Exotic Hibs close season and mid-season tours

[Hibspur]

Aside from their many ties in European competition, Hibs have had some interesting and far-flung close season and mid-season trips down the years.

Those I'm aware of are:

Brazil 1953 Invited by the Brazilian FA to take part in a tournament involving teams from the home nation, Paraguay and Portugal. This was the tour where the Famous Five reportedly taught the Brazilians how to play and one of their teams tried to sign Gordon Smith and Lawrie Reilly.

USA and Canada 1967 We competed as Toronto City in a tournament organised by the United Soccer Association in a bid to popularise the forthcoming football league in the USA.

Israel 1979 A mid season trip during a severe cold snap in Scotland. Eddie Turnbull was keen to find warmer weather to train in and the team played a friendly with a Tel Aviv side.

Trinidad and Tobago 2001 Another January trip, where the squad had their eyes opened to what a superstar Russell Latapy was!

Anyone think of any other trips? I have a vague memory Hibs travelling to Seville in the 80s?

I know a lot of fans travelled to Trinidad and Tobago but I wonder if anyone was at any of the others? I'm guessing there would have been a number of ex-pats who took in some of the games during the American tour.

[Conrad Gray]

1946 Czechoslovakia
1965 Canada
1968 Nigeria and possibly Ghana

1979ish USA

There were quite a few European tours in the 40s and 50s 40s and 50s.Im convinced there was also a trip to Haiti in the 70s.

[Not In The Know]

would love to know more about this. -

Brazil 1953 Invited by the Brazilian FA to take part in a tournament involving teams from the home nation, Paraguay and Portugal. This was the tour where the Famous Five reportedly taught the Brazilians how to play and one of their teams tried to sign Gordon Smith and Lawrie Reilly.

[BILLYHIBS]

Not exotic but anyone remember the Isle of Man Football Tournament 1987 ?

https://thehiblog.wordpress.com/2017...t-august-1987/

[Jones28]

Ireland? Circa 2005?

Not exotic, but it happened

[He's here!]

I remember the Israel trip. The squad also fitted in some sightseeing in Jerusalem and I recall the Evening News cartoonist Harry Gilzean drew a pic of some Hibs fans at the Wailing Wall praying for better results!

Hibs drew 1-1 with a Tel Aviv select. I actually met a lovely Israeli lad in London many years later who, when he heard I was a Hibs fan, said he had relatives who'd been at that game!

[He's here!]

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Not exotic but anyone remember the Isle of Man Football Tournament 1987 ?

https://thehiblog.wordpress.com/2017...t-august-1987/

Yes, I can remember weighing up whether I might go to it. Think we possibly competed twice in that event?

[Logie Green]

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Not exotic but anyone remember the Isle of Man Football Tournament 1987 ?

https://thehiblog.wordpress.com/2017...t-august-1987/

A good trip. Did anyone attend the non-tournament game on a Saturday morning against Oldham Athletic which was played on a pitch which had a few tents at the side of it?

Hibs were scheduled to return to the IOM the following year but it got cancelled due to the fear of trouble. I think Wolves and Cardiff were due to attend.

[Kato]

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USA and Canada 1967 We competed as Toronto City in a tournament organised by the United Soccer Association

John Madsen and Pat Stanton vs New York City Skyliners (aka Cerro of Urugauy) at the Yankee Stadium 1967



Toronto City team photo.

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[Hibspur]

https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/spor...nbull-15268122

Report in here on the Tel Aviv match. Isak Refvik scored for Hibs.

Strange reference to Jim McArthur making his first appearance in over 150 matches. Is that a typo or was he out of the side for years?

[ErinGoBraghHFC]

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John Madsen and Pat Stanton vs New York City Skyliners (aka Cerro of Urugauy) at the Yankee Stadium 1967



Toronto City team photo.

Sent from my SM-A528B using Tapatalk

Hibs at Yankee Stadium. That’s very, very cool.


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[Viva_Palmeiras]

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would love to know more about this. -

Brazil 1953 Invited by the Brazilian FA to take part in a tournament involving teams from the home nation, Paraguay and Portugal. This was the tour where the Famous Five reportedly taught the Brazilians how to play and one of their teams tried to sign Gordon Smith and Lawrie Reilly.

Covered pictorially in 100 years of Hibs iirc. and there’s more…
But yes I think it may have been Botafogo who were interested in Reilly and possibly Smith.

[Pagan Hibernia]

Got very excited when I saw this thread. Then left disappointed when I realised it said exotic and not erotic

[Garymcl]

To be honest be very disappointed if we weren’t going over to Ireland even for a short time ie 3/4 days ans a couple of games seeing it’s our big year and celebrating our anniversary and what that entails also be excellent for the fans both here and over there (we have a decent amount of hibbys from over the water in the motherland )won’t eat into our pre season with travel etc can still do overseas camp in Holland/germany like in the past cmon HFC you can do this Erin go Bragh

[DIXIHIBS]

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A good trip. Did anyone attend the non-tournament game on a Saturday morning against Oldham Athletic which was played on a pitch which had a few tents at the side of it?

Hibs were scheduled to return to the IOM the following year but it got cancelled due to the fear of trouble. I think Wolves and Cardiff were due to attend.

Great trip. The Oldham game was arranged to have a look at Andy Goram as I remember.

[DIXIHIBS]

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Not exotic but anyone remember the Isle of Man Football Tournament 1987 ?

https://thehiblog.wordpress.com/2017...t-august-1987/

A few dodgy Edi West characters in that photo!!!

[Hibspur]

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would love to know more about this. -

Brazil 1953 Invited by the Brazilian FA to take part in a tournament involving teams from the home nation, Paraguay and Portugal. This was the tour where the Famous Five reportedly taught the Brazilians how to play and one of their teams tried to sign Gordon Smith and Lawrie Reilly.

From the club website:

In 1953 Hibernian were invited to represent Scotland in a tournament organised by the Brazilian FA involving Brazilian sides Botafogo, Corinthians, São Paulo, and Vasco da Gama; Uruguay’s Fluminense; Club Olimpia of Paraguay; Sporting CP of Portugal.
Hibernian were drawn in the Rio de Janeiro mini-league at the Maracanã Stadium against Botafogo, Fluminense, and Vasco da Gama.
The game against Vasco da Gama ended 3-3 with Hibernian’s goals coming from Eddie Turnbull and a double from Lawrie Reilly.
Reilly was on target again in the 3-1 defeat to Botafogo and the final game ended in a 3-0 defeat to Fluminense.
Vasco da Gama would go on to beat São Paulo in the final.
After the tournament Botafogo attempted to sign Gordon Smith and Lawrie Reilly, with club chiefs telling the players: “Name your price and we’ll pay it.” Both declined the offer.
Despite the results, the team left a lasting impression in Brazil. Ahead of the 1970 World Cup, a “football encyclopaedia” was printed in Brazil containing a whole chapter devoted to Hibernian, the team’s style of play, and tactical diagrams, with reference to the Famous Five.

[Hibspur]

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John Madsen and Pat Stanton vs New York City Skyliners (aka Cerro of Urugauy) at the Yankee Stadium 1967



Toronto City team photo.

Sent from my SM-A528B using Tapatalk

I remember reading an interview with Pat Stanton about the tournament. Think Tommy Younger was possibly managing the 'real' Toronto team at the time, hence Hibs representing them.

They were over there for some crazy amount of time but did a lot of sightseeing and Stanton made a quip about them visiting San Quentin and Jimmy O'Rourke claiming to have spotted a couple of guys from Clermiston in the line-up of prisoners in chains that they saw being marched in!

[HoboHarry]

Houston, Dallas or Austin - make it happen Hibs....

[CropleyWasGod]

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Houston, Dallas or Austin - make it happen Hibs....

Too many immigrants in our team.






Disclaimer... not a serious comment.

[BoomtownHibees]

South Morocco

[superfurryhibby]

Ireland- in the 70's we used to go there often for pre-season games.

It would be fitting to take the club over this summer, for at least one fixture.

[IberianHibernian]

We played a couple of games in California after promotion to Premier League in 1981 .
Seville was December 1986 a few months after we played Sevilla at home . Played quite a few friendlies in Spain , Portugal and Gibraltar ( 2013 ) since .
France - think we played in a pre season tournament in Brittany in about 2000 ( Sauzee connection ? ) .
Ireland - we regularly played pre season matches there in 1970s . Harder to find dates once league in Ireland became a summer competition .
Scotland - lots of matches against Highland League clubs in 70s and 80s with big travelling supports for Saturday matches v Caley or Thistle .
When Pat Stanton was manager we played a first team friendly on Lewis - 3 hour ferry from Ullapool for players and maybe fans too .

[Not In The Know]

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From the club website:

In 1953 Hibernian were invited to represent Scotland in a tournament organised by the Brazilian FA involving Brazilian sides Botafogo, Corinthians, São Paulo, and Vasco da Gama; Uruguay’s Fluminense; Club Olimpia of Paraguay; Sporting CP of Portugal.
Hibernian were drawn in the Rio de Janeiro mini-league at the Maracanã Stadium against Botafogo, Fluminense, and Vasco da Gama.
The game against Vasco da Gama ended 3-3 with Hibernian’s goals coming from Eddie Turnbull and a double from Lawrie Reilly.
Reilly was on target again in the 3-1 defeat to Botafogo and the final game ended in a 3-0 defeat to Fluminense.
Vasco da Gama would go on to beat São Paulo in the final.
After the tournament Botafogo attempted to sign Gordon Smith and Lawrie Reilly, with club chiefs telling the players: “Name your price and we’ll pay it.” Both declined the offer.
Despite the results, the team left a lasting impression in Brazil. Ahead of the 1970 World Cup, a “football encyclopaedia” was printed in Brazil containing a whole chapter devoted to Hibernian, the team’s style of play, and tactical diagrams, with reference to the Famous Five.

👍

[BILLYHIBS]

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Got very excited when I saw this thread. Then left disappointed when I realised it said exotic and not erotic

I remember reading Peter Marinello’s autobiography Fallen Idle and he stated that he lost his virginity in Nigeria 1968/69 in front of six of his teammates as well as being kidnapped by a knife wielding African tribe after a misunderstanding over a broken canoe his teammates had to have a whip roond for the ransom

What happens on tour stays on tour


https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content..._feature.shtml

[HoboHarry]

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Too many immigrants in our team.






Disclaimer... not a serious comment.

[Viva_Palmeiras]

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From the club website:

In 1953 Hibernian were invited to represent Scotland in a tournament organised by the Brazilian FA involving Brazilian sides Botafogo, Corinthians, São Paulo, and Vasco da Gama; Uruguay’s Fluminense; Club Olimpia of Paraguay; Sporting CP of Portugal.
Hibernian were drawn in the Rio de Janeiro mini-league at the Maracanã Stadium against Botafogo, Fluminense, and Vasco da Gama.
The game against Vasco da Gama ended 3-3 with Hibernian’s goals coming from Eddie Turnbull and a double from Lawrie Reilly.
Reilly was on target again in the 3-1 defeat to Botafogo and the final game ended in a 3-0 defeat to Fluminense.
Vasco da Gama would go on to beat São Paulo in the final.
After the tournament Botafogo attempted to sign Gordon Smith and Lawrie Reilly, with club chiefs telling the players: “Name your price and we’ll pay it.” Both declined the offer.
Despite the results, the team left a lasting impression in Brazil. Ahead of the 1970 World Cup, a “football encyclopaedia” was printed in Brazil containing a whole chapter devoted to Hibernian, the team’s style of play, and tactical diagrams, with reference to the Famous Five.

glad to see the story endures… ;)

[Viva_Palmeiras]

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From the club website:

In 1953 Hibernian were invited to represent Scotland in a tournament organised by the Brazilian FA involving Brazilian sides Botafogo, Corinthians, São Paulo, and Vasco da Gama; Uruguay’s Fluminense; Club Olimpia of Paraguay; Sporting CP of Portugal.
Hibernian were drawn in the Rio de Janeiro mini-league at the Maracanã Stadium against Botafogo, Fluminense, and Vasco da Gama.
The game against Vasco da Gama ended 3-3 with Hibernian’s goals coming from Eddie Turnbull and a double from Lawrie Reilly.
Reilly was on target again in the 3-1 defeat to Botafogo and the final game ended in a 3-0 defeat to Fluminense.
Vasco da Gama would go on to beat São Paulo in the final.
After the tournament Botafogo attempted to sign Gordon Smith and Lawrie Reilly, with club chiefs telling the players: “Name your price and we’ll pay it.” Both declined the offer.
Despite the results, the team left a lasting impression in Brazil. Ahead of the 1970 World Cup, a “football encyclopaedia” was printed in Brazil containing a whole chapter devoted to Hibernian, the team’s style of play, and tactical diagrams, with reference to the Famous Five.

glad to see the story endures… ;)

[Pagan Hibernia]

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From the club website:

In 1953 Hibernian were invited to represent Scotland in a tournament organised by the Brazilian FA involving Brazilian sides Botafogo, Corinthians, São Paulo, and Vasco da Gama; Uruguay’s Fluminense; Club Olimpia of Paraguay; Sporting CP of Portugal.
Hibernian were drawn in the Rio de Janeiro mini-league at the Maracanã Stadium against Botafogo, Fluminense, and Vasco da Gama.
The game against Vasco da Gama ended 3-3 with Hibernian’s goals coming from Eddie Turnbull and a double from Lawrie Reilly.
Reilly was on target again in the 3-1 defeat to Botafogo and the final game ended in a 3-0 defeat to Fluminense.
Vasco da Gama would go on to beat São Paulo in the final.
After the tournament Botafogo attempted to sign Gordon Smith and Lawrie Reilly, with club chiefs telling the players: “Name your price and we’ll pay it.” Both declined the offer.
Despite the results, the team left a lasting impression in Brazil. Ahead of the 1970 World Cup, a “football encyclopaedia” was printed in Brazil containing a whole chapter devoted to Hibernian, the team’s style of play, and tactical diagrams, with reference to the Famous Five.

We taught them how to play but lost two games and drew one, out of three?

Bloody typical Hibs!

[wallpaperman]

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https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/spor...nbull-15268122

Report in here on the Tel Aviv match. Isak Refvik scored for Hibs.

Strange reference to Jim McArthur making his first appearance in over 150 matches. Is that a typo or was he out of the side for years?

Yes, Jim lost his place for a number of years, although whether he played no games at all might be difficult to find out.

When I started going regularly as a youngster about 77 onwards, Mike McDonald was the regular keeper. Jim must have won his place back about the time of that trip as he was certainly the keeper in the 1979 cup final a few months after that trip.