Whatever became of .....
My earliest Hibee heroes?
by Katy Fraser

WE WERE ON THE VERGE of winning the Skol Cup and I'd really just started watching Hibs so I thought trips to Hampden, followed by victorious open top bus journeys along Princes Street would happen every year!  OK, I was wrong but I still follow the Hibs anyway!  Once you've got the bug and all that .......

Thinking back I can recall many players from that era and I have to confess it puts me into a kind of "Where are they now" mood.   Lots of my memories are good ones so I thought I'd share a few of them and maybe some of you fans out there can bring me up to date on the current whereabouts of some of my earliest green and white heroes.  I'll keep an eye on the messageboard for your responses!

The Goalie at that time was ... The Goalie!  I know he's still playing but I can't think where?  Andy was a handsome chap in those days, slim and with a lovely smile; just like now .... NOT!!  He was a great goalkeeper though and I'll always remember one save he made at Ibrox where he acrobatically flicked a McCoist thunderbolt over the bar. He'd no right to get anywhere near it and I nearly choked when an old Rangers supporting friend of mine said "Aye, good save but he should have held it!!"  Andy's understudy was Chris Reid, a guy I thought had it all but I've no idea where he is now.  Does he still play for anyone?

Is this handsome chap still around? (sns)

Defenders included Willie Miller, Joe Tortolano, Graeme Mitchell, Neil Orr, Gordon Hunter, Neal Cooper and Tommy McIntyre.  I always liked Miller - hard as nails; Joe T was badly treated by us Hibbies but always gave his all as far as I could see; Mitch was my favourite as he was Mr. Reliable; Neil Orr was handsome and debonair and not a bad footballer too!; Geebsie was just awesome and should have played for Scotland; Neal Cooper I don't remember much about and big Tommy Mac was Mr Cool from the penalty spot.  No idea where most of these guys are now.

In midfield we had the likes of Brian Hamilton, Pat McGinlay, Paul Kane, Davy Fellinger and Mickey Weir.  Hammy was what they call an enigma which is a footballing term for "no really that good!" Still, Alex Miller liked him and he did have "a good engine!"; McGinlay was brilliant in my view and scored some great goals for the boys and for "Margaret Hen" of course; Kano left Hibs too soon and I'd love to see him back there coaching because he just oozes Hibs; Fellinger I only really remember because I thought folk were saying "fell injured" and I thought he was really unlucky cos it seemed to happen to him in every game!!  Mickey was just wonderful - a real hero of mine.

I know that Paddy is at Ayr and I'm looking forward to seeing him in the Semi of the CIS, Kano is at St. Johnstone and Mickey coaches at Motherwell but where are the others these days?  I remember one game where Mickey was playing out of his skin and we were gubbing Dundee.  I was in the stand with a friend who came from Elgin but who was at Edinburgh Uni and agreed to chum me to the game.   Hibs fans were chanting "Hibees, Hibees" when she turned to me and asked "Why are they shouting Herpes?"  Well, she came from Elgin mind!

Up front we had Paul Wright then Keith Wright; Gareth Evans; Keith Houchen and Mark McGraw.  I think Paul Wright is at Falkirk and Keith is coaching at Cowdenbeath whilst Gareth is at Alloa.  As for Houchen and McGraw I don't have much of a scooby but then again, if my memory serves me correctly, neither did they!!   We didn't score loads of goals in those days although Keith Keith Keith did his bit and so was a hero of mine which should not surprise you!

Anyway, all you Hibbies - help me out here and locate those guys I couldn't.  It shouldn't be that hard with Hibs fans spread around the world and even that fact might come in handy in the future as years from now there will be some other fan, who's trying to trace the heroes of today and just think how difficult THAT might prove to be!