Do You Remember.........

[Seven Tattoos]

Whenever I type that the CD player in my mind instantly plays 'Kayleigh' by Marillion. A song that was only denied a number one spot in the summer of 1985 because 'The Crowd' usurped them with a 'charidee' version of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' in aid of the Bradford City fire victims. Hibs beat the huns 1-0 that day at Easter Road. And the then fledgling CCS gave the huns ICF a serious caning. But that's a subject for another thread.

Anyway, do you remember Saturday 18 April 1992? Fifteen whole years ago today? I do; Hibs hosted the sheep in our final home league fixture of our last trophy winning season prior to this one. During the week, on Wednesday 15th, in fact, we actually added a second trophy to the collection, i.e. the BP Youth Cup. We beat Ayr Utd 2-0 at Easter Road - in front of a then record crowd for the fixture of 6,562 - with goals from Stevie Dallas and Coco McDonald. Neither Coco nor Dallas achieved anything for the first team at ER, though the former developed an annoying habit of scoring against us as Jefferies' Falkirk side proved to be a bogey team in the 1994-95 season. I think I'm right in saying they were the only team we failed to beat in the league that year and I especially recall Coco grabbing the second that sad afternoon that we paid our respects to the man responsible more than any other for the continued existence of our great club; I refer, of course, to the late Kenny McLean.

The most memorable aspect of that BP Youth Cup game was the performance of a second half sub called Kevin Harper. I'm of the opinion that he was the only really decent youth player to emerge in the often (cos it wasn't always such) depressing decade that was Lexo's tenure as boss. I don't agree that the likes of Willie Miller, for example, was anything special. Maybe I'm letting winners against herty and the huns cloud my judgement. But I'm a Hibbie and that's my prerogative.

However, the youth who was then being tipped as the Next Big Thing at Easter Road was a young chap called Graeme Donald. He had scored in Hibs' victory at Brockville only the week before and, apparently, had played a blinder.

The match itself was disappointing but came to life in the second half; firstly, Mixu (then a recent signing for the sheep from the biscuits) put the visitors ahead with a goal that was a virtual carbon copy (header up the slope) of his counter for Dundee Utd on Cavalier's 22nd birthday (3-2, Sat 28.12.91 - we discussed this whilst I chored one of his cigars in Pollok on Sunday)!

Fortunately though, a great run by Mickey Weir (I think) ended with Donald bulleting the ball home for a share of the spoils with around eight minutes left. That result meant that we were unbeaten in our four fixtures against Aberdeen. I think I'm right in saying that that 1991-92 season was the first time we had achieved that feat since the inauguration of the premier league in 1975-76.

By the way, the highlight for a wee Hibbie with Welsh connections like me was when the half-time announcer - who was only too aware of our joy at hertz' defeat on penalties to Airdrie in the Scottish Cup replay on Tuesday 14th - read out the results and told us the 'heartache continued' before reading out the scoreline - Dundee Utd 1-0 hertz! He then played 'It's A Heartache' by Bonnie Tyler!

Still one of my all time faves, great mates!

[willie groves]

i remember that bp youth cup game..i think that was the second part of our treble winning season...we went on to win the east of scotland shield later in the season if memory serves me right...as for coco,i sat at my mates house watching the dundee hibs game on telly with him,the one that zitelli done his famous overhead kick in..he waxed lyrical about his time at hibs but he said his greatest moment was when he scored at ibrox for falkirk to put them out of the cup,i think richard caddette got the other in a 2.1 victory..he said it was brilliant reading the papers the next day and seeing a picture of himself ramming it right up the huns...he's still a good hibby inspite of having an annoying habit of scoring against us for which i now forgive him......sort of.

[oo to be]

07