Hibs’ legend Pat Stanton would not be drawn on the outcome of tomorrow’s Scottish Cup tie between two of his former teams which will be played at the home of rivals Hearts.
Pat has many happy memories of playing at Tynecastle, not least a certain new year’s day in 1973 but he is taking nothing for granted on this occasion.
Despite a long and successful career with Hibs, the Scottish Cup eluded him and his team mates and it took a move to Celtic before he could add that medal to his collection.
At the beginning of Pat’s career at Hibernian, manager Walter Galbraith felt that it would be beneficial for him to spend a year on loan in the junior set-up, a move that he was not initially keen on.
However, he did go on to join Bonnyrigg Rose and feels that it was a good move for him, one which helped him bridge the gap between juvenile and senior football.
Speaking to Hibs TV, Pat said: “It’s a funny one. I would never predict the outcome. I had great times at Bonnyrigg and great times with Hibs. It’ll all come down to the day.
“I’m going to be brave here… I’m going to sit on the fence!”
“I’d played juvenile football for Salvesen Boys Club, and when I signed for Hibs, the manager was Walter Galbraith. He thought that it’d be a good idea to go to the juniors for a season and see how it worked out there.
“He made the point to me that if I had stayed at Easter Road, then I’d maybe only get a game every four to five weeks. At first, I didn’t want to go to Bonnyrigg, but I did, and it was a good move.
“There is a big gap between juvenile football and senior football. The season at Bonnyrigg filled that gap for me – it was a big help.”
“For Bonnyrigg, it’s a great game and they’ve got far in the competition as well. I think it is important that Hibs approach it in the right manner and treat Bonnyrigg with respect.
“Hibs are going into the game as favourites, but it’s a cup tie and they can be funny games. From a Hibs point of view, you have to respect your opponents and treat them as you would any other game.
“I’m delighted for Bonnyrigg. It’s tremendous where they’ve got to in the cup and we’ll just have to wait to see what the outcome is on Saturday.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
