If we think it's bad now, how about the early eighties?

[Hibernia&Alba]

A period in Hibs' history which my dad doesn't like to talk about. Between the lengthy tenure of Eddie Turnbull (ended 1980) and Alex Miller (began 1986) was Willie Ormond, Berie Auld, Saint Pat and John Blackley. Before my time, but how bad a period was it? Easter Road was a state and the team, erm, 'inconsistent' relegated in 1980 but immediately promoted. The club's financial position was turning disastrous. The New Firm were enjoying the greatest days as the Edinburgh clubs struggled, whilst in other news, Maggie was closing down the country. Not the happiest of times.

What are you memories of that time?

[One Day Soon]

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A period in Hibs' history which my dad doesn't like to talk about. Between the lengthy tenure of Eddie Turnbull (ended 1980) and Alex Miller (began 1986) was Willie Ormond, Berie Auld, Saint Pat and John Blackley. Before my time, but how bad a period was it? Easter Road was a state and the team, erm, 'inconsistent' relegated in 1980 but immediately promoted. The club's financial position was turning disastrous. The New Firm were enjoying the greatest days as the Edinburgh clubs struggled, whilst in other news, Maggie was closing down the country. Not the happiest of times.

What are you memories of that time?

Heckingbottom out.

[bigwheel]

Oh yes, that was very poor...john McGachie or Mark Caughey anyone??

[Frazerbob]

That’s when I fell in love with club. Proper old school stadiums (falling apart), radge fans and players who maybe didn’t have the ability of today’s but they cared. Awful derby record, Aberdeen & Dundee Utd dominating and my first cup final (gubbed). Great memories 😂

[Hibernia&Alba]

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Heckingbottom out.

[Hiber-nation]

Hoofball in front of 3,500 fans... Stuart Turnbull booting the ball over his head without ever even attempting to take a touch...an 18 stone Peter Welsh in midfield...I do remember a rare win at Ibrox and of course Durie and Cowan's incredible scoring run in the first half of 1984-85, helping us to a League Cup final. It wasn't all bad!

[Smartie]

We could do with signing a modern day George Best to lighten the mood a bit, even if it just made the disastrous slide a bit more entertaining.

[Speedway]

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Heckingbottom out.

That was funny.

[Roxyhibee]

Strangely enough me and mates were talking about Hibs in the early 80’s last night, as a guy from my street’s name came up who incredibly got a game for Hibs then and he wasn’t even close to being the best player in our wee fitba gang playing in the fields etc, (although he was still about 100 times better than me.!) When I saw he’d signed I realised the glory Tornadoes days were a long long thing of the past and we were in deep poo. And we were.

[SideBurns]

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A period in Hibs' history which my dad doesn't like to talk about. Between the lengthy tenure of Eddie Turnbull (ended 1980) and Alex Miller (began 1986) was Willie Ormond, Berie Auld, Saint Pat and John Blackley. Before my time, but how bad a period was it? Easter Road was a state and the team, erm, 'inconsistent' relegated in 1980 but immediately promoted. The club's financial position was turning disastrous. The New Firm were enjoying the greatest days as the Edinburgh clubs struggled, whilst in other news, Maggie was closing down the country. Not the happiest of times.

What are you memories of that time?

Crowds were largely brutal (apart from games v Hearts, Huns, Celtic); the football was just as bad. The upside was we brought through plenty youngsters - Kano, Mickey Weir, Eddie May, Brian Rice, Johnny Collins and Geebsie all made their debuts. There were fleeting moments of excitement - the runs to the League Cup final of 85 and Scottish Cup semi of 86 were fantastic.

But it was generally a tough shift, and we toiled against a Hearts side who were hard to beat and had a great forward line of Robbo, Colquhoun & Clark. They deserved to win that double in 86 😁

[Fergos]

Sure we were averaging about 5-6k during some of those years, Man Utd Friendly, a great white away top with green shorts, Dury, Cowan, Joe McBride Jrs goal at Tynie, and a couple of classic games versus Celtic are my better memories of a bleaker time.

GGTTH

[Glory Lurker]

We were brutal. Succession of brilliant strips, though.

[Hibernia&Alba]

Aye, weren't attedances our lowest ever in that period?

[Hibernia&Alba]

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Hoofball in front of 3,500 fans... Stuart Turnbull booting the ball over his head without ever even attempting to take a touch...an 18 stone Peter Welsh in midfield...I do remember a rare win at Ibrox and of course Durie and Cowan's incredible scoring run in the first half of 1984-85, helping us to a League Cup final. It wasn't all bad!

Great days indeed.

[Roxyhibee]

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Hoofball in front of 3,500 fans... Stuart Turnbull booting the ball over his head without ever even attempting to take a touch...an 18 stone Peter Welsh in midfield...I do remember a rare win at Ibrox and of course Durie and Cowan's incredible scoring run in the first half of 1984-85, helping us to a League Cup final. It wasn't all bad!

The early 80’s were a lot worse than the mid 80’s, which were pretty bad.

[wallpaperman]

Great thread.

The pre Alex Miller period was where I cut my teeth, every home game with my Dad, and a lot away as well.

We were mostly rubbish for sure, but I still loved it. Thank god forums weren’t around then.

Probably why I can’t get overworked by the blip we are having at the moment.

[Hibernia&Alba]

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Great thread.

The pre Alex Miller period was where I cut my teeth, every home game with my Dad, and a lot away as well.

We were mostly rubbish for sure, but I still loved it. Thank god forums weren’t around then.

Probably why I can’t get overworked by the blip we are having at the moment.

Yes, perspective is important. No doubt we are struggling on the pitch just now, but the club's overall situation is infinitely better than was for a long time. We have a superb stadium and training facility, a healthy financial situation and good crowds. Form has its ups and downs, but we have a very solid basis to work from. Once we get back to winning ways, we are capable of pushing on.

[Lago]

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A period in Hibs' history which my dad doesn't like to talk about. Between the lengthy tenure of Eddie Turnbull (ended 1980) and Alex Miller (began 1986) was Willie Ormond, Berie Auld, Saint Pat and John Blackley. Before my time, but how bad a period was it? Easter Road was a state and the team, erm, 'inconsistent' relegated in 1980 but immediately promoted. The club's financial position was turning disastrous. The New Firm were enjoying the greatest days as the Edinburgh clubs struggled, whilst in other news, Maggie was closing down the country. Not the happiest of times.

What are you memories of that time?

Funny you should post this as I was thinking back over my 45 years of supporting Hibs. Obviously the early years of the Tornadoes were great, but in truth for many years after that it was mediocrity, even Pat & Sloop couldn't really put a winning team out. Then Alex Miller, he did win league cup, Jim Duffy, Bobby Williamson, a lift with John Collins cup win. McLeish & Mowbory exciting times, then more gloom with Calderwood, Fenlon & Butcher. Stubbs got the holy grail of Scottish cup win, Lennon promotion & Europe. Now more gloom.
I would have to be honest and say there have been more lows than highs with attendances of 8000 to 9000 but you always lived in hope. Now at my advancing years I don't have the same involvement as in past years having decided to stop attending ER & just watch the games on TV, you do feel more recorded from it all & perhaps a bit more objective. But I loved every game I saw Hibs play even the ones they lost.
Happy days great memories of time & people, some now longer with me.

[G B Young]

It was a bleak time for a club which just a few years earlier had been rubbing shoulders with some of the top European sides. What I recall being especially dejected and frustrated about was how far ahead of us Aberdeen and Dundee United were. I remember a rare moment of joy when we beat Aberdeen at ER not long after they'd won the Cup Winners Cup (a 2-1 come from behind win with, I think, Willie Irvine scoring both) but it only served to underline how far we'd fallen behind them that we greeted such a win with genuine euphoria.

It was especially sad to see a pair of legends like Stanton and Blackley in charge at a time when resources were so sparse. Pat was probably a bit too nice as a boss, while Blackley tried to model himself on Turnbull and (to be fair) did oversee some good cup runs.

Crowds, as others have said, were dismal for most games bar the derbies and the OF. I definitely recall attendances of less than 4k.

[Mixu62]

Yes we were poor, but we were also POOR! The money had gone, we were relying on journey-men and kids to keep us up every year. We weren't even at the start of the re-building programme, we couldn't have afforded the plans! The reason (IMO) that people are so sick of it now is that we were told the re-building was done with and the team would be invested in (after 20+ years of building works), the debt was gone so we had another 500k per year to play with, record season ticket sales and the McGinn money, yet we're still sh**e. Something just doesn't add up. Expectations are higher now, but is it so wrong that they are?

[Hibernia&Alba]

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Yes we were poor, but we were also POOR! The money had gone, we were relying on journey-men and kids to keep us up every year. We weren't even at the start of the re-building programme, we couldn't have afforded the plans! The reason (IMO) that people are so sick of it now is that we were told the re-building was done with and the team would be invested in (after 20+ years of building works), the debt was gone so we had another 500k per year to play with, record season ticket sales and the McGinn money, yet we're still sh**e. Something just doesn't add up. Expectations are higher now, but is it so wrong that they are?

Absolutely not, expectations should be much higher now, and we have a better chance of fulfilling them.

[LaMotta]

Whilst we missed playing Hearts by being in different leagues for a few seasons, we didnt win a derby until ***in 1987. That's how bad the early to mid 80s were.

Struggles against Clydebank, Meadowbank and Dumbarton also some bleak memories.

The strips were really good though as someone else said. And some majestic wins over the huns and tims.

And the terracing was great.

[Yorkshire HFC]

I was a student in Aberdeen during this time - I went to the 8 league games in that period and saw 7 losses and a 2 - 2 draw (from when we were 2 - 0 up).

I started going regularly with my mates and not with my dad under Ormond, Auld, Stanton etc.- it was exciting times when you're growing up - great memories - Gary Murray, Durie, Rough, McNamara - big games against the Old Firm, that massive old terrace, 50p to get in as under 16.

Looking back though, everything is better now - eve the football!

[Waxy]

Beating Rangers in the two legged league cup semi final.

[Cataplana]

It was so bad at one point we were celebrating getting a corner. Real head down against the wind stuff.

Yet, we always thought we were only a couple of players away from mounting a league challenge.

We were saved from relegation by reconstruction, twice.

[Killiehibbie]

Aberdeen putting 5 past us to win the league.
The odd glue sniffer on the terracing.
More fighting amongst rival gangs of Hibbies than with opposing fans.
Putting 8 past Kilmarnock, any chance of a repeat next week?
Going to Tynecastle knowing that we'd get bullied all over the park and Robertson would probably score.
Not much to cheer about but we lived in hope and were sometimes rewarded.

[weecounty hibby]

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It was so bad at one point we were celebrating getting a corner. Real head down against the wind stuff.

Yet, we always thought we were only a couple of players away from mounting a league challenge.

We were saved from relegation by reconstruction, twice.

Hibernian has NEVER avoided relegation due to league reconstruction. We avoided it by the skin of our teeth but never due to league changes. It was a tough time back then but as a young boy growing into a teenager and then into a working boy my while life revolved around Hibs and getting to games. Made some lifelong friends during that period as well, and a lot of them still go to games most weeks.

[bigwheel]

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Hibernian has NEVER avoided relegation due to league reconstruction. We avoided it by the skin of our teeth but never due to league changes. It was a tough time back then but as a young boy growing into a teenager and then into a working boy my while life revolved around Hibs and getting to games. Made some lifelong friends during that period as well, and a lot of them still go to games most weeks.

Memory is fading now ..but did we avoid it due to reconstruction once ??

[weecounty hibby]

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Memory is fading now ..but did we avoid it due to reconstruction once ??

No, the year everyone remembers is when the league changed from 10 to 12. It was 1 down 1 up at that point but was changed midway through to be none down and 2 up. So the bottom team were saved. We were second bottom that year. It was either Motherwell or St Mirren who were saved. We beat St Mirren 4-3 on a pissing wet midweek night to help us to the lofty position of second last. Can't remember the exact year and can't be bothered looking it up

[my left peg]

Loved the early eighties,times were tough,but football wasn’t dear,worked a paper round and an after school job at fine fare to go home and away,the football was terrible with occasional glimmers of hope,the Willie Irvine season,Bobby Thomson battering the linesman,bomber Harris winner at Ibrox,the cup runs in 85\86.....just as well there was no social media in those days!


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