Paco Luna

[Viva_Palmeiras]

Just watching the highlights of Aek Athens at ER in Greek.

What ever happened to Luna? Never hear of him you’d think someone like Aidan Smith might have tracked him down...

[Brummie_Hibs]

That header still haunts me

[BILLYHIBS]

Brilliant in the air for one so small

Always made himself a pest to opposition defenders

Played 50 scored 13

Sure he had a short spell at Dundee

Legend

[EI255]

Just watching the highlights of Aek Athens at ER in Greek.

What ever happened to Luna? Never hear of him you’d think someone like Aidan Smith might have tracked him down...Loved that spell. Loved the AEK games. Met Paco outside Edwards bar with either his mate or agent. Very decent geezer.

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[Peevemor]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_(footballer)

[Sudds_1]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_(footballer)

Never knew he was 6 foot tall. Always thought he was wee for a striker ...

[BILLYHIBS]

Never knew he was 6 foot tall. Always thought he was wee for a striker ...

Agree

Wiki only shows league games so has scored more inc Cup ties

[EI255]

Had we beaten AEK, who would we have played?

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[Sammy7nil]

That header still haunts me

Yip me too

[hfc rd]

Had we beaten AEK, who would we have played?

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Osijek from Croatia would have been our opponents in the next round if we had beaten AEK Athens

AEK reached the last 16 and were knocked out by Inter Milan at that stage

[Since452]

Brilliant in the air for one so small

Always made himself a pest to opposition defenders

Played 50 scored 13

Sure he had a short spell at Dundee

Legend

He'd probably be hounded by the fans these days with that scoring record. Changed days.

[overdrive]

Probably the Hibs striker that was the best in the air in my time watching Hibs (Athens game aside). I also didn’t realise he was 6ft. I thought he was about 5ft 10.

[BILLYHIBS]

He'd probably be hounded by the fans these days with that scoring record. Changed days.

Thought about that as I was posting probably more a cult hero who will forever be remembered for that miss

[Since452]

Thought about that as I was posting probably more a cult hero who will forever be remembered for that miss

Yeah he will be which is a shame as I always liked him

[BILLYHIBS]

Probably the Hibs striker that was the best in the air in my time watching Hibs (Athens game aside). I also didn’t realise he was 6ft. I thought he was about 5ft 10.

The other six footer that springs to mind that was that small is Chris Maxwell

Remember him?

He always looked as though he was standing in a hole in goals

[The 90+2]

Probably the Hibs striker that was the best in the air in my time watching Hibs (Athens game aside). I also didn’t realise he was 6ft. I thought he was about 5ft 10.

Scored a great header against the huns at Ibrox the evening GJP was meant to be applauded onto the pitch at half time but we were winning 1-0 (think it ended a draw)

Paco was good pals with a couple of Livi players at the time at Hibs, great guy also.

[The 90+2]

The other six footer that springs to mind that was that small is Chris Maxwell

Remember him?

He always looked as though he was standing in a hole in goals

Lofty McNeil was almost 6ft too. Incredible.

[BILLYHIBS]

Lofty McNeil was almost 6ft too. Incredible.

Forgot all about him until that thread on 2007 LCF

Did little wrong that day

[BS44]

Just watching the highlights of Aek Athens at ER in Greek.

What ever happened to Luna? Never hear of him you’d think someone like Aidan Smith might have tracked him down...

Are highlights available to watch?

[Pretty Boy]

He'd probably be hounded by the fans these days with that scoring record. Changed days.

Not really changed days. Plenty fans hounded Stuart Lovell from that team and he was a very good player.

Scapegoats have existed as long as football has.

[Pretty Boy]

Osijek from Croatia would have been our opponents in the next round if we had beaten AEK Athens

AEK reached the last 16 and were knocked out by Inter Milan at that stage

AEK also went unbeaten in the Champions League group stages the following year. Their group contained Real Madrid, Roma and Genk. They payed 6 games and drew all of them.

[Since452]

Not really changed days. Plenty fans hounded Stuart Lovell from that team and he was a very good player.

Scapegoats have existed as long as football has.

Lovell was an odd one. Never got why he was singled out. Dean Shiels another one.

[The 90+2]

Forgot all about him until that thread on 2007 LCF

Did little wrong that day

True. Him at the PBS still gives me nightmares mind you.

[The 90+2]

Are highlights available to watch?

I’ve Alex’ European Knights kicking about on video somewhere 😁

Archie Lovell was a great player for us and he didn’t want to leave either. Scored a great team move against hearts.

[BILLYHIBS]

Are highlights available to watch?

On the HIBS videos of past matches thread posted by EKhibs

[Pretty Boy]

Lovell was an odd one. Never got why he was singled out. Dean Shiels another one.

I remember an away game at Stair Park in the 1st division season where I got stuck next to a guy giving him absolute pelters. '**** off back to Bondi Beach ya ****', '****ing ozzie prick', 'stick to ****ing cricket' etc etc was the gist of it. Lovell scored a very late winner and made right for the guy and eyeballed him for a good few seconds.

We had a slow start that season but it was the 4th game in what became a 22 match unbeaten run in the league. I still don't know what the guys issue was.

My favourite Lovell memory was watching him play in a charity game v the Hearts legends team a few years back. Jimmy Sandison was being a complete erse and left a foot in against a young lad who had skinned him. Next time he had the ball Archie absolutely smashed through him and just laughed at Sabdison complaints.

[Since452]

I remember an away game at Stair Park in the 1st division season where I got stuck next to a guy giving him absolute pelters. '**** off back to Bondi Beach ya ****', '****ing ozzie prick', 'stick to ****ing cricket' etc etc was the gist of it. Lovell scored a very late winner and made right for the guy and eyeballed him for a good few seconds.

He got the last laugh in 2004 😔

[LeithMike]

Still remember the AEK playmaker - think he was No.10 - Tsartas? Despite his team getting a pounding that night he looked a real quality player. Would have loved him to replace Russell.

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[LeithMike]

PS - on point - Luna was a quality player. Strong, skillful and brilliant in the air. He would have done a lot better with a strike partner with pace but think we had Brewster, Smart and Crawford at that time.

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[Pretty Boy]

Still remember the AEK playmaker - think he was No.10 - Tsartas? Despite his team getting a pounding that night he looked a real quality player. Would have loved him to replace Russell.

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Unfortunately the 2 transfers of 1.5 and 3 millions euros respectively probably priced us well out of the market.

Tsiartas was a fantastic player who cut it in Greece, Spain and at international level.

[Since452]

Still remember the AEK playmaker - think he was No.10 - Tsartas? Despite his team getting a pounding that night he looked a real quality player. Would have loved him to replace Russell.

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He was immense at ER

[Viva_Palmeiras]

Are highlights available to watch?

https://youtu.be/DX8-ABZyH2I

[Viva_Palmeiras]

https://youtu.be/qvTdzQLFoV4

[CloudSquall]

I always feel bad for Luna, the first thing that comes up is the header he missed at the end, no one ever mentions that it was his double that got us back on level terms.

[Kato]

I always feel bad for Luna, the first thing that comes up is the header he missed at the end, no one ever mentions that it was his double that got us back on level terms.The goals and the miss all came from De La Cruz crossballs. He occasionally gets written off too.

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[Skol]

What a night that was. De La Cruz was a better player than I remember and he gets credit for. Hibs were fantastic that night.

Nick Colgan though. He was the weak link in that team.

Tsartas as I recall was 32 at the time so didnt have many years left, but he was a fabulous player

[Diclonius]

Lovell was an odd one. Never got why he was singled out. Dean Shiels another one.

Shiels wasn't the problem, it was Mixu shoehorning him into the team and thereby forcing us to play a formation that didnt work.

[Viva_Palmeiras]

Gutted to say I didn’t make that game as I was working down South - we lived on Spring Gardens at the time and my wife said she could hear the roar from there.

I can’t remember whether it was that leg or the away leg we watched on Greek tv courtesy of a Greek-Cypriot restaurant in London - Irvine Welsh and David Begg were there and we drank the bar dry of bottled beer. Some night.

[truehibernian]

Paco was a lovely lad and a good player. Didn't speak a word of English to be fair which must have been difficult. Didn't show on the pitch. David Zitelli was good for him, helped him settle - they both stayed near each other in flats in East London Street - now Zitelli was a player :not worth

[berwickhibee]

I remember an away game at Stair Park in the 1st division season where I got stuck next to a guy giving him absolute pelters. '**** off back to Bondi Beach ya ****', '****ing ozzie prick', 'stick to ****ing cricket' etc etc was the gist of it. Lovell scored a very late winner and made right for the guy and eyeballed him for a good few seconds.

We had a slow start that season but it was the 4th game in what became a 22 match unbeaten run in the league. I still don't know what the guys issue was.

My favourite Lovell memory was watching him play in a charity game v the Hearts legends team a few years back. Jimmy Sandison was being a complete erse and left a foot in against a young lad who had skinned him. Next time he had the ball Archie absolutely smashed through him and just laughed at Sabdison complaints.

Remember that game well. Attrocious game.
Lovell scored in injury time.

We travelled from berwick and as we entered injury time
My mate had seen enough and headed to the car to listen to
The Scotland game being played at tynie-(3-2 v estonia
Billy dodds game)

He missed the goal😁 and before mobiles and the Scotland
Game being on the radio, wouldn't believe we had scored, until they read the classified results out.

Great days, rip norky my friend💚 we won the Big one💚

[Viva_Palmeiras]

Paco was a lovely lad and a good player. Didn't speak a word of English to be fair which must have been difficult. Didn't show on the pitch. David Zitelli was good for him, helped him settle - they both stayed near each other in flats in East London Street - now Zitelli was a player :not worth

Zitelli - cool. He came in wearing dark sunglasses to Sainsbury’s at meadowbank I just left him to it cool guy looked the part.

Benji and Zemmama would shop there too.
I’m not much for stopping players

[truehibernian]

I remember an away game at Stair Park in the 1st division season where I got stuck next to a guy giving him absolute pelters. '**** off back to Bondi Beach ya ****', '****ing ozzie prick', 'stick to ****ing cricket' etc etc was the gist of it. Lovell scored a very late winner and made right for the guy and eyeballed him for a good few seconds.

We had a slow start that season but it was the 4th game in what became a 22 match unbeaten run in the league. I still don't know what the guys issue was.

My favourite Lovell memory was watching him play in a charity game v the Hearts legends team a few years back. Jimmy Sandison was being a complete erse and left a foot in against a young lad who had skinned him. Next time he had the ball Archie absolutely smashed through him and just laughed at Sabdison complaints.

Always has been, always will be PB - you can add Scott Crabbe to that list too. Saw him recently and he is a total gob***** - face like a chamois leather too. Time hasn't been kind to him :greengrin

Archie will be chewing feathers that the betting shops are shut too :greengrin

[SouthMoroccoStu]

Forgot all about him until that thread on 2007 LCF

Did little wrong that day

A great/solid early save vs Naismith and that set the tone and confidence throughout the team

[The 90+2]

Paco was a lovely lad and a good player. Didn't speak a word of English to be fair which must have been difficult. Didn't show on the pitch. David Zitelli was good for him, helped him settle - they both stayed near each other in flats in East London Street - now Zitelli was a player :not worth

Paco 100% spoke English (some) I spoke to him a good few times.

[truehibernian]

Paco 100% spoke English (some) I spoke to him a good few times.

Trust me, he spoke very very little when he arrived and was with Hibs :aok:

[lyonhibs]

Paco 100% spoke English (some) I spoke to him a good few times.

He got English lessons off a teacher at my school so I remember being told at the time. Great player, fearless in the air.

[judas]

Brilliant in the air for one so small

Always made himself a pest to opposition defenders

Played 50 scored 13

Sure he had a short spell at Dundee

Legend

Decent player. Not a legend though.

Let’s not diminish the title.

[BILLYHIBS]

Decent player. Not a legend though.

Let’s not diminish the title.

Yeah ok

Please see #13

These folk that read half a thread :confused:

[jacomo]

Lovell was an odd one. Never got why he was singled out. Dean Shiels another one.


Dean Shiels wasn’t singled out, he just wasn’t that great. About 1 good game in 6.

[Joe6-2]

That header still haunts me

Still have dreams where it goes in!! What a game that was

[The 90+2]

Trust me, he spoke very very little when he arrived and was with Hibs :aok:

Cool. He definitely spoke (some, broken) English by the time McLeish left. A very nice lad.

[The 90+2]

He got English lessons off a teacher at my school so I remember being told at the time. Great player, fearless in the air.

Really liked him too mate. He adored McLeish (as did all the players I think) incredibly underrated.

[FilipinoHibs]

Not really changed days. Plenty fans hounded Stuart Lovell from that team and he was a very good player.

Scapegoats have existed as long as football has.

Benny Brazil, Brian Hamilton, Willie Murray and Joe Harper all got a hard time to.

[BILLYHIBS]

Benny Brazil, Brian Hamilton, Willie Murray and Joe Harper all got a hard time to.

Don’t forget Joe Joe Super Joe

Another one of my heroes :greengrin

[PatHead]

Not really changed days. Plenty fans hounded Stuart Lovell from that team and he was a very good player.

Scapegoats have existed as long as football has.

Agree about scapegoats but I remember Lovell got dropped to accommodate de la Cruz. Don't remember fans being responsible.

[BILLYHIBS]

Agree about scapegoats but I remember Lovell got dropped to accommodate de la Cruz. Don't remember fans being responsible.

Stuart Lovell played his last game for us in the May 2001 0-3 Scottish Cup Final versus Celtic then signed for newly promoted Livvy off his own back in the June of the close season and was made Club Captain

De La Cruz made his HIBS debut on 28th July 2001 the following season

Lovell was never dropped his choice to go

Most hibbies were disappointed he left

Pretty sure that both players could have been accommodated but were never at ER at the same time

[bod]

Gutted to say I didn’t make that game as I was working down South - we lived on Spring Gardens at the time and my wife said she could hear the roar from there.

I can’t remember whether it was that leg or the away leg we watched on Greek tv courtesy of a Greek-Cypriot restaurant in London - Irvine Welsh and David Begg were there and we drank the bar dry of bottled beer. Some night.


Quite believe that, one of the best atmospheres I’ve witnessed at ER

[Viva_Palmeiras]

Quite believe that, one of the best atmospheres I’ve witnessed at ER

Forgot to add when I wrote we I meant London Based Hibees. Irvine and Begg wouldn’t have known me from Adam.

[ekhibee]

Not really changed days. Plenty fans hounded Stuart Lovell from that team and he was a very good player.

Scapegoats have existed as long as football has.

Sorry I can't really agree with you there, although it's all about opinions. I didn't boo him, I would never do that to a Hibs player at any time, but there were plenty of games when he was poor. He did have the odd good game here and there, and it would be wrong to say he was crap, but I can't agree that he was a very good player. IMO he was average. I actually thought he would go on to management, so many average players go on to be really good managers, but give him his due, he always spoke well, he sounds like an intelligent guy too. But it is just about opinions.

[Kato]

Sorry I can't really agree with you there, although it's all about opinions. I didn't boo him, I would never do that to a Hibs player at any time, but there were plenty of games when he was poor. He did have the odd good game here and there, and it would be wrong to say he was crap, but I can't agree that he was a very good player. IMO he was average. I actually thought he would go on to management, so many average players go on to be really good managers, but give him his due, he always spoke well, he sounds like an intelligent guy too. But it is just about opinions.Pretty much what I thought and felt about him as a player too. Form was erratic, some good games some anonymous ones. Why anyone would boo him is beyond me and I cant remember that happening. Never at any time that he was very good or indispensable.

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[heretoday]

Benny Brazil, Brian Hamilton, Willie Murray and Joe Harper all got a hard time to.

Unfairly. They all contributed a lot.