New Year’s Day marks the 50th anniversary of The Seven Nil game, arguably the finest performance from the legendary team known at Turnbull’s Tornadoes.
The Tornadoes were Jim Herriot, John Brownlie, Erich Schaedler, Pat Stanton, Jim Black, John Blackley, Alex Edwards, Jimmy O’Rourke, Alan Gordon, Alex Cropley and Arthur Duncan.
In total that eleven only started 22-games together, wining 18, drawing two and losing two. But one of these defeats was away to Sporting Lisbon and the soon rectified that with a 6-1 hammering of the Portuguese giants a couple of weeks later and one of the draws was in the second leg of a Uefa Cup tie against FC Besa from Albania and Hibs were 7-1 up from the first leg.
By mid-December the team had scored more than 100 goals in all competition and they added another seven without reply at Tynecastle in front of 36,000 fans.
Doubles from O’Rourke, Gordon and Duncan and one from Cropley secured the famous victory although Stanton still believes that his name should have been included in that list.
He recalled: “We arrived at Tynecastle that day in a confident mood although Hearts games were always difficult. It didn’t matter how either team was playing.
Both sets of players were up for it and there was a fierce determination to win from both sides. It could be quite frantic.
“Hearts had some good players but everything clicked that day and we were 5-0 up at half time.
“Eddie told us to keep going and give it our all because that what the Hearts players would prefer rather than us keeping possession and taking the mickey.
“And he was spot on. I thought I’d scored the sixth, but Jimmy knocked it over the line. I said to him afterwards “Some pal you!” but he said he was just making sure, and we still argue if the ball was going in.
“I think it was, but he insists that it was heading for the corner flag.
“After the game I went straight home. Normally Jimmy and I would go for a couple of pints, but I was drained. I’d had enough excitement that day.
I still can’t believe that it was 50 years ago, but I’ll never forget it.”
But five days later against East Fife at Easter Road Brownlie was carried off with a broken leg and the eleven never played together again.
Alex Edwards picked up a booking that day for throwing the ball away which would lead to a mammoth 56-day ban.
Hibs eventually finished third in the league behind the Old Firm, were knocked out the Scottish Cup by Rangers after a quarter-final replay and exited the Cup Winners Cup at the same round having been 4-2 ahead from the first leg.
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.
