Early 90s BBC documentary - Mercer/Hertz takeover/merger

[hibby6270]

https://youtu.be/5qS6VBho4Lo

I’m not sure if I’ve seen it before. Maybe have and conveniently blanked it out.

Not the easiest of watches but can’t deny it’s all part of our rich history and probably the catalyst to how we have progressed to where we are today - thank goodness.

Also, Think I now see where the origins of the ‘big team’ / ‘wee team’ rubbish maybe comes from. One of Mercer’s comments half way through!!

[Bostonhibby]

Mercer was typical of most Tory chancers of that era. When persuading someone else to put up the cash they were always happy to try and turn a quick buck in the name of entrepreneurship.

He was doing it with debt, he failed but he was certainly the architect of their decades of debt and doing it with other peoples money. Skip forward to today for the result and the rotten stigma that follows them around.

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[Deansy]

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Mercer was typical of most Tory chancers of that era. When persuading someone else to put up the cash they were always happy to try and turn a quick buck in the name of entrepreneurship.

He was doing it with debt, he failed but he was certainly the architect of their decades of debt and doing it with other peoples money. Skip forward to today for the result and the rotten stigma that follows them around.

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Yup - Thatcher encouraged the 'Spiv's ! She made greed respectable and we're still paying for her actions to this day !

[NAE NOOKIE]

I wonder if when he contributed to that documentary Tom Farmer ever have thought he would still be owner of Hibs a quarter of a century later and that he would have overseen the total transformation of Easter Road. For a guy who never wanted to own a football club he hasn't done too badly by us.

One thing you can say about David Duff ..... His naivety may have lead Hibs to the brink of disaster, but when it came to the crunch even though it cost him dearly he almost acted nobly, he could have cashed in and walked away and he didn't. He may have been an idiot who as he himself said was way out of his depth, but in refusing to sell his shares to Mercer he proved beyond doubt that he cared about Hibs.

As for Mercer. More front than a second hand car salesman, his 'it was all good fun' bluster was just that, bluster ... he shat it when the personal ramifications to him and his family of what he had started became apparent and he was scared off, pure and simple. The bit at the end where he tries to give the impression that some sort of ulterior game plan had come to fruition as a result of his failure to destroy us is total window dressing.

The truth is as owner of Hearts he tried to do something that no other club in football history has attempted for the pure and simple reason that in the mind of anybody who cares about or follows the game to take such an action would be viewed as abhorrent and utterly beneath contempt, as was proved by the messages of support for Hibs that came in from all over the UK and further afield during the 'Hands off Hibs' campaign. Hearts fans should be happy he failed, because to succeed would have made them the most reviled club in European football.

Instead of making up lies about how Mercer indirectly saved us and all that bull**** this should be an episode in their clubs history they are embarrassed to be reminded of, never mind talk about. Mind you, when you look at how many of them still revere Mad Vlad, the guy who nearly destroyed their club, I suppose its not that much of a surprise.

[pacorosssco]

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I wonder if when he contributed to that documentary Tom Farmer ever have thought he would still be owner of Hibs a quarter of a century later and that he would have overseen the total transformation of Easter Road. For a guy who never wanted to own a football club he hasn't done too badly by us.

One thing you can say about David Duff ..... His naivety may have lead Hibs to the brink of disaster, but when it came to the crunch even though it cost him dearly he almost acted nobly, he could have cashed in and walked away and he didn't. He may have been an idiot who as he himself said was way out of his depth, but in refusing to sell his shares to Mercer he proved beyond doubt that he cared about Hibs.

As for Mercer. More front than a second hand car salesman, his 'it was all good fun' bluster was just that, bluster ... he shat it when the personal ramifications to him and his family of what he had started became apparent and he was scared off, pure and simple. The bit at the end where he tries to give the impression that some sort of ulterior game plan had come to fruition as a result of his failure to destroy us is total window dressing.

The truth is as owner of Hearts he tried to do something that no other club in football history has attempted for the pure and simple reason that in the mind of anybody who cares about or follows the game to take such an action would be viewed as abhorrent and utterly beneath contempt, as was proved by the messages of support for Hibs that came in from all over the UK and further afield during the 'Hands off Hibs' campaign. Hearts fans should be happy he failed, because to succeed would have made them the most reviled club in European football.

Instead of making up lies about how Mercer indirectly saved us and all that bull**** this should be an episode in their clubs history they are embarrassed to be reminded of, never mind talk about. Mind you, when you look at how many of them still revere Mad Vlad, the guy who nearly destroyed their club, I suppose its not that much of a surprise.

Horrible man Mercer. I recon Duff only did right thing due to outside influence. Fully believe was threaten. No proof just gut feeling. Had pleasure of seeing Mercer get parking ticket in MercerMurray at Rangers no better

[Jack Hackett]

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I wonder if when he contributed to that documentary Tom Farmer ever have thought he would still be owner of Hibs a quarter of a century later and that he would have overseen the total transformation of Easter Road. For a guy who never wanted to own a football club he hasn't done too badly by us.

One thing you can say about David Duff ..... His naivety may have lead Hibs to the brink of disaster, but when it came to the crunch even though it cost him dearly he almost acted nobly, he could have cashed in and walked away and he didn't. He may have been an idiot who as he himself said was way out of his depth, but in refusing to sell his shares to Mercer he proved beyond doubt that he cared about Hibs.

As for Mercer. More front than a second hand car salesman, his 'it was all good fun' bluster was just that, bluster ... he shat it when the personal ramifications to him and his family of what he had started became apparent and he was scared off, pure and simple. The bit at the end where he tries to give the impression that some sort of ulterior game plan had come to fruition as a result of his failure to destroy us is total window dressing.

The truth is as owner of Hearts he tried to do something that no other club in football history has attempted for the pure and simple reason that in the mind of anybody who cares about or follows the game to take such an action would be viewed as abhorrent and utterly beneath contempt, as was proved by the messages of support for Hibs that came in from all over the UK and further afield during the 'Hands off Hibs' campaign. Hearts fans should be happy he failed, because to succeed would have made them the most reviled club in European football.

Instead of making up lies about how Mercer indirectly saved us and all that bull**** this should be an episode in their clubs history they are embarrassed to be reminded of, never mind talk about. Mind you, when you look at how many of them still revere Mad Vlad, the guy who nearly destroyed their club, I suppose its not that much of a surprise.

Always at the forefront of people who are smartarses after the event

[tamig]

Will never forget it and will never forgive the FTB for his actions. The reason why the Mercer Song doesn’t bother me one bit. I love it.

[Kato]

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Will never forget it and will never forgive the FTB for his actions. The reason why the Mercer Song doesn’t bother me one bit. I love it.

Zero respect for him or his actions. The spivness, the typically blatant Tory opportunism when attempting to wreck a community and his complete lack of public humility once it was apparent he was wrong in his actions - a pretty abhorrent character.

Left the jambos nearly 5 million quid (huge in the early 90's) in debt and started the fashion of "other people's money".

[Cabbage East]

Typical Tory. Never forget.

[nomad]

never trust a Tory true then and true now

[Col2]

Never forget and will always despise the fat arrogant loser and his memory. His exact words “it’s like a spoof” and “it’s been great fun” we’re so typical of the FTB.

Duff made huge mistakes and took us to the brink. But you can’t deny at the 11th hour he didn’t sell himself out and a year later STF took over and the rest is history.

[tamig]

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Never forget and will always despise the fat arrogant loser and his memory. His exact words “it’s like a spoof” and “it’s been great fun” we’re so typical of the FTB.

Duff made huge mistakes and took us to the brink. But you can’t deny at the 11th hour he didn’t sell himself out and a year later STF took over and the rest is history.

Did Duff not stand to make £2m if he’d agreed to sell? For a convicted fraudster it was a noble act to tell the FTB to GTF.

[SonOfDavidFrancey]

Thanks for posting that. Watched it through. Brought back terrible memories. Made me start searching around. I hadn’t realised how much Rowland was a classic asset stripper . Seems so typical of 80s business ethics. Made me feel
We were lucky to get out alive. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.t...-conservatives

[Bostonhibby]

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Thanks for posting that. Watched it through. Brought back terrible memories. Made me start searching around. I hadn’t realised how much Rowland was a classic asset stripper . Seems so typical of 80s business ethics. Made me feel
We were lucky to get out alive. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.t...-conservatives

In terms of being a calculating heartless immoral ******* Rowland made Wally look like a bungling amateur Tory boy figure(which he essentially was). Sheila Rowland on the other hand didn't play ball with her then husbands plan and as I recall that prevented us falling victim to his plan.

[tamig]

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Thanks for posting that. Watched it through. Brought back terrible memories. Made me start searching around. I hadn’t realised how much Rowland was a classic asset stripper . Seems so typical of 80s business ethics. Made me feel
We were lucky to get out alive. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.t...-conservatives

And he became the party chairman from his bunker in Monaco. His estranged wife was on the Hibs board at the time and was fiercely against the bid. Rowland ripped the pish out of Duff and Gray. Loaned them the dosh to but out Kenny Waugh with a promise of free shares when they floated the club clearly with a view to cash in as soon as a reasonable offer arose. Horrible character.

[cabbageandribs1875]

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Thanks for posting that. Watched it through. Brought back terrible memories. Made me start searching around. I hadn’t realised how much Rowland was a classic asset stripper . Seems so typical of 80s business ethics. Made me feel
We were lucky to get out alive. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.t...-conservatives

my memory is terribly sketchy but did his wife not play some part in stopping him getting his way with hibs there's just something to do with his wife and i can't remember what exactly

[Greenfly]

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Thanks for posting that. Watched it through. Brought back terrible memories. Made me start searching around. I hadn’t realised how much Rowland was a classic asset stripper . Seems so typical of 80s business ethics. Made me feel
We were lucky to get out alive. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.t...-conservatives

This is absolutely true - very fortunate indeed to get out of that hole. I kept lots of press cuttings from then and during the Hands off Hibs campaign. They make sober reading now. There was a point when almost every news reporter and football writer assumed we were finished - it was that perilous. Thank you Mrs. Rowland for digging your high heels in when you did, thank you David Duff for redeeming yourself to some extent (though your actions opened the door to Mercer in the first place), thank you Robbo for speaking that night in the Usher Hall and thank you Hibbies for rallying round en masse.

It was a horrible, stressful time and no should doubt how close we came to oblivion.

[Bostonhibby]

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This is absolutely true - very fortunate indeed to get out of that hole. I kept lots of press cuttings from then and during the Hands off Hibs campaign. They make sober reading now. There was a point when almost every news reporter and football writer assumed we were finished - it was that perilous. Thank you Mrs. Rowland for digging your high heels in when you did, thank you David Duff for redeeming yourself to some extent (though your actions opened the door to Mercer in the first place), thank you Robbo for speaking that night in the Usher Hall and thank you Hibbies for rallying round en masse.

It was a horrible, stressful time and no should doubt how close we came to oblivion.

Accurate summary, luckily for us hell hath no fury like Mrs Rowland scorned

I've got a fair bit of stuff from that time including Wally's shameless offer letter to shareholders. Special mention to Bank of Scotland, without whose backing he'd not have been so cocky.

[Nakedmanoncrack]

I've got this programme on DVD converted from my VHS recording of the time, remember watching it at time of broadcast, dark, dark days.
Should be essential watching for anyone who wants to understand what happened around that time, several myths have become established about the chain of events over those few years.

[hibby6270]

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This is absolutely true - very fortunate indeed to get out of that hole. I kept lots of press cuttings from then and during the Hands off Hibs campaign. They make sober reading now. There was a point when almost every news reporter and football writer assumed we were finished - it was that perilous. Thank you Mrs. Rowland for digging your high heels in when you did, thank you David Duff for redeeming yourself to some extent (though your actions opened the door to Mercer in the first place), thank you Robbo for speaking that night in the Usher Hall and thank you Hibbies for rallying round en masse.

It was a horrible, stressful time and no should doubt how close we came to oblivion.

Yeah. Let’s not forget, that as much as we have a go at our good friends from the West of the city, a majority of Jambos were against the takeover/merger just as much as we were and made their displeasure known publicly.

[NAE NOOKIE]

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Yeah. Let’s not forget, that as much as we have a go at our good friends from the West of the city, a majority of Jambos were against the takeover/merger just as much as we were and made their displeasure known publicly.

My recollection of the time is that a few high profile guys like Robbo aside the attitude of Hearts fans was somewhere between laughing at our plight and shrugging their shoulders. As I recall they had an open invitation to the Hands off Hibs rally at Easter Road and two showed up in the Dunbar end, they stood out so much I even remember Pat Stanton thanking them directly.

I for one cant remember any marked show of displeasure from the Hearts fans in any numbers whatsoever at what Mercer was doing .... perhaps folk living in Edinburgh who were closer to the action saw it differently, but so far as I'm concerned we saved ourselves and any input from Gorgie was insignificant when it came to achieving that goal.

The way that lot recall it now you would think they came riding to our rescue with Mercer as Sir Lancelot, his intervention bringing our dire situation into the light and saving us from ourselves ........... Utter revisionist made up nonsense and I for one wont add fuel to that fire by giving them as a support in general any credit whatsoever because I sincerely believe they don't deserve any.

[Bostonhibby]

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My recollection of the time is that a few high profile guys like Robbo aside the attitude of Hearts fans was somewhere between laughing at our plight and shrugging their shoulders. As I recall they had an open invitation to the Hands off Hibs rally at Easter Road and two showed up in the Dunbar end, they stood out so much I even remember Pat Stanton thanking them directly.

I for one cant remember any marked show of displeasure from the Hearts fans in any numbers whatsoever at what Mercer was doing .... perhaps folk living in Edinburgh who were closer to the action saw it differently, but so far as I'm concerned we saved ourselves and any input from Gorgie was insignificant when it came to achieving that goal.

The way that lot recall it now you would think they came riding to our rescue with Mercer as Sir Lancelot, his intervention bringing our dire situation into the light and saving us from ourselves ........... Utter revisionist made up nonsense and I for one wont add fuel to that fire by giving them as a support in general any credit whatsoever because I sincerely believe they don't deserve any.

There really weren't that many yams around who were showing their displeasure at this at the time. It's why I have always respected Robertson.

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[tamig]

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My recollection of the time is that a few high profile guys like Robbo aside the attitude of Hearts fans was somewhere between laughing at our plight and shrugging their shoulders. As I recall they had an open invitation to the Hands off Hibs rally at Easter Road and two showed up in the Dunbar end, they stood out so much I even remember Pat Stanton thanking them directly.

I for one cant remember any marked show of displeasure from the Hearts fans in any numbers whatsoever at what Mercer was doing .... perhaps folk living in Edinburgh who were closer to the action saw it differently, but so far as I'm concerned we saved ourselves and any input from Gorgie was insignificant when it came to achieving that goal.

The way that lot recall it now you would think they came riding to our rescue with Mercer as Sir Lancelot, his intervention bringing our dire situation into the light and saving us from ourselves ........... Utter revisionist made up nonsense and I for one wont add fuel to that fire by giving them as a support in general any credit whatsoever because I sincerely believe they don't deserve any.

I can’t help thinking that hibby6270 wrote that statement sarcastically. Living and working in Edinburgh at the time - and surrounded by quite a few hertz fans - my over-riding memory from them is one of silence and indifference. I take that as they were quite happy with the way things were panning out.

[proud_and_green]

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My recollection of the time is that a few high profile guys like Robbo aside the attitude of Hearts fans was somewhere between laughing at our plight and shrugging their shoulders. As I recall they had an open invitation to the Hands off Hibs rally at Easter Road and two showed up in the Dunbar end, they stood out so much I even remember Pat Stanton thanking them directly.

I for one cant remember any marked show of displeasure from the Hearts fans in any numbers whatsoever at what Mercer was doing .... perhaps folk living in Edinburgh who were closer to the action saw it differently, but so far as I'm concerned we saved ourselves and any input from Gorgie was insignificant when it came to achieving that goal.

The way that lot recall it now you would think they came riding to our rescue with Mercer as Sir Lancelot, his intervention bringing our dire situation into the light and saving us from ourselves ........... Utter revisionist made up nonsense and I for one wont add fuel to that fire by giving them as a support in general any credit whatsoever because I sincerely believe they don't deserve any.

I think this is more accurate, a number who thought it was completely out of order but the majority thought it was a bit funny although whilst laughing they would add 'oh aye but it's not right, but ****** the Hibs, eh'. The other high profile Jambo I recall at the rally was Steve Carbonic - although that may have been a political expediency.

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[One Day]

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Yeah. Let’s not forget, that as much as we have a go at our good friends from the West of the city, a majority of Jambos were against the takeover/merger just as much as we were and made their displeasure known publicly.

I know / worked with loads and the were all happy to see us go to the wall, even guys id known all my life. A lot of anti Irish / Catholic bull resurfaced to.

[SouthsideHarp_Bhoy]

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Yeah. Let’s not forget, that as much as we have a go at our good friends from the West of the city, a majority of Jambos were against the takeover/merger just as much as we were and made their displeasure known publicly.

Not how i remember it, but i was young at the time. I just remember lots of ribbing and how they would take goram and Collins from us.

[mjhibby]

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https://youtu.be/5qS6VBho4Lo

I’m not sure if I’ve seen it before. Maybe have and conveniently blanked it out.

Not the easiest of watches but can’t deny it’s all part of our rich history and probably the catalyst to how we have progressed to where we are today - thank goodness.

Also, Think I now see where the origins of the ‘big team’ / ‘wee team’ rubbish maybe comes from. One of Mercer’s comments half way through!!

I do believe it was after the 0-7 game that mercer said that he would never let hertz be thrashed by hibs again. Not until 6-2 then. They have a long history of a crumbling stadium and not paying bills. It's in their dna.

[WoreTheGreen]

JFK moment driving along clerk st heard on the radio we are at deaths door had to pull in as crying like a child.

[tamig]

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JFK moment driving along clerk st heard on the radio we are at deaths door had to pull in as crying like a child.

My wife to be and myself had bought our first flat together on Easter Road - right over from the Four in Hand - at the start of 1990. Money was tight but we managed to get some together for a week’s holiday in Corfu. Airport bus to Glasgow airport from St Andrew Square and bus again on way back.

On the return journey, the bus had the radio on. It must have been radio Clyde or something but an advert came on for the next day’s Daily Record. “Find out all you need to know about the men who killed Hibs” and other sensational headlines boomed out. In these pre-mobile and internet days I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. As soon as the bus pulled up into St Andrew Square I ran to the Evening News seller and got the paper. Straight into a taxi, back to the flat and dumped cases and said to the bird I had to rush to ER.

This was on the day it all broke. I was relieved to see several thousand other Hibbies had descended on the Holy Ground. HOH was born that night and I was proud to be a part of the battle against Mercer.

[Pretty Boy]

Hearts fans seem to view the whole takeover episode as confirmation of their superiority but firstly I think it was a reaction to their failure in 86 and the realisation they were just like the rest of us and couldn't challenge on their own. Secondly, and more importantly, we won. We are still here, have won 3 trophies since and are in a position to get stronger still.

Hibs may never have tried to take over Hearts but it's not because we are inferior, it's because we would never have had the complex to try in the 1st place.