10 years ago today Hibs v Hamilton play off

[PatHead]

Probably my worst football game ever. The lowest of low points.

I wonder how different things would have been if we had stayed up? Would Butcher have been kept on? Would we have signed the players we did like SJM, Fyvie, Big Daz, Hendo etc or relied on Steve Marcela?

Would we have won the cup?

[Hiber-nation]

He'd have been gone by the end of September.

[Carheenlea]

Thanks for the reminder of that…

An image that will never leave me from that day was an absolutely shattered looking Tommy Preston leaving Easter Road as angry fans gathered behind the stand to vent their spleen. Those who knew who he was applauded an old Hibs great, those who didn’t looked perplexed at a sudden burst of acclaim.

Butcher insulted the memory of those Hibs heroes that went before him. A man who should never be allowed anywhere near Easter Road ever again.

[Glory Lurker]

Never wanted Butcher. At the risk of blaming the fans, I wonder what it was that made us work so hard to get him.

One thing to be said though is that I was absolutely raging after that match. Despite everything, it was a shock. As things stand just now - as things stand just now - I wouldn't bother to make the effort to go to play offs if we were in them.

[Pretty Boy]

It was a dark day

I queued up half the night for tickets for the away leg and thought it was job done after that game, sadly so did the idiot in the dug out milking it, fist pumping at fans and celebrating like we had achieved something. I should have known better. As soon as Tudor Jones pulled out of that tackle and they equalised everyone knew we were down, all our subs had been about protecting a slender lead because we were in a situation we should never have been near at 2-0 up.

It was quite amazing how quickly the club rebuilt a fractured relationship; the following season's defeat in the play off was greeted with a sporadic round of applause because people could see the job Stubbs et al had done and knew we had a team who had given all they could. Contrasted with the way everyone had felt the year before it was pretty surreal.

[Rick Rude]

Recently looked back at the team we had out that day. Forgot quite how bad it was:

1 B Williams
18 A Maybury
5 M Nelson
3 R McGivern
16 L Stevenson
8 S Robertson
10 L Craig (c)
24 P Heffernan
26 S Stanton
35 J Cummings
33 D Haynes

[Hiber-nation]

The thing I remember most about that game was McGivern continually launching high balls to Jason Cummings with nobody there to pick up any 2nd balls. The tactics were an absolute joke.

[King conrad]

The thing I remember most about that game was McGivern continually launching high balls to Jason Cummings with nobody there to pick up any 2nd balls. The tactics were an absolute joke.

Aye he was punting it and so was Nelson,Two of the worst players I've seen play for Hibs, The two of them just aimlessly launched it all season.
Terrible football players

[MWHIBBIES]

Aye he was punting it and so was Nelson,Two of the worst players I've seen play for Hibs, The two of them just aimlessly launched it all season.
Terrible football players

McGivern was decent under Fenlon. Totally lost his way, like many others, under Butcher. A disgrace of a manager for Hibs.

A horrible time to support Hibs. I'll be eternally grateful for Leeann Dempster and Alan Stubbs.

[Bishop Hibee]

I was at Hamilton and thought even we couldn’t mess up after winning 0-2. How wrong I was! So many imposters in that team and a total clown as Manager. Everyone in the stadium knew there was only going to be one winner when Accies equalised. Owain Tudur-Jones makes our current midfielders look like Zico.

What it did lead to was fan power, a demo of around 1,500 outside the stadium a week or two later and an upward journey to 21.5.16.

[Broken Gnome]

McHugh v Falkirk's probably the most upsetting goal we've conceded in my life - maybe rivalled by Graham Weir at the time - but don't think anything will ever top the gut-wrenching feeling of that injury time equaliser.

Mind the scoreboard broke and no one really knew how long was left? Then all of a sudden we only had about two minutes to hold on...

[Since452]

Jeez. Thanks for the reminder. Took my 5 year old along thinking it would be a "celebration". We left before the penalties as I knew what was going to happen.

[HibbyAndy]

That horrible sickening feeling when they made it 2-0 at the death , The whole stadium knew we were beat , Don't care what anyone sais , We were beat , Stadium went through the motions , Horrible feeling that i never want to go through ever again

[SHODAN]

My worst day as a Hibs fan. Yes, even including the cup final.

I don't think I've ever been as angry at the football when that ****ing second went in.

[JimBHibees]

Seemed like we were playing for pens throughout whole extra time. Butcher doing a Klopp like celebration after the first leg. Dear oh dear.

[Donegal Hibby]

If we had won the penalty shootout I wonder would it have changed future events , maybe no Stubbs , SJM and no Scottish cup ?.

[Stairway 2 7]

I don't need reminded on a Saturday night ha. But the butterfly effect ect the Scottish cup win was the pinnacle moment of ecstasy in Scottish club football so I embrace it, 5-1, Ross County league Cup loss, Falkirk play off loss. No one will match the euphoria of SDGs header going in to the blur of leith links in the sun thank you thank you. I saw celtic fans quietly walking out of Malones 15 minutes after they won tonight, they will never feel what we felt

[eastterrace]

Jeez. Thanks for the reminder. Took my 5 year old along thinking it would be a "celebration". We left before the penalties as I knew what was going to happen. I left at full time as I just knew we will lose either in extra time or on penalties ( seen the penalties on the telly live when I got home ) gutted that day but probably the best thing to happen to us in the end.

[Alfred E Newman]

I left at full time as I just knew we will lose either in extra time or on penalties ( seen the penalties on the telly live when I got home ) gutted that day but probably the best thing to happen to us in the end.

I agree. It gave the club the chance to have a complete rebuild culminating in the cup win and eventually establishing the club as a major force again. Frustratingly all that progress has been flushed down the toilet in the last few seasons by mismanagement and now we are almost back at square one.

[Malonga's Cat]

The most surreal two legged game. Hamilton away was a buzz and everyone felt the job was done (probably the issue!). As soon as Hamilton scored and we were hanging on we all knew what was coming. Undoubtedly the most dejected I've ever felt as a Hibs fan. Numb doesn't describe it. What a mess we were in under Butcher which meant we could rebuild and enjoy the climax of 2016.

Here we are though, time for another rebuild??

[Pretty Boy]

If we had won the penalty shootout I wonder would it have changed future events , maybe no Stubbs , SJM and no Scottish cup ?.

Butcher was gone regardless.

I was at the meeting at ER that took place the same day as the protest and, without explicitly saying it, LD made it crystal clear Butcher just didn't fit in with the direction the club wanted to go.

That would have been the case regardless of what league we were in.

[Jamesie]

I had been at Hamilton for the first leg and - having never thought we would be in the position of a playoff - proceeded to travel to Sicily for a pre-arranged long weekend. Spent a good chunk of Sunday at Mondello Beach near Palermo. This was back in the days before power banks were ubiquitous and when my phone battery died on 87 minutes played I wasn’t overly concerned.

Got back to the hotel a few hours later, plugged in, went straight to the bar downstairs and put away a bottle of Nero d’Avola in under an hour. Dark days indeed.

[Jamesie]

Butcher was gone regardless.

I was at the meeting at ER that took place the same day as the protest and, without explicitly saying it, LD made it crystal clear Butcher just didn't fit in with the direction the club wanted to go.

That would have been the case regardless of what league we were in.

I remember taking photographs on behalf of the organisers of the Dan McMicheal headstone at the unveiling ceremony in the Eastern Cemetery in December 2013. This is in no way a criticism of the organisers of such a fantastic initiative, and I suspect they felt obliged to have the manager involved in the event: but with Butcher, it just all felt a bit awkward. In my view didn’t get us, and we didn’t get him, quite frankly.

[Gatecrasher]

The most embarrassing part was after FT Hibs were putting crowd noises through the tannoy as the last minute goal from Accies sucked the life from the support. It was only going one way from that point.

[Hibs4185]

The Kilmarnock game before the play off was the one for me. Watching from the east stand as kris Boyd slotted one away and condemning us to the play off

[Bristolhibby]

I flew up for the home leg. Had booked my flight before the first leg.

My abiding memory was the utter silence leaving the stadium. Punctured by the wailing of a Downs kid.

Took us a while to even speak to each other.

You knew as soon as that early goal went in that we were in trouble.

Three *******in seasons that cost us.

J

[Michael]

Looking back it was a catalyst for a lot of change at the club which lead to winning the Scottish and putting together our most exiting team since Mowbray. Wouldn't change anything.

[bordergreen]

Never wanted Butcher. At the risk of blaming the fans, I wonder what it was that made us work so hard to get him.

One thing to be said though is that I was absolutely raging after that match. Despite everything, it was a shock. As things stand just now - as things stand just now - I wouldn't bother to make the effort to go to play offs if we were in them.

Hands up, I wanted Butcher. I thought that he would come in and make us hard to beat, and instil a bit of steel to our defence. Probably due to his playing days more than anything. How wrong could I be. I also thought Monty would be really good. Just as well I get no say in who the new manager is…

[DarlingtonHibee]

I've not long finished having nightmares about it!!!

[Hiber-nation]

The most embarrassing part was after FT Hibs were putting crowd noises through the tannoy as the last minute goal from Accies sucked the life from the support. It was only going one way from that point.

Jesus, I forgot about that. Honestly what a bloody state.

[InvertedFullBak]

I went up to tannadice and Ross county around Christmas time and even though a we blew a 2-0 lead and we beat county I thought we’d cracked it under butcher. At the time it just seemed a good fit for all parties. Fast forward to us losing to Hamilton I was with my mate walking out the ground saying to him about those games and how it’d all went so bad in the second half of that season.

Rumours were rife that butcher had told the players they’d be getting emptied at the end of that season were managerial suicide in my book. What did he expect to happen other than the team downing tools ?

Did anyone actually know if these rumours were true or was it just a load of rubbish ?

[HendoDelivered]

What a dark day that was. Probably the only time a game of football has had me in tears (I was about 16/17). I ended up leaving at half time of ET because I knew what was coming and didn’t want to see it. Time i walked home along the walkway, I caught the last couple pens on the Radio and when Cummings pen was saved to confirm our relegation, I phoned my auld man and I burst out greeting.

[hibeemikey21]

I went up to tannadice and Ross county around Christmas time and even though a we blew a 2-0 lead and we beat county I thought we’d cracked it under butcher. At the time it just seemed a good fit for all parties. Fast forward to us losing to Hamilton I was with my mate walking out the ground saying to him about those games and how it’d all went so bad in the second half of that season.

Rumours were rife that butcher had told the players they’d be getting emptied at the end of that season were managerial suicide in my book. What did he expect to happen other than the team downing tools ?

Did anyone actually know if these rumours were true or was it just a load of rubbish ?

I’m sure it wasn’t rumours. Think butcher had come out publicly to say people like Taiwo were free to leave….then started playing them weeks/days later. Madness.

[He's here!]

Jeez. Thanks for the reminder. Took my 5 year old along thinking it would be a "celebration". We left before the penalties as I knew what was going to happen.

Took my youngest along for similar reasons and we left when it was still only 1-0. You could just see we were going down. I remember us getting drenched as we walked back to the car just to compound the gloom. Utterly horrible day.

[we are hibs]

Resigned myself to the fact we were going down after we lost 1-0 to Ross county away in the midweek.


I remember Michael Nelson getting sent off V Partick Thistle and we actually improved once he wasn't on the park.


It's funny cause I watched the highlights not long ago from that Partick Thistle 1-1 and the Killie game which we lost 1-0 and we actually battered them both. The ball just wouldn't go in the net.

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[blackpoolhibs]

Resigned myself to the fact we were going down after we lost 1-0 to Ross county away in the midweek.


I remember Michael Nelson getting sent off V Partick Thistle and we actually improved once he wasn't on the park.


It's funny cause I watched the highlights not long ago from that Partick Thistle 1-1 and the Killie game which we lost 1-0 and we actually battered them both. The ball just wouldn't go in the net.

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He has to be up there with the worst central defenders we've seen at the club in my lifetime, and we've had some sheite over those near 60 years. :faf:

[Broken Gnome]

Resigned myself to the fact we were going down after we lost 1-0 to Ross county away in the midweek.


I remember Michael Nelson getting sent off V Partick Thistle and we actually improved once he wasn't on the park.


It's funny cause I watched the highlights not long ago from that Partick Thistle 1-1 and the Killie game which we lost 1-0 and we actually battered them both. The ball just wouldn't go in the net.

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Signs were there early in that season - could've been 5-0 up with little exaggeration on Hearts in the League Cup, end up losing.

Then there were games when even the likes of Dundee United were so superior to us it was embarrassing.

[cameronw-hfc]

I had family who were matchday staff at hibs then and would go with them to games, remember being stuck in the carpark between the east and famous five for ages as nobody could move due to the fans outside the gates. Sure i remember hearing others didn't make it out of the stadium for hours after due to fear of facing the fans. Wild day but would do it all over again if i knew the scottish cup would be close to follow

[scm70nyd1973]

I had family who were matchday staff at hibs then and would go with them to games, remember being stuck in the carpark between the east and famous five for ages as nobody could move due to the fans outside the gates. Sure i remember hearing others didn't make it out of the stadium for hours after due to fear of facing the fans. Wild day but would do it all over again if i knew the scottish cup would be close to follow

Quite often good things come out of bad - just look back to the prelude to the 1991 cup win. Maybe this season is what we needed to propel us towards better things - whatever that is 🤭

[tamig]

Signs were there early in that season - could've been 5-0 up with little exaggeration on Hearts in the League Cup, end up losing.

Then there were games when even the likes of Dundee United were so superior to us it was embarrassing.
Remember that League Cup game against them so well. McPake inexplicably trying a diving header when the ball was 6 inches off the deck, the tattooed Stevenson picking it up and I knew what was coming. Scott Robertson had a great game that night and pretty sure he was very unlucky not to score at least a couple. How many times have we seen that movie play out against them over the past 40 years though? 🙄

[ErinGoBraghHFC]

The Kilmarnock game before the play off was the one for me. Watching from the east stand as kris Boyd slotted one away and condemning us to the play off

That game haunts me and always will, when Boyd scored that’s when I knew we were going down. I must’ve sat in the stand gobsmacked for half an hour after full time that day.


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[Stairway 2 7]

Was listening to Kenny Miller on the Dugout podcast he said he called Pat Fenlon to look at Andy Robertson, Fenlon said why would I want a kid from Queens Park when I've got Ryan McGivern an internationalist.

Hamilton would have been different ha

[Hiber-nation]

He has to be up there with the worst central defenders we've seen at the club in my lifetime, and we've had some sheite over those near 60 years. :faf:

I agree. Some on here defended him to the hilt as well. Slow as Murdock, average in the air, no awareness at all, couldn't pass a ball, just a washed up conference standard player.

[SHODAN]

The most embarrassing part was after FT Hibs were putting crowd noises through the tannoy as the last minute goal from Accies sucked the life from the support. It was only going one way from that point.

That was utterly bizarre.

[Broken Gnome]

That was utterly bizarre.

Ach I've got a degree of sympathy there. Wasn't exactly like we were rousing them on to victory, was a spur of the moment thing they clearly thought would trigger some atmosphere and get people out of their stunned trance.

Ridiculous if it doesn't work and lose. Which in hindsight I think we all knew was happening even at that stage.

[JimBHibees]

Ach I've got a degree of sympathy there. Wasn't exactly like we were rousing them on to victory, was a spur of the moment thing they clearly thought would trigger some atmosphere and get people out of their stunned trance.

Ridiculous if it doesn't work and lose. Which in hindsight I think we all knew was happening even at that stage.

Genuinely have no recollection of the fake crowd noise must have been in the stunned trance 😄 main recollection of that day was Tudor Jones pitiful tackle and us basically playing for pens we were so poor.

[CraigHibee]

The most embarrassing part was after FT Hibs were putting crowd noises through the tannoy as the last minute goal from Accies sucked the life from the support. It was only going one way from that point.

yip, highly embarrassing having to put crowd cheering noises through the p.a system, was absolutely **** all to cheer about.

that day was just a horrible day, walked out the stadium feeling empty

[silverhibee]

The Kilmarnock game before the play off was the one for me. Watching from the east stand as kris Boyd slotted one away and condemning us to the play off

The Ross County game was the end for us, remember the players hitting the ground at FT and you could tell then they were not up for any type of battle.

I said at the time that it wasn’t Butcher that was the problem but his sidekick who was a raving lunatic, and the falling out with KT certainly didn’t help, once Butcher sent him to train with the kids he was very vocal in bad mouthing the manager and his assistant and I would say a few players sided with KT and downed tools.

A sad period in our time, and just to think Rod was wanting him to be in charge for the new season ahead until LD came in and he was out the door after that.

[snedzuk]

Two things I remember.

First leg after Cummings scored that raker - there was a photo on the Hibs website of him celebrating with me and my Mrs in the crowd behind him.

Second leg 'Ten men coudnae carry, couldnae carry Scotland', just as Scotland pops up with the equalizer.

[Since452]

Signs were there early in that season - could've been 5-0 up with little exaggeration on Hearts in the League Cup, end up losing.

Then there were games when even the likes of Dundee United were so superior to us it was embarrassing.

:agree: we absolutely battered them that night. The story of so many derbies.

[Hibiza]

That was a Horrid day .