Best European nights?

[hibee-boys]

A discussion on another topic got me thinking about some incredible European nights that some of us less ‘experienced’ Hibs fans missed out on. I was born in 76 so the only European night that really sticks in my mind was the AEK Athens game, and that was ultimately a loss of the tie, tremendous atmosphere nevertheless.

One poster highlighted a game where we scored 5 against Sporting Lisbon in the second half to win the tie in the early 70’s. I’ve heard about us tucking away the Napoli team with Dino Zoff in goal, I think?

Would be great to here about some more of these great European nights that were before my time!

[houstonhibbee]

A discussion on another topic got me thinking about some incredible European nights that some of us less ‘experienced’ Hibs fans missed out on. I was born in 76 so the only European night that really sticks in my mind was the AEK Athens game, and that was ultimately a loss of the tie, tremendous atmosphere nevertheless.

One poster highlighted a game where we scored 5 against Sporting Lisbon in the second half to win the tie in the early 70’s. I’ve heard about us tucking away the Napoli team with Dino Zoff in goal, I think?

Would be great to here about some more of these great European nights that were before my time!
No cameras at the Sporting game unfortunately but here’s a report

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/classic-match-hibs-6-sporting-lisbon-1-sept-27-1972-2443925

[hibee-boys]

No cameras at the Sporting game unfortunately but here’s a report

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/classic-match-hibs-6-sporting-lisbon-1-sept-27-1972-2443925

Great read, what size of crowd were Hibs getting in those days?

[greenpaper55]

Has to be the Napoli game, Napoli went on to win Serie A that season with Dinno Zoff in goal to boot !

[Bangkok Hibby]

November 1967 Hibs 5 Napoli 0 after losing 4-1 away.
My first European game and my first game under the lights. I was 10 years old and remember little about the game but the experience lives with me to this day.

[houstonhibbee]

Great read, what size of crowd were Hibs getting in those days?

26,100 at that one

[HibbyDave]

Some great European nights at ER.
I remember playing Rosenberg from Norway. We won 9-1 at ER. We beat Fc Besa from Albania 7-1 just after beating Sporting Lisbon 6-1.
Hajduk Split at ER was a great match.

Beating Liverpool 1-0. Losing to Liverpool away 3-1 was an amazing trip as was Leeds away even though it was a 0-0 draw.

[DIXIHIBS]

Remember as a young lad hibs v leeds 1973? No score draw but beat on penalties against a very good leeds side. Huge crowd about 35000 i think. Exciting times.

[houstonhibbee]

Some great European nights at ER.
I remember playing Rosenberg from Norway. We won 9-1 at ER. We beat Fc Besa from Albania 7-1 just after beating Sporting Lisbon 6-1.
Hajduk Split at ER was a great match.

Beating Liverpool 1-0. Losing to Liverpool away 3-1 was an amazing trip as was Leeds away even though it was a 0-0 draw.
I remember the Elland road game was on bbc sports night with David Coleman commentating and being very complimentary about hibs. I think there were 10k hibs fans at the game

[hibbysam]

The atmosphere at both the AEK and Dnipro games was frightening. Grant Stott with the massive sound system down pitch side at the Dnipro game was something else.

[eastterrace]

I remember the Elland road game was on bbc sports night with David Coleman commentating and being very complimentary about hibs. I think there were 10k hibs fans at the game
I was down at elland road and the hibs support was amazing as was our play but unfortunately we missed so many chances ( well tony Higgins did ). The better team lost over the two legs.

[where'stheslope]

Has to be V Napoli at Easter Road, I think the whole of Scotland took note of a 5-0 drubbing of Italian giants!!!!

[ancient hibee]

Nothing could ever equal Hibs 3 Barcelona 2 .The game that had everything.

[Hiber-nation]

The Sporting Lisbon game for me. The atmosphere was incredible, my mate and I were right at the front of the East at the centre line. At one point we just looked at each other and went "wow!" as the noise levels seemed to go through the roof (although the East never had one!).

[kenc17]

Definitely the Napoli - greatest turnaround but the AEK Athens for atmosphere


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[Itsnoteasy]

Aek

[Ringothedog]

Anderlecht away was incredible and Sporting Lisbon at Easter Road

[Earlydelivery]

Only one for me Sporting Lisbon ... 2nd best game I’ve ever attended .

[Earlydelivery]

I was down at elland road and the hibs support was amazing as was our play but unfortunately we missed so many chances ( well tony Higgins did ). The better team lost over the two legs.
Leeds official said 2000 Hibs fans attended 😂😂 must have been 2000 from Lochend alone .

[Earlydelivery]

Only one for me Sporting Lisbon ... 2nd best game I’ve ever attended .

[mim]

Nothing could ever equal Hibs 3 Barcelona 2 .The game that had everything.

Absolutely :thumbsup:

Younger Hibbies may wonder if that result was as incredible as it would be if it happened today.

Well, it was :agree:

In an era when Real Madrid had ruled the football world (they won the first 5 European Cups), they had been beaten to the Spanish Championship and then knocked out of the sixth European Cup by Barcelona.

This was Barca, the undisputed best team in the world.

Hibs remarkably held them to a 4-4 draw at Camp Nou, a result that meant there was no way Barca would take Hibs lightly in the second leg at Easter Road.

The most atmospheric game ever seen at Easter Road famously ended with the Barcelona players rioting and attacking the referee after he awarded a penalty that Bobby Kinloch converted to win the tie 3-2 for Hibs.

There are no words that can adequately express how I felt that day.

The only matches that have come close to that level since were the Napoli game and the 2016 Scottish Cup final (even if that match was against some pish from the Scottish Championship :na na:)

[Lancs Harp]

Absolutely :thumbsup:

Younger Hibbies may wonder if that result was as incredible as it would be if it happened today.

Well, it was :agree:

In an era when Real Madrid had ruled the football world (they won the first 5 European Cups), they had been beaten to the Spanish Championship and then knocked out of the sixth European Cup by Barcelona.

This was Barca, the undisputed best team in the world.

Hibs remarkably held them to a 4-4 draw at Camp Nou, a result that meant there was no way Barca would take Hibs lightly in the second leg at Easter Road.

The most atmospheric game ever seen at Easter Road famously ended with the Barcelona players rioting and attacking the referee after he awarded a penalty that Bobby Kinloch converted to win the tie 3-2 for Hibs.

There are no words that can adequately express how I felt that day.

The only matches that have come close to that level since were the Napoli game and the 2016 Scottish Cup final (even if that match was against some pish from the Scottish Championship :na na:)


Taking absolutely nothing away from our outstanding achievement in beating Barca but as a Benfica fan Id like to take issue with Barca then being the best team in the world. Benfica were better than Barca at the time beating Barcelona in the 60/61 final and retaining the trophy the following season by smashing 5 past Real Madrid in the final. Only failed to make it a hatrick the next season losing to AC Milan in the final at Wembley.:wink::greengrin

[iwasthere1972]

November 1967 Hibs 5 Napoli 0 after losing 4-1 away.
My first European game and my first game under the lights. I was 10 years old and remember little about the game but the experience lives with me to this day.

Pretty much the same. As an eleven year old I don't really remember the game in detail except that I left very happy at the end.

[hibee-boys]

Absolutely :thumbsup:

Younger Hibbies may wonder if that result was as incredible as it would be if it happened today.

Well, it was :agree:

In an era when Real Madrid had ruled the football world (they won the first 5 European Cups), they had been beaten to the Spanish Championship and then knocked out of the sixth European Cup by Barcelona.

This was Barca, the undisputed best team in the world.

Hibs remarkably held them to a 4-4 draw at Camp Nou, a result that meant there was no way Barca would take Hibs lightly in the second leg at Easter Road.

The most atmospheric game ever seen at Easter Road famously ended with the Barcelona players rioting and attacking the referee after he awarded a penalty that Bobby Kinloch converted to win the tie 3-2 for Hibs.

There are no words that can adequately express how I felt that day.

The only matches that have come close to that level since were the Napoli game and the 2016 Scottish Cup final (even if that match was against some pish from the Scottish Championship :na na:)

Sounds an incredible night, thanks for sharing👍

[A Hi-Bee]

Take your pick from Hibs 5 Napoli 0 or Hibs 6 sporting 1, or Hibs 1 Leeds 1, or Hibs 3 Locomotive leipzig 1, (I think they may be known as Red Bull or something nowadays) Hibs 2 Hamburg 1, or Leeds 0 hibs 0 (Although we won the after game battles) Hibs 9 Rosenburg 1 or Hibs 6 Malmo 0 it was great watching Joe MacBride, Alan Gordon and j. O'Rourke banging in hat-tricks against the Europeans.
Great days when we had some really good teams/players, under the old floodlights magic nights. Brondby away was a bit tasty as well.

:flag::flag::flag:

[kaimendhibs]

Saw a few but not as early as some. Loved seeing Hibs beat Liverpool 1-0, shame about missed pen. Although we lost, Juventus at home was special. Hadjuk split at home too.

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[Lancs Harp]

Take your pick from Hibs 5 Napoli 0 or Hibs 6 sporting 0, or Hibs 1 Leeds 1, or Hibs 3 Locomotive leipzig 1, (I think they may be known as Red Bull or something nowadays) Hibs 2 Hamburg 1, or Leeds 0 hibs 0 (Although we won the after game battles) Hibs 9 Rosenburg 1 or Hibs 6 Malmo 0
Great days when we had some really good teams/players, under the old floodlights magic nights. Brondby away was a bit tasty as well.

:flag::flag::flag:

Locomotive Leipzig are playing lower league football these days, they are not the same club as RB.

[A Hi-Bee]

Leeds official said 2000 Hibs fans attended 😂😂 must have been 2000 from Lochend alone .

More than 2,000 being shepherded by the big polis horses back to the station, with around 6,000 to 8,000 in the ground.

[A Hi-Bee]

Locomotive Leipzig are playing lower league football these days, they are not the same club as RB.

I did say "I think" but thanks for the correction.

[gbhibby]

Take your pick from Hibs 5 Napoli 0 or Hibs 6 sporting 0, or Hibs 1 Leeds 1, or Hibs 3 Locomotive leipzig 1, (I think they may be known as Red Bull or something nowadays) Hibs 2 Hamburg 1, or Leeds 0 hibs 0 (Although we won the after game battles) Hibs 9 Rosenburg 1 or Hibs 6 Malmo 0
Great days when we had some really good teams/players, under the old floodlights magic nights. Brondby away was a bit tasty as well.

:flag::flag::flag:
Agree with all of the above my first taste of European football was against Napoli. It was great having European football every year. Leeds away was amazing I think they were unbeaten and the English press were predicting a big win score from Leeds.Mickeys right hook on the Hajduk split player was something else.

[Hibees1973]

Leeds Utd at Easter Road in 1973, hence my username.

I was only 7 years old. My Dad was a Jambo, sadly he died last year.

I still remember getting herded into the crowd alongside my Dad by the police as they tried to pack in the fans on the East Terracing.

Went to many Hibs and Hearts games with my Dad but it is the Leeds game that I remember most fondly. It may be because I was young and small but that game gives me goosebumps.

I have seen around 1 minute of BBC coverage of the Elland Road game on You Tube. Have never found any TV coverage of the second leg at Easter Road, even after contacting the BBC.

Know Tom Hart banned TV cameras of Hibs games around that time so maybe that is the reason.

[dchibs]

Leeds official said 2000 Hibs fans attended 😂😂 must have been 2000 from Lochend alone .

Remember being in the Leeds club before the game Hibs fans took it over Tony Higgins missed 2 great chances 1 on 1 v Harvey great game though also got on the Hibs bus after the game and got a few Hibs players autographs, pity Pat hit the post with his penalty we deserved to beat the best team in England at the time Billy Bremner was some player though.

[ben johnson]

A football special down to Leeds from the Waverley
Train stopped outside Newcastle slap bang opposite an office block. Poland had just knocked England out the 74 WC so the whole train singing Poland 🇵🇱 Poland
Marched with Police escort from the train station to the ground. Leeds fans on the buses looked stunned to see this huge caravan of people winding its way up the road
Huge support in the ground and as a 14 year old thanks to Jimmy Marriot I had my first bottle of harp lager on the train back.

[Iggy Pope]

My auld fellah made a point of taking me to all those 70s European nights which meant I witnessed Liverpool, Leeds, Juventus, Hadjuk, Sporting as well as all the others like Besa , Keflavik, Rosenborg. I kept all my programmes I only wish to **** I’d kept the ticket stubs.
On the day the Leeds tickets went on sale my auld man kept me off school as he went to work and I joined the queue behind the stand at about 7am. After about three hours waiting in the perishing cold I got to the hatch to be told they weren’t selling to U-16s. My concern was immediate, vocal and tearful. A big postman who had stood behind me all morning took real umbrage at this state of affairs and escorted me up to the offices in the Centre Stand demanding loudly to “speak to Turnbull” ..... we got to Cecil Graham who gave me my tickets (took the money too mind you) and a couple of Hibs crest screw in pins which I still have.

Watching Hibs tear Leeds apart to a 0-0 draw that night in 1973, viewing from a sold out Centre Stand facing a packed Main Terrace, under the lights, and with internationalists of the footballer cards and annuals on show like Bremner Lorimer Cherry and Clarke, remains a stand-out night at Easter Road for me. Even if I did have to watch my eternal hero miss a penalty, something I never dreamt he’d be capable of doing.

Unforgettable.

[EI255]

Best away for me was Anderlecht. Full House and an away end full of green & white. Unfortunately the draw saw us go out on away goals but the electric atmosphere that night was unbelievable (both in the stadium and city centre!)

Best home for me was easily AEK Athens. The Greek fans helped make it an amazing atmosphere under the Easter Road lights and will live long in the memory.

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[FilipinoHibs]

Taking absolutely nothing away from our outstanding achievement in beating Barca but as a Benfica fan Id like to take issue with Barca then being the best team in the world. Benfica were better than Barca at the time beating Barcelona in the 60/61 final and retaining the trophy the following season by smashing 5 past Real Madrid in the final. Only failed to make it a hatrick the next season losing to AC Milan in the final at Wembley.:wink::greengrin

As a Benica (mum) and Santos (dad) fan. I must take issue with Benfica being the best team in the world at that time. It was clearly Santos who thumped Benicar home and away in the World Club Final and then Milan the following year.

[Lancs Harp]

As a Benica (mum) and Santos (dad) fan. I must take issue with Benfica being the best team in the world at that time. It was clearly Santos who thumped Benicar home and away in the World Club Final and then Milan the following year.

:greengrinFair play although I didnt actually say Benfica were the best team in the world, just they they were better than Barca at the time. I'll take my pedant hat off now and retire to my wine glass :greengrin

[Iggy Pope]

As a Benica (mum) and Santos (dad) fan. I must take issue with Benfica being the best team in the world at that time. It was clearly Santos who thumped Benicar home and away in the World Club Final and then Milan the following year.

Fair to say none of the three of those mobs were unlucky enough to face up to the Hibs though.

[weecounty hibby]

Anderlecht away was a great experience. So unlucky to go out to them. Great trip to a great city with a huge Hibs support there too. Sadly just too young to have been at the really big games of the late 60s early 70s.

[The Harp]

My most memorable European game at ER would have to be my first v Barcelona. We were on the high section of the old east terracing, which was our usual vantage point for games in those days. To say it was quite a crush would be something of an understatement. We made sure when we played Roma in the next round we had a safer spec in the standing enclosure below the old North Stand.
The most enjoyable game though, would be the Napoli game, when we put 5 past the legendary Dino Zoff, without reply.
Great nights.

[FilipinoHibs]

:greengrinFair play although I didnt actually say Benfica were the best team in the world, just they they were better than Barca at the time. I'll take my pedant hat off now and retire to my wine glass :greengrin

Benfica were a great side. Both sides of the family enjoyed them pumping the Spanish/Catalan giants.

[BILLYHIBS]

Changed days indeed

I remember growing up and European fitba was a given as a hibby

It was a chance to hone our skills against different opposition

Even if we were struggling in our own domestic league we would always turn up for the big European nights and the crowds would turn up in numbers

Great nights fantastic memories and loads of notable scalps

Barcelona Real Madrid Sporting Lisbon made a bid

SV Hamburg should also be on that list I remember they had a great side Willi Schulz and Uwe Seller we beat them 2-1 but had two goals wrongly disallowed for offside and they went through on away goals

Thanks for the memories HIBS :greengrin

Haste ye back !

[BSEJVT]

Sporting Lisbon for me too

And although we lost to Leeds in 1973 that was an absolute travesty of a result

I know Pat missed the penalty but I think it struck both posts?

Maybe not it was a long time ago:-)

European nights were always special