Happier times for Hibernians

This week’s photograph evokes many fond memories. It shows Hibs captain, the great Eddie Theobald, with the Johnnie Walker Cup surrounded by a small group of beaming supporters.

Hibs were the 1966-67 league champions and the whole town of Paola was bursting with pride at the football team’s achievement.

That success contrasts sharply with this season as Hibs are playing Russian Roulette with relegation at the lower end of the Premier League standings.

What has happened to this proud club that has never been relegated from the top division?

The answer is simple, in my opinion. Hibs are a club always under construction. The team never reaches its peak.

Two years ago, Hibs were crowned champions with a young team built mainly from its nursery which is among the best around.

The next season, Hibs lost Clayton Failla, the 2008-09 MFA Footballer of the Year, who joined Sliema Wanderers following the end of his contract with the Paolites, and sold league top scorer Terrence Scerri to rivals Valletta.

And this season, they parted with yet another key player in Malta defender Jonathan Caruana who moved to Valletta.

There is a rumour going around Paola at the moment that Andrew Cohen may be the next top Hibs player to head for the exit door. That would really put the pistol to the temple!

For Pete’s sake, whoever is responsible, please stop and think about the consequences. If Cohen goes as well, that would further undermine Hibs’ chances of keeping their Premier League status.

I hope to God I’m wrong. I would happily eat my tongue if I’m proved wrong.

After all, I’m a football historian. I deal with the past and not the future. So, let us go back to this week’s story.

The 1966-67 season is one I remember vividly. My hometown club Hibernians not only won the championship but also played some marvellous football.

Yet, Hibs only just made it. It had to be a much-disputed protest that handed Hibs their second championship.

Sliema Wanderers, champions for the previous three seasons, did all the early running. They were firm favourites to retain the league crown especially after Hibernians, their nearest rivals, dropped a point against Valletta.

On November 19, the two leaders met in what could be described as the match of the campaign. Although still early in the season, a victory for the Wanderers would have left them with no serious rivals in sight. Hibs, however, had other ideas.

From the very first minute, Sliema had it coming to them. Playing with a rare spirit, the Paolites overran their opponents.

Hibs were opening up the Blues’ defence with such ease that goalkeeper Michael Sultana was given the ‘jitters’ every time the opponents ventured forward.

The Paolites won a memorable match 3-2 to go top of the league. There was no looking back for Hibs and the Blues’ only hope of stopping their rivals was to win their second round encounter.

Finally, the day of reckoning arrived on January 22. The all-important clash between the two front-runners attracted the biggest crowd of the season. Because of the rivalry that existed between the two teams, the police moved the Hibs fans from the enclosure to the Valletta side of the Gzira stadium.

The final 1-1 draw favoured Hibernians. They only needed to beat Ħamrun Spartans now to clinch the title. Hibs were confident and who could blame them? After all, Ħamrun had only won one game in the league.

The Spartans had nothing to gain from this match, yet they played like a team possessed. Some evil tongues even hinted that Sliema had offered the Spartans a bonus if they held Hibs to a draw.

Whatever the truth, the Spartans did their job and, to the despair of the Hibs’ supporters, they achieved their objective.

Despite the Spartans’ bold effort, Hibs should still have won that match. Jimmy Gatt effected a number of saves which bordered on the impossible. France Xerri blazed his penalty kick high after only 16 minutes and then, to rub salt into the wound, when Johnnie Priviterra finally beat Gatt, Patistu Attard dashed in to perform a goalkeeping act under the very nose of the referee who must have been unsighted because he saw nothing wrong in the action!

That was that, but it certainly was not the end of the story.

People were already talking about the decider when, late that evening, an anonymous phone call informed Hibernians that Ħamrun had fielded an ineligible player.

It transpired that Wistin Magri had been reported by the referee during a MAFA League match between Ħamrun Leowe Opta and Valletta St Paul’s.

Magri had failed to appear before the MAFA Disciplinary Board and, according to the rules, was suspended pending his appearance.

This information was confirmed by my friend Norman Buckle, who played with Magri for Ħamrun Leowe Opta.

Hibs filed a protest and the MFA had no choice but to award the points to Hibs who thus became champions ‘on the table’.