A reflection on the last three years

[jingler1954]

Many Highs. The Scottish cup, Copenhagen, 2 up with 10 to go, numerous trips to Hampden, to name but a few.
Many lows. cowdenbeath, alloa, Dumbarton, Livingston, Falkirk, Late goal in League cup final, to name but a few.

On reflection I wouldent change a thing. If we haden't got relegated we would probably still be scraping about in the botton half of the SPL playing hoofball under Butcher and Malpas with crowds dwindling.
GGTTH

[Michael]

Most enjoyable spell since Mowbray/Collins for me.

[hibby6270]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Most enjoyable spell since Mowbray/Collins for me.

Probably true but often wonder what would have happened if Collins had been able to see through his plans. Also lets not forget that the team from the Mowbray/Collins era was actually a by product of Bobby Williamson's spell at the club. He (or his back room team) were responsible for bringing through the likes of Riordan, O'Connor, Thomson, Brown, Whittaker etc. I often think Blobby never gets the recognition for that!!!!

[Dashing Bob S]

Great spell and we wouldn't have won the cup and rebooted the whole club without it, but time to go now and leave it behind. I'll look fondly back on it as the period when we snatched the most glorious victory from what ought to have been our darkest hour, utterly demoralizing the Hearts fan base in the process. Now we're coming for them and can smell their fear.

[jacomo]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Probably true but often wonder what would have happened if Collins had been able to see through his plans. Also lets not forget that the team from the Mowbray/Collins era was actually a by product of Bobby Williamson's spell at the club. He (or his back room team) were responsible for bringing through the likes of Riordan, O'Connor, Thomson, Brown, Whittaker etc. I often think Blobby never gets the recognition for that!!!!

BW was a steady hand on the tiller but no more than that.

He played the kids because we were cutting costs as a matter of urgency and he had little choice. Yes he gave a lot of them their breakthrough, but it's a stretch to say his influence went much further than that.

Mowbray found a way of playing that suited them, he encouraged the players to express themselves, he signed key players like Boozy and Murphy to create a real team.

[NAE NOOKIE]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Great spell and we wouldn't have won the cup and rebooted the whole club without it, but time to go now and leave it behind. I'll look fondly back on it as the period when we snatched the most glorious victory from what ought to have been our darkest hour, utterly demoralizing the Hearts fan base in the process. Now we're coming for them and can smell their fear.

Pretty well sums it up.

The biggest benefit has been the reconnection between the club and the fans. I'm sure that would have been a priority for Leeann Dempster even if she hadn't inherited the situation she did, but the car crash relations between us and the club had become must have concentrated everybody's minds to recognise it was a situation that just couldn't continue.

No matter what happens in the seasons to come I hope we never get to that state of affairs again.

[SirDavidsNapper]

We needed relegation in order to revitalise the club. In hindsight the best thing that's happened to us in years. Compare the Hibs that went down to the Hibs that came up. It's like two different clubs. Overall I enjoyed the 3 years of rebuilding.

[MWHIBBIES]

We didn't lose to Cowdenbeath or Livingston


The league cup final is the one regret looking back, should've won that and had both cups.

[Jones28]

I was gutted after the league cup final. If there was one regret it was that part of that season where the arse totally fell out of it other than in the Scottish cup.

[tamig]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

We didn't lose to Cowdenbeath or Livingston


The league cup final is the one regret looking back, should've won that and had both cups.

Not sure anybody said we did but I remember a shocking draw at Livi for a televised game when we were trying to dig ourselves out of a bad run.

[jgl07]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Probably true but often wonder what would have happened if Collins had been able to see through his plans. Also lets not forget that the team from the Mowbray/Collins era was actually a by product of Bobby Williamson's spell at the club. He (or his back room team) were responsible for bringing through the likes of Riordan, O'Connor, Thomson, Brown, Whittaker etc. I often think Blobby never gets the recognition for that!!!!

Williamson had little option but to bring them through as the money had run out. I think he got lucky. O'Connor made his debut under McLeish and played more regularly under Sauzee. Williamson didn't do much for the confidence of Whittakar or McManus or Dobbie.

As for John Collin's plans, I don't know what they were. His signings didn't inspire confidence. His man management was suspect

[tamig]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Williamson had little option but to bring them through as the money had run out. I think he got lucky. O'Connor made his debut under McLeish and played more regularly under Sauzee. Williamson didn't do much for the confidence of Whittakar or McManus or Dobbie.

As for John Collin's plans, I don't know what they were. His signings didn't inspire confidence. His man management was suspect

Was there also not the infamous story of Williamson offering Wee Robbo - who I think was ICT boss at the time - any two of the golden gang in exchange for the Beckenbaueresque Bobby Mann?

[Bishop Hibee]

Mostly dull interspersed with the most incredible lows and highs.

[jacomo]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Was there also not the infamous story of Williamson offering Wee Robbo - who I think was ICT boss at the time - any two of the golden gang in exchange for the Beckenbaueresque Bobby Mann?

That's the story. Riordan + maybe 1 other to sweeten the deal.

Tbf to Bobby he did bring in Caldwell and Doumbe (or was that mcleish?)

[InchHibby]

Loved the last three years, wouldn't change any of it.
But if I may go back to the Bobby Williamson era, he did absolutely nothing for me and the thing I most recall is that he was going to get rid of Kevin Thomson because he didn't think he was going to make it and because of injuries he was forced to keep him, the rest is history.

[MWHIBBIES]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Not sure anybody said we did but I remember a shocking draw at Livi for a televised game when we were trying to dig ourselves out of a bad run.

Do you? We won 3 times and drew once away at Livi. The draw was after a run of 12 wins, 1 loss and 2 draws in our previous 15. Our bad run didn't start for 2 weeks after that.

[tamig]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Do you? We won 3 times and drew once away at Livi. The draw was after a run of 12 wins, 1 loss and 2 draws in our previous 15. Our bad run didn't start for 2 weeks after that.

Ah apologies for that then. I hadn't checked the stats but I thought that draw was after the bad run had started. I suppose you could say then that that performance was the shape of things to come. It was poor. In saying that, I've never experienced a Hibernian rollercoaster ride as eventful and as exciting as the past three seasons. Some amazing highs sprinkled with some devastating lows - all in such a short period. I wouldn't change it for anything. GGTTH.

[Gatecrasher]

There were many frustrating aspects of the last few year, a lot of silly draws and dropped points that should never have happened. I would like to hope that the club has learned a lesson and can hopefully revamp the squad and management before we get relegated next time. Theres no excuse to go down the way we did.

[Sammy7nil]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Great spell and we wouldn't have won the cup and rebooted the whole club without it, but time to go now and leave it behind. I'll look fondly back on it as the period when we snatched the most glorious victory from what ought to have been our darkest hour, utterly demoralizing the Hearts fan base in the process. Now we're coming for them and can smell their fear.

True Bob so True

[pacorosssco]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Loved the last three years, wouldn't change any of it.
But if I may go back to the Bobby Williamson era, he did absolutely nothing for me and the thing I most recall is that he was going to get rid of Kevin Thomson because he didn't think he was going to make it and because of injuries he was forced to keep him, the rest is history.

I remember wanting to leave as soon as possible Blobby years bar last games of season he put kids in. Wasnt all his fault as money was cut and mcleish left a mess franc paid for first however i lived away dark times of Calderwood where support tested to max with worse to come. I have to say i salute younger fans who grew up this era and shout sing louder we ever did and are as much to do good times at club now as cup win. They dont get enough credit.

[where'stheslope]

The best is always brought out through adversity, we had to hit a low ebb before rising (hopefully) to greater things.

Our biggest problem is fans expectations for this season, top 4 seems to be a must to most fans with a lot of them thinking top 2.

Based on our performance in the league last season I can't see where fans think we will be pressing high in a much stronger league.

Got to admit we won the league by a good few points, but we had a few stutters on the way to the title.

If we can stop the stuttering and play from the start of games, we could get into top 6, any higher would be a great season!!!

[B.H.F.C]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Ah apologies for that then. I hadn't checked the stats but I thought that draw was after the bad run had started. I suppose you could say then that that performance was the shape of things to come. It was poor. In saying that, I've never experienced a Hibernian rollercoaster ride as eventful and as exciting as the past three seasons. Some amazing highs sprinkled with some devastating lows - all in such a short period. I wouldn't change it for anything. GGTTH.

That draw was where it started going wrong in the league for me.. Everybody always talks about Morton at ER but that draw at Livi was a really poor result. It was a 5:30 game and The Rangers had dropped points away to Alloa in the afternoon. We had the chance to close the gap on them and didn't do it. It was a performance and result that was quite typical of a lot of our time in this league though.

[CallumLaidlaw]

The last 3 years have allowed me to fall in love with Hibs again. The downward spiral from February 2010 was a slow painful one. Poor signing policies, embarrassing defeats, bad management appointments, bad relationship with fans.

I remember the first time Alan Stubbs spoke as Hibs Manager, and it reminded me of Tony Mowbray - same kind of ideas, same energy, then the big turning point for me was the 3-1 win at Ibrox. That night made me really sit up and think we were going in the right direction. Ok we had some frustrating results, but over the next couple of years we experienced an undefeated run against Hearts, 4-0 against Rangers and to be honest I probably enjoyed the 2-0 at Ibrox when Lewis scored even more. The cup runs, the passion of the players, even the loan ones, the passion of the staff (especially John Doolan), the connection between us and the club again. 3 years ago TODAY, I really couldn't see the end of that downward spiral - today I couldn't be more positive.

[Craig_HFC]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

That's the story. Riordan + maybe 1 other to sweeten the deal.

Tbf to Bobby he did bring in Caldwell and Doumbe (or was that mcleish?)

It was Riordan & Whittaker in exchange for Bobby Mann.

Thank Sauzee that didn't come to pass.