Hibs v Real Madrid 1964

[ekhibee]

Wish I'd been to this game, but I was only two and a half!! I'm sure some of the older posters will remember it fondly though. My father has always sung the praises of Willie Hamilton, and there are wee glimpses in these highlights of the kind of player he was. Great performance by Hibs, but it was clear that Real were a very good side indeed.

https://youtu.be/meAVIQu51YM

[heretoday]

I was there aged 10. Incredible atmosphere. All those great players too, not all of them in green!

[Golden Bear]

Yes, proud to be in attendance that night. What an atmosphere , under the floodlights, the superstars from Madrid in their pristine all white ķit, brought back to earth by an amazing performance from the Hibees. Without referring to Mr Google, our very own Peter (Korky the cat) Cormack as a raw youngster scored a cracker of a goal in the 2-0 victory over the Spanish maestros. Ah yes, memories are made of this!

[The Harp]

Thanks for posting that ekhibee, brought back memories of a great night. I was 17 at the time and was standing behind the goal at the Albion Road end with my late dad and a pal. There was a great atmophere at the game, considering it was a friendly.
Can still remember stopping off for a celebratory drink at a pub (long since gone) on Leith Street.

[Forza Fred]

I wuz there....and the night before the game Real had a training session at Er with about 2000 in attendance, including some Hibs players who were watching them going through their paces.

Along with a mate, I managed to sneak into the Real dressing room, and the President introduced us to the players as we got their autographs

Still got the autograph book today.

One player though, who simply waved us away and wouldn’t sign was the legendary Ferenc Puskas.

Our visit ended when Jock stein saw us through the open dressing room door and chased us out!

[Mick O'Rourke]

Hibernian Football Club,the first team in the UK to have beaten both RM and Barca.
I was at the Real game that rainy night...12 yrs young !

A neighbour from along our street and his pal took turns each at giving me a "high shooder"so i did not miss the action.


Willie Hamilton= football genius.

If "The Rebel" was not my avatar here, it would be Willie Hamilton.
Ask any Hibernian player of that era "who was the best player you played alongside"
Willie Hamilton would be the reply.
I know Jimmy O and Pat Stanton would say that.
Ferenc Puskas reportedly said of Willies performance that night "he would not look out of place in the Real team"
This from the finest footballer of his generation.

The great Jock Stein said that Willie was one of the finest footballers he managed

It may well have been a challenge match that night and not a "competitive"one
None the less,Reals reputation and standing at that time will tell you
They did not do "friendlies"
I think Hibernian just about broke even that night(financially)
Real demanded large fees for these games.

A memorable night and win.

GGTTH


PS


Am i the only one that thinks we should never have arranged that game at Murrayfield against Barca

Now,,,, if only we had a Willie Hamilton that day :greengrin

[Forza Fred]

Also remember Real insisted that the ball was lighter than normally played with in Scotland, Hibs wore all green, and the ticket prices were six bob and no boys gate!

[cheltenhamhibee]

My auld man was there, and many of the other great European games, always used to enjoy telling me that he'd seen all our big wins (rubbing it in more like) but that is no more. I was at the greatest day in 114yrs, my turn for the bragging rights :greengrin:greengrin

[brog]

Also remember Real insisted that the ball was lighter than normally played with in Scotland, Hibs wore all green, and the ticket prices were six bob and no boys gate!

You're right Freddy, I remember going to ER about a week before the game to buy my ticket & I wandered in to watch Hibs training. I remember the players coming down the running track & jumping to head a ball, suspended about 7 feet high, a bit like a piece of boxing equipment. Jim Scott kept missing it & Stein kept shouting at him about his inability to jump! Not quite Puskas but great fun. IIRC we needed a crowd of 25,000 to break even & got 30,000. 6 bob was however serious money in those days.

[Mick O'Rourke]

An interesting statistic from that night only highlights how forward thinking Hibernian had been in the years preceding.
The "own goal" in that game was Hibernian's 200th goal against European opponents.
And of course,European competitions had only really started around 1955/56.
Pioneers indeed!


Back to the attendance
30.000 plus
Hibernian did not make a lot (if anything) from the receipts that night as Real demanded hefty "appearance money" to play such games. They toured far and wide at that time.

Or maybe Willie Harrower just said that ;-)

Link below to interview with Peter Cormack, discussing the game 50 years on.


https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/peter-cormack-recalls-day-hibs-beat-real-madrid-50-years-on-1-3564916

[Forza Fred]

You're right Freddy, I remember going to ER about a week before the game to buy my ticket & I wandered in to watch Hibs training. I remember the players coming down the running track & jumping to head a ball, suspended about 7 feet high, a bit like a piece of boxing equipment. Jim Scott kept missing it & Stein kept shouting at him about his inability to jump! Not quite Puskas but great fun. IIRC we needed a crowd of 25,000 to break even & got 30,000. 6 bob was however serious money in those days.

By memory it was double the normal adult charge of 3 bob....and the boys gate at normal league games was one and six!

Serious begging at home had to be carried out to get six bob for a fitba game😉

[lapsedhibee]

Also remember Real insisted that the ball was lighter than normally played with in Scotland, Hibs wore all green, and the ticket prices were six bob and no boys gate!

:tsk tsk: Green shorts.

[Mick O'Rourke]

Also remember Real insisted that the ball was lighter than normally played with in Scotland, Hibs wore all green, and the ticket prices were six bob and no boys gate!

Hi Fred
Six bob or no,it didnae stop youngsters getting a "lift over" that night.
Not every turnstile had a "jobsworth" in attendance.
I should know!
The money was needed for The Regent picture hoose efter home games,or a visit to The Tiffen cafe :wink:


Jimmy once told me to stop getting "lifted over" at ER

Why? i asked.
" FFS,you left school 2 years ago" he replied :tee hee:

[Jim_in_Canada]

At 14 years old, I went to the game with my older brother. Because he was working, I was the one who went to ER to buy the tickets for the game and when I was there, I was asked if I wanted to see Real training on the pitch. Of course I said yes and they let me stand on the touchline and watch. Although this was one of the best Hibs games ever, that training session is the thing I remember more !

[ano hibby]

Great footage & hearing people’s memories 👍
Was born in 1970 so missed this.

[ancient hibee]

Also remember Real insisted that the ball was lighter than normally played with in Scotland, Hibs wore all green, and the ticket prices were six bob and no boys gate!
I remember a lot wouldn’t pay the six bob to “see Hibs slaughtered” and many of them that I know boasted for years that they were there!

[Seveno]

I was 12 and went with my Dad and 3 brothers. I was super excited at going to see the mighty Real Madrid and came home drooling over the performance of the mightier Hibees.

[Is It On....]

Hibernian Football Club,the first team in the UK to have beaten both RM and Barca.
I was at the Real game that rainy night...12 yrs young !

A neighbour from along our street and his pal took turns each at giving me a "high shooder"so i did not miss the action.


Willie Hamilton= football genius.

If "The Rebel" was not my avatar here, it would be Willie Hamilton.
Ask any Hibernian player of that era "who was the best player you played alongside"
Willie Hamilton would be the reply.
I know Jimmy O and Pat Stanton would say that.
Ferenc Puskas reportedly said of Willies performance that night "he would not look out of place in the Real team"
This from the finest footballer of his generation.

The great Jock Stein said that Willie was one of the finest footballers he managed

It may well have been a challenge match that night and not a "competitive"one
None the less,Reals reputation and standing at that time will tell you
They did not do "friendlies"
I think Hibernian just about broke even that night(financially)
Real demanded large fees for these games.

A memorable night and win.

GGTTH


PS


Am i the only one that thinks we should never have arranged that game at Murrayfield against Barca

Now,,,, if only we had a Willie Hamilton that day :greengrin

Willie Hamilton seems like he was quite a character (source: Wikipedia) with Stein offering to put him up the night before a game to ensure he didn't go out for a few beers. Must have been an amazing talent for a manager to do that.

[Forza Fred]

Willie Hamilton seems like he was quite a character (source: Wikipedia) with Stein offering to put him up the night before a game to ensure he didn't go out for a few beers. Must have been an amazing talent for a manager to do that.

I can remember a rare Friday night fixture for the reserves at Easter Road.

The sparse crowd, me included, were amazed when Willie Hamilton trotted out in the reserve side as he was due to play the next day in the first team.

Closer inspection of Willie strip showed that it was already heavily sweat stained, as if he had just finished a punishing gym work out....which turned out to be the case.

Apparently someone had earlier phoned Jock Stein to tell him Willie was reekin in some pub...Stein drove there dragged him out and stuck him in the reserves.....

Some player though.