-fought 3–2 win, after his team had found themselves 2–0 down not long into the second half. He stayed in the side for the rest of the season as Liverpool's new charges finished the league campaign strongly and also defeated Everton in the semi-finals of theFA Cupto reach the final atWembley.

Their opponents wereArsenal,who were after a coveted "double" having won theLeague championship.Heighway played confidently in a match that was goalless after 90 minutes and therefore needed a period of extra-time. Just two minutes into the added half-hour, Heighway received the ball wide on his left flank from substitutePeter Thompsonand started a run towards the Arsenal penalty area, with Gunners full backPat Ricetracking his run but unwilling to put in a tackle. With a swift turn outside Heighway gained a yard on Rice and hit a low drive into the net past ArsenalgoalkeeperBob Wilson,who had committed the cardinal goalkeeping sin of coming out too far from his near post to anticipate a cross, thereby leaving a gap that Heighway exploited. Sadly for Heighway and Liverpool, their opponents scored two goals in response.

Heighway settled into the Liverpool team for the next decade, winning the first of four League titles in 1973, along with theUEFA Cup.He returned to Wembley for another FA Cup final a year later as Liverpool facedNewcastle United.Heighway scored again with 16 minutes of the game remaining to make the score 2–0, latching on to a flick fromJohn Toshackafter a long clearance from goalkeeperRay Clemenceto slot a right-footed shot into the far corner. The game ended 3–0.

By now, Heighway was a regular for theRepublic of Irelandmaking his debut on 23 September 1970 againstPoland.He remained so for the whole of the 1970s, winning a total of 34 caps but never managing to score. He did have a goal disallowed in a qualifier for the1978 World CupagainstBulgariainSofia.On the domestic front, Heighway attained another League and UEFA Cup double with Liverpool in 1976 and then formed part of the side which came so close to the "treble" of League, FA Cup andEuropean Cup.

Liverpool won the League by a single point and again defeated rivals Everton in the semi-final to reach the FA Cup final, this time to face bitter rivalsManchester Unitedat Wembley. Liverpool lost 2–1 and the "treble" dream was dead.

Heighway scored his first goal of the 1977 European Cup in a 5–0 first round second leg win over Crusaders. He then scored in a 3–0 second round win against Trabzonspor and in the 3–1 semi-final first leg win over Zurich. Liverpool beatBorussia Mönchengladbach3–1 to win their first European Cup, with Heighway setting up both outfield goals forTerry McDermott,a defence-splitting pass, andTommy Smith,a corner.

In 1978, Heighway was on the bench as Liverpool retained the European Cup with a 1–0 victory overFC Brugesat Wembley, coming on as a substitute forJimmy Case.The following year he was again in the side frequently as Liverpool won another League title, but from 1980 onwards his opportunities in the side diminished.

Heighway stayed for two more seasons, appearing only occasionally in the team and missing out on two more League title medals, another European Cup triumph and a firstLeague Cupmedal, which was successfully defended a year later. He leftAnfieldin 1982 after 444 matches and 76 goals.

Heighway then prolonged his career with a move to theU.S.,joiningMinnesota Kicksfor the 1981 season. He played 26 games, scoring four goals. He then joined the coaching staff ofUmbro,which led to a position with the Clearwater Chargers where he pioneered the role of director of coaching in the United States. In 1989 he was asked to rejoin Liverpool to run their youthacademy,bringing promising youngsters up through the system until they were ready for the professional game. Among Heighway's successes wereSteve McManaman,Robbie Fowler,Steven Gerrard,Jamie Carragher,Dominic Matteo,David ThompsonandMichael Owen.

On 4 September 2006, a poll on Liverpool's official web site named Heighway 23rd out of100 Players Who Shook The Kop.

Heighway announced his retirement from Liverpool on 26 April 2007, immediately after the side he managed won theFA Youth Cupfor the second year running. He commented: "I don't know what the future holds just yet, we'll have to wait and see."

Heighway returned to working at Liverpool's Academy part-time in 2015, at the request of Academy DirectorAlex Inglethorpe,before taking up a full-time consultancy role later that year. After seven years in this position, he retired for a second time in December 2022.

Heighway also features in the popular Liverpool chant,Fields of Anfield Road,which is frequently sung by Liverpool fans during matches.

Honours

As a player

• Football League First Division:1972–73,1975–76,1976–77,1978–79,1979–80
• FA Cup:1973–74;runner-up:1970–71,1976–77
• Football League Cup:1980–81
• FA Charity Shield:1974,1976,1977 (shared),1979
• European Cup:1976–77,1977–78
• UEFA Cup:1972–73,1975–76
• UEFA Super Cup:1977

As Academy Director

• FA Youth Cup:1996,2006,2007

External links

• Steve Heighway–UEFAcompetition record (archive)
• Player profile at LFChistory.net
• Football heroes at Sporting-heroes.net
• NASL/MISL stats