The Great Adventure

[Glory Lurker]

Thought we could do with a bit of nostalgia.

What a season that was, even if we'd much rather it hadn't happened.

Opening match sees last minute, first away win for 18 months and within weeks sees us out of form, losing at home to Stranraer and getting booed back on at half time at McDiarmid in the league cup. We sign Mixu to a bit of an unsure reaction and draw 3-3 against Ayr which isn't good enough. Fast forward two months and we are on our way into a 13(?) match winning run by the end of which it's all over bar the shouting, and we've got a couple of guys called Sauzee and Latapy playing for us.

First relegation for 18 years meant visits to plenty of unfamiliar surroundings which were great days out.

We should never, ever have been there but it was a total blast, wasn't it?

[H18 SFR]

Thought we could do with a bit of nostalgia.

What a season that was, even if we'd much rather it hadn't happened.

Opening match sees last minute, first away win for 18 months and within weeks sees us out of form, losing at home to Stranraer and getting booed back on at half time at McDiarmid in the league cup. We sign Mixu to a bit of an unsure reaction and draw 3-3 against Ayr which isn't good enough. Fast forward two months and we are on our way into a 13(?) match winning run by the end of which it's all over bar the shouting, and we've got a couple of guys called Sauzee and Latapy playing for us.

First relegation for 18 years meant visits to plenty of unfamiliar surroundings which were great days out.

We should never, ever have been there but it was a total blast, wasn't it?

Sauzee season. 1998 from memory - not cheating and googling.

[Scotty Leither]

Latapy made his debut at Somerset Park. We were getting beat 3-1 and Yogi Hughes scored 2 (I think) to get us a draw.

Jim Delahunt on STV called the wee man “Russel Latterly”.

[Glory Lurker]

Latapy made his debut at Somerset Park. We were getting beat 3-1 and Yogi Hughes scored 2 (I think) to get us a draw.

Jim Delahunt on STV called the wee man “Russel Latterly”.

Ah, yeah. Was Mixu the 0-0 Clydebank match? (my hackles have just gone right up remembering that result)

[Broken Gnome]

Always thought it was funny looking back that the only points we really dropped were to the utter dross in the league.

That Stranraer game at ER, jings, my memory might be exaggerating but did the guy not score from about 157 yards?

[Keith_M]

Always thought it was funny looking back that the only points we really dropped were to the utter dross in the league.

That Stranraer game at ER, jings, my memory might be exaggerating but did the guy not score from about 157 yards?


Was he standing outside the Hibs Shop?

:greengrin

[Glory Lurker]

Was he standing outside the Hibs Shop?

:greengrin

It went in at the FF end so that would have been a screamer!

[Auckland Hibs]

Always thought it was funny looking back that the only points we really dropped were to the utter dross in the league.

That Stranraer game at ER, jings, my memory might be exaggerating but did the guy not score from about 157 yards?

It was absolute peach, one of best goals I've seen at ER.

[04Sauzee]

Was at Morton for the opening game, misty night if I remember correctly and Basher scoring near the end. The Stranraer game at home was nightmare, sure we had Paul Holsgrove playing that day, his boy plays football I think.

[Bobo]

Always thought it was funny looking back that the only points we really dropped were to the utter dross in the league.

That Stranraer game at ER, jings, my memory might be exaggerating but did the guy not score from about 157 yards?

We were the same back in 1980/81 losing our 1st game at home to Raith Rovers 🙄

[Irish_Steve]

Latapy made his debut at Somerset Park. We were getting beat 3-1 and Yogi Hughes scored 2 (I think) to get us a draw.

Jim Delahunt on STV called the wee man “Russel Latterly”.

I do remember the EEN called Russel something similar. No one had a scooby who he was.

I recall his home debut when he pulled a ball out of the air and i thought, we haven’t seen that level of skill in a long time lol

[Logie Green]

Always thought it was funny looking back that the only points we really dropped were to the utter dross in the league.

That Stranraer game at ER, jings, my memory might be exaggerating but did the guy not score from about 157 yards?


It was scored by a Penicuik boy, Jason Young, son of Everton legend Alex Young aka The Golden Vision.

One of the grimmest days at ER.

[Glory Lurker]

We were the same back in 1980/81 losing our 1st game at home to Raith Rovers 🙄

I was quite young that season and spent it confident the whole way we'd win the league. No real reason apart from childhood optimism. We only won the league with one game to go iirc so it obviously couldn't have been that easy. I'd really enjoy a thread of memories from folk who kent more about fitba than I did then. ;-)

[Pretty Boy]

I remember the away defeat to St Johnstone in the League Cup. It was poisonous with chants of 'sack the board' ringing out for much of the 2nd half. We never really looked back after that though and won the league at a canter.

The game against Hamilton must be one of the last league wins relayed to fans by other fans via radio. The updates of the Falkirk game v Morton seemed to spread along the stand in slow motion.

[PaulSmith]

I remember the away defeat to St Johnstone in the League Cup. It was poisonous with chants of 'sack the board' ringing out for much of the 2nd half. We never really looked back after that though and won the league at a canter.

The game against Hamilton must be one of the last league wins relayed to fans by other fans via radio. The updates of the Falkirk game v Morton seemed to spread along the stand in slow motion.

That league cup game, Stuart Cosgrove quite rightly tells a story that it was the most poisonous and hostile reaction he has ever seen to members of a teams board.

[Nakedmanoncrack]

One of my favourite seasons, from the barely believable lows of Stranraer and the St Johnstone hiding, things turned around quickly and we came back up with much greater momentum & optimism than either of the other promotion campaigns that I've witnessed.

[hibbydog]

Brilliant thread as this was my favourite season following the Hibs, just for the away trips.

Freezing cold, old school grounds that were falling to bits, two men and a dog as the home support. Couldn’t believe the quality of latapy and Sauzee.

We did sign some dross though - Anderson, Prendeville, Skinner, Guggi, Holsgrove…. Jings!!

Pre transfer window so we almost signed a player every week.

Great times

[McSwanky]

I remember the away defeat to St Johnstone in the League Cup. It was poisonous with chants of 'sack the board' ringing out for much of the 2nd half. We never really looked back after that though and won the league at a canter.

The game against Hamilton must be one of the last league wins relayed to fans by other fans via radio. The updates of the Falkirk game v Morton seemed to spread along the stand in slow motion.

Was the St J game the one we took a massive crowd to and Saints were totally unprepared for it? Pretty sure I, along with loads of other fans, didn't get in till we were 2-0 down? Hazy memories...

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[Hiber-nation]

Brilliant thread as this was my favourite season following the Hibs, just for the away trips.

Freezing cold, old school grounds that were falling to bits, two men and a dog as the home support. Couldn’t believe the quality of latapy and Sauzee.

We did sign some dross though - Anderson, Prendeville, Skinner, Guggi, Holsgrove…. Jings!!

Pre transfer window so we almost signed a player every week.

Great times

Justin Skinner was brilliant that season. Barry Prenderville was pretty average but did score a screamer in a home game against Morton.

Derek Anderson....well he was utter mince!

[Cat Stanton]

Brilliant thread as this was my favourite season following the Hibs, just for the away trips.

Freezing cold, old school grounds that were falling to bits, two men and a dog as the home support. Couldn’t believe the quality of latapy and Sauzee.

We did sign some dross though - Anderson, Prendeville, Skinner, Guggi, Holsgrove…. Jings!!

Pre transfer window so we almost signed a player every week.

Great times

Jings was the worst...

Stranraer was a freak result. Pummelled them all game and then out of the blue the guy scored the goal of his dreams. But my main memory was Somerset Park and Latapy's debut. Pitch was terrible, standard was terrible, but here was this wee guy pulling the ball down, beating a man, and passing it. Over and over and over again. It was clear he was class from his first touch.

I have a memory of Sauzee also playing in that game but that just might be cos my memory is shot to pieces....

[IberianHibernian]

We were the same back in 1980/81 losing our 1st game at home to Raith Rovers 🙄We lost at least once more to Raith that season . I remember being at Starks with a big crowd in January 1981 when we lost 2 v 0 . Think it was Alan Sneddon`s debut which was a huge signing for any non OF team . Then we clinched league / promotion at home to Raith with another 5 figure crowd . New Year`s Day was away to Berwick , who we also visited again at end of same month - Ian Hendry broke his leg in first minute of his debut . Despite being relegated the year before , we had some really good players like Ralph Callachan and Jackie Mcnamara who were far too good for that division . Mini Scottish Cup run ending with a 3v1 QF defeat at Ibrox . Some good memories but there weren`t many big crowds or big celebrations when we clinched promotion . Not many years had passed since our great teams of 70s and fans expected much more . Hearts spent 3 years in second tier in 70s and had some big crowds in at least the first year but for them promotion was special cause they really were a bad team who`d found their level . They also coincided with Dundee who at that time still had a big support - by the time we were in First Division with Raith and Dundee , Dundee support had dropped after several years out of top division .

[Mibbes Aye]

Ah, yeah. Was Mixu the 0-0 Clydebank match? (my hackles have just gone right up remembering that result)

Mixu's debut was away to St Mirren IIRC.

Choice lowlights were going out the Scottish Cup in a 3rd round replay at Stirling Albion on a very cold, foggy (I think) winter's evening.

Playing Clydebank, who had borrowed Boghead - the stand looked like it hadn't been fixed since the Luftwaffe visited and the pitch made a ploughed field look like a billiard table. Endearingly, their match programme listed all their season tiicket holders by name.

Sauzee's rocket freekick in the last home game and McLeish on the PA system telling us there had been a lot of talk but he was going nowhere :greengrin

[ehf]

Was at Morton for the opening game, misty night if I remember correctly and Basher scoring near the end. The Stranraer game at home was nightmare, sure we had Paul Holsgrove playing that day, his boy plays football I think.

Not so much misty as pishing down!

[21sMay]

My first season as a kid watching us was the first division season . Guys like mixu , Russell and Frank . What a side , on promotion we added some class players in Laursen , O'Neil , Lovell and zitelli . Must have been paying some big wages back then

[Glory Lurker]

Mixu's debut was away to St Mirren IIRC.

That rings bells. We lost I think? He scored the winner through there late on in January. Mind being on the platform at Gilmour Street and someone with a radio announced that Falkirk had lost. Different days!

[Mibbes Aye]

That rings bells. We lost I think? He scored the winner through there late on in January. Mind being on the platform at Gilmour Street and someone with a radio announced that Falkirk had lost. Different days!

:agree: We did lose and our league form at that point was decidely average. I was a wee bit concerned about us investing in him but I guess I didn't know then that he was a natural leader and a great foil for the talents around him.

[BroxburnHibee]

Justin Skinner was brilliant that season. Barry Prenderville was pretty average but did score a screamer in a home game against Morton.

Derek Anderson....well he was utter mince!

Brilliant is maybe pushing but I'd agree he played a big part that season.

[BroxburnHibee]

Jings was the worst...

Stranraer was a freak result. Pummelled them all game and then out of the blue the guy scored the goal of his dreams. But my main memory was Somerset Park and Latapy's debut. Pitch was terrible, standard was terrible, but here was this wee guy pulling the ball down, beating a man, and passing it. Over and over and over again. It was clear he was class from his first touch.

I have a memory of Sauzee also playing in that game but that just might be cos my memory is shot to pieces....

I'll never forget that game and Latapy's first touch as he received it turned and ran straight at their defence.

Why can't we find gems like him more often :greengrin

[Pretty Boy]

Was the St J game the one we took a massive crowd to and Saints were totally unprepared for it? Pretty sure I, along with loads of other fans, didn't get in till we were 2-0 down? Hazy memories...

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It was. Think the attendance was just over 8K and at least 5000 of that must have been Hibs fans.

We'd beaten Aberdeen in the previous round so went in to that one expecting to give a good account of ourselves. Boy Nathan Lowndes score 2 for them, sure they had only just signed him. John O'Neill scored as well.

[Pretty Boy]

Justin Skinner was brilliant that season. Barry Prenderville was pretty average but did score a screamer in a home game against Morton.

Derek Anderson....well he was utter mince!

Skinner was a good player. Went on to do well in a decent Dunfermline side after leaving us.

We signed a lot of guys that year who were never going to be legends but came in to do a specific job, namely get us back up then consolidate when we got there, and they achieved that. I'm thinking guys like Collins, Lovering and Holsgrove.

We also threw a bit money about as well, some guy called Paul Hartley for £200K plus came in that year. Tom Smith was a fantastic signing from Clydebank too, shame injuries cut his career short as he looked genuine quality.

[Mon Dieu4]

The only season I've come close to attending every game, only missed the second Stranraer away game, I was 18/19 and had an absolute ball going to all these grounds I'd never been to before, so many great memories and mental stories I've got from that season

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

The only season I've come close to attending every game, only missed the second Stranraer away game, I was 18/19 and had an absolute ball going to all these grounds I'd never been to before, so many great memories and mental stories I've got from that season

Don't think I missed many that season either although I think I was back in the boozer in Perth by the time the 2nd half of the 4-0 game started! 😃

[Bridge hibs]

Justin Skinner was brilliant that season. Barry Prenderville was pretty average but did score a screamer in a home game against Morton.

Derek Anderson....well he was utter mince!Agree, I thought Skinner was quite a decent player

[Nakedmanoncrack]

Agree, I thought Skinner was quite a decent player

Yes, certainly at that level he was.
Far from the worst signing.

[Bishop Hibee]

I saw the first two games away to Morton and at home to Stranraer then moved to Australia for a year. Pals were asking if their was room in the suitcase for them after losing at home to Stranraer.

[nickwhibs]

Loved that season as well. Was when I started going to away games. The Hamilton game when we won the league was great. Huge Hibs support at Firhill (they were ground sharing at the time). Pitch invasion at the end too - even dragged my dad onto to pitch