Hibernian and the European Cup pioneers

[Mick O'Rourke]

I know most Hibernians are very aware of our contribution to the European Cup (now Champions League) and our involvement in the first ever tournament. when we reached the semi final.

I came across an article today (link below) and though i know most of the story,it is a good read.
So i would like to share it.

Note the final paragraph,where the author states that the famous clubs who have won it over the years should remember(and be thankful to/of) clubs like ours,who had they not participated in that first EC (and many clubs opposed it at the time saying it would never catch on) it may have taken many years for European football tournaments to become the norm.


https://thesefootballtimes.co/2019/0...-european-cup/

GGTTH

PS
There is also reference to Hibernian showing and teaching the Brazilians how the game should be played

The Hibernian Way!

[danhibees1875]

Good article! Is it not 1955 though?

[PatHead]

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I know most Hibernians are very aware of our contribution to the European Cup (now Champions League) and our involvement in the first ever tournament. when we reached the semi final.

I came across an article today (link below) and though i know most of the story,it is a good read.
So i would like to share it.

Note the final paragraph,where the author states that the famous clubs who have won it over the years should remember(and be thankful to/of) clubs like ours,who had they not participated in that first EC (and many clubs opposed it at the time saying it would never catch on) it may have taken many years for European football tournaments to become the norm.


https://thesefootballtimes.co/2019/0...-european-cup/

GGTTH

PS
There is also reference to Hibernian showing and teaching the Brazilians how the game should be played

The Hibernian Way!

Great article. Thanks.

[Jonnyboy]

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I know most Hibernians are very aware of our contribution to the European Cup (now Champions League) and our involvement in the first ever tournament. when we reached the semi final.

I came across an article today (link below) and though i know most of the story,it is a good read.
So i would like to share it.

Note the final paragraph,where the author states that the famous clubs who have won it over the years should remember(and be thankful to/of) clubs like ours,who had they not participated in that first EC (and many clubs opposed it at the time saying it would never catch on) it may have taken many years for European football tournaments to become the norm.


https://thesefootballtimes.co/2019/0...-european-cup/

GGTTH

PS
There is also reference to Hibernian showing and teaching the Brazilians how the game should be played

The Hibernian Way!

Speaking of Europe ……………….

Cast your mind back to a foggy winter night in 1967, under the floodlights and facing the cream of Italian football. Trailing Napoli 4-1 from the away leg, nobody gave Hibs a chance but manager Bob Shankly had other ideas. The Hibs fans arrived more in hope than expectation and I found myself standing in the shed behind the goals at the now FF end of the ground. History tells us we won 5-0 and that goalkeeper Dino Zoff had no chance with any of the goals. Under the shed the fans were partying and I was told that the guy I'd just celebrated a goal with was a certain Jimmy O'Rourke's brother, Mikey

I hope this wee story doesn't cause you any embarrassment, Mick

[hhibs]

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Speaking of Europe ……………….

Cast your mind back to a foggy winter night in 1967, under the floodlights and facing the cream of Italian football. Trailing Napoli 4-1 from the away leg, nobody gave Hibs a chance but manager Bob Shankly had other ideas. The Hibs fans arrived more in hope than expectation and I found myself standing in the shed behind the goals at the now FF end of the ground. History tells us we won 5-0 and that goalkeeper Dino Zoff had no chance with any of the goals. Under the shed the fans were partying and I was told that the guy I'd just celebrated a goal with was a certain Jimmy O'Rourke's brother, Mikey

I hope this wee story doesn't cause you any embarrassment, Mick

Oh what a night that was !

[Mick O'Rourke]

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Speaking of Europe ……………….

Cast your mind back to a foggy winter night in 1967, under the floodlights and facing the cream of Italian football. Trailing Napoli 4-1 from the away leg, nobody gave Hibs a chance but manager Bob Shankly had other ideas. The Hibs fans arrived more in hope than expectation and I found myself standing in the shed behind the goals at the now FF end of the ground. History tells us we won 5-0 and that goalkeeper Dino Zoff had no chance with any of the goals. Under the shed the fans were partying and I was told that the guy I'd just celebrated a goal with was a certain Jimmy O'Rourke's brother, Mikey

I hope this wee story doesn't cause you any embarrassment, Mick

Not at all,Jonny
Fantastic memory and night.

Not of you hugging me, but the result that rang throughout Europe that night and the following day.

Dino Zoff had never conceded 5 goals in Europe.
Possibly not in Italy either.
The worlds finest in his day.

I loved the old Cave.
We defended it well when the infidel came to town.
Didn't we? (pre crowd segregation days, of course)

I got in that night just as Bobby struck the ball that was to be the first goal.

A screamer indeed !

Talked (nagged really) my boss to letting me away early, as i worked back shift.

I left school that year and started working in The Scotsman.
I also had a part time job in The Clam Shell chippie in the High Street.
Tony Crolla, the Italian owner, was a Hibernian.
Probably among the first to have an ST in the Centre Stand.

You jarred a few memories there, Jonny

Glory Glory !

[Jonnyboy]

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Not at all,Jonny
Fantastic memory and night.

Not of you hugging me, but the result that rang throughout Europe that night and the following day.

Dino Zoff had never conceded 5 goals in Europe.
Possibly not in Italy either.
The worlds finest in his day.

I loved the old Cave.
We defended it well when the infidel came to town
Didnt we? (pre crowd segregation days, of course)

I got in that night just as Bobby struck the ball that was to be the first goal.

A screamer indeed !
Talked (nagged really) my boss to letting me away early as i worked back shift.

I left school that year and started working in The Scotsman.


I also had a part time job in The Clam Shell chippie in the High Street.
Tony Crolla, the Italian owner, was a Hibernian.
Probably among the first to have an ST in the Centre Stand.

You jarred a few memories there, Jonny

Glory Glory !

Over the years that shot has been struck from ever increasing distances It was 'up the slope' too and from about 150 yards

[brog]

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I know most Hibernians are very aware of our contribution to the European Cup (now Champions League) and our involvement in the first ever tournament. when we reached the semi final.

I came across an article today (link below) and though i know most of the story,it is a good read.
So i would like to share it.

Note the final paragraph,where the author states that the famous clubs who have won it over the years should remember(and be thankful to/of) clubs like ours,who had they not participated in that first EC (and many clubs opposed it at the time saying it would never catch on) it may have taken many years for European football tournaments to become the norm.


https://thesefootballtimes.co/2019/0...-european-cup/

GGTTH

PS
There is also reference to Hibernian showing and teaching the Brazilians how the game should be played

The Hibernian Way!

Great article Mick. I always think we never receive enough credit for beating the German champs 4-0 on their own patch. Rot Weiss had 3 players who had won the World Cup only one year earlier including Helmut Rahn who had scored the winning goal against Puskas' Hungary.

[ozhibs]

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Not at all,Jonny
Fantastic memory and night.

Not of you hugging me, but the result that rang throughout Europe that night and the following day.

Dino Zoff had never conceded 5 goals in Europe.
Possibly not in Italy either.
The worlds finest in his day.

I loved the old Cave.
We defended it well when the infidel came to town.
Didn't we? (pre crowd segregation days, of course)

I got in that night just as Bobby struck the ball that was to be the first goal.

A screamer indeed !

Talked (nagged really) my boss to letting me away early, as i worked back shift.

I left school that year and started working in The Scotsman.
I also had a part time job in The Clam Shell chippie in the High Street.
Tony Crolla, the Italian owner, was a Hibernian.
Probably among the first to have an ST in the Centre Stand.

You jarred a few memories there, Jonny

Glory Glory !

Great days indeed I used to think we would be in Europe every year , how times have changed :-)

GGTTH

[Keith_M]

Jeezo, Johnny and Jimmy........ could you two please get a room!

[One Day]

Very interesting read, thanks for posting

[Forza Fred]

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Speaking of Europe ……………….

Cast your mind back to a foggy winter night in 1967, under the floodlights and facing the cream of Italian football. Trailing Napoli 4-1 from the away leg, nobody gave Hibs a chance but manager Bob Shankly had other ideas. The Hibs fans arrived more in hope than expectation and I found myself standing in the shed behind the goals at the now FF end of the ground. History tells us we won 5-0 and that goalkeeper Dino Zoff had no chance with any of the goals. Under the shed the fans were partying and I was told that the guy I'd just celebrated a goal with was a certain Jimmy O'Rourke's brother, Mikey

I hope this wee story doesn't cause you any embarrassment, Mick

Mick,

Cannae agree that ‘Hibs fans arrived more in hope than expectation’....myself, and nearly all the Hibbies I spoke to at school were absolutely convinced that we could do it....

[PeeJay]

Remember my cousin (also an O'Rourke) giving me newspaper cuttings of the infamous Barcelona game that he saw as a youngster a few years earlier - I was at the Napoli game as an 11 year old - catenaccio was a term associated with Italian teams back then - I thought we might win that night, but never by the margin of 5. Seemed so unlikely that an Italian team would lose that many goals in one game - still Hibs taught them something else, I guess ... we need to get back into Europe so today's youngsters can have memories like ours ...

[BILLYHIBS]

I remember a couple of years back about a dozen Rot Weiss Essen fans were sitting in the West they were over here to celebrate the anniversary of our European Cup game

Back in 1955 they were West German champions but now play in the German fourth tier

I remember at the time of their visit I bought a HIBS/ Rot Weiss mug from the club shop to mark the anniversary now sadly broken

[Seekyit]

Interesting article and subsequent posts cheers.

The "

Octagonal Rivadavia Correa Meyer"

[Lago]

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Speaking of Europe ……………….

Cast your mind back to a foggy winter night in 1967, under the floodlights and facing the cream of Italian football. Trailing Napoli 4-1 from the away leg, nobody gave Hibs a chance but manager Bob Shankly had other ideas. The Hibs fans arrived more in hope than expectation and I found myself standing in the shed behind the goals at the now FF end of the ground. History tells us we won 5-0 and that goalkeeper Dino Zoff had no chance with any of the goals. Under the shed the fans were partying and I was told that the guy I'd just celebrated a goal with was a certain Jimmy O'Rourke's brother, Mikey

I hope this wee story doesn't cause you any embarrassment, Mick

Happy happy days

[HibeeHibernian4]

Next year will be the 65th anniversary, would be fantastic if we could organise them to come here (or a trip over to Germany) to mark the occasion with a friendly match.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

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I remember a couple of years back about a dozen Rot Weiss Essen fans were sitting in the West they were over here to celebrate the anniversary of our European Cup game

Back in 1955 they were West German champions but now play in the German fourth tier

I remember at the time of their visit I bought a HIBS/ Rot Weiss mug from the club shop to mark the anniversary now sadly broken

The trip to Essen to celebrate the 50th anniversary is one of my favourites down the years. We found a local bookies that gave us EVS for a Hibs win which was nice. 👍

[Jim44]

Bobby Duncan’s goal was one of my most memorable Hibs goals.

[Mick O'Rourke]

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Bobby Duncan’s goal was one of my most memorable Hibs goals.

It was,i think, Bobby's first goal for Hibernian.
Wonderful player
We, who saw him play would agree i think, that after the assault on Bobby at the feet of the original John "Yogi" Hughes (Celtic) Bobby was not quite the same player.

Its said that you could hear Bobby's leg snapping in St Clair Street.
I know... But that is how bad that incident was.
Certainly many in the ground heard it break.
A terrible career changing tackle.

[HIBERNIAN-0762]

The Napoli game was defo on STV with possibly Alec Cameron commentating under the old North Stand, there must be something somewhere still around for that.

In the Shed that night and one of the best ever European games I went to.

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