Were Hibs playing Rangers at the time of the Zulu wars?

[Jack]

A friend of mine who knows a thing or two about Hibs, its just not worth arguing with him as he’s always right, is also a film buff with a wee bit of history thrown in.

Anyway he tells the story that at the time of the British battle with the Zulus (the one that the film was all about) Rorke's Drift, 22nd and 23rd January 1879, Hibs were playing Rangers at Ibrox. I cant remember what he says the score is but its either 2 or 3 – 1 to the Hibs. This bit he says is true.

As a bit of a laugh he adds the reason the Zulus kept going away and coming back was that they were checking the score!!

Easy enough to find out about the battle, its all over the internet.

I’ve checked the official Hibs site and it suggests the first game against Rangers (I’ll give them their proper name as the club and fans at the time were probably reasonably decent folk) was on the 19th April 1884, we won 4 – 1.



The reason I’d like to know is that my sisters husband is a descendent of one of the men who fought there and her family are visiting the battlefields in a couple of months time.

I’d like to tell them a little about the history of the time they didn’t already know about!



I’d quite like just to get the answer to this rather than discuss the rights and wrongs of these battles please.

[SlovSam]

Originally Posted by Jack
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A friend of mine who knows a thing or two about Hibs, its just not worth arguing with him as he’s always right, is also a film buff with a wee bit of history thrown in.

Anyway he tells the story that at the time of the British battle with the Zulus (the one that the film was all about) Rorke's Drift, 22nd and 23rd January 1879, Hibs were playing Rangers at Ibrox. I cant remember what he says the score is but its either 2 or 3 – 1 to the Hibs. This bit he says is true.

As a bit of a laugh he adds the reason the Zulus kept going away and coming back was that they were checking the score!!

Easy enough to find out about the battle, its all over the internet.

I’ve checked the official Hibs site and it suggests the first game against Rangers (I’ll give them their proper name as the club and fans at the time were probably reasonably decent folk) was on the 19th April 1884, we won 4 – 1.

The reason I’d like to know is that my sisters husband is a descendent of one of the men who fought there and her family are visiting the battlefields in a couple of months time.

I’d like to tell them a little about the history of the time they didn’t already know about!

I’d quite like just to get the answer to this rather than discuss the rights and wrongs of these battles please.

It does sound a wee bit unlikely and the 'Ibrox' part is definetly wrong as 'Rangers' (as I also acknowledge they were probably decent reasonable people
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) at the time played at Kinning Park and I'm sure they went somewhere else after that and they also played at Third Lanarks ground as well.

Ibrox didn't exist until about 1887 and the Scottish League itself didn't exist until about 1891 so Hibs could only have played Rangers in a friendly or cup tie.

Lugton's first edition is your source though as I'm sure the index details every Hibs game played in that period.
I'll look tonight though someone is bound to beat me to it.
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[wee 162]

Originally Posted by Jack
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A friend of mine who knows a thing or two about Hibs, its just not worth arguing with him as he’s always right, is also a film buff with a wee bit of history thrown in.

Anyway he tells the story that at the time of the British battle with the Zulus (the one that the film was all about) Rorke's Drift, 22nd and 23rd January 1879, Hibs were playing Rangers at Ibrox. I cant remember what he says the score is but its either 2 or 3 – 1 to the Hibs. This bit he says is true.

As a bit of a laugh he adds the reason the Zulus kept going away and coming back was that they were checking the score!!

Easy enough to find out about the battle, its all over the internet.

I’ve checked the official Hibs site and it suggests the first game against Rangers (I’ll give them their proper name as the club and fans at the time were probably reasonably decent folk) was on the 19th April 1884, we won 4 – 1.



The reason I’d like to know is that my sisters husband is a descendent of one of the men who fought there and her family are visiting the battlefields in a couple of months time.

I’d like to tell them a little about the history of the time they didn’t already know about!



I’d quite like just to get the answer to this rather than discuss the rights and wrongs of these battles please.

I'd be stunned if we first played them 9 years after we were founded tbh. Suspect that the game in 1884 might have been the first competitive fixture.

[Billy]

1st match between the sides was:

28-Feb 1880 Hibernian 1 - 4 Rangers Friendly

[AndyM]

Official Site search would suggest we first played Rangers in 1880.

All the stats for the 'Old' Hibs are as follows:

1880-02-28	Friendly	H	Rangers	L	1	4
	1880-11-06	Friendly	A	Rangers	L	1	5
	1880-11-27	Friendly	H	Rangers	D	2	2
	1881-04-23	Friendly	H	Rangers	L	3	9
	1884-04-19	Friendly	H	Rangers	W	4	1
	1885-02-07	Friendly	A	Rangers	L	3	4
	1885-08-22	Friendly	H	Rangers	W	3	2
	1887-05-07	Friendly	H	Rangers	D	2	2
	1887-06-01	Friendly	A	Rangers	L	0	1
	1888-08-25	Friendly	A	Rangers	L	2	3

[Johnny Vegas]

here's rangers fixtures around that time

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[top_geezer]

According to Lugton's book the first time Hibsplayed a team called Rangers was 28/2/1880 and Rangers won 4-1.
The result and date quoted above also concurs with Lugton's book, though this was not the first time Hibs played Rangers. Other defeats are listed.
The 4-1 defeat followed a Challenge match played on 14/2/1880 to open Hibernian Park, Easter Road v Hanover with Hibs winning that one 5-0.

I would conclude, if we take Lugton's book as the definitive History, that the match alluded to is fictitious.

[HailHail]

Zulu war only lasted from january 1879 till the 4th of july 1879 so it's unlikely.

We were still fighting in Afghanistan in 1880 though. If that's any good.

[Jack]

Thanks guys. Gutted it doesn’t seem to be true, I’ll have to have a serious chat with the man!

[SlovSam]

Originally Posted by Jack
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Thanks guys. Gutted it doesn’t seem to be true, I’ll have to have a serious chat with the man!

What Hibs were actually doing around 23rd January 1879 is ..... well nothing
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The first match of 1879 was against Brunswick in the Edinburgh FA Presidents Trophy on the 8th February with Hibs winning 6-0.
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The match report of the time fails to mention the Hibs goal scorers but we do know that Mr O'Brien and Mr Kerr were deservedly substituted at half time.
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All very dissapointing really as it was a good story.

[toolyhibs]

rod petries the man who could answer your questions m8, he was hibs accountant back then too, suprisingly the wage structure is still in place here and doing well.
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[Dub]

Originally Posted by HailHail
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Zulu war only lasted from january 1879 till the 4th of july 1879 so it's unlikely.

We were still fighting in Afghanistan in 1880 though. If that's any good.

Nothing changes huh Ian.

Originally Posted by toolyhibs
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rod petries the man who could answer your questions m8, he was hibs accountant back then too, suprisingly the wage structure is still in place here and doing well.
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