Lawrie Reilly obituary

Scotland and Hibernian player famous for his prolific goalscoring

Brian Glanville
The Guardian, Monday 22 July 2013 18.12 BST

The Scottish footballer Lawrie Reilly, who has died aged 84, was the last surviving member of Hibernian's "famous five" forward line, flanked by Gordon Smith and Bobby Johnstone on the right, and Eddie Turnbull and Willie Ormond on the left. This attack brought Hibs two consecutive league titles, in 1951 and 1952, breaking the dominance of the mighty Old Firm clubs Rangers and Celtic. Hibs nearly won the league in 1953, too, but Rangers pipped them on goal average.

Reilly scored 185 goals for Hibs in 253 league games, often profitably switching positions with his gifted wingers, Smith and Ormond, who would move into the middle. Ever modest, he ascribed his remarkable strike rate to the passes and crosses he got from the other forwards.

Born in Edinburgh, Reilly was Hibs through and through – he supported the team as a young boy and stayed with the club for his whole career. Acquired from Edinburgh Thistle, he played his first game for Hibernian in 1945. His advancement, however, was somewhat slow to come until the accomplished, and far more experienced, Ormond broke his leg. Reilly took his place at outside-left, and proved himself to be a prolific goalscorer. When Ormond eventually recovered, Hibs switched Reilly to the centre-forward position, where he had similar success.

His first three caps for Scotland came against Wales, England and France respectively. In October 1948, at Cardiff, where the Scots won 3-1, he led the attack with a famous inside-forward on either side of him, Jimmy Mason and Billy Steel. Against England at Wembley in April 1949, he headed the third Scottish goal in another emphatic 3-1 victory. He was on the left wing again, later that month, when Scotland beat France 2-0.

At 5ft 7in, Reilly may at first have seemed an unlikely centre-forward. However, he was strong, fast, courageous, inventive – and gifted in the air despite his lack of height. In his 38 games for Scotland he scored 22 times. One of the most memorable of these was an 89th-minute strike against England at Wembley in 1953, his equaliser finding the net as Alf Ramsey tried to intervene, in vain. So often did he score decisive late goals that he gained the nickname "Last Minute Reilly".

But he never took part in a World Cup tournament. In 1950, in a bizarre show of hubris incomprehensible in today's football climate, Scotland refused to send a team to Brazil. They had stipulated that they would go only if they won the British International Championship, which was serving as a qualifying group, even though the runner-up was also guaranteed a place. England beat Scotland somewhat fortunately 1-0 at Hampden Park – a game in which Reilly was not playing – and qualified for Brazil. Scotland came second and the Scottish Football Association duly kept their word – and their team at home.

Reilly also missed the 1954 World Cup finals in which Scotland did, somewhat disastrously, participate, losing 7-0 to Uruguay in the first round. This time, Reilly was forced out by illness, having contracted pleurisy.

His last season for Hibs was blighted by a cartilage injury, forcing him out of the game at the age of 29. He became a publican, enjoyed golf and was a popular matchday host at the Easter Road stadium, where he remained revered and much-loved by Hibs fans. Only Denis Law, Kenny Dalglish and Hughie Gallacher scored more goals for Scotland than Reilly, who remains the most capped Hibs player.

He is survived by his wife, Iris, and his son, Lawrence.

• Lawrence Reilly, footballer, born 26 October 1928; died 22 July 2013

Taken from the Guardian/Observer