Yesterday marked the 24th anniversary of the day Hibs smashed Hearts 6-2 - and I missed out on a £1800 derby payday because I’d volleyed a ball off Bob Malcom’s coupon. October 22, 2000: A Mixu Paatelainen treble, six goals flying past Anti Niemi, three points staying in Leith and muggins regretting hitting the bullseye with big Bob’s face in a reserve game days earlier.
As individual errors go that was high up the list of my worst and it was a costly lesson. Learning from errors will be a theme here but first more on that encounter with big Bob. Our win bonus that season was always £900. But it got doubled for the derbies. In the week leading up to the game we’d played Rangers in a reserve league match and Bob - who I’d grown up battling with all through our youth careers - absolutely smashed one of our lads. All hell broke loose and without thinking I drop kicked the ball in the big man’s direction. I couldn’t have hit him if I tried. But this one caught him square on the nose and we both ended up being sent off.
I had to watch the following weekend’s derby from the main stand right in among the punters. And let me tell you that was no bad consolation because the old ground was absolutely electric that night. We had leaders all over the pitch. We finished third and Alex McLeish had built a team of warriors - no more so than Mixu. We also had Mathias Jack, Stuart Lovell, Gary Smith and Franck Sauzee.
That’s what you need on these derby occasions. And I’m deeply worried it’s what this current Hibs side is completely devoid of heading into Sunday’s latest instalment at Easter Road. Make no mistake, this is massive. Huge for a side that has incredibly replaced Hearts - who have made their own worst start to a season - at
Boxing
wellness
UPS
COST
Ball
Booking
PayDay
Easter Road
Tam Macmanus
Alex Macleish