Keith Houchen

[Peevemor]

Good wee piece in the EEN.

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/keith-houchen-thrilled-with-hibs-pressure-on-rangers-1-3950042


Keith Houchen appreciates the culture shock Jackie McNamara must overcome at York City as he attempts to get to grips with an alien environment at the 
bottom of the Football League.


Houchen watched as McNamara lost his third game in a row on Saturday since being appointed manager. He has expressed surprise that the former Dundee United manager pitched up in York, where Houchen was a player in the mid-1980s.


Houchen himself has returned to live in the area after a much-travelled career that included an 18-month spell at Hibernian.


Indeed, seeing McNamara’s struggles – the former Dundee United manager lost his third successive game against Plymouth Argyle on Saturday – reminds him how it felt going the opposite way, from England to Scotland, in 1989.


But even for an FA Cup winner and scorer of one of the competition’s most memorable goals, clinching victory for Coventry City in the final against Spurs in 1987, moving to Hibs didn’t feel like such a step down. After all, Houchen, now 55, was able to sample European football for the first time. But he knew nothing about the Scottish game, nor the passion which almost chased him down the road again. He can laugh about it now, of course. But he has not been back to a Hibs game since he left, under a cloud, in 1991.


News of their recent exploits, however, has reached Houchen in York. He is “thrilled” his old side are putting pressure on Rangers after a 13-match unbeaten run, and could move to within two points of the Championship leaders with a victory over Livingston tonight.


Head coach Alan Stubbs is imposing his vision on the side in the way McNamara hopes to do at York, in time. Houchen watched McNamara’s home debut on Saturday – watched it very carefully indeed for Opta, the statistics company, totting up shots, corners and other such details. He doesn’t envy McNamara’s task at the lowly League Two side.


“I was a little bit surprised [he came to York],” he said. “York is a difficult place, they have been struggling for a few years now. But Jackie obviously fancies 
his chances.




“What he knows about this level of football I don’t know. When you are a manager and you are out of it, you want to be back in. You go for whatever job comes up. I suppose York is a nice one in that it is a beautiful city. I have lived all over Britain and this is the nicest place – Edinburgh is a very close second.”


Houchen will return to the capital next weekend, but not to see Hibs. He is a regular visitor with his wife, Yvonne. Remarkably, he hasn’t been back to watch Hibs play since he left, in 1991.


“It all turned a bit sour in the end,” he explained. “I fell out with the Hibbies – and you don’t fall out with the Hibbies!


“I never really got on with [manager] Alex Miller, either. He was a serious, dour man. He didn’t really have a sense of humour did he? I liked to have a bit of a laugh. We were never bouncing off each other.”


Hibs supporters used to do the “Houchie Houchie”, something akin to the Hokey Cokey, in tribute to the striker. “But they could turn nasty really quickly,” he recalled. “We had a lad called Joe Tortolano at left-back, who was a real trier. But the crowd used to get on his back. I just flipped one time.


“We used to come off and they would throw things at us and I gave them the V-sign, which was daft. It happened at Raith Rovers – we played Meadowbank 
in the cup and, because we couldn’t play at Meadowbank, we went over and played it at Raith Rovers.


“We beat them and I scored a header in the last minute of the game to put us through. I remember sitting in the dressing room thinking, ‘if I ever play here again’. Of course, we drew them [Raith] in the next round…”


“I go up regularly,” he added. “[Once] a mate of mine was doing some agency work. He took the big centre-half to Hibs from Grimsby, Rob Jones. Johnny Collins was in charge and I wanted to see Johnny, my old team-mate. So I went with my mate to the ground. We sat and had lunch. I hadn’t seen Johnny in all those years.


“There was a picture of us together on one of the walls with our shiny tracksuits on, back when we were young!”


It is nearly quarter of a century since Houchen left Edinburgh, bound for Port Vale. Big centre-forwards are not quite so in vogue these days, certainly not at Easter Road.


But he did strike on his debut against Hearts and scored a winner for Hibs at Ibrox. Such feats can help absolve a multitude of sins. He would surely be 
welcome back now.




Interesting how he says that he lost the plot with the Fans because of the abuse Joe T was getting.

[Smartie]

Good wee piece in the EEN.

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/keith-houchen-thrilled-with-hibs-pressure-on-rangers-1-3950042




Interesting how he says that he lost the plot with the Fans because of the abuse Joe T was getting.

I was interested to see him bring that up.

Mainly because I have spoken to 2 other players who played for us at that time and they have both brought up the fact that they felt the abuse doled out to Joe was out of order.

[Iain G]

He doesn't look like he has aged at all!

What is it with the Yam comments on a Hibs thread that bear no relation to the article?! :confused:

[Lago]

I was interested to see him bring that up.

Mainly because I have spoken to 2 other players who played for us at that time and they have both brought up the fact that they felt the abuse doled out to Joe was out of order.
It was, totally out of order.

[AndyM_1875]

Good article, but why are online Scotsman/EEN articles about Hibs ruined at the bottom by the dull witted slaverings of sad case Jambos?
4 comments and all from the deluded ones.

[Kojock]

I was at the Meadowbank game at Starks Park and it wasn't Joe who was getting it tight it was Houchy himself. He's right about giving the fans the V sign.

[BroxburnHibee]

I was interested to see him bring that up.

Mainly because I have spoken to 2 other players who played for us at that time and they have both brought up the fact that they felt the abuse doled out to Joe was out of order.

It was way out of order.

I remember walking into Tannadice as they were naming the team, some fans booed when his name was read out as a sub. He was on the pitch at the time warming up - disgusting!!!!!!

[KeithTheHibby]

Looking back Joe T was a massive scapegoat during Millers years. The guy just wasn't good enough however managed to spend over 10 years at Hibs.

I was convinced Houchen gave us the finger after being sent off against St Johnstone however I could be wrong. He wasn't really forgiven after that.

[Smartie]

Looking back Joe T was a massive scapegoat during Millers years. The guy just wasn't good enough however managed to spend over 10 years at Hibs.

I was convinced Houchen gave us the finger after being sent off against St Johnstone however I could be wrong. He wasn't really forgiven after that.

I always thought Miller hung Joe T out to dry.

He was quick and good at beating his man. On his day, wide on the left, he was superb.

He was never a defender and he was played at left-back too often, where he struggled.

I don't think we ever appreciated at the time how good a player Graham Mitchell was and we missed him a lot when he wasn't playing which put a lot of pressure on whoever it was who was selected in his place - often this was Joe.


I only remember loving Joe Tortolano.

[Kato]

Looking back Joe T was a massive scapegoat during Millers years. The guy just wasn't good enough however managed to spend over 10 years at Hibs.



I was convinced Houchen gave us the finger after being sent off against St Johnstone however I could be wrong. He wasn't really forgiven after that.


He was a good enough winger and great crosser of the ball. Never a left back but gives an insight into Miller's outlook that he told Joe not to cross the half - way line.

[Peevemor]

He was a good enough winger and great crosser of the ball. Never a left back but gives an insight into Miller's outlook that he told Joe not to cross the half - way line.

Exactly.

[KeithTheHibby]

He was a good enough winger and great crosser of the ball. Never a left back but gives an insight into Miller's outlook that he told Joe not to cross the half - way line.

I remember being through at Brockville either late 80's or early 90's and the abuse Joe T was getting was vile. he then scored an absolute raker however pretty sure we were already 2-0 down!

He didn't play much after Graeme Mitchell joined the club in summer of 1991 however I am sure he was around ER until 1995?


Edit, 1996 with 222 appearances.

[Dashing Bob S]

Hope Keith does come back to a game at ER. He seems to have misjudged what a much-loved cult figure he was. He would get a great reception from the fans.

[KeithTheHibby]

I always thought Miller hung Joe T out to dry.

He was quick and good at beating his man. On his day, wide on the left, he was superb.

He was never a defender and he was played at left-back too often, where he struggled.

I don't think we ever appreciated at the time how good a player Graham Mitchell was and we missed him a lot when he wasn't playing which put a lot of pressure on whoever it was who was selected in his place - often this was Joe.


I only remember loving Joe Tortolano.


I know what you mean. As cult players go Joe T is number 1. He loved the Hibs too, why else would you stick around for that amount of time with the abuse he got?

You are right about GM, once he left we seen guys such as Jimmy Boco (not left footed), Rab Shannon (shudder) and Paul 'headless chicken' Lovering cover the LB position.
I am sure Andy Dow played LB but pissed off to the sheep after we got relegated the judas bassa.

[KeithTheHibby]

Hope Keith does come back to a game at ER. He seems to have misjudged what a much-loved cult figure he was. He would get a great reception from the fans.

Correct.

[Frazerbob]

Hope Keith does come back to a game at ER. He seems to have misjudged what a much-loved cult figure he was. He would get a great reception from the fans.

He has become a cult figure but he was derised by many, maybe most, towards the end of his time here. Time is a great healer.

[Frazerbob]

Looking back Joe T was a massive scapegoat during Millers years. The guy just wasn't good enough however managed to spend over 10 years at Hibs.

I was convinced Houchen gave us the finger after being sent off against St Johnstone however I could be wrong. He wasn't really forgiven after that.

Rediculous red card at St Johnstone for which he was rightly chastised IIRC. Sure it was a cup tie we inevitabley lost. He definitely wasn't a fans' favourite towards the end of his time here.

[DH1875]

Joe T is one of my fav all time Hibs players :)

[worcesterhibby]

Hope Keith does come back to a game at ER. He seems to have misjudged what a much-loved cult figure he was. He would get a great reception from the fans.
He was a lazy bar steward a lot of the time if my memory serves me.

[JimBHibees]

He was a lazy bar steward a lot of the time if my memory serves me.

Yep very lazy with a bit of an attitude also which didnt endear himself, started well though.

[LithgaeHibby]

My wife and I visited the Isle of Coll in 1997 and stayed at a B&B run by a Mr and Mrs Houchen. I got talking to the husband (it's not a common name, but it was the FA Cup Final 1987 video in the living room that definitely gave it away) and sure enough their son was Keith. I wasn't sure how his Dad would feel about Hibs fans given how things ended for Keith, but he was very friendly and insisted that I take Keith's official Hibs blazer and tie away with me! I kept them safe without really knowing what to do with them until ultimately handing them over to Tommy Wright at the Hibs Historical Trust some years later. Funniest thing about the story was that the blazer had a label inside with the name "T McIntyre" - some good economising by the club there!

As for Joe T, he was certainly committed, but those survivors of the Alex Miller era will remember his tendency to have blazing runs down the left wing only to cross the ball behind!

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

Hope Keith does come back to a game at ER. He seems to have misjudged what a much-loved cult figure he was. He would get a great reception from the fans.

I believe that would be the case too.

[schinkenotto]

He and his wife run a smashing bookshop and café in Thirsk,nr York.Bought his autobiography there.

[heretoday]

Given his physique Houchen should have made more of an impact than he did. He was quite disappointing really.

[jabis]

"Houchen,if you had 5 free shots at John Lennon,HE'D STILL BE ALIVE"
After a missed penalty at a European tie😂
Best put down I've heard at a game.

Still welcome him back!

[cammy1969]

"Houchen,if you had 5 free shots at John Lennon,HE'D STILL BE ALIVE"
After a missed penalty at a European tie[emoji23]
Best put down I've heard at a game.

Still welcome him back!

The missed pen remember being at Kelso racing with the pub years ago and Jimmy o'rouke was with us and we bumped in to Paul Kane and Andy goram.
Got talking to them and I brought it up about the pen as Kaneo took all the pens that season I ask why he never took that 1 and he said goram was capt and told him to let the big man take the pen if we got 1 as houchie was in good form. But it turned out goram had bet houchen to be 1st goal scorer.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Deansy]

He doesn't look like he has aged at all!

What is it with the Yam comments on a Hibs thread that bear no relation to the article?! :confused:

You obviously have'nt read the fans-forums on newspaper articles in the last couple of years. Any Hibs-article that you can post your opinions to (Scotsman\EEN etc) and it's almost certain that not only will that thread be rotten with posts from jambos but it's almost certain the 1st post will be from one of them. I call them the 'Charity Thieves FC 24\7 Hibs-article alert-team'.

It's actually quite a compliment as it shows that for all their 'Big\Wee team' guff about us, deep-down they're obsessed by us. Imho it's because now that their money-days are gone, they fear the 'Level-playing field' and what'll happen once we're back.

[Viva_Palmeiras]

It was, totally out of order.

Yup. Something I never got or felt comfortable with. Never understand "abuse" of our own players ever. Either folks don't know the meaning of the word or they're out of touch with what it means to support a team.

Calum Milne was so incensed at the abuse during one game he slammed the ball into the advertising boards and shouted his disapproval. It was at East End Park or St Johnstone.

And here we are almost 30 years on and if anything it's got worse.

[Stevie Reid]

I really felt sorry for Joe T. I remember he had a good run of games when both him and the team were in good form in the 1993-94 season, and when we played Clyde at home in the SC 3rd round at ER, it was the first time I'd heard his name read out in the team by the announcer without any accompanying boos. He broke his leg that day.

Did someone on here a few years back not say that they met Andy Goram once and he told him that in training he couldn't get near Joe's free kicks - it was just that his bottle crashed every game? Would explain the how the abuse got to him so much.

I know I guy who met Torto at a trade event once, and he said that JT was the funniest guy he'd ever met.

[Chip shop Joe]

Chip Shop Joe was a great crosser of the ball but for me that was about it. Thought he was pretty dire. I seem to remember some ironic cheers rather than boos at his name being read out. I agree though this was a bit out of order but he could be absolutely murder!

Quite amazing how he played so many games!

[Mibbes Aye]

My abiding memories are every so often, of blazing stand-up rows in pockets of the East, between folk who were laying into Joe T from the outset and those who were defending him.

It got to the stage in the most-heated games where he was getting applause from some for the simplest passes and booed for just receiving the ball by others.

Always thought his positioning was great, maybe a bit like Lewis nowadays in putting himself in the right place for the ball if required.

There was a weakness defensively though, epitomised for me in an away game, midweek I think (or a very wintry Saturday), at Falkirk, when they broke from our corner, Joe was last man back in a two-on-one, tracking the player with the ball and you're thinking, nay, shouting, "Don't dive in, Joe, don't dive in!!", and he stayed on his feet and was showing it out, and you're thinking "Yes, that's right, don't dive in Joe, help's on its way......oh.......you dived in......you couldnae help it.......and their player squared it and it's a goal.....***k!" :greengrin

[hibbymick]

Joe used to say he heard the abuse during the warm ups and had absolutely zero confidence when walking out for the match.

[Waxy]

I remember the song
Joe Joe super Joe
Joe Joe super Joe
Joe Joe super Joe
Super Tortolano

Didn't we sing this quite regular back in the day?

[Eyrie]

I remember the song
Joe Joe super Joe
Joe Joe super Joe
Joe Joe super Joe
Super Tortolano

Didn't we sing this quite regular back in the day?

We did.

He was one of those frustrating players who could look good in one game and be a complete liability in the next. Always felt he'd have made an excellent wing back if we'd tried 3-5-2, although Miller would have had him so deep it would have been 5-3-2.

[Scott Allan Key]

That aforementioned goal against Falkirk Joe T scored was a volley IIRC. It was one of the best goals I've seen from a Hibs player.

[basehibby]

I was interested to see him bring that up.

Mainly because I have spoken to 2 other players who played for us at that time and they have both brought up the fact that they felt the abuse doled out to Joe was out of order.

It used to get right on my thrupenies as well - the truth is there are always some loud mouthed braggart types in a crowd who want to show off their supposed "knowledge" of the game by shouting about how sheight some player or another is.

They are not actual supporters because they do the opposite - they undermine confidence and negatively affect the their own team's performances. That was definately the case with Joe T who sadly used to go into his shell a bit when slagged off about some missed tackle and just get worse in response to this moronic element. Bloody shame as he had a pearl of a left foot on him - one season I remember just about every bloody goal I saw Hibs score came from a guided missile of a cross from Joe T's left peg :agree:

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

Loud mouthed braggart, superb! Do you wear a flat cap to games? ;-)

[Forza Fred]

As coincidence would have it, Houchen's cup final goal was shown on BeIn sports this very morning!

[rcarter1]

Poor Joe. He scored the first ever Hibs goal I witnessed, a low bending free kick vs Dundee (Evans scored the winner with a diving header from about 6 inches). I was appalled when he got booed for being selected before a match. I hope Super Joe is doing well, never hid.

[Pete]

My wife and I visited the Isle of Coll in 1997 and stayed at a B&B run by a Mr and Mrs Houchen. I got talking to the husband (it's not a common name, but it was the FA Cup Final 1987 video in the living room that definitely gave it away) and sure enough their son was Keith. I wasn't sure how his Dad would feel about Hibs fans given how things ended for Keith, but he was very friendly and insisted that I take Keith's official Hibs blazer and tie away with me! I kept them safe without really knowing what to do with them until ultimately handing them over to Tommy Wright at the Hibs Historical Trust some years later. Funniest thing about the story was that the blazer had a label inside with the name "T McIntyre" - some good economising by the club there!

Nice one.

[DH1875]

Poor Joe. He scored the first ever Hibs goal I witnessed, a low bending free kick vs Dundee (Evans scored the winner with a diving header from about 6 inches). I was appalled when he got booed for being selected before a match. I hope Super Joe is doing well, never hid.


One of the best goal I've seen following Hibs was a Super Joe strike from at least 25 yards against Falkirk at the old brockville :thumbsup:. Only downside is we lost 2-1.