Sunday, October 7, 2012

7 October 1964 - Hibs Just Got Real

On 7 October 1964, Hibernian hosted Real Madrid in a friendly, beating the Spanish champions 2-0.

Accepting an invitation from Hibs manager Jock Stein, Real Madrid arrived at Easter Road having won the last four La Liga titles and having finished as runners-up in the previous season's European Cup. Their line-up boasted a number of stars, none brighter than their prolific forward pairing of Ferenc Puskás and Francisco Gento. But they were up against a Hibs team that included six Scottish internationals, including forward Willie Hamilton.

But it was Hibs' unheralded 19-year old midfielder Peter Cormack who scored the opening goal to put the hosts up 1-0. They then got a second, though reports disagree as to who scored it; some say it was forward Jim Scott, while others claim it was an own goal from Real Madrid left half Ignacio Zoco. Either way, it cemented a 2-0 victory for Hibs that saw the home supporters invade the pitch in celebration.

Real Madrid went on to end the year with their fifth consecutive league title, while Hibs finished in their league's fourth-place spot.


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