At last Hibernians would meet one of the big clubs when Scottish League side St. Mirren welcomed them to Westmarch Park for a friendly in mid March 1893. Everyone present assumed that the League club would make short work of their opponents; everyone that is except the Hibernians party and it was only with virtually the last kick of the ball that the hosts scraped home 4-3. One of the players catching the eye at this time was Paddy Murray and the Hibernians Committee was both suspicious and astounded when a letter arrived from Celtic asking if they could ‘borrow’ Murray for the following Saturday. It seems clear to me that the intention was to get Murray through to Glasgow so that they could work on enticing him away permanently but they didn’t get the chance as the Hibernians Committee refused and in doing so surely reinforced their statement that they would not be a feeder club for Celtic.
Another top club provided Hibernians with their next challenge when Dumbarton travelled to Easter Road and there was unbridled joy amongst the home support when the greens won an entertaining match 3-2. Soon after there was a friendly against an Irish International Shamrock Xl and again the Hibernians came out on top by two goals to nil. This was quite an achievement as the visitors included many fine players including Dan Doyle from Celtic.
Since being back in business Hibernians had yet to face a trip to Glasgow but that was put to rights when they travelled to Barrowfields to face Clyde. Prior to Celtic almost killing the club off the Hibernians had always drawn a big and enthusiastic crowd when in Glasgow and they were not disappointed in this game as a large number of Glasgow Irishmen came along to cheer them on. Down 3-0 at half time it looked bleak for the greens but with the crowd roaring them on they stormed back into the game in the second half and earned a very worthy 3-3 draw. A number of other friendlies followed and the greens won more than they lost whilst the reserves were starting to taste victory too but the Hibernians Committee was fully aware that if the club was to regain its former glory then it would require to join the Scottish League and so every effort was being channelled in that direction.
Football in Scotland was changing and in May 1893 the Hibernians Committee met to discuss the matter of paying the players as such a practise was now allowed. It was agreed that players would be paid by the match with a wage of ten shillings (50p) for matches played on a weekday and £1.00 for Saturday’s. It was also decided to pay players reasonable travelling expenses.
After many months of trying, Hibernians finally got the chance to face their oldest rivals Hearts in a match to be played at Tynecastle in celebration of Queen Victoria’s birthday. The game was played on a Thursday and the greens had some players unavailable due to work commitments and so it is perhaps unsurprising that they lost 2-1 but it was not so much losing as the nature of the defeat that caused many a talking point on the day and in the weeks ahead. With the game finely balanced at 1-1 and a draw looking the likely outcome, Hearts scored with the last kick of the ball and although the scorer was clearly offside the referee allowed the goal to stand and that created an amount of aggravation within the travelling support and things looked a little tricky for a while until tempers cooled.
At the club’s end of season AGM a number of matters were dealt with as might be expected; election or re-election to the Committee; club rules; club colours (as if they were ever going to play in any other colour than green) and the matter of whether players must be Irish and/or Catholic. This last point caused an amount of surprise when it was raised as the Committee had thought it had made quite clear the intention not to have such ‘restrictions’ but as a means of satisfying all present, Charles Sandilands suggested that in the selection of players, young men of Irish nationality have the preference, except in the case where a player of a different nationality is of superior ability.
Now the position regarding participation in League football could be addressed as the most urgent matter on the horizon and a route into that set up came by way of a letter from Airdrieonians when they asked if Hibernians would be interested in joining with them and a number of other clubs in forming a Second Division. Needless to say the response was in the affirmative and in mid July, following a meeting of club representatives in Glasgow; Hibernians was accepted into the Scottish League Second Division.
Back in competitive football, where Hibernians surely belonged, the club entered the race for the Second Division title in season 1893/94 with Easter Road looking in great shape what with its wider and longer playing surface, its new stand and dressing rooms and its raised wooden steps around three sides of the pitch to offer ‘terracing’ spectators an improved view. Much of the work had been carried out voluntarily by supporters of the club, adding to the Committee’s view that this was indeed a club for the communities of both Edinburgh and Leith.
Even in those days pre season friendlies were arranged to help players sharpen up their match fitness and Hibs began their own preparations with a very tricky match against First Division opposition in the shape of Celtic at Parkhead. The Hibernians Committee had tried to entice Celtic through to Edinburgh for the match but once again the Glasgow outfit got cold feet and answered that they would only play the game on their own ground as they were fearful of the kind of ‘reception’ they might get from the Hibernians support. The match ended in a 5-3 win to the hosts with the press reports after the game suggesting there was still a great deal of affection evident from a home support that had cheered the Hibernians goals as loudly as they had those scored by Celtic.
Another friendly was organised and that brought First Division Hearts to Easter Road in early August 1893. The home side was without one of its key players after Mitchell had missed his train to Edinburgh and Martin, Murphy and Gallagher played despite being unfit in Martin’s case and unwell in the case of the other two. Indeed Murphy and Gallagher defied doctor’s orders in turning out but had they not done so Hibernians would have had to call the match off due to having an insufficient number of players available. Eight thousand packed into Easter Road but the visiting team was at full strength and scored freely throughout the ninety minutes as they went on to win 10-2. This was a scoreline that for decades afterwards Hearts fans would gloat over and had the shoe been on the other foot it is safe to assume Hibernians fans would have done exactly the same thing but it is as well to point out the Hibernians fielded a considerably weakened team, was only just back on its feet and had not played much football at all in the previous 18 months whilst Hearts was at full strength. That may sound like excuse making but it is factually accurate, as is the fact that on 1 January 1973 when both sides were at full strength the Hibees recorded a 7-0 win at Tynecastle that still haunts followers of the Gorgie club even today!
More important than that result was the fact of being back in business for the start of the league campaign with the first fixture taking them west to face Glasgow Thistle. Incredibly, a large support turned up with the Irish of Glasgow deciding to come and watch the greens and to witness them winning 2-0 in their first ever Scottish League match. A week later they faced Morton at home and the Hibernians support was once again treated to a goal fest but thankfully it was the Hibernians that found the net most often by winning 9-2 after having trailed 2-1 at one point in the match. A third victory soon followed as a trip to Fife saw the greens defeat Cowdenbeath 2-1 in a match that marked the debut of one Barney Breslin, a player that would enjoy a long and illustrious career with Hibernians. Win number four, in a brilliant start to the season, was achieved at Clyde by four goals to one.
Already sitting top of the table Hibs cemented that position by defeating Abercorn 7-2 and then progressed into round three of the Scottish Cup after hammering Broxburn 5-0. The 100% league record ended in a 2-2 draw away to Glasgow Northern and then the first defeat came along after Cowlairs won 4-3 at Easter Road. Further disappointments followed as Hibernians realised that matches could be lost as well as won when Vale of Leven knocked them out of the Cup in a 1-0 reversal and then a league point was dropped against Port Glasgow Athletic in a 3-3 draw away from home.
Another friendly with Hearts drew a packed house at Tynecastle but the First Division team was once again too strong for the greens. In a fast exciting game the hosts went 2-0 up but Hibernians roared back to lead 3-2 at half time before the home side scored five in the second half without reply. On the basis that losing 7-3 is better than suffering a 10-2 reversal an optimist might argue that Hibernians were making progress! Their next game, a 4-0 defeat of Glasgow Thistle at Easter Road seemed to add weight to that argument as the win put the club back at the top of their league. A few days later they defeated Penicuik Athletic 8-2 at Easter Road and followed that up with another 8-2 home win, this time in the league against fellow title chasers Motherwell and then they made the difficult trip to Greenock to defeat Morton 1-0.
The Hibernians had found some good form again and it was just as well because their next game brought Hearts to Easter Road in an East of Scotland Shield match. Needless to say the ground was packed and a mighty roar greeted Hibernians taking the lead but Hearts were a good side and soon pressed forward looking for an equaliser. Their efforts were thwarted by a solid home defence and once again the home side attacked, scoring a second goal only to stand and watch as the Hearts players surrounded the referee disputing the strike. Eventually the match continued and Hearts pulled a goal back before the half time break. Clearly feeling aggrieved at trailing, the Hearts came out for the second half with all guns blazing and scored twice to lead the game 3-2 only to see the home side grab an equaliser that was also contested by the Hearts players. Matters really came to a head late in the game when the greens scored directly from a free kick with the Hearts man really losing the plot this time as led by their goalkeeper they surrounded the referee and tried to get him to disallow the goal, claiming that the free kick was indirect and that as no player had touched it on its way into the goal the score should have been disallowed. The referee refused to change his mind and the game ended at 4-3 to Hibernians.
True to form Hearts objected to the East of Scotland FA and a hearing was called with evidence given by Hearts, Hibernians and the referee. The upshot was that the Hearts goalkeeper was instructed to write a letter of apology to the referee but astonishingly they upheld the Hearts protest and ordered a replay.
Unconcerned about the thought of that replay Hibernians travelled south to meet Everton in a friendly and lost 5-1 to a very professional Goodison Park side before returning home to another friendly in which they defeated St. Bernards 3-0.
The replayed match with Hearts took place on 30 December 1893 and the ground was full prior to kick off but by the time the teams took the field, thousands more had crammed in to see a match they felt sure would be as exciting as the last encounter. The visitors were obviously well fired up for the game and took an early lead which they held into a second half that was twenty minutes old when Hibernians defender Hugh Rooney suffered the ignominy of being the first player ever to be sent off in an Edinburgh Derby. According to reports, Rooney had ‘jumped on Michael of Hearts in a fierce fashion’ and left the referee little choice but to order him off. Undaunted by this setback, Hibernians charged forward and with a minute remaining Howie grabbed an equaliser to force a replay.
Seven days later the sides clashed again, this time at Tynecastle and this time in front of a disappointing crowd with the thought being that many felt the game would not go ahead in what was quite appalling weather. The first half was pretty even with both sides scoring a goal but in the second half with Hibernians leading 2-1 their goalkeeper Donnelly suffered a broken thumb and had to leave the field which meant Hibernians was once again down to ten men and one of those had to take over in goal. It was too much to ask of them to retain their lead and Hearts scored twice more to win the tie 3-2. Disappointing to lose but encouraging that First Division Hearts had been tested by this ‘new’ Hibernians side. Incidentally, Donnelly had broken his thumb in a challenge with Michael of Hearts which meant that the Gorgie man had twice been involved when the greens had gone down to ten men!
January 1894 had no league games but instead a series of friendlies were played to keep the players fit and in the last of those Hearts won 2-1 at Tynecastle in a game that for once finished with eleven men on either side.
Although doing quite well on the park there were problems off the field as Hibernians struggled to make ends meet financially. The hoped for support from outwith the Irish community was slow in coming forward and the club was sailing dangerously close to bankruptcy unless things were improved. One supporter, Mr. Gilhooly, offered an interest free loan of £50 and thanks to him the wolves were kept from the door.
League football resumed in February and a 6-1 home defeat of Partick Thistle kept Hibernians at the top of the pile but once more the weather closed in and friendlies became the order of the day with the one played on 26 February being odd in the sense that it occurred at the invitation of Celtic but whilst it took place at Parkhead the opponents were Clyde. The match was played under Celtic’s new electric lights but became a farce on a muddy pitch with visibility so poor no-one really knew what was going on half the time. The greens won 1-0 but one wonders why Celtic made the offer? Could it be that they were happy for other clubs to run the risk of injury rather than risk their own players? Perhaps that is a paranoid view but with Celtic down through the ages paranoia was not just a possibility it was expected!
The next two league games brought a 3-3 draw in Paisley against Abercorn and a 4-3 home win over Clyde before on St. Patrick’s Day on 17 March the greens travelled to play Cowlairs and defeated them 3-1 in front of a crowd swelled in number by the presence of hundreds of Glasgow based Irishmen.
Glasgow would host the next two games also as Hibernians lost a friendly at Ibrox by 2-1 before trouncing Partick Thistle 7-1 at Inchview Park. Glasgow Northern visited Easter Road and lost 6-0 before the greens suffered a rare league defeat in going down 2-1 away to Motherwell.
A meeting with Hearts in the semi final of the Edinburgh City Cup failed to materialise after the Gorgie side withdrew from the competition and so the greens would face St. Bernards in the Final that took place at neutral Tynecastle. That match finished 1-1 but in the replay the following Wednesday at Powderhall the greens ran out victors by a 4-1 margin thereby securing their first piece of silverware since resuming playing.
In mid May Tynecastle was again the venue and St. Bernards once again the opposition as the greens won 2-1 in the semi final of the Rosebery Charity Cup thereby setting up a meeting with Hearts in the Final.
On 19 May 1894 Hibernians played their final Second Division match of the season and defeated Port Glasgow Athletic 10-1 to secure the League Championship Title. In those days however promotion was not automatic as at the end of every season all clubs had to apply for re-election to their leagues and so the club faced an anxious wait to see if their application to join the First Division would be accepted. Meanwhile the club played two more friendlies, defeating Leith Athletic 4-1 at Easter Road and then drawing 2-2 with Celtic at Parkhead but their very last game in that successful season was against Hearts at Powderhall in the Final of the Rosebery Charity Cup. The First Division side led 2-1 at half time thanks to an own goal by Murphy and a strike from that man Willie Michael but Hibernians centre forward Allan Martin added two more to his first half strike and Willie Smith also found the net to give the greens a 4-2 win and another piece of silverware.
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