by Fred Legget

Date: 4 December 2003

On the weekend of the Rugby World Cup Final, most sports fans in Australia were flying into Sydney International Airport to take in the Australia v England showdown, but not the Oz based Hibbies, who had a much more important venue to get to.  Flights were booked, trains were caught, and buses were boarded, not to Sydney’s impressive Telstra Stadium, but to Melbourne’s Moonee Valley Racecourse Function Centre, to pay homage to St Alby of Dens.

Albert Kidd, a player who never wore the green and white of Hibs, but whom, because of his two title denying goals against Hearts on 3 May 1986, has a special place in Hibs folklore, was flown over from Adelaide, along with his delightful wife Maureen, as very special guests of honour.  There is an “urban myth” still sworn to be true by some, that Alby (as he is now known) was once bestowed with the “Hibs Supporters Player of the Year Award” for 1986, for his much appreciated efforts that fateful day.  The reality is something different however, or I should say was, and Alby confirmed that although he had been invited to similar functions by various Celtic supporters clubs, he had never before received such an invite from a Hibs based group.  Better late than never, and if nothing else, the Australia branch takes great pride in having been able to confirm face to face with the man, just how much his two goals DID mean to the green half of Edinburgh, and thank him personally.

The function was attended by over 60 Hibs supporters, and as you would expect, the venue was appropriately decorated!  Apart from two hundred odd green balloons, blown up photographs of Alby scoring and a few of greeting Hearts supporters at Dens, were displayed on the walls of the function centre.  Also numerous match reports of the Dundee v Hearts game that day from the Edinburgh News and other papers had been obtained and were liberally sprinkled on walls and pillars throughout..

As you entered the room, a specially set up video replayed the game from Dens Park, and apart from the cheers that went up when Alby scored, the main talking point seemed to be that yes, at one point his fellow team mate that day, Jim Duffy, actually DID have hair at one time in his life!  As one would expect, beer was drunk, songs were sung, and stories told.  One of the most amusing was told indeed by Alby himself, and centred on a chance meeting he had with the Big Yin, Billy Connolly in an Adelaide hotel.  Alby was attending a function in the hotel the story goes, when he entered the lift, and there by chance was Billy Connolly himself, who was returning from a gig he had just performed at in Adelaide.

THAT goal!

“Big Man!” exclaimed Alby and shook his hand.

“Your Scottish?” enquired Connolly, as much out of politeness as anything else.

The conversation progressed along normal small talk lines until Billy Connolly asked Alby what he did for a living, to which Alby replied that he was involved in football in Australia.

“Really?” asked the Big Yin, “did you play back home?”

“Yes, I played for a few clubs, among them Motherwell and Dundee” replied the ever-modest Alby.

“Were you any good?” asked the famous visitor.

“Well I dunno about that Billy, but I guess my claim to fame was that on the last day of the season I scored two goals against Hearts that cost them………

“ALBERT KIDD!!!” Billy Connolly interrupted mid sentence, bellowing, gazing upon his new friend open mouthed.

“I can’t believe it!”

“Here I am in Adelaide and I’m in a lift with Albert Kidd…I was at Love Street that day when the news came through and we won the league as a result!”

(For those in any doubt, both Connolly and Alby Kidd are of the Celtic persuasion.)

That was just one of the stories told in what was a nostalgic night of fun and laughter – and some are better not repeated in a public forum!

Alby Kidd, who now has his own Property Management Company as well as being involved in football radio in Adelaide, looks as if he is still fit enough to turn out against Hearts should the call ever come, and impressed everyone with his down to earth, modest and friendly manner.  I was fortunate to the be the person afforded the honour of putting to rest the Urban Myth mentioned earlier, when as the highlight of the night’s proceedings, I presented him with a framed certificate on behalf of Hibs supporters everywhere, proclaiming him to be the “Australia Branch Player of The Year 1986.”  So now if anyone wants to bet you whether Alby was voted Hibs Player of The Year despite never having played in a green jersey, the answer is Yes, and we have the photos and certificate to prove it!

And before any disgruntled Jambos take up bandwidth, a couple of things:

One, a previously unknown to me Hearts supporter in Edinburgh, forwarded to me a mint condition programme from the match at Dens that day way back on 3 May 1986, with a request that I get Alby to sign the programme and return it to him – something which I was more than happy to do.

Gluttons for punishment these Jambos!

Also, before any of our Jambo chums chide us for celebrating their misfortune, I’m sure that just 6 weeks after Alby’s glorious double, that they were doing a very similar thing themselves, when they lauded one Diego Armando Maradona’s “Hand of God’ incident that eliminated England from the World Cup!

Alby, who admitted to being flattered and humbled by the praise and adulation passed on to him by Hibs supporters, has asked me to pass his best wishes to Hibs supporters everywhere, and I am more than happy to do so.  Just as Maradona’s actions some six weeks later would see him elevated to the position of Honorary Scotsman, so Albert Kidd’s double on 3 May 1986, saw him being welcomed as an “Honorary Hibee legend!”

And now he has the certificate to prove it!