The Wilson Cup

[Edina Street]

Surely with the Edinburgh derby being one of the oldest rivalries in world football the league fixture deserves to double as an Edinburgh Cup Final with a trophy awarded to the winner along with the three points, similar to how the Scotland v England annual Six Nations Championship match doubles as the Calcutta Cup?

We used to have a pre-war Edinburgh Cup Final which doubled as a league match on occasion. It ran between 1905 and 1946. It was called the Wilson Cup. However it appears that the Cup became disbanded at the commencement of football at end of World War 2.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Cup_(football)

The Wilson Cup was a Scottish football (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_football) trophy donated by Robert Wilson (1871-1928), who was the editor of the Edinburgh Evening News (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh_Evening_News) and a director (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Board_of_directors) of Heart of Midlothian (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_of_Midlothian_F.C.). The cup was played annually between Edinburgh derby (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh_derby) rivals Heart of Midlothian (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_of_Midlothian_F.C.) and Hibernian (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibernian_F.C.). It was either played on 1 January, at the beginning of the season or at the end.[1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Cup_(football)#cite_note-hhtwc-1)The competition ran from the 1905–06 season to the 1945–46 season, Hearts winning 21 times and Hibs 14.[2] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Cup_(football)#cite_note-lhwc-2)
Initially intended to be a trophy for the winner of the annual New Year Scottish Football League (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Football_League) fixture between the clubs before becoming a challenge match in its own right,[1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Cup_(football)#cite_note-hhtwc-1) on a few occasions the game was played as part of a 'double header', also counting for the East of Scotland Shield (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_of_Scotland_Shield). In May 1919 the 2nd leg of the Shield counted as the Wilson Cup final replay. In May 1920 the Shield replay counted as the final of the Wilson Cup and in 1921 it counted as the semi-final of the Shield as well.[2] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Cup_(football)#cite_note-lhwc-2)

If The Wilson Cup was still alive today we would all have more than just bragging rights tonight, we would have a trophy for the players to parade around the stadium with to the greatest football rendition in the world. "Sunshine on Leith".

Why was the Wilson Cup disbanded anyway? Was it merely forgotten about due to the war? Surely reigniting it would only add to the allure that is the Edinburgh derby!!

[NAE NOOKIE]

Its not 'one' of the oldest ... it is 'the' oldest derby in world football.

[Edina Street]

Its not 'one' of the oldest ... it is 'the' oldest derby in world football.

The contestants of "the Rules derby" might contest this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_derby#:~:text=Rules%20derby%20(or%20Sheffiel d%20derby,played%20under%20the%20Sheffield%20Rules .

Rules derby (or Sheffield derby) is a football (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_football) derby (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_derby) played in Sheffield (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield), England (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England) between Sheffield F.C. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield_F.C.) and Hallam F.C. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallam_F.C.) It was first played on 26 December 1860[1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_derby#cite_note-1) and is the oldest football fixture in the world. The name refers to the fact that the fixture was originally played under the Sheffield Rules (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield_Rules).

[NAE NOOKIE]

The contestants of "the Rules derby" might contest this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_derby#:~:text=Rules%20derby%20(or%20Sheffiel d%20derby,played%20under%20the%20Sheffield%20Rules .



Kent something like this was coming ..... OK the oldest regularly played derby in the world .... and wait :greengrin

[HoboHarry]

Nice wee story about the Wilson Cup - the house next door to me was bought in 2018 and the new owner introduced himself and his business card had his business as Gorgie Road Properties (IIRC). After asking him about the business name, he told me that he believed his grandfather had played for Hibs around WW1. I wrote to Tom Wright at the HHT and he confirmed that the player, a Robert Bishop, had indeed played in a Wilson Cup tie on January 1st 1917, with the result a 3-1 wins for Hibs. North of Houston and my new neighbor has a connection to Hibs, What chance of that? :)

[SHODAN]

Is the derby the one with the most competitive games played in world football?

[Lancs Harp]

Is the derby the one with the most competitive games played in world football?

Now we play each other 4 times a season it must be more than likely!

[SHODAN]

Now we play each other 4 times a season it must be more than likely!

Just checked - OF win comfortably on that front.

[BILLYHIBS]

The East Of Scotland Shield second oldest trophy in Scottish Football

Originally called the Edinburgh FA Cup in 1879 Hibs won the first three and were allowed to keep it

It was then renamed the Edinburgh Shield and Hibs won that too beating St Bernard’s 4-0

Hibs 63 wins Hearts 57 wins

From 2003-2013 Hibs won 10 in a row

Source : The Hibernian

Issue 15

For The Fans By The Fans

[JimBHibees]

Nice wee story about the Wilson Cup - the house next door to me was bought in 2018 and the new owner introduced himself and his business card had his business as Gorgie Road Properties (IIRC). After asking him about the business name, he told me that he believed his grandfather had played for Hibs around WW1. I wrote to Tom Wright at the HHT and he confirmed that the player, a Robert Bishop, had indeed played in a Wilson Cup tie on January 1st 1917, with the result a 3-1 wins for Hibs. North of Houston and my new neighbour has a connection to Hibs, What chance of that? :)

Great story

Was he a Hearts fan or descendent of one?

[HoboHarry]

Great story

Was he a Hearts fan or descendent of one?

His dad was a Hearts fan, but they had moved over here ealy in his childhood so he really wasn't a fan of football/soccer. The business name was more sentimental in memory of his dad.

[JimBHibees]

His dad was a Hearts fan, but they had moved over here ealy in his childhood so he really wasn't a fan of football/soccer. The business name was more sentimental in memory of his dad.

Fair enough kind of thought so with Gorgie Road in the name

[hibeg]

I actually had a Hibs player ( name escapes me ) Wilson Cup medal a few years ago. Swapped it for some rare programmes.
The current owner frequents these pages so may throw some light on the name

[TheGog]

Does anyone remember the Festival cup?

used to be played beginning of the season im sure, maybe only ran the once or twice.

[hibeg]

Does anyone remember the Festival cup?

used to be played beginning of the season im sure, maybe only ran the once or twice.

Played Hearts early 2000s. Can only recall one game with them at ER

[He's here!]

The East Of Scotland Shield second oldest trophy in Scottish Football

Originally called the Edinburgh FA Cup in 1879 Hibs won the first three and were allowed to keep it

It was then renamed the Edinburgh Shield and Hibs won that too beating St Bernard’s 4-0

Hibs 63 wins Hearts 57 wins

From 2003-2013 Hibs won 10 in a row

Source : The Hibernian

Issue 15

For The Fans By The Fans

We should put the EoS up for grabs at every derby judging by those stats!

[He's here!]

Does anyone remember the Festival cup?

used to be played beginning of the season im sure, maybe only ran the once or twice.

Not sure if it's the same thing but we played Hearts, Coventry and (I think) Man City in a pre-season event hosted in Edinburgh in the late 1970s/early 80s.

[WeeRussell]

Some nice bits of history in here but for me personally, I can’t be doing with the whole rugby thing of giving out cups for every game, every year.

Winning a cup for winning one game just doesn’t feel like fitbaw to me. And I don’t think we’d get any extra enjoyment out of a pretend competition than we already do for beating that lot.

[ancient hibee]

The East Of Scotland Shield second oldest trophy in Scottish Football

Originally called the Edinburgh FA Cup in 1879 Hibs won the first three and were allowed to keep it

It was then renamed the Edinburgh Shield and Hibs won that too beating St Bernard’s 4-0

Hibs 63 wins Hearts 57 wins

From 2003-2013 Hibs won 10 in a row

Source : The Hibernian

Issue 15

For The Fans By The Fans

The gate money from the East of Scotland Shield was used to make a big donation to the Hospitals Football Broadcasts Fund.There we’re commentary boxes at ER and Ty. (both I think in the old enclosures)and the match was piped into the hospitals.

[007]

The East Of Scotland Shield second oldest trophy in Scottish Football

Originally called the Edinburgh FA Cup in 1879 Hibs won the first three and were allowed to keep it

It was then renamed the Edinburgh Shield and Hibs won that too beating St Bernard’s 4-0

Hibs 63 wins Hearts 57 wins

From 2003-2013 Hibs won 10 in a row

Source : The Hibernian

Issue 15

For The Fans By The Fans

How come our win against them in the 1990 final (when it was still contested as a senior competition) doesn't get counted? It was during their 22 in-a-row after their 5th game undefeated so it would be 17 in-a-row.

[BILLYHIBS]

How come our win against them in the 1990 final (when it was still contested as a senior competition) doesn't get counted? It was during their 22 in-a-row after their 5th game undefeated so it would be 17 in-a-row.

Match finished 0-0 on 3-5-1990 according to fitbastats.com and London Hearts who recorded it as a draw

Edit

Hibs did win a trophy that season the Tennents Sixes

[007]

Match finished 0-0 on 3-5-1990 according to fitbastats.com and London Hearts who recorded it as a draw

Edit

Hibs did win a trophy that season the Tennents Sixes

Hibs won on penalties though so that's a win for us and a defeat for them and London Hearts are hardly an unbiased arbiter. They'll need to add a caveat to any songs they sing, 22 in a row, asterisk see below... 😮

[BILLYHIBS]

Hibs won on penalties though so that's a win for us and a defeat for them and London Hearts are hardly an unbiased arbiter. They'll need to add a caveat to any songs they sing, 22 in a row, asterisk see below... 😮
Found it on wiki Hibs won 9-8 on penalties at ER the last time the senior teams competed

[007]

Found it on wiki Hibs won 9-8 on penalties at ER the last time the senior teams competed

Yes that's the one and it cant be getting included at all, because if counted as a draw for the scoreline at 90 minutes it would be 23 in a row. Was just wondering why it would be excluded other than typical Jambos lying, unless I'm missing something.

[BILLYHIBS]

Interesting wee aside in the EOSS article in the Fans’ Programme

In 1978 the final was memorable for all the wrong reasons

The match was played on a Sunday which was a novelty at that time and was played in a hostile atmosphere in front of 16000

With 15 minutes to go and still 0-0 Drew Busby was sent off for a foul in front of the dugouts on Arthur Duncan - his second booking - who was carried off on a stretcher

Hibs brought on ex Southampton star Gerry O’Brien who promptly scored the winner against 10 man Hearts

The visiting support then decided to leave the Dunbar End and gain access to the Cowshed

Mayhem ensued the game did finish but both clubs agreed the extra cost of stewarding and policing wasn’t worth the hassle

Match Day Programmes available from Brian’s Programme Shop Albion Road £2

[Kato]

Interesting wee aside in the EOSS article in the Fans’ Programme

In 1978 the final was memorable for all the wrong reasons

The match was played on a Sunday which was a novelty at that time and was played in a hostile atmosphere in front of 16000

With 15 minutes to go and still 0-0 Drew Busby was sent off for a foul in front of the dugouts on Arthur Duncan - his second booking - who was carried off on a stretcher

Hibs brought on ex Southampton star Gerry O’Brien who promptly scored the winner against 10 man Hearts

The visiting support then decided to leave the Dunbar End and gain access to the Cowshed

Mayhem ensued the game did finish but both clubs agreed the extra cost of stewarding and policing wasn’t worth the hassle

Match Day Programmes available from Brian’s Programme Shop Albion Road £2Nuts that day. Every player on the park disgusted with what Busby did that day.

Sent from my SM-A528B using Tapatalk

[BILLYHIBS]

Thug




RIP

[Viva_Palmeiras]

Match finished 0-0 on 3-5-1990 according to fitbastats.com and London Hearts who recorded it as a draw

Edit

Hibs did win a trophy that season the Tennents Sixes

Have they recorded 21.5.2016 yet last time I looked it was still a glaring omission.

Given their obsession with stats that omission speaks volumes.

[BILLYHIBS]

Have they recorded 21.5.2016 yet last time I looked it was still a glaring omission.

Given their obsession with stats that omission speaks volumes.

Do they not only record games involving them ?

Certainly the game in May 1990 is recorded as a draw no mention of a defeat on pens

Always found their site to be excellent up there with fitba stats Hibs