hibLOG
UPDATED -
27 August 2002
LATEST: Season 89-90
Also! Ropey pictures of Easter Road showing the old East Terracing...Click here!
These pages contain a selective archive of newspaper cuttings and programmes covering most of the major events (and many minor ones) in the history of Hibernian Football Club from 1986 to the present day.
Since I moved from Edinburgh to Cambridge in late 1986 my good old Dad has been faithfully snipping out the football pages of The Scotsman newspaper and sending them down to me so that I can keep in touch with Scottish football, and Hibs in particular. These pages are therefore something of a tribute to his dedication rather than mine - and he doesn't even follow football!
On the increasingly rare occasions when I've managed to get to a game I've tried to collect a programme, and those are included, sometimes in place of press cuttings. They aren't always of the big games (neither are the cuttings) but always provide something of interest to the diehard Hibby (which you must be or you wouldn't be here).
This is a work in (slow) progress - I'll be adding pages in chronological order as and when I have time and will post notification of updates to the Hibs list and the Message Board at Hibs.net. If anyone has any information to add to any of the pages - personal memories, anecdotes, libel suits etc - please feel free to mail me at fraserp@quista.net. No comments on the budget web authoring please - like a team trained by Alex Miller, dull functionality is the watchword here.
When do we panic?
Those of you who think four straight defeats at the beginning of the season is the worst ever start by Hibs in the League are obviously too young to remember 1985 (or have erased it from your oft wounded memories). For the evidence, take a look at the stats.
Somehow I don't think we are about to embark on a sizzling League Cup run as we did that season however. In 1985 we beat both Celtic AND Rangers on the way to Hampden, where unfortunately Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen were waiting for us.
The way we are playing at the moment Alex Miller's Aberdeen could beat us. Probably with a last minute goal.
Old Firm double
Therapy? This week the archives have some in the form of another pair of victories in the latter part of season 89-90 over both Rangers and Celtic. Smile at the irony of Rangers falling to a late penalty, and chuckle at the idea of Gareth Evans being scouted by an English top flight side.
There is also, I'm afraid to say, another derby defeat at the hands (or should I say feet) of John Robertson sandwiched between these games.
And if you think it's time the Scottish Premier League was enlarged to include the top first division sides, then you are very slow to catch on. Scottish football has been reconstructed more often than Michael Jackson's nose, and as you can see, enlargement is not a new idea.
19 August 2002
TV Magic wears off
A couple of seasons ago Hibs developed a nice habit of winning most of their games when they were televised. This made life pleasant for the exiled Sky-watcher like me.
Now, however, neutrals will be tuning in every time Hibs are on live TV in the expectation of seeing plenty of goals flying past our keeper. That's nine in two consecutive weeks.
I didn't expect it to be much different yesterday, my prediction for EuroHibby's competition being 1-4, so thanks Gary O for buggering up that small consolation as well.
'Goal-hungry Hibs'
Ok, when was the last time you saw that sort of headline? Check out the Scrapbook for season 89-90 and give yourself warm fuzzy memories of the days when we could put five past mighty teams like East Fife.
Also in the archives this week, a truly horrifying picture of Paul Wright on his arrival at Easter Road. It's fairly close up, so be warned.
Those with an interest in egg-chasing may be happily reminded of Scotland's Grand Slam of 1990, achieved on the same day Hibs went out the Scottish Cup at Tannadice.
Infirm-watch
Celtic apparently at their predatory game again, with rumours in the press that Aberdeen's young Scottish international Phil McGuire was on his way to Parkhead. I'm not sure if this story surfaced before Celtic visited Pittodrie last week, but the timing of the next story, just before Aberdeen's UEFA Cup tie has a familiar ring to it. McGuire played against the Moldovans and can not now play any part in Celtic's European campaigns if he does eventually move.
The clear implication from Aberdeen officials is that Celtic were tapping the youngster. If not in actuality, then perhaps by that tried and tested method the speculative newspaper story. Readers may well be familiar with this technique if they can cast their minds back to the cases of Kenny Miller, Alex McLeish, Ulrik Laursen, and Gary O'Connor. Oh, sorry, that last transfer hasn't happened. Yet.
Alex Ferguson, meanwhile, has obviously been on a very long holiday this summer as he seems to think that the Old Firm are still going to join the Nationwide League. At least he agrees that Scotland would be better off without them though.
12 August 2002
Gloomy Sunday
Oh dear oh dear. Deprived of even radio commentary to listen to for Sunday's visit to Tynecastle (thanks to the Old Firm's continuing greed and selfishness) I logged on for the result later in the day. 5-1, Jesus... I pity those of you who have to go to work today and face your Jambo colleagues.
I haven't had a chance to read any of the reports yet, but I think I must be right in saying that is our heaviest defeat to the Yams for over 30 years.
We will always have 6-2, and the 30th anniversary of 7-0 approaches, but that one is going to fester for a while...
Archive Archie
No good hidings of Hearts from history to console ourselves with in the archives this week. Just the tale of Steve Archibald's decaying relationship with Hibs.
Left out of the team to play Motherwell in January 1990, Archibald stropped out of Fir Park before the game started. Hibs MD Jim Gray later uttered the immortal line, 'As ever, though, Steve goes his own way, and on Tuesday night it was in a taxi.'
Elsewhere that month, Billy McNeill denied wanting to sign John Collins for Celtic, Mark McGraw arrived at Easter Road as the most wanted young striker in Scotland (oh yes he was), and two Dublin businessmen were knocked back in their attempt to put an Irish side in the Scottish league. Said League President Jack Steedman: 'There is more chance of me winning Miss World than the Scottish League accommodating an Irish side.' So that'll be a 'no' then Jack?
7 August 2002
LATE AGAIN...
Woops, Sunday night came and went with no updates. Tut tut. I got distracted by excellent TV on The Roots of Reggae, and then Ray Mears teaching me how to survive if ever on the run in the Asian jungle pursued by the Viet-cong. Useful stuff.
Talking of evil foes, tales of two games against the Huns up on the archives now, including a programme from December 89 which features a special treat for the ladeez... Go to Season 89-90.
Hibs start new season in style
In style of last season that is, by losing to a goal scored in the seventh minute of injury time by Aberdeen. Last year's end of term report read 'must learn to concentrate more'. Lessons not learnt.
Ulrik Laursen has gone. O'Connor is rumoured to be going. We have re-signed Mixu and Matty Jack. Oh huzzah! Roll out the bunting and crack that champagne we've been keeping. No football on telly beginning to look like blessing in disguise.
Today the Renfrewshire Times, tomorrow the world!
For students of media rights, a look at Celtic's desperate attempts to take utter and complete control of every single image of a bhoy in hoops taken anywhere ever. But it's all been sorted now so that's alright. Until the next time.
Football and politics don't mix
After Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern's recent embarassing kick-about, it was the turn of German politician Gerhard Stobier to prove the adage last week. At a publicity photo shoot, Herr Stobier ran up to take a penalty kick but blootered the ball wide of the goal, where a middle aged woman took the full force of the ball in her pan, breaking her glasses and badly cutting her face. Own goal!
Fraser's logs
Last week turned into a gastric nightmare of jungle survival proportions. I won't go into any more detail, except to recommend Immodium from the bottom of my bottom.
Not a matter of life and death
Well it is actually. Must go and watch the latest episode of Six Feet Under, a heart warming tale of ordinary L.A. undertakers...
29 July 2002
UPDATES!!!
See? I promise and I deliver. Ok maybe not the bit about Paul Wright's spotty mug, but that is coming a bit later. For now you can deal with Hibs in Europe - and I don't mean pre-season - and shady board room shenanigans. Plus ca change... See the link to the left...
Pies
Spent most of this weekend feeling as though I'd dined on one of Dens Park's worst pies. A charming Vietnamese meal on Friday night led to the Saturday from Hell. Managed to keep a bacon butty down on Sunday night. Hell of a way to slim though.
25 July 2002
Time for refreshment.
The scrapbook hasn't been updated for over a year and a half (!), and I need some excuse to get into it again before the mound of newspaper cuttings forces me to buy a bigger house.
So, for the forthcoming season this page will be updated every Monday (oh yeah) with personal observations on events in the Hibee Nation, as seen from exile in Cambridge.
I wont call it a blog, because that's so.... bloggy. It's not another Hibs news page, it'll all be reheated by the time you read it here. It just seems like a better way of making me update the scrapbook. Promise I'll try and add a new cutting to the archive each week.
Ulises sails on
As I write, Ulises De La Cruz is probably settling into his new surroundings at the Wednesbury Motor Inn, courtesy of Deadly Doug Ellis, and looking forward to training with his new Aston Villa team mates.
According to his recent interview with Ecuador's answer to Scot FM, Ulises has been following Villa's progress in the Premiership and knows the players and how they play and everything. Which is amazing as he never quite seemed to work that out over a whole season at Easter Road.
I faithfully predict that he'll make many appearances for Villa, and many disappearances too, mostly during games, and then probably disappearing once and for all when his agent completes the Spanish deal which he's probably working on right now.
TV Bummer
The BBC have stepped in to offer coverage of the SPL for the next two years, it seems. Hooray! Sweetie money for our beloved Hibees and football on the telly after all.
All very well for those of you still living at hame wi yer mammies. Unfortunately for us brave, intrepid, empire-building pioneers now living outwith the broadcast zone of BBC Scotland that means NAE FITBA ON TELLY!
Seems Sky was useful for something then. Takings at The Maypole in Cambridge will plummet.
Not a matter of life and death
There is life outside football. Apparently. Just ask any retired player working behind the bar of his own pub, or delivering post, or being held hostage in a prison rebellion.
Sometimes I do things unrelated to football, or Hibs even. If I think any of them are really interesting I might inflict them on you lot too.
First up, for those of you who think the War on Terror is no laughing matter, think again. David Rees is a Canadian who has spent too long studying office training manual clipart and listening to hip hop. Get Your War On makes me laugh lots. Read the filing and fighting stuff too. Sorry if you don't like it, just ignore me.
Hibs.net - look no further for the latest news on Hibs...
Fans FC.com...unless it's here first ;^)
Hibs List - subscribe here to the original and best Hibs email list
Hibernation FC - Doug Raith's fabulous collection of cuttings and programmes from 1978-89, neatly complementing these pages
The Hibees Bounce - the latest addition to the family of Hibs websites. It's kind of... bouncy.
EuroHibby - Rob King's prediction competition. Go on, have a punt.
Hibernian FC - official club site
Not a matter of life and death