Skol Cup Semi Final

[bingo70]

Trying to be positive tomorrow I was just wondering how this game compares to the build up to the game against Rangers in the semi final of the Skol Cup?

It was just before my time to fully understand what was going on but my memory and understanding is we were massive underdogs going into that game too.

Was there as big a gap between the two teams then as there is tomorrow? Any comparables to be had between the two games?

[Billy Whizz]

Trying to be positive tomorrow I was just wondering how this game compares to the build up to the game against Rangers in the semi final of the Skol Cup?

It was the CIS cup at that time
It was just before my time to fully understand what was going on but my memory and understanding is we were massive underdogs going into that game too.

Was there as big a gap between the two teams then as there is tomorrow? Any comparables to be had between the two games?

I was at that game, and like tomorrow we had a small support
Hibs had a pretty young side that night, and we were given next to no chance
Hibernian (4-3-3): Andersson; Caldwell, Doumbe, Murdock, Edge (Dobbie, 76); Reid (McManus, h-t), Wiss (Whittaker, 57), Thomson; Brown, O'Connor, Riordan.
Subs not used: Nicol, Alistair Brown.
Booked: Caldwell, O'Connor, McManus, Thomson.

Rangers (4-3-3): Klos; Ross (Vanoli, 88) Moore, F de Boer, Ball; Ricksen, Arteta (Khizanishvili, 73), Nerlinger; Arveladze, Mols, R de Boer (Ostenstad, 73).
Subs not used: Capucho, McGregor.

I’m feeling a bit more optimistic about tomorrow now, that we’ll put on a good performance
Here’s hoping!

[DarlingtonHibee]

Brilliant Night at Hampden, great hibs support

[bingo70]

I was at that game, and like tomorrow we had a small support
Hibs had a pretty young side that night, and we were given next to no chance
Hibernian (4-3-3): Andersson; Caldwell, Doumbe, Murdock, Edge (Dobbie, 76); Reid (McManus, h-t), Wiss (Whittaker, 57), Thomson; Brown, O'Connor, Riordan.
Subs not used: Nicol, Alistair Brown.
Booked: Caldwell, O'Connor, McManus, Thomson.

Rangers (4-3-3): Klos; Ross (Vanoli, 88) Moore, F de Boer, Ball; Ricksen, Arteta (Khizanishvili, 73), Nerlinger; Arveladze, Mols, R de Boer (Ostenstad, 73).
Subs not used: Capucho, McGregor.

I’m feeling a bit more optimistic about tomorrow now, that we’ll put on a good performance
Here’s hoping!

That’s not the game I was talking about but yeah that’s another good example.

I was meaning the one from 1991, the Keith Wright header from Mickey Weirs cross

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

If the post match experience turns out to be anything like the few hours spent in Fingers Piano Bar after returning from that Keith, Keith, Keith game it'll be a cracking night! 🍺

[oneone73]

That’s not the game I was talking about but yeah that’s another good example.

I was meaning the one from 1991, the Keith Wright header from Mickey Weirs cross

It was a great night. The Team That Wouldn't Die.

[Clarence]

I listened to it on Radio Forth in my bedroom, will always remember the program following it was hosted by Grant Stott and he said “Well there’s only one song I can play after that”. It was “I’m on my way (from misery to happiness today) by the Proclaimers.

[wookie70]

I remember waking up the next morning with a shocking hangover and not remembering much about the full day sesh and game the day before apart from running up the steps at half time screaming "we can do this". The drunkest I have ever been at a game by far. I still think Hibs can win every game and the OP has drawn a decent parallel. This is similar and it is a game of fitba where one team can have a great night and carry some luck and another the opposite.

[Billy Whizz]

That’s not the game I was talking about but yeah that’s another good example.

I was meaning the one from 1991, the Keith Wright header from Mickey Weirs cross

No worries, the more recent one was a major upset (before the 2016 win😄)

Hope they show the team this before the game tomorrow

https://youtu.be/JVnigShdkZ4

[CloudSquall]

I remember thinking "aw naw..." when Colin Murdock stepped up only to see him put away the best penalty of the night.

[Iggy Pope]

Skol cup semi in 1991 we had got off to a great start and were flying.
The 2003/04 semi was a far greater test of our character and some comparisons could easily be drawn as there weren’t many there that night.

[SideBurns]

My recollection is that while we were huge underdogs against an excellent Huns team, we had made a good start to the season and the team would've been reasonably confident. It was a solid, well balanced Hibs side, and with Keith Wright up front you always fancied us for a goal.

Our bus stopped off at the Celtic Supporters Club on the way home so we could watch the highlights on Sportscene - it was a cheery affair!

To be honest, not too many parallels I can draw with tomorrow (other than the fact we are overwhelming second favourites!).

[Yorkshire HFC]

No worries, the more recent one was a major upset (before the 2016 win😄)

Hope they show the team this before the game tomorrow

https://youtu.be/JVnigShdkZ4

I remember that night - I was on a train platform in Leeds and phoned a friend in Aberdeen who was in bed at the time watching it on tv - he commentated on the penalties for me - good memories!

Better than the Final - which was a real letdown - one of the most de-flating matches I've been to.

[Clarence]

I listened to it on Radio Forth in my bedroom, will always remember the program following it was hosted by Grant Stott and he said “Well there’s only one song I can play after that”. It was “I’m on my way (from misery to happiness today) by the Proclaimers.

[Sammy7nil]

I was at that game, and like tomorrow we had a small support
Hibs had a pretty young side that night, and we were given next to no chance
Hibernian (4-3-3): Andersson; Caldwell, Doumbe, Murdock, Edge (Dobbie, 76); Reid (McManus, h-t), Wiss (Whittaker, 57), Thomson; Brown, O'Connor, Riordan.
Subs not used: Nicol, Alistair Brown.
Booked: Caldwell, O'Connor, McManus, Thomson.

Rangers (4-3-3): Klos; Ross (Vanoli, 88) Moore, F de Boer, Ball; Ricksen, Arteta (Khizanishvili, 73), Nerlinger; Arveladze, Mols, R de Boer (Ostenstad, 73).
Subs not used: Capucho, McGregor.

I’m feeling a bit more optimistic about tomorrow now, that we’ll put on a good performance
Here’s hoping!

Very strong similarities Bloby was under a lot of pressure and we were expected to get bumped on a wet Hampden night. It was a great night :greengrin

[Mibbes Aye]

Was at the game and yes, we were underdogs.

We were late and a bit bevvied and Hibs scored just as we were walking up past the hot dog stands. Heard it on the radio commentaries from the vendors. Got inside and the atmosphere was fantastic.

And it just got got better as we saw the game out :thumbsup:

[hibsbollah]

No worries, the more recent one was a major upset (before the 2016 win😄)

Hope they show the team this before the game tomorrow

https://youtu.be/JVnigShdkZ4

Thanks for that, remember it like it was yesterday. Watched it in my living room down south while trying to keep my 6 month old quiet, when de Boer hit the post I went Tonto and woke her up screaming. I'd forgotten how good Anderson's low save from Ball was.

Then I went to the final :boo hoo:

[Glory Lurker]

Rangers were simply mighty at that time, but Hibs were right in there towards the top of the table. We weren't likely to win, but it wasn't a shock.

Unlike a few others in this thread I was stone cold sober. I can still see in my mind the view from where i was standing.
Can see McGraw flattened, Goram in no mans land, Mickey pinging the ball in and seeing Keith free in the middle.....

[AFKA5814_Hibs]

Hibs were massive underdogs, the Huns at that time had a really good team and were by far the best side in the country. Not sure you can compare it to tomorrow as we had a decent team, were in good form and in Keith Wright had a striker we could rely on to nick a goal, something we dont have at the moment.

I always think back to that Final and thought it was a bit fortunate we played Dunfermline and not Airdrie. The Pars got a dodgy penalty in the last minute to take the game to extra time and eventually won on penalties. Airdrie were a bogey team for us at the time, the Final would have been an entirely different game if we had played Airdrie in it and not Dunfermline.

[Glory Lurker]

I always think back to that Final and thought it was a bit fortunate we played Dunfermline and not Airdrie. The Pars got a dodgy penalty in the last minute to take the game to extra time and eventually won on penalties. Airdrie were a bogey team for us at the time, the Final would have been an entirely different game if we had played Airdrie in it and not Dunfermline.

Definitely. I don't think the full time celebrations would have been quite so energetic if the Dirty Diamonds had been lying in wait.

[BILLYHIBS]

1991 I remember it well

As a Hibby you felt lucky just to have a team and still be in the game so to speak

I had been to all our fixtures home and away in the Cup run we were building a decent side and really fancied our chances

Rangers as others have said were the strongest team in the land and had top players in Mo Johnston and Mark Hateley

We approached the Stadium in confident mood with our HIBS scarfs on and the Rangers fans passing in their cars rolled doon their car windaes and turned up the volume of the sectarian bile playing on their car radios and hurled abuse at us

As we climbed the steps of Hampden our hearts were lifted with the news that Richard Gough had failed a fitness test and No 4 would now be John Brown

As the teams lined up in the tunnel John Burridge was telling Ally McCoist that he was a failure and never made it at Sunderland and if Mark Hateley came into his box he would break his back

The game kicked off and HIBS attacking the Rangers End swarmed around the Rangers box as the green and white jerseys launched attack after attack

Andy Goram came for a speculative ball on the edge of his own box flattening Mark McGraw and punching the ball out to Mickey Weir who looking up picked out Keith Wright standing in splendid isolation in the centre of the box to head a perfect header into the centre of the goal past two Rangers defenders standing at either goal post

It seemed to take an age for the Ref to award the goal as he looked to his linesman and as there were two Rangers players on the line he had no choice but to award the goal

Rangers would not take this lying down and put HIBS under increased pressure launching attack after attack I remember an excellent double save from Ally McCoist by John Burridge and further saves from Johnston and Hateley

At the final whistle the HIBS players came across to the Hibbys packed into the Celtic End

It felt as though we had just won the cup

[heretoday]

Trying to be positive tomorrow I was just wondering how this game compares to the build up to the game against Rangers in the semi final of the Skol Cup?

It was just before my time to fully understand what was going on but my memory and understanding is we were massive underdogs going into that game too.

Was there as big a gap between the two teams then as there is tomorrow? Any comparables to be had between the two games?

Not really because we had a good-going team at the time. Not like now.

[basehibby]

Trying to be positive tomorrow I was just wondering how this game compares to the build up to the game against Rangers in the semi final of the Skol Cup?

It was just before my time to fully understand what was going on but my memory and understanding is we were massive underdogs going into that game too.

Was there as big a gap between the two teams then as there is tomorrow? Any comparables to be had between the two games?

At that time Rangers were massively ahead of everyone else. Hibs had started the season seemingly on borrowed time having just managed to stave off a hostile takeover from Wallet Mercer and with no shirt sponsor - so yes we were massive underdogs.

That said we did have a good core to our side with the excelent signing of Murdo MacLeod adding to the likes of Keith Wright and Mickey Weir - and had a bit of bounce. I'd been up to Aberdeen the previous weekend and we'd deservedly earned a 1-1 draw - so I had genuine hoped that we'd cause an upset - and so it proved.

You cannot underestimate the yearning for a trophy back then though - with our last win having been in 1972 a great many Hibs fans had never seen the team win a trophy and wondered if we ever would.

[Crab apple]

The 1985 two legged semi final against the huns was fun too. We battered them 2-0 at ER. Great train journey through for the second leg. Bar the final against a strong sheep team that was a great cup run at a time when our league form wasn’t brilliant.

[zitelli62]

I'm sure the game was meant to be on tv but the Irish fa complained and we were told it was not on tv that's the reason I went as at that time hampden was a s******e not much better now though but at the last minute they decided to put the game on though turned out to be a great night .

[Glory Lurker]

We'd been mismanaged to the point we almost got murdered the year before, staggered on a season and almost died but for STF standing in. We had a manager nobody could be doing with. But I went there full of hope because we had good players and, anyway, I was just pure proud to be a Hibbie.

Happy days.

[The Captain....]

My recollection is that while we were huge underdogs against an excellent Huns team, we had made a good start to the season and the team would've been reasonably confident. It was a solid, well balanced Hibs side, and with Keith Wright up front you always fancied us for a goal.

Our bus stopped off at the Celtic Supporters Club on the way home so we could watch the highlights on Sportscene - it was a cheery affair!

To be honest, not too many parallels I can draw with tomorrow (other than the fact we are overwhelming second favourites!).There was a real togetherness with fans and players then and a feeling of optimism after the signings of Wright and Murdo. Budgie also helped develop a rapport with the fans and we started the season pretty well as I remember.

That semi was a Tursday or Wednesday night but I'm sure we still took decent numbers through. The trains were certainly packed anyway . Although Rangers were very strong most were cautiously optimistic we could cause them problems...and we did.

Was a totally different feeling about the club then..like it was at the beginning of something exciting rather than now where it feels like we are careering towards disaster and haven't yet hit rock bottom.

Was one of my favourite seasons following Hibs home and away..was a totally different era to the boring, sanitised version of football for the middle classes its now becoming. I doubt I'll be following Hibs and football much in the next 5-10 years.. becoming pretty disillusioned with it all.

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[Potty78]

I was 12, mind my dad asking my brother were I was, i was sitting on the hampden terracing hands over my face as I couldn't watch the last few mins. Cracking nite.

[SlickShoes]

I was 8, we had a good start to the season and Keith was scoring goals like a real striker, we had a solid défense and a good midfield with mickey weir on the wing. We rode our luck a bit but it was totally different circumstances to yesterday.

[Yorkshire HFC]

Was a totally different feeling about the club then..like it was at the beginning of something exciting rather than now where it feels like we are careering towards disaster and haven't yet hit rock bottom.

Was one of my favourite seasons following Hibs home and away..was a totally different era to the boring, sanitised version of football for the middle classes its now becoming. I doubt I'll be following Hibs and football much in the next 5-10 years.. becoming pretty disillusioned with it all.

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Do you not think it’s down to age? I think I felt most connected to the club between the ages of 15 and 25. Things were new, going with your mates and not your dad, still able to have idols etc.

I’ll always support Hibs - but now that I’m older, a defeat won’t make me feel unhappy, and I’m not going to look up to a footballer.

Other things in life become more important.

[The Captain....]

Do you not think it’s down to age? I think I felt most connected to the club between the ages of 15 and 25. Things were new, going with your mates and not your dad, still able to have idols etc.

I’ll always support Hibs - but now that I’m older, a defeat won’t make me feel unhappy, and I’m not going to look up to a footballer.

Other things in life become more important.No doubt you're right..but I dont think that's the only reason tbh.

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[JeMeSouviens]

We were going really well in the league at the time and all excited about KeithKeithKeith, a half million pound signing! I think something like 10 unbeaten, so the Huns were favourites but it was never a foregone conclusion like last night.

The actual game might have been Mickey Weir’s finest hour? He was brilliant that night.