Gento Dies

[heretoday]

Real Madrid winger Gento passes away aged 88. He played at Easter Road in 1964 in the famous game. I was fortunate (and old) enough to have been at the game.

He was very fast.

[Mick O'Rourke]

I was at that game also.(12yr old)
Puskas and Di Stefano aside ,my brother used to rave about Paco,and his influence at RM.
Footballing genius would be apt to describe Gento.
A record 6 European Cup winners medals.

RIP Francisco Gento

[Sauerkraut]

Aussi moi. Pouring rain, Peter Cormack, Puskas and pre-Les Mckeown BCR at half-time. Sure Gento rattled the bar early doors.

[ACLeith]

I was also at the game (15yo). I had a bet on with a Jambo at school that we would score a goal regardless of the final result. So cheering for 2 reasons when Peter Cormack slotted in early doors.

What a privilege to see Puskas, Santamaria and Gento in the flesh. And my memory of him was that he WAS as fast as the press said he was.

[hibbydad]

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I was also at the game (15yo). I had a bet on with a Jambo at school that we would score a goal regardless of the final result. So cheering for 2 reasons when Peter Cormack slotted in early doors.

What a privilege to see Puskas, Santamaria and Gento in the flesh. And my memory of him was that he WAS as fast as the press said he was.

I was there too Willie Hamilton made them look like beginners

[CropleyWasGod]

My Dad was at the European Cup Final at Hampden in 1960.

Gento was the one he always used to talk about.

[hibbydad]

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My Dad was at the European Cup Final at Hampden in 1960.

Gento was the one he always used to talk about.

He was a great player Cropley

[Mick O'Rourke]

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I was there too Willie Hamilton made them look like beginners

And Puskas was quoted saying "Willie would not look out of place in a Real side"

Gento had a remarkable career.
Check his wiki page.
Played in European Cup Winners Cup Final for Real v Chelsea in 1971
He was 31 when he played against us in 1964 !
Astonishing player.

[andudare2]

10 years old me was lucky enough to be there as well,pitchfull of legends for both teams,Gento was a special player,thoughts with his family.

[Mick O'Rourke]

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My Dad was at the European Cup Final at Hampden in 1960.

Gento was the one he always used to talk about.

So wiz my faither
.
Brog on here is a lifelong pal of Jimmy O'Rourke
Brog will know this tale of Jimmy many years ago on holiday in Spain.
Being told that the owner of a local bar was Real Madrid daft.
Jimmy approached the bar.
The Madrid fan was about to serve him when Jimmy rattled of the full names from 1 to 11 of the Hampden Real Madrid team.
The guy was shocked ...
San Miguel,por favor,said Jimmy !!

[Hibiza]

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My Dad was at the European Cup Final at Hampden in 1960.

Gento was the one he always used to talk about.

My Da too.

[HIBERNIAN-0762]

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Aussi moi. Pouring rain, Peter Cormack, Puskas and pre-Les Mckeown BCR at half-time. Sure Gento rattled the bar early doors.

I was there aged 12 and can't remember it raining 🤔

[ancient hibee]

A lot of our supporters didn’t go-objected to the price being put up to six bob.

[Mick O'Rourke]

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I was there aged 12 and can't remember it raining ��

I was same age.
I dont have much personal recall of the game other than it was raining.!!
We were stood on Main Terracing in line wae 18yrd box at Albion Road end.
An older neighbour in our street in old Clermiston took me and him and his pal took turns gien me a "high shooder" tae get a better view.

Highlights on this super European Nights tape (14/15mins in) courtesy of Hibernian Retro.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFeYSJVaYxk

Camera then would roughly be just above players tunnel.
Ye cannae half see the old slope

[HIBERNIAN-0762]

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I was same age.
I dont have much personal recall of the game other than it was raining.!!
We were stood on Main Terracing in line wae 18yrd box at Albion Road end.
An older neighbour in our street in old Clermiston took me and him and his pal took turns gien me a "high shooder" tae get a better view.

Highlights on this super European Nights tape (14/15mins in) courtesy of Hibernian Retro.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFeYSJVaYxk

Camera then would roughly be just above players tunnel.
Ye cannae half see the old slope

I get the feeling I knew you then Mick, did you go on Bernie Glancey's juveniles bus with St Giles from the Grassmarket?

[H18S NX]

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I was there too Willie Hamilton made them look like beginners

....My all time favourite player,god i am auld.

[Sauerkraut]

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I was there aged 12 and can't remember it raining ��

Yeah mate, it poured down all day and may even have affected the attendance (no cover on 3 sides, mind).

[HIBERNIAN-0762]

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Yeah mate, it poured down all day and may even have affected the attedndance (no cover on 3 sides, mind).

👍

[Mick O'Rourke]

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I get the feeling I knew you then Mick, did you go on Bernie Glancey's juveniles bus with St Giles from the Grassmarket?

I did indeed. I would have been called Michael then !!
Although in Clermiston by then,ma granny and grandad still stayed at 17 Grassmarket .Next to The Vennel.
I was in same class for 3 yrs at secondary with one of Bernie's sons, Francis.
They stayed up the West Port,oppossite Portsburgh Square.

Alan Lugton,Smiggy and other older boys took care of us "wee yins" at away games travelling on the St Giles bus

[HIBERNIAN-0762]

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I did indeed. I would have been called Michael then !!
Although in Clermiston by then,ma granny and grandad still stayed at 17 Grassmarket .Next to The Vennel.
I was in same class for 3 yrs at secondary with one of Bernie's sons, Francis.
They stayed up the West Port,oppossite Portsburgh Square.

Alan Lugton,Smiggy and other older boys took care of us "wee yins" at away games travelling on the St Giles bus

👌💚

[heretoday]

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Yeah mate, it poured down all day and may even have affected the attendance (no cover on 3 sides, mind).

There were just over 30,000 there according to Hibs.net article.

[majorhibs]

Was appreciating commendations yest. on Spanish TV while here, very classy I thought, but hats off to you Hibee vets, you got it, followin on from you boys, easy seen how Hibs were appreciated players were class but us kids 70s were followin a classy support (& got reminded when we weren’t) but Hibs in the 70s- I miss the expectation fi then. Today/Tonight this Hibs team will beat anybody!

[greenginger]

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Yeah mate, it poured down all day and may even have affected the attendance (no cover on 3 sides, mind).

I remember it as being all ticket . 5/- ( that’s 25p ) for the terracing , no discounts.

Don’t remember the rain , but maybe never noticed it when your young.

[Mick O'Rourke]

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I remember it as being all ticket . 5/- ( that’s 25p ) for the terracing , no discounts.

Don’t remember the rain , but maybe never noticed it when your young.

I thought it was 6/- GG

5 or 6 bob, it was twice "normal" prices for that era.
So think if you were asked to pay £56/£60 today for a "glamour game" No concessions!

Real did a lot of these "tour" games after having won 5 European Cups in a row.
However, to get them to play,a "fixed fee" had to be paid.
Hence the increase in price.

32.000 attended the game. It did rain for most of that day.
Not sure if patg was possible on the night.
Anyway,it was said we made a small profit after paying Real their "Fee"

Hibs players got a pewter tankard from Hibs to commemorate the night.
The players also got a wrist watch from Real Madrid.
The watch face depicting the Real logo/badge.

Although Jimmy O did not play,he was in the squad and also got the gifts.
The Tankard was in our mothers "China Cabinet" for years !!

Finally, if anyone thinks,"well it was only a friendly!
Real didnae do "friendlies".The game was described as a "Challenge Match "
When they went on the road in those days,they rarely lost.
.Reputation and pride came first.

Finally (again)
If memory serves,we went to Ibrox the following Saturday.
Willie Hamilton tore them to shreds,in a 4-2 win.
We beat the Hun 3 times that season.
The two league games and a SC tie.


"Those were the days my friend
we thought they'd never end"

[greenginger]

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I thought it was 6/- GG

5 or 6 bob, it was twice "normal" prices for that era.
So think if you were asked to pay £56/£60 today for a "glamour game" No concessions!

Real did a lot of these "tour" games after having won 5 European Cups in a row.
However, to get them to play,a "fixed fee" had to be paid.
Hence the increase in price.

32.000 attended the game. It did rain for most of that day.
Not sure if patg was possible on the night.
Anyway,it was said we made a small profit after paying Real their "Fee"

Hibs players got a pewter tankard from Hibs to commemorate the night.
The players also got a wrist watch from Real Madrid.
The watch face depicting the Real logo/badge.

Although Jimmy O did not play,he was in the squad and also got the gifts.
The Tankard was in our mothers "China Cabinet" for years !!

Finally, if anyone thinks,"well it was only a friendly!
Real didnae do "friendlies".The game was described as a "Challenge Match "
When they went on the road in those days,they rarely lost.
.Reputation and pride came first.

Finally (again)
If memory serves,we went to Ibrox the following Saturday.
Willie Hamilton tore them to shreds,in a 4-2 win.
We beat the Hun 3 times that season.
The two league games and a SC tie.


"Those were the days my friend
we thought they'd never end"

First visit to Ibrox back then, my dad told me not to wear my Hibs scarf on the terracing. Of course being 15 and full of bravo I had my scarf on and didn’t get any real hassle , that is until the 4th goal went in, Pat Quinn iirc, then it was scarf in pocket until we got back to the bus

[Mick O'Rourke]

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First visit to Ibrox back then, my dad told me not to wear my Hibs scarf on the terracing. Of course being 15 and full of bravo I had my scarf on and didn’t get any real hassle , that is until the 4th goal went in, Pat Quinn iirc, then it was scarf in pocket until we got back to the bus

Come all without, come all within
You'll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn"

Ibrox back then was not for the faint hearted (if you were a Hibs fan)
I never went there for Hun games until i left school,and then, would be team handed.

I had been to ibrox twice before 1964 though.
Semi Final of League Cup v Morton 1963.(St Giles Bus)
and Jimmy O'Rourke playing for Scotland Schoolboys v England 1962
Peter Lorimer in same team.
But we digress !!-)

[Forza Fred]

I remember the game and more so the Real training session the night before at Easter Road

At the trading session there were a few Hibs players and several hundred fans watching From the enclosure.

Me and a pal managed to sneak our way into the Real dressing room after, to get autographs, until Jock Stein came in and told us to get out.

Guess on my football resume I can truthfully say I shared a dressing room with the likes of Puskas and Gento at one point.