FF Formation

[brydekirk]

can anybody tell me what formation was used by the Famous Five? Did they have a good defence or did they just score more goals than everyone else.

[HIBERNIAN-0762]

can anybody tell me what formation was used by the Famous Five? Did they have a good defence or did they just score more goals than everyone else.


Only going of what my Dad and his brothers told me but they were untouchable up front but alas the defence was prone to the odd gaffe (no change there then) and it's ironic to think that the Tornadoes were the same

[Bayern Bru]

2-3-5.
They were pretty decent up front :wink: but as the previous poster says, the team wasn't a stranger to the odd mistake here and there.

[Billy]

can anybody tell me what formation was used by the Famous Five? Did they have a good defence or did they just score more goals than everyone else.

I believe they used to play either an "M" Formation or a "W" formation (The 5 of them). I'm sure one of our more mature fans will confirm later. :greengrin

[jdships]

I believe they used to play either an "M" Formation or a "W" formation (The 5 of them). I'm sure one of our more mature fans will confirm later. :greengrin

That's how it was !
The amazing thing was they could change the formation during a game to suit the situation .
There was a "Plan A /B/C " in fact .
The tendancy , however, was to have Smith & Ormond playing wide at all times allowing 8/9/10 freedom.
These three were almost impossible to " man to man mark"
I realise I can be accused of being OTT about the "Famous 5" but it is correct to ask "Will we ever see their likes again? "

:notworthy:

[mim]

"Will we ever see their likes again? "
:notworthy:

No, not in this country anyway. :boo hoo:

I didn't see too much of the FF - Bobby Johnstone was sold to Man City when I was only 9 years old. The rest of them were around for another few years, tho.

As regards formation, I don't think any team really played 2-3-5.
The formation was more like 3-4-3, with the centre half and the two full backs making up the back line, the two wing halves and the two inside forwards making up the midfield and the two wingers and the centre forward giving 3 up front.

As jdships says (and he will have seen a lot more than me), we had so many quick and skillful players that it was impossible to man mark them effectively.

I would also mention that Bobby Combe gave us a Famous Six - 53 goals in over 250 games in the same era.

What a priviledge to have seen these players. :agree:

[Number69]

I watched an interview with a certain Mr Turnbull which stated there were no formations, 5 upfront and 5 at the back simple as that.:confused:

[jdships]

I watched an interview with a certain Mr Turnbull which stated there were no formations, 5 upfront and 5 at the back simple as that.:confused:


From my earlier post
The amazing thing was they could change the formation during a game to suit the situation .
There was a "Plan A /B/C " in fact .
The tendency , however, was to have Smith & Ormond playing wide at all times allowing 8/9/10 freedom.
These three were almost impossible to " man to man mark"

Ned is right - the formation was on paper and when on the park they played as they saw it !!
I played against them three times and it was "men against boys" for
me - big time :greengrin
Finnigan and Kean ,the two halfbacks (4 an 6) , were like terriers and gave you no peace plus they picked up the odd goal .
This allowed 8/9/10 to play it all off the cuff.
Govan ,Aird & Shaw were often guilty of getting caught out on breakaway counter attack - the maxim seemed to be "as long we score more than them we win "!!
Liverpool operated the same plan years later with equal success !
With the F5 it really was the "beautiful game" !

:thumbsup:

[vahibbie]

I watched an interview with a certain Mr Turnbull which stated there were no formations, 5 upfront and 5 at the back simple as that.:confused:

How did the midfield no get over-run:devil:

[bubblesmorrison]

How did the midfield no get over-run:devil:

brian kerr must of been there :greengrin

[Bayern Bru]

No, not in this country anyway. :boo hoo:

I didn't see too much of the FF - Bobby Johnstone was sold to Man City when I was only 9 years old. The rest of them were around for another few years, tho.

As regards formation, I don't think any team really played 2-3-5.
The formation was more like 3-4-3, with the centre half and the two full backs making up the back line, the two wing halves and the two inside forwards making up the midfield and the two wingers and the centre forward giving 3 up front.

As jdships says (and he will have seen a lot more than me), we had so many quick and skillful players that it was impossible to man mark them effectively.

I would also mention that Bobby Combe gave us a Famous Six - 53 goals in over 250 games in the same era.

What a priviledge to have seen these players. :agree:

Thanks for enlightening me on this one Mike. I'm off to find the shyster who told me that every team played 2-3-5 week in week out. :agree:

[Number69]

How did the midfield no get over-run:devil:


Yogi was still pishin his nappies at the time :greengrin

[Dan Sarf]

From my (maybe dodgy) memory it was a very flexible W formation with the two wingers charging up and down the touchline (and occasionally swapping wings). Bobby had gone by the time I watched them but I remember Willie loved his back heelers, Eddie had a shot like a howitzer, Lawrie was tenacious and a deadly finisher and Gordon really was as magnificent as they say. And, when Bobby returned years later, a tubby shadow of his former self, he could still drop the ball on Joe Baker's toe when Joe was travelling about sixty miles an hour towards the opposition's penalty box. The defence? I don't really remember the defence but we must have had one I suppose. :thumbsup:

[Jonnyboy]

The Five have been described well by my fellow oldies but to answer the question re the defence or other six if you prefer it is best just to quote the words of Lawrie Reilly

"Aye we were the Famous Five but we'd have won nothing on our own it it wasn't for the Stupendous Six behind us. Those guys deserve as much recognition as us Five."

[truehibernian]

I still argue that the FF could have done with someone like Colin Nish to give them that cutting edge and physical presence up front :faf::fibber:

[Bayern Bru]

The Five have been described well by my fellow oldies but to answer the question re the defence or other six if you prefer it is best just to quote the words of Lawrie Reilly

"Aye we were the Famous Five but we'd have won nothing on our own it it wasn't for the Stupendous Six behind us. Those guys deserve as much recognition as us Five."

One of my favourite quotes about Hibs. I reckon those couple of sentences summed the FF up perfectly - selfless and humble, not like their equivalents today.

[vanNISHtelroy]

I still argue that the FF could have done with someone like Colin Nish to give them that cutting edge and physical presence up front :faf::fibber:

As I said on a previous thread, Nishy would improve any team :wink:

[truehibernian]

As I said on a previous thread, Nishy would improve any team :wink:

Aye, Hibernian Ladies or my laddies Subbuteo team. Even then he would get pushed off the ball and get caught offside by not reading my laddie's deft flicks :faf: Nish is pash ! Did the Clydesdale Bank Awards have the "funniest moment of the season" award ? Surely if it did, and for those that were present, it had to be Colin Nish fall over his own feet in the 1-1 St Johnstone game at ER. Even his team mates were decking themselves bud.

[vanNISHtelroy]

I think big Nishy is undervalued by fans at Hibs and was when he was with us too.

Think we would be further up the league table if we had him.

[lapsedhibee]

I believe they used to play either an "M" Formation or a "W" formation (The 5 of them). I'm sure one of our more mature fans will confirm later. :greengrin

I take "WM" formation to (roughly) describe the 3-4-3 already mentioned:


LW-------CF-------RW

------IL-------IR-----
LH-----------------RH

LB--------CH-------RB

Join up the front five to make a W; join up the back five to make an M.

[Long suffering]

I still argue that the FF could have done with someone like Colin Nish to give them that cutting edge and physical presence up front :faf::fibber:

:top marks

[brydekirk]

From my (maybe dodgy) memory it was a very flexible W formation with the two wingers charging up and down the touchline (and occasionally swapping wings). Bobby had gone by the time I watched them but I remember Willie loved his back heelers, Eddie had a shot like a howitzer, Lawrie was tenacious and a deadly finisher and Gordon really was as magnificent as they say. And, when Bobby returned years later, a tubby shadow of his former self, he could still drop the ball on Joe Baker's toe when Joe was travelling about sixty miles an hour towards the opposition's penalty box. The defence? I don't really remember the defence but we must have had one I suppose. :thumbsup:
:faf: cheers

[sadtom]

In modern terms it was 3 2 2 3
3 defenders - 2 half backs - 2 inside forwards - 3 forwards

[Septimus]

The defence centred round the centre half who was quite often referred to in these days as the pivot. My recollection is that the inside forwards worked really hard and were up attacking and defending as required. Many of the inside forwards in these days were good dribblers of the ball and could hold the play up as the wingers got forward. Another requirement in that position was the ability to pass the ball. I think especially of James Mason, Billy Steel and, of course, our own Bobby Johnstone. The essense of the famous five forward line was interchangeability. The first time I ever saw an number 11 playing down the right was Willie Ormond and it was at Dens Park. In these days the number on your back showed where you played and this movement from the Hibs forward line was truly innovative in its day. Easter Road was gifted with wingers who could take the ball to the line and cross it. Something which the present Hibs supporters seem to see less and less of.