Greece is the word
.... on every Hibs supporters lips this week
by Pat Stanton
AFTER WHAT
SEEMS LIKE an endless wait we are on the threshold today of our latest European venture
and for all I've been involved as a player in the past I am just as excited at the
prospect of following Hibs to Athens as a supporter.
As I was saying last
week, I've been involved in some interesting trips over the years but they've not always
been to play in European competitions!! Hibs used to go on some cracking pre season
trips and one of my favourites was when we toured Canada in the seventies, when Bob
Shankley was the boss. I know we've a lot of supporters who live in Canada now and
they might enjoy hearing this wee story.
When my Mum heard we
were going to Canada she reminded me that a family friend had gone to live there some
years before. "If you see young Tommy Barret over there, tell him we're asking
for him" she instructed me. I don't think she had any idea just how huge a
country Canada is but like a good son I promised I'd look out for him.
We flew directly to
Vancouver and played the local side there before going on to play games in Calgary,
Regina, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Montreal and Toronto and if you know the country you'll know
that involved thousands of miles of travel but we were always made very welcome wherever
we went.
In Montreal we
played a team called Montreal Italia and it was a wee bit of a kicking match with the
crowd on top of us in a wee stadium. One guy in particular, a blond haired defender,
was putting it about big style and we were all glad when the final whistle blew. As
we left the pitch the blond guy made a beeline for me and I thought "Oh aye, here we
go"
Sidling up to me,
blondie says "Hi Pat, how's yer Mum and Dad? I've no seen them for years"
Unbelievably, it was my old neighbour Tommy Barret so I said "Aye, my Mother's
said to say hello but carrying on like that you're getting Craigmillar a bad name over
here!!!!"
When I got back to
Scotland and was visiting my Mum I said "I met that guy Tommy Ma, and he was asking
for you" She smiled and said "A nice laddie him; very quiet" I
just smiled back and said "He's no changed" as I pictured him in my mind kicking
lumps out of my team mates! Don't know what he's doing nowadays mind!
Whenever I think of
these trips I always think of my very good mate Jimmy O'Rourke who was a tremendous player
that never really got the recognition he deserved. In the first team at 16 he could
have gone to the very top had it not been for that unfortunate injury at Tannadice that
night. But Jimmy was a real joker. In Montreal he got them to page one of the
Directors, Jimmy Powrie, to take an important call. When Jimmy got to the desk they
looked puzzled as to why he was there and then Rourkie would burst out laughing!
Jimmy was my room
mate at Hibs and then when I travelled with Scotland I roomed a few times with Kenny
Dalgleish. Lots of folk think he's dour but he's not really. He likes a laugh
and he was great company.
Turning my mind back
to the trip to Athens I'm hoping we all have a great time, the result is good and we do
what Hibs fans do so well - have a good and friendly relationship with the locals. I
remember the friendliness after the Anderlecht game and I'm sure this occasion will be the
same.
I really do hope
you'll come up and say hello if we meet on the journey or at the hotel. Always happy
to talk Hibs and I'll be back soon with some stories of Athens
Until next time
..........
Pat |
