The Edinburgh Reporter December 2022

Ian Jacobs

2323

Can Neilson and Jambos achieve their goals in 2023?

Farewell to a

Hibs legend

Remembering Cup hero who died last month

JIMMY O’ROURKE • 1946 - 2022

By JOHN HISLOP

FIFTY YEARS AGO Eddie Turnbull’s
wonderful Tornadoes side beat Jock Stein’s
Celtic to lift the 1972 League Cup, their first
major silverware at the national stadium
in 70-years.
But sadly, the man who scored the winning
goal that glorious afternoon passed away in
Edinburgh on Tuesday 15 November, 2022.
Every Hibs fan was devastated at the loss
but tributes also poured in from supporters
of other Scottish teams including city
rivals Hearts.
Born in the capital in 1946, Jimmy
O’Rourke was raised a Hibee and lived his
dream of playing for Hibs for the first time in
December 1962 at just 16 years and 85 days
old. This made him the Club’s youngest-ever
player – a record he would hold until 2004.
Just three days after his debut, he would
claim another record, finding the net
against Dunfermline to become Hibernian’s
youngest-ever goalscorer – a title he
still carries.
He would score a further 121 goals in a
total of 325 games in green and white, sitting
ninth in Hibs all-time top scorers chart.
During his 12 years at Easter Road,
O’Rourke was a pivotal player in one of the
Club’s greatest-ever teams.
In addition to the League Cup goal, he also

scored twice in Hibs Drybrough Cup Final

win over the same opponents earlier that

same year.

Many fans will remember him most

fondly for his hat-tricks in the European

Cup Winners Cup victories over Sporting

Lisbon and FC Besa, or his brace in the

famous 7-0 Edinburgh Derby win on

New Year’s Day, 1973.

Not only was Jimmy an incredible

player for Hibs he was also a lifelong

supporter and was adored by the

Hibs fans.

He was sold to St Johnstone following the

arrival of Joe Harper from Everton for a

Scottish record transfer fee of £120,000

and captained the Saints on his return

to Easter Road and scored the only goal

of the game to knock his beloved Hibs

off the top of the league.

He also had a spell with Motherwell

at the end of his playing career.

Jimmy was also assistant to Pat

Stanton during his short tenure as

manager, but gave up the game to

concentrate on his new career in the

licenced trade, running the Corstorphine

Inn and the Jock’s Lodge where he regaled

fans with tales of his playing days.

In 2012, he was inducted into the

Hibernian Hall of Fame, joining his old

teammate and childhood friend, Pat Stanton.

By JAMIE MCINTOSH

WOULD FIFTH PLACE be seen as
an acceptable finishing position for
this Hearts side in May? No, is the
simple answer.
That is where the Jambos
currently sit in the cinch Premiership
after the Scottish top-flight broke
for the World Cup in Qatar and on
the whole, Hearts have to be happy
with that.
At times this season, Hearts have
had almost a full starting 11 on the
treatment table and it is testament
to the players remaining on the
field that they sit where they do in
the table.
It is easy to look at the draws

against Kilmarnock and Livingston

and say Hearts should be winning

those games but coming from

behind on both occasions, after

tough midweek matches against

Fiorentina and Rangers highlights

the spirit this Hearts team has.

Make no mistake those two points

could be very important come May.

Yes, there have been performances

this season that haven’t been up to

scratch, but Robbie Neilson and his

players don’t need to be told of the

high standards they set last season.

A hard-fought victory against Riga

in their final Europa Conference

League home match netted the club

an estimated £450,000, but the

three points Hearts picked up in

Dingwall less than 72 hours later

could be worth just as much.

That result was up there with a

3-2 home victory over Motherwell,

in which Hearts played over half the

match with ten men, and Josh

Ginnelly’s 97th minute equaliser

against Livingston in the final match

before the break.

Those two results mean Hearts

can relax and recover during their

holiday period safe in the

knowledge that if they hit the

ground running when the

Premiership resumes, they have

every chance of securing third spot

for the second consecutive season.

Alongside injury issues, Hearts’

fixture list prior to the World Cup

was not particularly favourable.

Having already played Celtic and

Rangers four times this season, as

well as an extra game away from

Tynecastle, it means Hearts have

the potential opportunity to

immediately start eating into

Aberdeen’s four-point lead in

third spot.

Centre back duo, Craig Halkett

and Kye Rowles returned to action

in the final games before the break.

As Hearts continue to get players

back these players will only improve

on the field, again increasing Hearts’

chances of kicking on to secure

third place and, with a bit more

work, some more European football

in 2023.

Hibernian Football Club

Hearts boss, Robbie Neilson