From our archive: looking back at the last Hearts v Hibs Cup Final

This Saturday will see Hearts and Hibernian meet in a Scottish cup final for the first time since March 14, 1896.

The Glasgow Herald report

That game, which Hearts won 3-1, was played at Logie Green Park in Powderhall, Edinburgh - the only time the final has been played outside of Glasgow. The venue was moved east because a rugby international between Scotland and England was being held at Hampden on the same day.

Now a residential area, Logie Green was a controversial venue because it was the home of Edinburgh’s third team, St Bernard, and supporters feared it would not be big enough for the anticipated crowd of over 20,000, though in fact it easily accommodated the 18,000 who turned up on the day.

A match report appeared in Glasgow Herald on Monday, March 16th. Its position on page 10 was not prominent as the day’s sporting coverage was dominated by rugby and horse racing.

According to the report, Hearts dominated the match from the beginning, as Hibs “did not settle well” and were “suffering from over anxiety.”

The first goal was a penalty taken by Hearts’ Davie Baird, followed by two more Hearts goals early in the second half, by Alex King and Willie Michael. A consolation goal was scored by Hibs toward the end of the match when “the Hearts defence was not much in evidence.”

The correspondent was impressed by performances by McCartney, Begbie, Baird and Davie Russell (who went on to play for Celtic) on the Hearts side, and by the efforts of Groves, McColl and Jack Robertson (who went on to win an English football league title with Liverpool) for Hibs.

Coverage of the game took two forms, a neutral match report and an analysis within the day’s Notes on Sport column, which included almost as much observation about the weather as the football. The reporter was not named, as it was not the convention to include journalists’ bylines at the time.

Although photos of the match do exist (see below) these were not reproduced in the newspaper as its presses were not yet equipped to print photographs. The Glasgow Herald did not routinely publish photographs until the mid 1920s, until more sophisticated technology became available, when newspapers did publish images they were normally based on engravings.

The Glasgow Herald, March 16, 1896

The Association Game
Scottish Cup Final

Heart of Midlothian v Hibernians

The final tie in the Scottish Cup competition was played at Logie Green, Edinburgh, on Saturday afternoon before about 18,000 spectators. The finalists were the Heart of MidLothian and the Hibernians, both of which teams had previously held the cup for one year. The ground was in fairly good condition. The arrangements were perfect and the weather was everything to be desired.

The teams were:-
Hearts – Fairbarin, McCartney and Mirk, Begbie, Russell and Hogg, McLaren and Baird, Michael, Walker and King

Hibernians – McColl, Robertson and McFarlane, Breslin Neil and Murphy, Murray and Kennedy, Groves, Smith and O’Neall

The Hearts kicked off, and ere long it was obvious that the Hibernians were suffering from over-anxiety. They did not settle down to their work, whereas the Hearts came away in a series of well directed attacks. In the course of a scramble, Robertson fouled the ball, and from the free kick the initial goal was scored.

The Hibernians made a dash after their revenge, and some good playing was witnessed. Murray often looked dangerous but Hogg kept him severely in check. Groves also made one or two well intentioned tries for the goal, but they failed to come off. Michael became prominent and succeeded in bringing the play back to McColl. There a series of exciting incidents took place, and though the play ranged pretty much in McColl’s neighbourhood, no further scoring took place before the interval. The first half thus ended in favour of the Hearts by 1 goal to nothing.

The second half opened with a sensational run by the Hearts and the ball was sent through. The referee, however, disallowed the point for a foul which occurred before the ball was shot. Murray and Kennedy transferred the play, but Hogg and Russell knocked them under. The Hibs made desperate attempts and one or two corners in their favour resulted. Many of their efforts were spoiled by Russell, who was one of the most conspicuous players on the field.

The Hibernians were observed to be losing prudence and coolness, and this was rather increased when after King had beaten Breslin, Neil and Robertson, the ball came swiftly in from the corner and eluded McColl’s effort to stay it. The additional point was hailed with great cheering. The Hibernians lost all their stamina after this stage, and five minutes later King and Walker having approached McColl, Michael headed the ball through. The Hearts defence was not much in evidence and their inactivity perhaps was responsible for the only point which the Hibernian gained through the agency of Murray and Groves. Play continued against the Hibernians, and a stiff match ended in favour of the Hearts by 3 goals to 1.

The winning team: back (left to right) Bob McLaren, Bob McCartney, John Fairbairn, Jimmy Mirk, Alex King, and coach James Chapman, and front (left to right) Davie Baird, Willie Michael, John Walker, George Hogg, Isaac Begbie and Davie Russell.

Notes on Sports

For the first time in its history the final tie for the Scottish Cup was played in Edinburgh on Saturday, and the conditions were in every way favourable. The weather was magnificent; and despite the rainfall, the pitch was in good order for a fast game. The attendance numbered fully 18000, the drawings at the gate alone being £890 14s, which with the takings at the stands bring the total up to £1030. The game was much in advance of the usual final tie exhibition, and the winning team all over showed form worthy of the Scottish Cupholders.

The Hearts scored first, a luckily-taken foul kick going through off side of the Hibs, and thus the game stood at half time. In the second period the superiority of the Hearts was even more marked, their forwards and halves playing in grand fashion. King scored a second goal with a shot that went through off the goalkeeper’s hands, and Michael followed with a pretty header.

When the game was practically finished, O’Neill scored the Hibernian’s only goal, the Hearts winning by 3 goals to 1. McCartney, Russell and Begbie and Baird all played well, the centre half playing his best game of the season. The Hibs were disappointing, the best of the lot being Robertson, Groves and McColl.

Taken from the Herald