Scottish Cup final: ‘Put me out my misery’ legend Lawrie Reilly urges Hibs

Lawrie Reilly is the sole survivor of Hibs’ most-revered line-up, a true ‘legend’ when the label is over-used, a one-time clinical centre-forward whose celebrated team swept all before them on their way to three league titles in five seasons. He was capped by his country 38 times and scored six of his 22 goals for Scotland against England.

Yet, one regret still gnaws away at the fans’ enduring hero and gives him an abiding aim he will share with thousands of others decked out in green and white this afternoon hoping for an end to decades of Scottish Cup heartache.

“If I had a message for the current team,” he said, “it would be: ‘Put me out of my misery before I kick the bucket! Not that I’m going to kick it very soon, but I would like to see it before I go. It would be a dream come true if they won it this time.”

When Reilly was the focal point of the feared Famous Five forward line, football’s oldest national trophy was not the holy grail it has since become for the Easter Road club, even though a half century without lifting the silverware came and went during their post-war pomp.

Instead, the consistency needed to claim the League Championship in 1948, 1951 and 1952 quenched their thirst for success.

However, as the years have dragged on to an agonising 110th anniversary since Hibs’ last triumph in 1902, Reilly has questioned just why the Famous Five could vanquish their rivals over the course of a season, but not in enough one-off games to get their hands on the silverware.

“I think I played in the best-ever Hibs team, although I can’t go much further back than our side,” he says modestly. “But here was just a hoodoo on us for the Scottish Cup, so let’s hope the hoodoo is finally lifted. I don’t really know why we couldn’t win it. We just weren’t good enough on the day and that’s all you can say about it, really.

“We won the Championship three times but there’s something special about the Scottish Cup. It was great to win the Championship but it would have been the icing on the cake to win the Scottish Cup just to finish it off. It’s all right for me to say now that I would have given up my Championship medals for the Scottish Cup because we had already won them. Maybe if we could have given up one of them and kept two, that would have been well worth it.”

Reilly was born and brought up within a stone’s throw of Tynecastle and went on to make firm friends with his on-field Hearts rivals away from the pitch as they bonded over the course of 18 holes of golf. But, coming from a family of Hibs supporters who had simply strayed to the wrong side of the tracks, there was no doubting where his heart lay. The 83-year-old still makes it to every Hibs home game and will be at this afternoon’s clash with old city foes Hearts. “Even if I had to walk to Hampden I would be going,” he adds. Getting on in years, Reilly could be forgiven for being dismissive of the current Hibs team, whose slipshod performances ensured they endured a fight to stave off relegation until the second last day of a gruesome campaign.

However, although his spectacles are green-tinted it is because of his love for the club and not down to a yearning for yesteryear. In fact, the icon of a more prosperous past will be desperate to share in the wild celebrations should Pat Fenlon’s outfit pull off a momentous victory today. Reilly got up close and personal with a replica of the trophy this week but wants the real thing.

“Here’s hoping the laddies now can right the wrong,” he adds. “I’ll be there to see it – and I’ll let them know if they don’t! Not winning the Scottish Cup was the regret I have from my career. We won the League Championship, I played for Scotland and scored goals for Scotland, I scored goals against England – I did it all except win the Scottish Cup. Here’s hoping I can get my hands on it when the boys win it on Saturday. I’m sure they’ll let me get my hands on it, or even if they let me just give it a wee kiss!” And if Hibs do finally remove the monkey from their backs, how will he mark the historic moment?

“I went to see the open-top bus when we won the League Cup in 2007. My wife, Iris, and I watched them come along London Road.

“It will be extra special if they can do it with the Scottish Cup. The tears will be flowing.

“I’m 100 per cent strictly tee-total, I’ve never tasted alcohol in my life, but I’ll maybe have an orange juice if the Hibs win.”