Did Hibs fans travel to European/overseas games during the 50s/60s and early 70s?

[G B Young]

The thread about the Everton v Hajduk Split game being aired for free on YouTube made mention of our own European games with Split in the early 70s and that it was unlikely any Hibs fans travelled to the away leg.

Got me wondering whether during what was very much our golden era of European involvement, did many (or any) fans travel to the away legs of such games? I know plenty will have gone to away ties v Leeds and Liverpool but I'm talking about the games v illustrious opponents such as Barcelona, Roma, Red Star, Valencia, Porto, Napoli, Hamburg, Sporting Lisbon, Juventus etc ie the ones which involved leaving the UK. Be great to hear from anyone who DID go. Must have felt like a very novel experience.

Also, is it possible that any fans travelled on our close-season trips to Brazil and the USA/Canada in the 50s and 60s??

I'm guessing the fact cheaper flights didn't really become an option until the 70s/80s was a major factor in whether fans could travel in numbers.

[G B Young]

Article from WSC outlines the logistical/financial difficulties for fans travelling pre 1970:

http://www.wsc.co.uk/features/13362-...elling-support

Curious accompanying photo, seemingly showing two Rangers fans keeping watch over Celtic supporters having a kickabout?!

[Famous Fiver]

I never got any further than Porty.

Had never heard of Barcelona far less know where it was.

[HIBBYSTU T]

My Uncle and two of his mates traveled to split on a ferry.I had the away programme but lost it over the years.

[blackpoolhibs]

We went to Strasbourg early 70s, there were not many Hibs fans at that game that I remember. We went by car, that was our first trip abroad to see Hibs if you discount England.

FFS just checked the date and it was 1978, could have sworn i was a lot younger than 18?

[Mr White]

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We went to Strasbourg early 70s, there were not many Hibs fans at that game that I remember. We went by car, that was our first trip abroad to see Hibs if you discount England.

FFS just checked the date and it was 1978, could have sworn i was a lot younger than 18?

Have you seen the extended highlight footage of that game on youtube?

[blackpoolhibs]

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Have you seen the extended highlight footage of that game on youtube?

No, not seen any of that. Will have a search later, it might bring some memories back, as i have little memory of the game, just the journey and the digs we had?

[SkyeHibs]

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We went to Strasbourg early 70s, there were not many Hibs fans at that game that I remember. We went by car, that was our first trip abroad to see Hibs if you discount England.

FFS just checked the date and it was 1978, could have sworn i was a lot younger than 18?

There was a bus that left from the Hibs club on the Sunday evening before the game and arrived back in Edinburgh on the Friday night. It was quite an experience!

[NthCarolinaHibs]

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There was a bus that left from the Hibs club on the Sunday evening before the game and arrived back in Edinburgh on the Friday night. It was quite an experience!

Aye,I was on that bus..never got to Strasbourg till the Tuesday evening..St Giles branch...twas some journey..£42 return..

[G B Young]

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No, not seen any of that. Will have a search later, it might bring some memories back, as i have little memory of the game, just the journey and the digs we had?

Home leg (crowd looks brilliant!):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niptlVsVBEw

Away leg (packed crowd again):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gBCZQwaL2o

Plus some sort of analysis programme:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGM8rgTx-e4

[G B Young]

Don't know if this is from Hibs TV but here's footage of our European Cup semi-final v Stade Rheims and the Fairs Cup clashes with Barca. Anyone at these??:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s38P...Ew8ETL&index=2

[SkyeHibs]

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Aye,I was on that bus..never got to Strasbourg till the Tuesday evening..St Giles branch...twas some journey..£42 return..

I was a 17 year old laddie, the trip was quite an education! I remember the first thing we did when we got there was to find a place to stay. It was quite a night out on the Tuesday night and can remember seeing the players in the town, if I remember rightly they had been to the cinema.

[NthCarolinaHibs]

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I was a 17 year old laddie, the trip was quite an education! I remember the first thing we did when we got there was to find a place to stay. It was quite a night out on the Tuesday night and can remember seeing the players in the town, if I remember rightly they had been to the cinema.

I was about the same age..was about impossible to find a hotel there as there was a lot on....ended up brass necking it into a youth hostel, then about ten of us crashed in a room on the Wednesday that the boy Pasty had got...some trip..

[Tomsk]

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Home leg (crowd looks brilliant!):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niptlVsVBEw

Away leg (packed crowd again):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gBCZQwaL2o

Plus some sort of analysis programme:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGM8rgTx-e4

I was at the home leg. Hibs were struggling by this time up front. Other than McLeod we had either honest triers like Higgins or guys who should never have got near a Hibs jersey like Willie Murray and Bobby Hutchison.

We actually had a pretty good defensive set-up with Macnamara, Stewart and Bobby Smith and Des Bremner in front. Strange to see Arthur Duncan at right back.

Hibs finished 5th that season and reached the Scottish Cup final, but the writing was on the wall -- Turnbull failed to strengthen and we were relegated the following season.

[jabis]

Remember having a wee whiskey with the wonderful Tommy Preston.

me "what was it like,scoring at the Nou camp ?"

Tommy "very quiet son....very quiet"

Don't think that their were many away fans then

[IberianHibernian]

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My Uncle and two of his mates traveled to split on a ferry.I had the away programme but lost it over the years.

Must have been some trip - bus and Channel ferry to Italy and ferry from there to Split . In the previous rounds we played in Lisbon ( seem to remember reading something about a few Hibs fans seeing us in purple shirts ) and Albania where there`ll have been none as it was virtually impossible for any tourists to enter then .

[G B Young]

Starting this thread has jogged a memory of a now deceased childhood friend who travelled to the away leg of our game with Oesters in the mid 70s thanks to some business connection his dad had with Norway. Just looked it up and we lost 4-1 after winning the home leg 2-0.

[G B Young]

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I was at the home leg. Hibs were struggling by this time up front. Other than McLeod we had either honest triers like Higgins or guys who should never have got near a Hibs jersey like Willie Murray and Bobby Hutchison.

We actually had a pretty good defensive set-up with Macnamara, Stewart and Bobby Smith and Des Bremner in front. Strange to see Arthur Duncan at right back.

Hibs finished 5th that season and reached the Scottish Cup final, but the writing was on the wall -- Turnbull failed to strengthen and we were relegated the following season.

I remember that time and I associate it with Celtic also being on the decline under Stein and finishing fifth in the season we beat them 4-1 at ER, with Higgins scoring a double. Footage here (including a furious Stein on the pitch after an invasion by Celtic fans):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcZ0yrTT45c

Rangers also went on a major slide under John Greig and I'm sure they regularly finished outwith the top 3 well into the 80s, until the arrival of Souness. I certainly recall games at Ibrox pulling in less than 10k.

[IberianHibernian]

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Starting this thread has jogged a memory of a now deceased childhood friend who travelled to the away leg of our game with Oesters in the mid 70s thanks to some business connection his dad had with Norway. Just looked it up and we lost 4-1 after winning the home leg 2-0.

I can remember being at the first leg with quite a small crowd ( maybe 10000 ) . Big crowds only came out for matches against famous opposition which probably attracted neutrals too . Away leg was played on a snow covered pitch and was considered a really bad result as Scottish football was still considered better to that in any Scandinavian countries . Your friend might have been the only Hibs fan at the away match as there were only 9 Hibs fans at Norrkopping ( round before Strasbourg in 1978 ) including one who lived in the town .

[Bishop Hibee]

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Article from WSC outlines the logistical/financial difficulties for fans travelling pre 1970:

http://www.wsc.co.uk/features/13362-...elling-support

Curious accompanying photo, seemingly showing two Rangers fans keeping watch over Celtic supporters having a kickabout?!

The article is quite flawed in saying the Scots defined themselves as "anyone but England". They should have stuck to commenting on the English support. There were plenty Scottish fans at the World Cup in West Germany in 1974, not least servicemen based there and there was of course the legendary band of fans who went to Argentina in 1978. England couldnae be there cause they didnae qualify

Fair points on the astronomical cost of travel against average incomes.

[IberianHibernian]

Without meaning to hijack the thread when was the first time there were away fans at Easter Road for European ties except for Liverpool and Leeds though I don`t remember any Leeds fans ? I can remember seeing some Italians buying lots of tickets in a queue at ER for stand tickets for the Juventus match but I think they lived in Scotland .

[Mibbes Aye]

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I remember that time and I associate it with Celtic also being on the decline under Stein and finishing fifth in the season we beat them 4-1 at ER, with Higgins scoring a double. Footage here (including a furious Stein on the pitch after an invasion by Celtic fans):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcZ0yrTT45c

Rangers also went on a major slide under John Greig and I'm sure they regularly finished outwith the top 3 well into the 80s, until the arrival of Souness. I certainly recall games at Ibrox pulling in less than 10k.

In the early to mid-eighties, Aberdeen and Dundee United were the teams to watch. The former club that was called Rangers, and Celtc, were also-rans.

The Dons played some spectacular stuff, both in Scotland and in Europe. Dundee United were also great - beating Barcelona home and away in the European Cup.

The former club that was called Rangers picked up in the mid-eighties when they started to get the money but neither of the Old Firm were in any way seriously dominant for the first half of that decade.

[kenny-55]

Travelled by bus with the pentland branch September 1976 to FC Sochaux in France took us about 30 hours to get there ( maybe less 😄) Some trip ended up a great journey as won 1-0 to go to next round Left the Hibs club on the Monday night after a few pre trip pints and no on board toilets in those days just a bucket that was emptied many times down the hatch in the floor of the bus don't think the driver was very chuffed though so aye European travel in the 70's was not luxury and not for the faint hearted ⚽️⚽️⚽️🏆🏆🍺🍺

[G B Young]

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Travelled by bus with the pentland branch September 1976 to FC Sochaux in France took us about 30 hours to get there ( maybe less 😄) Some trip ended up a great journey as won 1-0 to go to next round Left the Hibs club on the Monday night after a few pre trip pints and no on board toilets in those days just a bucket that was emptied many times down the hatch in the floor of the bus don't think the driver was very chuffed though so aye European travel in the 70's was not luxury and not for the faint hearted ⚽️⚽️⚽️🏆🏆🍺🍺

Glad Hibs won after putting yourself through that journey! That's true dedication to the cause.

[Jack Hackett]

Hibs chartered a plane for the 1st leg of the Lisbon Cup Winners Cup tie. The extra seats were offered as a 3 day trip, staying at a hotel in Cascais.

A trio of us ended up at a beachside bar for a pint in the sun, and 3 Hibs players came strolling by. Jim Herriot and John Brownlie for definite and one other... Gimme a break, it was 45 years ago and we got very, very drunk. The players not so much as they weren't there as long as we were, but they had more than one or two. I understand Eddie Turnbull went mental when they eventually got back to their hotel.

The whole thing was a bit of a culture shock for a 21 year old who'd never been out of the UK... From the Casino to the fabulous beach, and the fact that virtually no-one spoke English. The game itself didn't kick off until 10pm, which felt very odd... and they sold booze in the concourse, unheard of in Scotland at the time. The pitch itself was below ground level, so you entered at the top of the stands, which again felt very weird and our seats were slap bang in the middle of the home support in the main stand. When Hibs scored and we stood to celebrate the police got very agitated... this was the season after Rangers fans ran amok in Barcelona so Scots fans had a 'rep'

An absolutely brilliant trip, which I'll never forget... well, most of it anyway

[Dashing Bob S]

Been to every single Hibs game home and away ever. Including friendlies and stretching right back to way before I was born at the club's inception. I'd like to see the so-called fans match that.

[Lancs Harp]

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Been to every single Hibs game home and away ever. Including friendlies and stretching right back to way before I was born at the club's inception. I'd like to see the so-called fans match that.

As a part time time lord I can confirm this.

I even have a figure called Bob in my Subbuteo stand that has attended every game my Hibs team (number 45) has ever played.

[G B Young]

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Hibs chartered a plane for the 1st leg of the Lisbon Cup Winners Cup tie. The extra seats were offered as a 3 day trip, staying at a hotel in Cascais.

A trio of us ended up at a beachside bar for a pint in the sun, and 3 Hibs players came strolling by. Jim Herriot and John Brownlie for definite and one other... Gimme a break, it was 45 years ago and we got very, very drunk. The players not so much as they weren't there as long as we were, but they had more than one or two. I understand Eddie Turnbull went mental when they eventually got back to their hotel.

The whole thing was a bit of a culture shock for a 21 year old who'd never been out of the UK... From the Casino to the fabulous beach, and the fact that virtually no-one spoke English. The game itself didn't kick off until 10pm, which felt very odd... and they sold booze in the concourse, unheard of in Scotland at the time. The pitch itself was below ground level, so you entered at the top of the stands, which again felt very weird and our seats were slap bang in the middle of the home support in the main stand. When Hibs scored and we stood to celebrate the police got very agitated... this was the season after Rangers fans ran amok in Barcelona so Scots fans had a 'rep'

An absolutely brilliant trip, which I'll never forget... well, most of it anyway

Great story. Sounds an altogether more elegant affair than the 30 hour bus trip to Sochaux!

[G B Young]

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Travelled by bus with the pentland branch September 1976 to FC Sochaux in France took us about 30 hours to get there ( maybe less 😄) Some trip ended up a great journey as won 1-0 to go to next round Left the Hibs club on the Monday night after a few pre trip pints and no on board toilets in those days just a bucket that was emptied many times down the hatch in the floor of the bus don't think the driver was very chuffed though so aye European travel in the 70's was not luxury and not for the faint hearted ⚽️⚽️⚽️🏆🏆🍺🍺

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HItWXibJZnA

[fat freddy]

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Without meaning to hijack the thread when was the first time there were away fans at Easter Road for European ties except for Liverpool and Leeds though I don`t remember any Leeds fans ? I can remember seeing some Italians buying lots of tickets in a queue at ER for stand tickets for the Juventus match but I think they lived in Scotland .

I remember a crowd of Rosenborg fans in the centre stand for the game when we beat them 700 nil sometime in the 70's... I can still remember them chanting Ro Ro Rosenborg throughout the match.