The Legends have their day
It was fifty years ago - but the Famous Five legend will live forever

MY VERY FIRST HIBERNIAN SHIRT was of the white sleeved, 'proper' collar with buttons variety, you know the ones many Hibs fans seek out these days as a prized 'retro' shirt.  You would not believe how proud of that shirt I was, perhaps more so because it was given to my father by Jock Govan and duly handed on to myself.  Govan was a solid defender playing out his Hibernian career in the shadows, as all Hibs defenders of the day were playing.  They were playing in the shadows for five reasons - Gordon Smith, Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly, Eddie Turnbull and Willie Ormond.  This was not 'arguably' the greatest ever forward line in the history of Scottish football, no person in their right mind would argue against that simple fact, they were and are far and away the best that Scotland has every produced.  That they were produced at Easter Road has been a matter of considerable pride for generations of Hibs fans, but while many millions of words have been written about the five, for reasons that most of us could never fathom the use of modern video technology had never been put to the task of recording a glimpse of this great piece of football history.  That is no longer the case with the release this weekend of 'The Famous Five' in both VCR and DVD formats.

Smith, Johnstone, Reilly, Turnbull and Ormond - great deeds remembered in new video product

This video has been a long time in arriving, and I don't just mean by that the fact that it is the first such production dedicated to the deeds of these remarkable men in the 50-years that have passed since the last time they played together.  The first tantalising clips of Bobby Johnstone, Gordon Smith, Lawrie Reilly and Eddie Turnbull chatting about their careers were shown as part of the 'Inside Easter Road' video by the same team some years ago.  Quite why there should have been such a long delay in the final production of this video is not clear, however deliberate or not it has created a level of anticipation more than any other I can remember.  Time and again we have been asked on the Hibs.net message board just when the 'Famous Five' video would arrive - now we are at last delighted to say not only that it has arrived, but that it will not disappoint any die-hard Hibee, no matter what age they are.

The producers have shown a sure 'feel' for Hibernian and what Hibernian fans want in their various productions, and once again they have done so here.  We are presented with the cheeky grins of Gordon Smith as he recalls the training methods of the day dictated that the five rarely got near a football from one Saturday to the next.  Then we have the irrepressible Eddie Turnbull, interviewed in the old Easter Road boardroom surrounded by memories of Hibernian history, telling the story of how he set out to talk to Hibernian having been told by his father not to sign anything.  A couple of hours in that same boardroom, and he duly ignored that advice and signed for the Hibees, a decision that he was never to regret for one minute.  Then we have Lawrie Reilly, talking from outside the old Easter Road stand, a piece of nostalgia for Hibs fans just seeing that structure before Lawrie needed to utter a word about the £20 he was paid for signing up at Easter Road - and proudly revealing that this was double what his friend and hero Gordon Smith was paid!  Lawrie also admits that hero-worship did get the better of him a little in his early days at Easter Road, as he would repeatedly anger his team-mates by looking to pass the ball to Smith and only Smith!

Perhaps the most important aspect of this video however is the footage of Bobby Johnstone, who sadly passed away very shortly after filming.  Over the years Hibs fans have heard much from Reilly, Turnbull and Smith, and indeed Willie Ormond before his premature death in the 1980's, but any sort of interview with Bobby Johnstone was rare.  Bobby provides a fascinating insight into the football of his day, perhaps surprising Hibs fans by revealing that he was in fact Hearts-daft throughout his childhood before the young Johnstone signed up at Easter Road and played his part in the destiny of the Five.  The footage of Bobby playing alongside Reilly for Scotland is a further treat in itself, the quality of the old black and white 'Pathe News' footage almost as superb as the performance of these players for their country that it portrays.  It is however footage of Hibs taking on their nearest rivals of the day, Rangers, that makes this video a treasure.  The sight of over 100,000 fans at Hampden Park is a stark reminder of the days that football truly was the people's game, and the performance of the Hibees led by the 'Famous Five' demonstrated those days when Hibernian ruled the roost in Scottish football.

If you are a Hibs fan then you will enjoy this, I guarantee it.

'The Famous Five' is published by Correspondent Ltd, and is available from Saturday 5th July at the Hibs Club Shop.  Lawrie Reilly will be on hand from 12noon to 1pm on the first day of sale.

Hibs.net have two copies to give away - to have a chance of winning a copy, send the answer to the following question to editor@hibs.net, along with a contact telephone number.  Winners will be drawn from correct entries received up to 6pm on Tuesday 8th July, there will be another chance to win a copy on Radiohibs.net's 'Saturday Live' show this weekend.  Question: Lawrie Reilly was dubbed 'Last Minute Reilly' after scoring a goal in the closing minute of an international.  Who were the opponents?