Christie, Riggott reunited with McClaren at Middlesbrough
The terms of the deal for the duo was finalised yesterday and the two players were at the Riverside to watch Boro's amazing 5-2 home defeat to Aston Villa last night. They are understood to have moved to Middlesbrough on loan deals with a view to permanent transfers in the summer.
Christie, 23, is considered one of the best forwards outside the Premiership while Riggott, 22, has been one of the mainstays of the Derby defence.
Cash-strapped Derby are 15th in the First Division and look to be out of the race for a place in the play-offs for promotion to the top flight.
McClaren was forced to shelve, at least temporarily, plans to sign Leeds midfielder Seth Johnson another of his former proteges at Derby earlier in the week after the player, whose career has been plagued with injury, failed a medical.
Meanwhile, the director of the 2004 European Football Championships, which Portugal will host, said yesterday he was aiming for stadiums at the tournament to be at least 75% full.
"Being Portuguese, I would love to see the stadiums as full as possible and an 80% stadium capacity would be satisfactory and a relative success," Antonio Laranjo said.
"Anything beyond that is in fact really good for an event of this nature. Below 75% I would say is below expectations."
He added ticket prices would be based on those used during the last European football tournament in 2000, jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands, but updated to take into account inflation".
CORK City will meet Bohemians in the Eircom U-21 Cup final following a dramatic penalty shoot-out at Turners Cross last night.
Eoghan Lougheed was the Cork hero, grabbing an 87th minute equaliser for Cork, and netting the decisive spot kick to give his side a 7-6 penalty victory.
Cillian Lordan had put City ahead, but Pats battled back through Aidan O'Keeffe and Paul Marney.
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