London Hibs Members and Friends

27^th November 2000

London Hibs November 2000

Welcome to this eagerly anticipated November edition of Londonï¿½s only footballing paper !!!! In this monthï¿½s edition ï¿½..ï¿½POTY Reviewï¿½, ï¿½By Heck Itï¿½s Big Eckï¿½, ï¿½London Hibs Footy Newsï¿½, ï¿½Supper Time !ï¿½, plus all your favourites including this month, ï¿½A Special Jimmy Boco Awardï¿½, ï¿½From The Dug Outï¿½, ï¿½The Starting Line-Upï¿½, not to mention, ï¿½Itï¿½s a Question of Hibs (including answers from Sept edition) and finally a competition where you can win special prizes ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½..READ ON AND ENJOY !!!

ï¿½Footy Factsï¿½

Rumour has it that the Dundee Utd board have sensationally swooped for our footballing Guru, King Kev to lead their tangerine revival. Why ? Well, after winning seven out of seven in the league and having a maximum 21points, London Hibs sit proudly at the top of the APFSCIL League. The Latest victims of the London Cabbage were Norwich City who apparently played like the proverbial ï¿½Canariesï¿½.

Well done boys !! Keep up the good work.

Remember if you want to watch Londonï¿½s finest in action they come along to Bar Elms playing fields (Chiswick) every alternate Sunday, Kick off 2pm.

N.B. Barn Elms is off Rocks Lane at the junction with Church Road (A3003), nearest Train / Tube ï¿½ Barnes. See Map

ï¿½Player of The Yearï¿½

Well !!!! What can I say !!! An absolutely fabulous evening where stars mingled with stars and all under the roof of the famous ï¿½ERï¿½. However, Iï¿½m afraid the nearest we had to George Clooney (ER fame) was the one and only Brian Rogan !!

As those who attended would vouch for, the evening was a great success. Team players were in attendance including the tremendous twosome ï¿½ David Zitelli and Franck Sauzee.

We had a special guest in the form of a representative from the French FA, Pierre. Pierre (real name ï¿½ Mike Hennessy !!!) stole the show with a very gifted version of ï¿½Allo, Allo ï¿½ Edinburgh styliï¿½.

Franck was very impressed and told us how much life in Edinburgh had meant to him ï¿½ so much so that he was more than keen to sign on for another term (just like Bill Clinton).

Buffet time and the food was more than satisfactory ï¿½ well, it must have been as all the platters were finished off !!!!

With plenty of alcohol and a DJ who knew his music (he played ï¿½Too many broke heartsï¿½ (Jason Donovan); and ï¿½Donï¿½t leave me this wayï¿½ (Communards) ï¿½ the night was all-in-all a great success and for more reports, pictures and noise visit the website.

ï¿½Supper Timeï¿½

Yes, itï¿½s that time of year again when our thoughts turn to Rabbie and the famous haggis !!! The London Hibs Burn Supper (another fantastic evening out - this time in London) comes along on the 20^th January 2001. It is planned to have the event in Kavanaghï¿½s Bar (where it was held last year and where it was a great success). However, as soon as details are confirmed to me and tickets go on sale then you wil all be the first to know. Just keep the date free Saturday, Jan 20^th 2001.

ï¿½By Eck, its Big Eckï¿½

I was honoured to get the opportunity to meet personally the man who has transformed our club ï¿½ Alex McLeish ï¿½ ï¿½Big Eckï¿½ to the legion of faithful !!

I actually went along to invite him to one of our monthly meetings in the ï¿½Big Smokeï¿½ but took the opportunity to conduct an improvised interview which was very interesting.

Big Eck showed me how he and the team of scouts headed by Donald Park discovered, saw and then made moves for players ï¿½worldwideï¿½. In fact at this time he told me that that coming weekend he and Andy Watson were off to Belgium to hopefully sign a target ï¿½ no names were mentioned but shortly after this visit Hibs had signed Michael Franks !!

I asked him about who he thought would be a good replacement for him if he was to move to (I hate to say it ï¿½ï¿½.ï¿½A bigger clubï¿½ï¿½.) Alex, in good politician fashion side-stepped the question and did not commit himself but did say that he believed the prudent thing for the club to do was to have a short list of potential candidates as what he (Big Eck) did not want to see happen was the good work at the club, undone.

We went on to chat about players wages and the money in football today. In his own inimitable fashion, Big Eck said ï¿½I wish I was a player today as I would be a millionaire !!). He also agreed with me that an increasing trait was players playing for the money than the pride of the team.

One thing that I wasnï¿½t sure about was Big Eck saying that he thought Craig Brown was doing a good job for Scotland, especially as we are somewhat hampered with team selectionsï¿½ï¿½.em !!!!

In conclusion, Big Eck agreed to attend one of our monthly meetings, in London, in the early part of 2001. He said that he would have loved to have come to our Burns Supper but this is both his Birthday and Hibs have a game (friendly) with the mighty GALA !!!

Alex also said that he would come along with one of his friends ï¿½..you might know him ï¿½.that famous thespian (actor) Dougray Scott !!!ï¿½..London Hibs ï¿½.a real magnate for the rich and famous !!!

So watch the coming monthï¿½s newsletters for confirmation of Big Eckï¿½s attendance at the William Wallace !!!

ï¿½A Special Jimmy Boco Awardï¿½

It is no wonder that this monthï¿½s recipient of the coveted ï¿½Jimmy Boco Awardï¿½ goes to none other than ï¿½Pierreï¿½ from the French FA. A well worked piece of linguistical wizardry and all-round entertainment saw Mike Hennessy, pack them in at ER.

A real piece of humour and a real credit to London Hibs ï¿½ Well done Mike on your second Jimmy Boco Award !!!

(n.b. ï¿½ Perhaps thirds time lucky and it will be like the Jules Rimet Trophy ï¿½ You get to keep ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½Jimmy Boco !!

ï¿½From The Dug Outï¿½

ï¿½Trouble at the OK (ER) Kerral !!ï¿½

Negotiations to re-sign certain ï¿½keyï¿½ players at ER have hit stumbling blocks. Franck Sauzee and Mixu the Finn have rejected the offers as laid down to them from Rod Petrie, MD at ER. In order to stifle unrest on the pitch, Big Eck has suspended negotiations until the Winter Breakï¿½..watch this space !!!

ï¿½Big Eck is linked with every club in the world (well, if you believe a certain newspaper !!!)

Rumours are rife that Alex McLeish is certain to leave ER in the New Year. He has been associated with every club from Boness Juniors to Man Utd in 2002, not too mention taking over from Robbo at ï¿½Boroï¿½. At this moment in time he is Hibs Manager and a very good, in fact excellent one at that !!!!

ï¿½Dwight Yorke Trains with Hibsï¿½

Yes, it is absolutely true that Dwight Yorke (yes, the Mau Utd one) trained with Hibs. Is he a secret target of Big Eck, I hear you ask ???? In fact he was in Edinburgh visiting his pal and International team mate ï¿½ Russell Latapy and Russell asked the big man if the other big man could come along and so he did !!!!

ï¿½Points thrown awayï¿½

Against both Kilmarnock and St. Mirren we have thrown away real opportunities of being a further four points better in the bag. Two late strikes, respectively, earned both these teams a draw against Hibs. Late strikes for equalisers was a thing of the past at ER but recently it has come back ï¿½. hopefully not to haunt us ???

ï¿½The Starting Line-UPï¿½

We continue our look at the men who stood between the sticks to make our club what it is today !!

ï¿½William Robbï¿½

A big imposing goalkeeper, one of William Robbï¿½s most notable achievements was that, in the course of five consecutive seasons at Rangers ï¿½ between 1920/21 season and 1924/25 ï¿½ he did not miss a single league game.

He joined Hibs in April 1926 and was at Easter Road for four years, after which he moved south. He didnï¿½t retire until 1939, by which time he was aged well over forty.

Records show that he made 134 league appearances for Hibs 24 of which were shut-outs. He won two Scottish caps, both against Wales ï¿½ on October 31, 1925 and on October 29, 1927.

ï¿½Itï¿½s A Question of Hibsï¿½

Septemberï¿½s Questions ï¿½ The Answers

Q1. 9-1 versus Rosenborg Trondheim, UEFA Cup, October 2^nd 1974

Q2. Andy Dow

Q3. Sporting Lisbon

Q4. Scottish League Cup

Q5. Wicket Keeping for the Scotland Cricket Team.

Octoberï¿½s Questions ï¿½ The Answers

Q1. Against Partick Thistle in a 0-0 draw on Aug 7^th 1993.

Q2. Manchester United, Oct 3^rd 1988.

Q3. Russell Latapy

Q4. Andy Watson

Q5. (i) Irish (Rep of Ireland)

(ii) Danish (Denmark)

(iii) Trinidadian (Trinidad & Tobago)

Novemberï¿½s Questions

There is no November questions this month. This is due to a special quiz question in which you can enter your answers to me. Then at our January meeting we will put all the correct answers in a hat and the correct one drawn will win exclusive London Hibs merchandise.

There is a separate sheet enclosed for this competition but just to tell you it is a question based on my meeting with Big Eck, were I asked the big man to tell me who, in his opinion, was the best player that HE had ever played with domestically ??

Lots of Luck !!!!

Next Meeting : Will be at the William Wallace on the 12^th December 2000 at 8pm.

Craig Bennison