Hibs mourn Willie MacFarlane loss

TRIBUTES were being paid today to ex-Hibs player and manager Willie MacFarlane, who has died six days short of his 80th birthday, writes DAVID HARDIE.

MacFarlane, who played alongside the likes of Gordon Smith, Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly, Eddie Turnbull and Willie Ormond in the days of the Famous Five, returned to the club as manager, succeeding Bob Shankly.

Although he spent only a short spell as boss, MacFarlane is credited with putting in place the foundations of the team which was to become Turnbull's Tornadoes, signing Eric Schaedler, Alex Cropley and Arthur Duncan.

Today, John Fraser, who was coach under MacFarlane, said: "I can only say Willie was probably the most enthusiastic of all the managers I worked with. He wanted to be one of the boys, he wanted to mix with his players and would have loved to have been out on the park with them.

"He put in place the bones of a really good team, players who were crying out to be developed."

Tommy Preston, a team-mate during MacFarlane's playing days, added: "He was a resolute full-back, a well-built lad. He was such an important defender because others trusted him and they could go and play their game."

MacFarlane is the third former Hibs player to have died in recent weeks, following the deaths of Alan Gordon and Bobby Smith. Manager John Hughes said: "When we heard, we just shook our heads because too many have been taken from us recently."