Hibernian

THE SCOTTISH UMPIRE 07/08/1888

AN OPEN LETTER

TO THE HIBERNIAN FOOTBALL CLUB.

GENTLEMEN,—It must be my excuse for addressing you in the way I now do that I have your interests so very much at heart that, seeing the position in which the club is at present placed, I cannot refrain from expressing my views on the situation, and expressing them in the manner in which they will most readily and extensively attract your attention—viz., in the columns of the Umpire. There is Wisdom in a multitude of counsellors. Probably this may be a sufficient reason for my action, but if any be needed, it is that being practically an outsider I may look upon the present position from a different point of view than your committee, who, being always in consultation together, are apt to adopt a uniform set of opinions which may or may not be the best, but which will not be harmed if they are the best by anything which I may say, and it is entirely with hope and desire of stimulating the proper feeling which I think should be shared by all of you at the present time, and of laying an outside view before your committee, in the hope that they may find a suggestion worth their consideration that I write this letter. I do not hesitate to express my opinions publicly, for I am firmly of the opinion that the, more you throw yourself on the sympathy and support of the people, both of your persuasion and otherwise, the more it will be for your benefit, and ultimate recovery from the severe and reprehensible blow which has been dealt you.

Probably, now, you know the worst, which, let me say, is not so bad as it might have been; you will be at least free from the trying anxiety which you must have expressed for some time past, and for which, if it was as severe as in my case, you were not to be envied. The uncertainty which existed among you as to the real extent of the defection of your late players, led your committee and many prominent members to journey to Glasgow on Saturday to witness the scene at Celtic Park. You were no doubt struck, as I was, when you entered the grounds, at the manner in which the formation of the new club has been taken in hand, and at the evidences of wealth with which the appearance of everything impressed a beholder. It certainly made a brave show: the spacious grounds, commodious stand, and the white flag with green crossbar flying triumphantly above. A brave show certainly you thought, as in imagination you returned to the old field in Edinburgh, with its bare and careworn appearance, where so many great battles have been fought by the club which has made a name for Irish football, and for which every true Irishman still retains his affection. You felt a pang of sorrow as you compared the old with, the new; but a rush to your heart of warm affection for the old club buried any regret that had arisen, and it was with indignation and a determination to give your services more than ever to the old cause, that you took up your positions in the ground.

You no doubt wondered, as I did, at the proud manner in which your old players came out to fight against the victory of the club around which so many glorious associations cling—the Hibernians. Could they really think that they had the same right as you to uphold the honour of Irish football? Patriotic Irishmen, truly, the Celtic and its supporters ; patriotic Irishmen, indeed, who, in order to raise the name of Celts—a name which may cover Welsh, Highland Scotch, French, and all the nations of that family—dealt, as they thought, and by means which are apparent to everybody, a death blow to the Hibernian club. Fortunately, it is by no means a death blow, and, after Saturday's display, you can afford to laugh at them; the great Celtic shown up in such a manner by the combination which you managed to gather and place in the field at the last moment, in order to uphold the good, old name. If McGhee had not been injured badly and compelled to leave the field, or if the referee's decisions had been true, the Celtic would have been mourning a defeat at this moment. How your old players, McKeown, Groves, and the rest, did jump and somersault about the field when the Celtic saved themselves by scoring twice towards the close of the game! How great was their pleasure when they managed to beat the Hibernians! If your feeling, were like mine, how you must have loved them at that moment !

A friend beside me on the ground said that, "if the Hibernians only placed their boots on the field these could beat all the Celts who ever wore a white shirt; at least," said he, " if McGhee had done that the ten men and McGhee's boots would have won." I said I held an opinion of that sort, but it was not their boots I would have taken, it was their shirts. "Put eleven green shirts on the field," I said, "and the Celts will never put the ball past them”. This was perhaps overdrawn a little, but the feeling which I had was that the Hibernians did not pretend to be anything else than true Irishmen; who are not ashamed, but proud, to wear the green, and who don't wear a white shirt and edge the collar with green so that it requires a microscope to detect the colour at all.

After all, what have you lost? Look the question all round, and consider you have had a jolly good riddance of men who, though they may be, or may have been, good players, were not worthy of the club, or they would not have left it in the manner they did. Six of last year's team have deserted, besides old and prospective members. The first are McKeown, McLaren, Gallocher, Coleman, Dunbar, and Groves; and the others include Kelly, McCallum, Goverin, the two McLaughlins, and others. Well, they have gone, so let them go. You will not go out of your way to harm them; but if the Celtic club gets into a scrape if they ever should manage to beat another club in the cup ties, you would be angels, not men, if you were to do anything to help them.

You will be grateful, as I am, to those players who at the critical moment in the club's history have come forward to help you to recover your footing. Several of those players at least would not, had your club been surfeited with players, looked near you; but they could not stand by and see their old club, to which their hearts warm, go down without an effort to save it. All honour to Jimmy McGhee for remaining staunch to the green, and may he yet carry the cup to Edinburgh, as he did two seasons ago! And the same to George Smith and Billy Naughton, and to the ever-faithful, warm-hearted and hot-tempered Felix Docherty ! and to Phil Clark, and may he always make such a show of Gallocher when he plays against him as he did on Saturday! And to McGovern, McKenna, McVey, Clifford, White, and clever little Mulvey ! You will prove before this season is done, boys, that it does not require McLaren and his fellow-clubmen for the Hibernians to raise their fame.

Now then, lads, go into the season with the proper spirit. Evil deeds never prosper; the duplicity of the founders of the Celtic club will defeat its purpose. You will play with an easy conscience, and with a determination to do honour to the old name —the Hibernians.

Gentlemen of the committee, have a good heart, and look after your present team well. They will merit your confidence. Members of the club, give your every support to the committee. Irishmen in Glasgow and throughout Scotland, show what you think of the effort to ruin the Hibernians, whose headquarters are EASTER ROAD.