2001 was more than an
Odyssey for Hibs!
...but it has left plenty 'space'
for improvement! - STUART CROWTHER
AS
A TEENAGER I REMEMBER BEING almost
as captivated by the vision of the future provided by the move '2001: A
Space Odyssey' as I was by the likes of Pat Stanton, Alex Edwards and
Jimmy O'Rourke. I say almost as captivated as those who have been
reading this weekly rant will know my own planet revolves around the Sun
on Leith and little else!
Here
we are then with the last Supplement of the year, a year that started with
every Hibs fan riding on the crest of a massive wave but ending with the
wave crashing on the foreshore and splintering into the rocks! Hell
we are not fools are we, this is what having Hibernian Football Club as a
major part of your life is all about after all, if there is one thing that
never changes it is that simple and inescapable fact. This of course
does not stop us looking ahead with confidence, and quite why I'm saying
this I don't know but I retain a great deal of confidence for the
future. I predict a great year for Hibernian in 2002, call me an
irrational fool (as many no doubt will) but I honestly believe that Hibs
have found a magic formula that is probably as difficult to understand as
that aforementioned movie was!
The
basis for such optimism? Let's just take a look back over the last
year. It was pointed out more than a few times that Hibs managed
just 8 league victories during the entire year. That is a surprising
fact giving the feel-good factor that remained around Easter Road
throughout most of the year, as only in the last month did alarm bells
really start to ring loud and clear. So what was it that kept that
feel-good factor in place despite the apparent lack of anything to shout
about? Well the Scottish Cup certainly helped. Back in
January, when Hibs were relaxing in Spain during the winter break, I
suspect that much of the talk was not about Hibs playing in Europe, as by
that time our league position was such that only a fool could predict
anything other than a top-3 slot for the club and the UEFA Cup slot that
went with it. Alex McLeish of course was making noises at the time
about taking nothing for granted, but even he knew the work in league
terms had already been done.
"So
the switch in priorities was made, and the Scottish Cup became the No.1
target for Hibs."
So the
switch in priorities was made, and the Scottish Cup became the No.1 target
for Hibs. As each round in that competition unfolded, Hibs never
looked like doing anything else other than reaching the final come May,
although it has to be said that lady luck did help along the way with the
draw for each round ensuring Hibs avoided serious challenge!
Everything was looking just fine then as the season moved on, but those
with an ear to the inside at the club knew that there was an undercurrent
of unrest, the public face of a harmonious and fun-filled Hibs squad was
easily pierced by the daily articles on Hibs.net reporting player x
seeking a better deal while player y no longer cared much for the club as
he was leaving in the summer anyway. The fans though continued to
ride the roller coaster and scream with glee as the road to Hampden was
becoming a very familiar one.
Even
in defeat in the May sunshine at Hampden, the Hibs army of fans rose as
one to let it be known they were not about to forget the overall events of
the 2000/01 season. And quite right too, after years of doom and
gloom Hibs fans did honestly have something to celebrate, it may not have
been in the form of shiny silver to lock away in the new Easter Road
boardroom but that never mattered much anyway, Hibs fans seek only honest endeavour
and above all, entertainment - and that had been in plentiful supply
throughout.
Mixu scores - but he did not know if he was coming or going in the end
(sns)
The
Summer months brought no let-up in the Hibee party, in spite of the fact
that Alex McLeish was demonstrating some amazing contortions in his search
for a strike-force for the coming season. Long weeks of wrangling
over Marc Libbra, who eventually turned his back on Easter Road and
followed the money to Norwich, even more heart-wrenching by McLeish over
Mixu Paatelainen who was told he could not remain at the club but in spite
of that still joined Hibs for a pre-season tour of France, and then the
decision to sign Craig Brewster who joined the club in France as much
because at around a grand a week he was a cheap 'fix' for what was
becoming a serious problem. The resulting changes in playing staff
through these summer months culminating in the signing of Ulises de la
Cruz gave cause for more excitement among the Hibs support, and no let-up
in the feel-good factor as Hibs had also gone through a good pre-season
build-up in France.
The
start of the new season did not provide any immediate signal that Hibs
would have anything other than another good season. An opening day
draw at Easter Road provided courtesy of goals from Franck Sauzee and
Ulrik Laursen may have been followed by defeat at Dundee, but when Hibs
bounced back with a home win over Aberdeen all in the garden looked rosy,
the depth of the new squad was being spoken of in glowing terms and season
ticket sales were brisk. Good wins over Motherwell, Dunfermline and
St Johnstone had the Hibees in heaven again, even the 2-0 defeat in Athens
as Hibs returned to European football was turned into a giant party.
Then came the home leg against the Greek side, and the atmosphere that
night and again a few weeks later when Hearts came calling will go down
without doubt as the two moments in 2001 that no Hibs fans will ever
forget.
Just one reason to be confident about the future! (sns)
All
good things come to an end of course, but the fall from October to
December that came for Hibs was hard to either accept or understand!
And yet... that damn feeling that we were not as bad as results were
indicating persisted, and hell it still does! Football fans are not
blind, they don't like being beaten, and certainly don't rest easy when
long spells without victory are their lot, but the Hibs support have for
the most part remained up-beat because the simple truth is that even while
Alex McLeish was twisting the knife in the back of the Hibernian faithful,
they remained defiant. The year 2001 then has been a lot more than
just an Odyssey for the Hibs support, it has been in spite of everything a
superb year. Superb because Hibs fans have never lost their belief;
superb because of during these two games at Easter Road against AEK Athens
and Hearts they demonstrated that belief in an amazing chorus of 'Sunshine
on Leith' that even now makes the hairs of the back of my neck rise just
thinking about it.
So I
believe that 2002 will bring great rewards to the Hibs support, god knows
they deserve it more than most.
From everyone at
Hibs.net can I take this opportunity to wish you all a very, very Happy New Year!
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