Stein, Famous Five, Lizzie and Phil

No disrespect to Falkirk, but I was delighted Hibs overturned the three goal deficit on Saturday’s Scottish Cup semi-final.  It was almost a miraculous victory for a team in bad need of a miracle.  Things were not always this way.

Celtic and Hibernian meet in next month’s Scottish Cup final sixty years and six days after the teams met in the Coronation Cup final.  Back then Hibs were hot favourites.  Celtic had won only two leagues in the previous quarter century whereas Hibs, with their Famous Five forward-line, won three leagues in the previous six seasons, losing a fourth on goal average.

These were hard times to be a Celtic fan.  Two league titles in the 20s, two in the 30s and one in the 50s (a double winning team in 1954), ensured that a couple of generations of fans survived on little more than folklore.  So the team who won the Coronation Cup in 1953, before securing that double a year later, had a significant impact on fans then, which you’ll easily learn if you speak to one.

Charlie Tully, Bobby Evans, Bobby Collins, Bertie Peacock and Willie Fernie all played in the Coronation Cup final, as did Neily Mochan and a man called Stein, the captain.  A 117,000 crowd of Celtic and Hibs fans ensured Hampden was covered in banners of green.

Apparently Hibs were by far the stronger team but Neily Mochan scored a cracker in the first half and Johnny Bonnar played the game of his life in goal before Jimmy Walsh scored a late second.

“Said Phillip to Liz watch the Celts don’t step in…….”
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