George Best at Hibs [Archive] - hibs.net Messageboard

Hibs History

08-07-2014, 01:00 PM

Lewis77

08-07-2014, 05:19 PM

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/280x200q90/856/f8n0.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/856/f8n0.jpg/)

Now there's a kit.

weecounty hibby

08-07-2014, 05:32 PM

Aw man, how good does that look. On one of the greatest players ever as well. Awesome!

Hale Hibby

08-07-2014, 06:53 PM

My abiding memory of George Best at Hibs was when he turned out in a (?League) cup match against East Fife (I think). I was in the lower West stand. During the match George had been on the receiving end of some pretty rough treatment from two East Fife players. Then things changed. He received the ball close to the touchline, just in front of me. He dribbled the ball through both players, leaving them stranded, on the ground. He stopped, sat on the ball and then sprayed a perfect pass across the pitch. A great moment. Needless to say, for the rest of the match he was no longer troubled by the East Fife players.

What a player.

Peevemor

08-07-2014, 07:39 PM

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/280x200q90/856/f8n0.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/856/f8n0.jpg/)

Now there's a kit.

He obviously can't have been all that good - his boots are the same colour, and black at that! :wtf:

Deansy

08-07-2014, 07:41 PM

Most vivid memory is reaching the top of the terracing and seeing the crowd (iirc 23,000 ??) at ER waiting to witness his 1st home-game at ER v Partick Thistle !

gorgie greens

08-07-2014, 10:12 PM

Most vivid memory is reaching the top of the terracing and seeing the crowd (iirc 23,000 ??) at ER waiting to witness his 1st home-game at ER v Partick Thistle !

think that was on a sunday as well

E10 Rifle

09-07-2014, 12:31 PM

Whatever state he was in physically or emotionally, the very fact the club pulled this off and had him playing for the Hibees was a master stroke of its time. :not worth

RIP Bestie

09-07-2014, 12:39 PM

The greatest player in the world in my opinion and an absolute honour to see him in a Hibs strip.

Iggy Pope

09-07-2014, 12:45 PM

Most vivid memory is reaching the top of the terracing and seeing the crowd (iirc 23,000 ??) at ER waiting to witness his 1st home-game at ER v Partick Thistle !

The week before, the top of the lane was rammed with Hibbies trying to get on a bus to Paisley.
Maude looked after her regulars but was at her most mercenary with the 'space' available.
I think the crowd at Love St for his debut was 12,000 or so, probably twice what could be expected and at least half of them green.
And Christ, Hibs were honking.

I got his and Debbie Harry's autograph on the same night. Blondie were playing the Odeon and staying at the NB and a few of us punkers had the savvy to learn this. George was most accommodating as these were also his 'digs'. Wonder what was going through his mind.........

My abiding memory though, is him hitting the net v Celtic and taking Peter Latchford into the net with it.

Bostonhibby

09-07-2014, 12:55 PM

Seen every one of his games for us - class is permanent - he didn't have to run much because he could always put the ball where he wanted it to be. Highlight for me was when he drew the raffle at the opening of an exhaust centre at Peirshill - my Ma won it :greengrin

Got an original photo of the great man signing somewhere, will look it out and post when I get home. Will we ever see days like this again?

mim

09-07-2014, 01:42 PM

Most vivid memory is reaching the top of the terracing and seeing the crowd (iirc 23,000 ??) at ER waiting to witness his 1st home-game at ER v Partick Thistle !

Just in case anyone thinks that this thread is just Hibs fans getting all starry eyed, I was sitting in the main stand and there were half a dozen St Mirren fans sitting right behind me. They had seen his debut and come through to ER for more.

heretoday

09-07-2014, 01:49 PM

YehButNoBut

09-07-2014, 02:06 PM

The week before, the top of the lane was rammed with Hibbies trying to get on a bus to Paisley.
Maude looked after her regulars but was at her most mercenary with the 'space' available.
I think the crowd at Love St for his debut was 12,000 or so, probably twice what could be expected and at least half of them green.
And Christ, Hibs were honking.

I got his and Debbie Harry's autograph on the same night. Blondie were playing the Odeon and staying at the NB and a few of us punkers had the savvy to learn this. George was most accommodating as these were also his 'digs'. Wonder what was going through his mind.........

My abiding memory though, is him hitting the net v Celtic and taking Peter Latchford into the net with it.

Never tire of seeing this, the only thing similar these days would be if we signed Messi towards the end of his career. :thumbsup:

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

Bostonhibby

09-07-2014, 02:49 PM

The week before, the top of the lane was rammed with Hibbies trying to get on a bus to Paisley.
Maude looked after her regulars but was at her most mercenary with the 'space' available.
I think the crowd at Love St for his debut was 12,000 or so, probably twice what could be expected and at least half of them green.
And Christ, Hibs were honking.

I got his and Debbie Harry's autograph on the same night. Blondie were playing the Odeon and staying at the NB and a few of us punkers had the savvy to learn this. George was most accommodating as these were also his 'digs'. Wonder what was going through his mind.........

My abiding memory though, is him hitting the net v Celtic and taking Peter Latchford into the net with it.

Remember the celtc game well, also Paisley, had a drink afterwards and missed the train back from gilmore street. Even with Bestie we were poor, if I recall correctly he scored but we lost.

Iggy Pope

09-07-2014, 05:36 PM

Never tire of seeing this, the only thing similar these days would be if we signed Messi towards the end of his career. :thumbsup:

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

A timepiece
:flag:

PeeJay

09-07-2014, 05:47 PM

Hello all.

The Hibernian Historical Trust are pleased to present a profile of George Best and his time in Leith.

Link (http://www.hibshistoricaltrust.org.uk/player-profiles/item/170-george-best)

Please share your memories of Best at Hibs below.

P.s. Sorry the Trust has been quiet recently, we have been working in the background, updating the website, preparing new content and organisig new and upcoming events (including the Leith Festival Tour)

GGTTH

:flag:

Symbolic of Hibs failure at Board level to move the club forward when needed. IMO a stupid, pointless signing that had only short-term financial gain (boost in spectators guaranteed) in mind ... George Best at Hibs means nothing to me ...

IberianHibernian

09-07-2014, 05:48 PM

Did he not play in a home friendly against his American team ? Maybe 45 minutes for each team ? I on ly remember we won 3v1 and Americans had a brown strip which was unusual but thought Best had played .

eastterrace

09-07-2014, 05:58 PM

George enjoyed his time in Edinburgh and certainly grabbed all the plaudits and press freebies that were going!

He didn't have his mind 100% on Hibs to be fair but he did pretty well.

At the end of the day it was a master stroke by Tom Hart to sign him.

Tom Hart was a major figure in the history of Hibs.

sorry dont think it was a master stroke as we got relegated, he was a waste of money , great player he was but way past his sell by date when he came to us., but i do have a great memory of him coming out against st.mirren 13800 crowd and a hibs fan with his child got on the pitch just before kick off and went up to him and got him to sign his name i would imagine.oh and ally mcleod no passing to him.

banarc7062

09-07-2014, 05:58 PM

The week before, the top of the lane was rammed with Hibbies trying to get on a bus to Paisley.
Maude looked after her regulars but was at her most mercenary with the 'space' available.
I think the crowd at Love St for his debut was 12,000 or so, probably twice what could be expected and at least half of them green.
And Christ, Hibs were honking.

I got his and Debbie Harry's autograph on the same night. Blondie were playing the Odeon and staying at the NB and a few of us punkers had the savvy to learn this. George was most accommodating as these were also his 'digs'. Wonder what was going through his mind.........

My abiding memory though, is him hitting the net v Celtic and taking Peter Latchford into the net with it.
I agree, that shot was explosive and hit with such force. I can see it in my mind still. :flag:

mim

09-07-2014, 07:16 PM

sorry dont think it was a master stroke as we got relegated, he was a waste of money , great player he was but way past his sell by date when he came to us., but i do have a great memory of him coming out against st.mirren 13800 crowd and a hibs fan with his child got on the pitch just before kick off and went up to him and got him to sign his name i would imagine.oh and ally mcleod no passing to him.

Whatever else he was, he wasn't a waste of money. He didn't cost us anything and put thousands on our gates

eastterrace

09-07-2014, 07:19 PM

Whatever else he was, he wasn't a waste of money. He didn't cost us anything and put thousands on our gates

yes he did he cost tom hart £3000 a game so how do you mr hart just didnt take out of the gate receipts back then also he was part of the team that was relegated .

E10 Rifle

09-07-2014, 07:55 PM

Bobo

09-07-2014, 08:06 PM

yes he did he cost tom hart £3000 a game so how do you mr hart just didnt take out of the gate receipts back then also he was part of the team that was relegated .

Best was paid £2000 per game and Tom Hart didn't need to take the money back from gate receipts as it was pin money to him. Even if Tom Hart did want to recoup his money then it was more than covered from the first home attendance against Partick.

George Best played 22 games for Hibs so a total of £44000 in wages were paid. There was over 20000 for the Partick game so do the maths.

Personally I feel honoured to have had the chance to see George Best wear the green and white of Hibs. He may have been in the twighlight of his career at the time but was easily the best player in Scotland by a mile and well worth any financial outlay.

eastterrace

09-07-2014, 09:03 PM

Best was paid £2000 per game and Tom Hart didn't need to take the money back from gate receipts as it was pin money to him. Even if Tom Hart did want to recoup his money then it was more than covered from the first home attendance against Partick.

George Best played 22 games for Hibs so a total of £44000 in wages were paid. There was over 20000 for the Partick game so do the maths.

Personally I feel honoured to have had the chance to see George Best wear the green and white of Hibs. He may have been in the twighlight of his career at the time but was easily the best player in Scotland by a mile and well worth any financial outlay.

thats your opinion and your entitled to it but it was more a circus ( also sure it was £3000 a game ) also other players didnt like him like ally mcleod who was getting sweetie money compared to best so caused a bit resentment in the team, so no wonder we went down. also cant remember how much to get in back then so cant do the sums. anyway had my say and i will leave it at that.

weecounty hibby

09-07-2014, 09:32 PM

I was at most of the games that George played in and I will never forget the first at St Mirren, his first at ER and the match v celtic when he scored. I know all the stories and how much he was payed but all that mattered to me as a 10/11 year old was that one of ghe greatest footballers ever was wearing that magnificent green and white strip. I have a photo of me and him together at ER and an autographed programme and they are treasured possessions.

surreyhibbie

10-07-2014, 09:28 AM

sorry dont think it was a master stroke as we got relegated, he was a waste of money , great player he was but way past his sell by date when he came to us., but i do have a great memory of him coming out against st.mirren 13800 crowd and a hibs fan with his child got on the pitch just before kick off and went up to him and got him to sign his name i would imagine.oh and ally mcleod no passing to him.

I was there as well, I remember the wee boy went up to the wrong player (Callaghan?) and had to be pointed in the right direction!

Made us smile..

The man was head and shoulders above anyone I have ever seen in the flesh, even when well past his peak.

skipster7

10-07-2014, 02:34 PM

Me and my pal sneaked in about an hour b4 Macnamaras testimonial and hid in the long grass behind the cave until gates opened. Newcastle had a good team with Waddle and Beardsly playing and won 3-0. George Best still had some brilliant touches and was by far and away the best Hibs player on show, must have been 1984.different class imo

Phil D. Rolls

10-07-2014, 03:12 PM

think that was on a sunday as well

Definitely a Saturday.

George enjoyed his time in Edinburgh and certainly grabbed all the plaudits and press freebies that were going!

He didn't have his mind 100% on Hibs to be fair but he did pretty well.

At the end of the day it was a master stroke by Tom Hart to sign him.

Tom Hart was a major figure in the history of Hibs.

What did Tom actually achieve for Hibs. I feel we were in a worse state after his reign than we were before it.

brog

10-07-2014, 03:46 PM

Definitely a Saturday.

What did Tom actually achieve for Hibs. I feel we were in a worse state after his reign than we were before it.

We won our 1st cup for 70 years, we beat them 7-0 & we produced the best team you or I have seen. There's no doubt the Tornadoes underachieved & I'm sure TH would have wanted a better legacy but there was no doubting his passion for & commitment to all things Hibs.

Deansy

10-07-2014, 03:49 PM

I have a memory of Best, stopping a against the Hun, picking up the ball and handing it to Derek Johnstone who'd been kicking lumps out of him in a vain attempt time take the ball of him legally ?. Can anyone confirm this or am I losing it ??

brog

10-07-2014, 03:54 PM

thats your opinion and your entitled to it but it was more a circus ( also sure it was £3000 a game ) also other players didnt like him like ally mcleod who was getting sweetie money compared to best so caused a bit resentment in the team, so no wonder we went down. also cant remember how much to get in back then so cant do the sums. anyway had my say and i will leave it at that.

It was definitely £2k a game & none of the Hibs players had a bad word to say about George. In fact George recognised Ally M as the most talented player at ER, apart from George of course, & they actually got on very well.

Deansy

10-07-2014, 04:03 PM

It was definitely £2k a game & none of the Hibs players had a bad word to say about George. In fact George recognised Ally M as the most talented player at ER, apart from George of course, & they actually got on very well.

Often saw George, Ralph Callachan, Jackie Macnamara and Ally McLeod drinking in 'Jingling Geordies' down Cockburn street-steps. If there was any 'bad-feeling' at Hibs, it certainly didn't involve these four.

cabbageandribs1875

10-07-2014, 04:24 PM

thats your opinion and your entitled to it but it was more a circus ( also sure it was £3000 a game ) also other players didnt like him like ally mcleod who was getting sweetie money compared to best so caused a bit resentment in the team, so no wonder we went down. also cant remember how much to get in back then so cant do the sums. anyway had my say and i will leave it at that.

it was actually £2K/game et :agree: and although he had lost the pace, he didn't need pace, he sprayed the ball about superbly, and always two steps ahead of the other players in the team unfortunately, great footballing brain and ability

Bostonhibby

24-07-2014, 09:10 PM

Anyway, better late than never, Here's the great man signing and the Press Association announcement confirming the fee. Believe he was on £2k a week, pay as he played - no show, no money. Pretty sure Hart paid out of his own pocket.

Lago

24-07-2014, 09:14 PM

Most vivid memory is reaching the top of the terracing and seeing the crowd (iirc 23,000 ??) at ER waiting to witness his 1st home-game at ER v Partick Thistle !
Me to along with my father in law, great day.

--------

25-07-2014, 09:19 AM

Often saw George, Ralph Callachan, Jackie Macnamara and Ally McLeod drinking in 'Jingling Geordies' down Cockburn street-steps. If there was any 'bad-feeling' at Hibs, it certainly didn't involve these four.

The very fact that those four were in the side begs the question of why we went down so ignominiously that season.

Maybe the clue's in the phrase "drinking in Jinglin' Geordie's"? :devil:

My memories of Best's time at ER was that as suspected, there were a lot of lows - mainly 'no-shows' on George's part - but the high spots like his goal against Celtic and the match against Rangers, were sublime.

Kato

25-07-2014, 10:11 AM

The very fact that those four were in the side begs the question of why we went down so ignominiously that season.

Simple, Des Bremner's name isn't there.

The Baldmans Comb

25-07-2014, 10:16 AM

Whatever else he was, he wasn't a waste of money. He didn't cost us anything and put thousands on our gates

He cost Hibs a £50,000 transfer fee from Fulham and you can bet that didn't come out of Hart's pocket.

I tend to agree to a large extent with Eddie Turnbull who devoted a chapter in his book as to what a disaster of a signing Best turned out to be.

A few sublime moments but this was a totally unfit and out of shape player only here for the money when he even bothered to turn up though that doesn't quite fit in with the myth that is beginning to form.

Turkish Green

25-07-2014, 12:34 PM

Angie Angie show us yer tits
Angie show us yer tits

HUTCHYHIBBY

25-07-2014, 12:39 PM

I was just a bairn at the time but I think folk are starting to get a bit misty eyed about how good he was at ER.

Turkish Green

25-07-2014, 01:01 PM

My memories of Best's time at ER was that as suspected, there were a lot of lows - mainly 'no-shows' on George's part - but the high spots like his goal against Celtic and the match against Rangers, were sublime.
The highs may have been sublime but the low of the lows was getting relegated and by some margin at that. To rub salt into the wound the yams won the 1st Division that year. My memory of Best was as yours, a genius befuddled by alcohol. It is still nice to have seen him play at ER.

--------

25-07-2014, 01:06 PM

Simple, Des Bremner's name isn't there.

Aye, we missed Bremner all right. Very underrated player our Des.

I may be totally wrong, but I don't think most of our guys were trying an ounce that season. :rolleyes:

Kato

25-07-2014, 04:52 PM

Aye, we missed Bremner all right. Very underrated player our Des.

I may be totally wrong, but I don't think most of our guys were trying an ounce that season. :rolleyes:

Bremner did the all running for all the above named players, zero engine in any of the attackers. We were more or less resigned to relegation before Best arrived.

Bostonhibby

25-07-2014, 04:53 PM

Aye, we missed Bremner all right. Very underrated player our Des.

I may be totally wrong, but I don't think most of our guys were trying an ounce that season. :rolleyes:

Cracking player Des was, quite a few of the others did enjoy the bright lights at least as much as playing for Hibs in that era. There's not many players anywhere have Des's medal collection though. Seen him play at Villa a few times and he fitted in at the highest level.

GORDONSMITH7

26-07-2014, 12:05 AM

We won our 1st cup for 70 years, we beat them 7-0 & we produced the best team you or I have seen. There's no doubt the Tornadoes underachieved & I'm sure TH would have wanted a better legacy but there was no doubting his passion for & commitment to all things Hibs.

Spot on amigo.

BIG G

One Day

26-07-2014, 10:25 PM

I was just a bairn at the time but I think folk are starting to get a bit misty eyed about how good he was at ER.

Not misty eyed, He was past his best that's for sure but he was head and shoulder above anyone in the league at that time. some of his touches, passing, reading of the game and goals, (Dundee anyone), were still a joy to see. His non appearances and drinking were a let down but still glad he came and I saw him in a Hibs Jersey.

Bostonhibby

26-07-2014, 10:35 PM

Not misty eyed, He was past his best that's for sure but he was head and shoulder above anyone in the league at that time. some of his touches, passing, reading of the game and goals, (Dundee anyone), were still a joy to see. His non appearances and drinking were a let down but still glad he came and I saw him in a Hibs Jersey.

This. One off but it happened. Won't again. Whatever their problems world class players on the way down who can double crowds won't be stopping in Scotland any time soon. Unless Der Hun set up some tax free payment arrangements again.

One Day

26-07-2014, 10:42 PM

This. One off but it happened. Won't again. Whatever their problems world class players on the way down who can double crowds won't be stopping in Scotland any time soon. Unless Der Hun set up some tax free payment arrangements again.

We wont see the likes again and the fact that we did see it just makes us old