Interview with Budgie in todays EEN.

[WellingtonHibby]

http://sport.scotsman.com/football/Interview-John-Burridge-football-veteran.6720887.jp?articlepage=1

didnt realise the bloke had a breakdown, and depth of his feeling for hibs. Good lad by all accounts:thumbsup:

[H18sry]

Touching story, his book is a must :agree:

[Leith Green]

it's a pity Aidan Smith ( self proclaimed Hibbie) isn't aware that Hibs were NOT saved from relegation by league construction 1990/91, it was St mirren who were.. quote below

Following the failure of Wallace Mercer's outrageous takeover bid, Hibs had only escaped relegation through league reconstruction. "The atmosphere was depressing, the morale was atrocious

Really annoys me that one, quite a lot of Jambos seem to think this too, it was St Mirren in 1991 and Aberdeen in the late nineties who escaped relegation through league reconstruction..

[lucky]

Looking forward to the book. The guy was nuts but was a decent keeper. Will always be a legend due to the Skol cup and his save from McCoist in the semi final

[matty_f]

I can't remember the circumstances around Budgie's departure from Easter Road, but the article suggests a punch-up over money being the issue. Anyone remember what the story was there?

[stevenhibs]

If I remember correctly, when the reconstruction was announced we were rock bottom. Pressure came off a bit an st mirren stopped bothering.

Budgie was class. Loved him at ER!

[Bostonhibby]

Touching story, his book is a must :agree:

:agree: Definitely buy it, the guy is one of my heroes, he was the ideal keeper / charcacter for the time we were going through then, gave the whole place a lift, mad as a brush and brave as a lion.

[billbee]

Will never forget that save at Hampden, had the fans hearts in mouth at times, a real character, lifted us all with his antics and crowd interacring, Aw Ra Best Bugie!

[erin go bragh]

[QUOTE=brightonhibby;2738851]http://sport.scotsman.com/football/Interview-John-Burridge-football-veteran.6720887.jp?articlepage=1

didnt realise the bloke had a breakdown, and depth of his feeling for hibs. Good lad by all accounts:thumbsup:[/QUO
Hibs second to palace :confused: budgie ! The famous hibernian are second to none :wink:
Great guy and after i got locked out of the 91 final he made up for it a wee bit when back at the leith san siro budgie jumped up on the fence at the east with the cup and let me kiss the cup :greengrin
ggtth

[erin go bragh]

If I remember correctly, when the reconstruction was announced we were rock bottom. Pressure came off a bit an st mirren stopped bothering.

Budgie was class. Loved him at ER!
st midden stopped bothering:confused: dont buy that mate,maybe with the pressure off we started to relax and play without fear of going down or maybe we were just too good to go down:na na:
ggtth

[persevere1875]

Might be wrong but didnt he go through a phase at Hibs of wearing his keepers top without the hibs badge on it ?? If I remember correctly it was something to do with money but then again I may be completely wrong. That aside, Budgie was IMO by far the most entertaining guy ever to play in goals for the Hibs

[CraigK]

it's a pity Aidan Smith ( self proclaimed Hibbie) isn't aware that Hibs were NOT saved from relegation by league construction 1990/91, it was St mirren who were.. quote below

Following the failure of Wallace Mercer's outrageous takeover bid, Hibs had only escaped relegation through league reconstruction. "The atmosphere was depressing, the morale was atrocious

Really annoys me that one, quite a lot of Jambos seem to think this too, it was St Mirren in 1991 and Aberdeen in the late nineties who escaped relegation through league reconstruction..

Having read his book (Heartfelt), i can confirm that Aidan Smith is indeed an :asshole:

[Leith Green]

Having read his book (Heartfelt), i can confirm that Aidan Smith is indeed an :asshole:



Yip, anyone who can watch that shower of ****** for a year is a complete tool, wouldnt contemplate doing that for any reason, let alone some crappy wee book..

He seems a complete tool :dummytit:

[CropleyWasGod]

Having read his book (Heartfelt), i can confirm that Aidan Smith is indeed an :asshole:

You came to that conclusion just by reading his book? :confused:

[Leith Green]

If I remember correctly, when the reconstruction was announced we were rock bottom. Pressure came off a bit an st mirren stopped bothering.

Budgie was class. Loved him at ER!




Pretty irrelevant really (if not totally wrong) , what is relevant is that Hibs were NOT saved from relegation through league reconstruction that season or any other season.. St Mirren & Aberdeen have been in the nineties however...

[itchy07]

Good memories of Budgie doing that thing at the end of every game where he ran round the pitch and applauded the fans in each of the stands. It wasn't like he was doing it for a lap of honour, it really was about thanking the fans. I remember wondering if he would do it after he had bad game, and he still did! A brave man who wouldn't hide when it would of been easier just to head up the tunnel.

[Hibby70]

Might be wrong but didnt he go through a phase at Hibs of wearing his keepers top without the hibs badge on it ?? If I remember correctly it was something to do with money but then again I may be completely wrong. That aside, Budgie was IMO by far the most entertaining guy ever to play in goals for the Hibs

He said at the time it was because the new goalie top had a shiny material and the ball would slide off it. He then wore something from the 1870s made from mammoth wool which acted like velcro to the ball (well tennis balls at any rate).

He was truly a character, remember the Team That Wouldnt DIe programme when someone through a sock (i think) at him.

[greenlad]

it was St Mirren in 1991 and Aberdeen in the late nineties who escaped relegation through league reconstruction..

Sort of true but theres more to it than that, Aberdeen finished 10th (bottom) in 2000 and normally would have been relegated if the league was staying at 10. However as it was increasing to 12 the SPL/SFL still wanted there to be something to play for at the bottom so rather than just promote the top 2 the plan was for 10th in the SPL to play 2nd and 3rd in Division 1 in a round robin home and away playoff series with the top two of the three playing in the SPL the next season. However Falkirk took 3rd in the First Division which made it academic as their stadium didn't meet SPL criteria so Dunfermline (2nd) got to go up automatically with St Mirren (1st) and Aberdeen stayed up.

[Hibby70]

Can anyone else remember the game at Pittodrie when he was on their bench. The first choice keeper (cant remember who) went down injured and within a nanosecond Budgie was on his feet doing star jumps and sprints.

I have never in my life wanted to see a substitution from the other team so much.

About time he was invited to do the half time draw - or he could go in goals for the 10 second challenge!

[skipster7]

Sad to hear re breakdown. he was certainly a brilliant character at Hibs.He was staying at the Elwyyn Hotel leading up to the cup final and donated a signed top for a raffle which my better half won for me.
She was a barmaid there at the time and remembers Budgie asking them to wash his gloves and his wife coming downstairs to ask some Hibbys in the bar to keep the noise down as John had the cup final the next day.top bloke:not worth

[HIBERNIAN-0762]

Think he told mogadon Miller to eff off or hooked him one of the two hence his departure from ER

[Future17]

"When I die I want it to be on a football field, maybe a massive heart attack or a brain haemorrhage."

Crikey, I say, has he developed any other interests?

"Come on, what else is there?"

:agree:

[Frazerbob]

I had the pleasure of meeting Budgie on the train from Newcastle to Edinburgh. It was the day he signed his extended contract after the initial 1 month deal expired.

I asked him about the lap of honour thing. At that point we were still undefeated and I wondered if he'd do it after a defeat. He assured me he would (and he did) as it was his way of thanking the fans for coming out to support the team, spending their hard earned cash doing it. He completely understood that we do not need to use our cash to go to the footbal, that we probably got grief from the wife for doing so and that more often than not we were let down by our team. He had TOTAL respect for every football fan. It was very refreshing to listen to him.

He spent most of the journey talking tactics, using coffe cups, sugar sticks, train tickets, stirrers.....anything he could lay his hands on, to demonstrate formations on the table.

One of my all time favourite Hibs players. I was saddened when I heard about the car crash and the break down.

He really should be brought back to ER for a half time appearance.......get it sorted Petrie!

[CraigK]

You came to that conclusion just by reading his book? :confused:

He just comes across as a tool, they way he talks about himself.
And who in their right mind calls Deek 'Riordaninho'?

[ginger_rice]

He was truly a character, remember the Team That Wouldnt DIe programme when someone through a sock (i think) at him.

"well held" :not worth:not worth

[ginger_rice]

He said at the time it was because the new goalie top had a shiny material and the ball would slide off it. He then wore something from the 1870s made from mammoth wool which acted like velcro to the ball (well tennis balls at any rate).

Something in the back of my mind thought that he designed his own kit :confused:

[Pretty Boy]

Budgie should be a reminder to everyone that you should never write someone off for being a 'journeyman'. Budgie is THE football journeyman but i'm not sure there will be many football fans who were unhappy he was at their club.

Top character and a very decent goalkeeper. Had the pleasure of being part of a training session he took a few years ago. The guy was genuinely bonkers. Had us swinging from crossbars, trying to climb the back of the nets, juggling with footballs, facing the wrong way and trying to use our back to save the ball using 'instinct'. A top guy though and i really felt i learned something although i'm not quite sure what.

I remember after he left us he was on loan at Aberdeen and in a game against Motherwell, i think, he was absolutely outstanding. Made bout 5 or 6 world class saves and he was about 45 at the time.

Exactly the character we needed to drag the team out of a dark period of our history. People sometimes forget he made a very good save at 1-0 in the Skol Cup final, one that was creeping right into the bottom corner and he got down and held it. Great character, great goalkeeper and a guy who would be assured a warm welcome from the fans at ER anyday.

[Pretty Boy]

Something in the back of my mind thought that he designed his own kit :confused:

He did but they were made from wool or a wooly type fibre.

He said the polyester tops were too shiny and the ball slipped off them.

[Speedway]

Might be wrong but didnt he go through a phase at Hibs of wearing his keepers top without the hibs badge on it ?? If I remember correctly it was something to do with money but then again I may be completely wrong. That aside, Budgie was IMO by far the most entertaining guy ever to play in goals for the Hibs

:agree: Including the cup final. Didn't like modern footbal tops and Hibs went radio rental as the sponsors had a problem with him doing it (understandably so)


He said at the time it was because the new goalie top had a shiny material and the ball would slide off it. He then wore something from the 1870s made from mammoth wool which acted like velcro to the ball (well tennis balls at any rate).

He was truly a character, remember the Team That Wouldnt DIe programme when someone through a sock (i think) at him.

Smacked him on the side of his face and thn he caught the rebound. Proper footballer.


Think he told mogadon Miller to eff off or hooked him one of the two hence his departure from ER

That's what I thought but I'm not sure who signed him for Aberdeen.


Budgie should be a reminder to everyone that you should never write someone off for being a 'journeyman'. Budgie is THE football journeyman but i'm not sure there will be many football fans who were unhappy he was at their club.

Top character and a very decent goalkeeper. Had the pleasure of being part of a training session he took a few years ago. The guy was genuinely bonkers. Had us swinging from crossbars, trying to climb the back of the nets, juggling with footballs, facing the wrong way and trying to use our back to save the ball using 'instinct'. A top guy though and i really felt i learned something although i'm not quite sure what.

I remember after he left us he was on loan at Aberdeen and in a game against Motherwell, i think, he was absolutely outstanding. Made bout 5 or 6 world class saves and he was about 45 at the time.

Exactly the character we needed to drag the team out of a dark period of our history. People sometimes forget he made a very good save at 1-0 in the Skol Cup final, one that was creeping right into the bottom corner and he got down and held it. Great character, great goalkeeper and a guy who would be assured a warm welcome from the fans at ER anyday.

:agree:

Still have his shirt from the last ome gam of the season against the dons. 1-1 draw with Donald for us and Mixu for them as I recall.

[James70]

Did he not run some sort of sportswear business as well? I have vague memories of him having a sale of gear in the old East Stand one Sunday when he was still on our books.

[Speedway]

I loved the bit where he was listening to the manager talking up the opposition and warning of their dangers and said 'But boss, we're only playing St. friggin' Mirren'

Typical Lexo, no wonder we looked so scared out on the park in those days.

On ye go, Budgie!

[--------]

If I remember correctly, when the reconstruction was announced we were rock bottom. Pressure came off a bit an st mirren stopped bothering.

Budgie was class. Loved him at ER!


I don't think Alex Miller would agree with you. Nor do I.

Alex was determined that we would NOT be bottom of the SPL and that no one could say we were saved by the re-org. Nor did he want anyone to accuse Hibs of not trying in games that might have a bearing on other teams' League placings. This I know.

Whether St Mirren "stopped bothering" or not (and I have no information about that), Hibs didn't. If St Mirren did indeed "stop bothering", that speaks volumes for their lack of professionalism at the very least.

The League Cup win with almost the same squad of players suggests that Miller was right - we WERE a better team than a number of those above us, and we weren't saved by the re-org.

[Big Frank]

He was brilliant for Hibernian, and was much appreciated by us at the time.