Hibs mourn the loss of 'Famous Five' legend Turnbull

TRIBUTES were paid last night to the former Hibs player and manager Eddie Turnbull, who has died, aged 88.

Remembered by fans as a member of the club's most successful forward line, known as the "Famous Five", Turnbull played nearly 500 games for the club in a career spanning 13 years, scoring 202 goals.

As a player, he won three league titles in five years, and became the first British player to score in a European club competition. He was selected nine times for the national side, and played in the 1958 Fifa World Cup.

At the time, Turnbull did not receive any international caps, as, until the mid-1970s, they were only awarded to players who had participated in Home Internationals.

Following a successful campaign by the son of fellow Scottish internationalist Stewart Imlach, however, Turnbull made history in 2006, as he became the first former player to be awarded retrospective caps for representing his country.

Following a period of time working as a trainer for Hibs and manager for Queens Park, Turnbull was appointed manager at Aberdeen, with whom he won the Scottish Cup in 1970, the club's first silverware in nearly 25 years.

He returned to Easter Road in 1971 after six years with Aberdeen, during which he turned down repeated requests to manage both Scotland and Rangers. Once back at Hibs, he assembled the team that came to be known as "Turnbull's Tornadoes", regarded as the best in the club's 136-year history. During his tenure, he led the club to League Cup success for the first time in 1972, and recorded their most famous victory, beating city rivals Hearts 7-0 at Tynecastle on New Year's Day 1973.

Hibs chairman Rod Petrie said: "We are all deeply saddened by the news of Eddie's passing. As a player, trainer, coach and manager of the club there is no-one who has made a greater contribution to the club over many years."

Former Hibs captain and manager Pat Stanton added: "It's a very sad day for the club. The part he played at Easter Road, both as a player and as a manager was terrific. He was very special to Hibs."