First of all, none of the days I am about to recall, shook the world. Perhaps they shook my world; certainly they gave it a wee shoogle. Perhaps it was the birth of my wee laddie, Patrick, and therefore the next generation of Burns Hibs supporters, which has led me to glance back nostalgically at my life as a Hibby. Perhaps I just fancied compiling a list.

Anyhow, this is my ten favourite days as a Hibs fan, since I became ‘Hibernian conscious’ around 1978, in case anybody is interested To ‘30-something international playboys’ (you know the kind of thing, a couple of pints in the Roseburn, Kays bar etc.) it may strike a cord at least.

 There is no particular order to the list - spread over 20 years or so, it would be difficult to give precedence to one event over another, since I was a mere slip of a lad at one instance, and a great lump of a man at another. For those who lived through the decades referred to, see what you think.

HEARTS LOSE THE LEAGUE - MAY 1986

It might seem strange to start with a Jambo disaster as opposed to a Hibees triumph, but I could hardly wait! As it happened, I was playing myself that day for Glenpark boys club, and the omens were not good. 2-0 up at half-time (including a rare goal from yours truly), we ended up losing 3-2, to Royston Roseberry. Trudging off the park at around 3.45pm, with the weight of the world on my shoulders, I was resigned to a future of endless reminders about the day Hearts became Scottish Champions.
Switching on the radio to hear ‘Championes, Championes’ confirmed my worst fears, or so it seemed….. until, that is, the commentator announced that it was Celtic fans who were celebrating. Yes, ALBERT KIDD had done the business at Dens Park, and many a maroon dream was shattered.  Rather super really.
 
DUNFERMLINE   0    HIBERNIAN  2    -  1990

My first Hibs away game, and a baptism of fire - travelling with the outlawed, prescribed organisation known as the ‘MB Branch’. I got my troosers dirty kicking the ball about in the morning out the back green, which probably helped me blend in with the motley crew of scallywags from the ‘Banana flats’, and headcases of a more mature age, who made up the membership of the branch, which travelled from ‘Spiers Bar’ at Goldenacre. I was emptied from the pub, along with John ‘Jingle Bells’ Inglis nephew Dominic, in the days before ‘child friendly’ boozers. Of course, that was the first and last time anyone has seen fit to empty me from a licensed premise, given the faultless life I have led ever since. The game itself was fairly uneventful, but I now wish I could remember a bit more about it, given the dearth of victories at East End Park in the last 24 years.

HIBS   1   ST. MIRREN   0    -   1978

 My first ever match in the days when, in my book, football came second to a game of ‘Cowboys and Indians’ or ‘Japs and Commandoes’.  While uncle Mike had taken me on his bus to Dunfermline, it was the Auld man, H.I.B, who was responsible for my introduction to the Green-and-Whites. Or the Green-and-Yellys, as they were that day, which seemed to heighten my sense of confusion at the whole affair, as Hibs chose to wear their flashy new change strip for the STV cameras.  I do remember Tony Higgins spectacular winner, funnily enough, and an Arthur Duncan goal which was disallowed for offside, which of course I didnae understand.  The highlights were on the following afternoon, but I was playing ‘Cowboys and Indians’, a more uncomplicated pastime devoid of silly rules like offside. Pannelling my mate with a stick seemed a more attractive proposition.

TRIP TO BRUSSELS  -  1992

Having travelled by bus to Belgium three years previously, and discovering it to be a hellish experience, you would think I would be loathe to repeat the journey.  Unfortunately, I am of fairly low intelligence.  Maybe it was the fact that the first time around, Colin Leslie and myself had followed Hibs to Liege on a radge wee minibus run by the ‘Michael Whelahan’ branch, of which we were members, and believed that this time, things would be much better.  In fairness, they were, as the coach to Brussels was a luxury number, and the accommodation at the other end was of a 3-star variety, as opposed to the floor of Liege’s railway station.

The game itself was almost magic - a 1-1 draw, and out on the away goals rule, but an unforgettable atmosphere in the ground - and in the city itself beforehand., where 3,000 Hibbies partook in the legendary Belgian beer, in the interest of cultural investigation.

HIBS   2    HEARTS   1    -   1987

We hadn’t beaten the Jambos for about a squillion games, then boom! Eddie May and Kano sandwiched the usual Robbo Hearts goal to send us all into delirium.  At the final whistle, the Jambos invaded the pitch in a typical display of petulance.  Yes, they all wanted their mammys.  The thing was, most of them were down Coburg street, plying their well established trade. As my Chilean other half might say “Hijos de Putas!”

LEAGUE CUP SEMI-FINAL (2ND leg)  IBROX,  1985

The first leg at Easter Road resulted in a 2-0 win for the Hibees, so we travelled to play The Huns at Ibrox in good fettle - 8,000 of us.  Gordon Rae halted Ally McCoist early on with a perfectly legal tackle - which at Ibrox means a free-kick to Rangers, and a booking for the ‘offender’ of course.  Davie Cooper blasted home from 20 yards, and we were all, for want of a better word, shitting ourselves.  But the atmosphere was fantastic, created almost exclusively by the travelling Hibs support, and we held out and I had my first cup final to look forward to.

Incidentally, that booking for Gordon Rae kept him out of the big match at Hampden, and he knew it the instant the yellow card was produced, much like Paul Gascoigne in the 1990 world cup. Unlike Gazza however, Big Gordon didnae start greetin’ like a wee lassie who had just dropped her bag of sweeties in a big puddle. Oh No, instead, the big man played a stormer. Oh YES.

HIBS   2      PARS   0   -   League Cup Final, 27th October 1991

A pretty ordinary game, if truth be told, but put into perspective by the complete lack of success since -  A Marvellous Day.

HIBS   1      HUNS   0   -   Semi-final, 1991

A fantastic performance - Mickey Weir stole the show, as he would later in the cup final, Keith Wright grabbed the glory.  The most welcome I have ever felt in the Celtic social club in London Road afterwards, especially when the highlights came on.  Not that any of the resident Weegies bought me a pint mind you.

ANOTHER LEAGUE CUP SEMI-FINAL AGAINST RANGERS - 2004

Another great team performance, and probably my favourite penalty shoot-out (outside England’s numerous failures) (surely that was better than all of them - Ed)? And an almost equally great bus ride back to Queen Street station on a Glasgow council coach.  There was one Hun on board, apart from which it was a bus full of Hibbies, all heading for the same destination, which meant it stopped once to let the soapdodging bigot off, then literally bounced back to George Square.

HIBERNIAN   6     HEARTS   2   - 2000

Nothing more needs said. Except we should have scored TEN, they were lucky to get two. SMASHING !!!

HEARTS   0      HIBERNIAN   7   - New Years Day,  1973

What do you mean I couldnae have been there?  My first game was against St. Mirren in 1978, was it?  Well, that’s how much you know.

I distinctively remember crawling to Tynecastle with the rest of my one year old mates from Pilton, and having a wee slug out of my milk bottle for every goal we scored. What a wind up I got that night!
 
Okay, I’m talking pish. But it can still be one of my favourite days as a Hibby, even if I can’t remember it, can it not?

(It certainly can ‘Sideburns’ and you can remember it very well too. You may have been a month or seven too young to be able to attend, but we have sat on many a sober and drunken night watching video replays of that wonderful day in Hibernian history, and no doubt there will still be many more to follow, ….M.B.) 

There endeth my ten favourite days, well eleven, as I could barely resist putting in that last one.

Stevie ‘side’ Burns