I was saddened to hear of the passing of the man synonymous with Hibernian FC - Eddie Turnbull. The word 'legend' is used far too frequently these days but it certainly applies to the great man who died at the weekend. He had just celebrated his 88th birthday a little more than a fortnight ago.. During the late 1940s and 1950s, Turnbull played in the Hibs Famous Five forward line along with Gordon Smith, Willie Ormond, Bobby Johnstone and Lawrie Reilly. In that time, he won three league titles and became the first British player to score in a European club competition.
Turnbull was manager of Aberdeen in the late 1960s/early 1970s and famously won the Scottish Cup in 1970 defeating Jock Stein's Celtic 3-1 in the final. He returned to his first love, Hibs, as manager in 1971 and won the League Cup a year later. The Hibs team of the early to mid 1970s produced some memorable performances as they reflected the style and panache of their manager.
Scotland has lost another footballing great and the football world is a poorer place with the death of Eddie Turnbull.
A football great indeed.
ReplyDelete