ashton_fan Posted March 27, 2022 Report Share Posted March 27, 2022 Anyone remember the tie with Hibs during our Anglo-Scottish win in 1977, it always seemed to be a disaster when we played in Scotland: The beautiful game? Swirling winds at Easter Road limited the amount of football on show in the first leg on October 19 1977 and former Morton striker Don Gillies headed the opener for Alan Dicks’ side from a Jimmy Mann cross on 37 minutes. With the wind behind them in the second half Hibs took just 60 seconds to pull level. Ally McLeod’s corner was headed across goal by Higgins and Arthur Duncan rose to bullet a fine header beyond Robins ‘keeper John Shaw. Then things got ugly. Higgins was cautioned for a foul on Trevor Tainton but Gerry Sweeney escaped punishment for similar on Martin Henderson. Gerry Gow then followed Higgins into the book for a rash challenge on McLeod and with just under 20 minutes to go, Norman Hunter was sent off for a crude lunge on McLeod. Former Hibee Peter Cormack was also dismissed after headbutting Des Bremner and when Geoff Merrick felled Higgins in the box with six minutes remaining it looked as though Hibs would win. However, McLeod's penalty was poor and Shaw saved easily. Jackie McNamara then had a lobbed effort cleared off the line but there was still time for Tom Ritchie to come dangerously close to snatching an unlikely win for the English side. 'Bristol Butchers’ Apoplectic Hibs chairman Tom Hart branded the visitors the “Bristol Butchers” and was fully prepared to pay the £2,000 fine for withdrawing from the competition unless the tie was awarded to his club but his Bristol City counterpart Stephen Kew warned the English side would want six times that amount to cover gate money from the second leg plus expenses already incurred in travel and accommodation for the first leg. Hart said: “We would rather pull out than risk injury to our players in Bristol. Hibs cannot afford to have anyone sidelined for weeks at a time, and that must be a possibility judging from the way these players behaved in an away game. "I don’t expect Hibs to be awarded the game in view of the 1-1 score on Wednesday night but in the circumstances we will not be going through with the return match.” Oversized sherry However, the game did go ahead and Hart travelled the 400 miles to watch his side lose 5-3 at Ashton Gate in driving rain. Forty-nine free kicks were awarded – 25 against Hibs – and five players were booked including McLeod and Higgins for the visitors. A Tainton goal, Sweeney penalty, and a strike from teenager Kevin Mabbutt had the hosts 3-1 up at half-time with Henderson on target for Hibs. A McLeod free kick and Henderson’s second levelled scores in the second half before Ritchie and Mabbutt sealed Bristol City’s place in the final. After the match Hart, firmly esconced in the boardroom, issued a statement via a steward admitting that he had perhaps said too much before the game. Every Hibs director was gifted an oversized bottle of Bristol sherry by a local drinks firm and, licking their wounds, Hibs returned to Scotland. City went on to win the cup, beating St Mirren 3-2 in the final. 4 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanterne Rouge Posted March 27, 2022 Report Share Posted March 27, 2022 Some famous names in that report. Hibs were pretty good back then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sglosbcfc Posted March 27, 2022 Report Share Posted March 27, 2022 I've never heard of this before, despite various posts about the Anglo-Scottish Cup in the past. Interesting that many of the City players caught up in the controversy were Scots, maybe some Hearts fans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Isewater Posted March 27, 2022 Report Share Posted March 27, 2022 Back in the day when we weren’t so weak minded. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Posted March 27, 2022 Report Share Posted March 27, 2022 Was at the Gate for this game and certainly had our monies worth, Hart got a load of crap sat in the stand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashton_fan Posted March 27, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2022 Our fans loved it at the time and I'm sure there was a 'Bristol Butchers' song sung from the terraces Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristol Oil Services Posted March 27, 2022 Report Share Posted March 27, 2022 Fake (team) news. "Bristol’s Scottish Butchers" I think is/was more accurate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sleepy1968 Posted March 27, 2022 Report Share Posted March 27, 2022 @ashton_fan thanks for posting. I vaguely know that City won the Anglo-Scottish cup but the year we won was just before I was allowed to go to football, although I was going by the year we lost it. It doesn't help that played St Mirren in both finals - the only real anglo-scottish finals - but I guess you had to be there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHILINFRANCE Posted March 27, 2022 Report Share Posted March 27, 2022 11 minutes ago, Sleepy1968 said: @ashton_fan thanks for posting. I vaguely know that City won the Anglo-Scottish cup but the year we won was just before I was allowed to go to football, although I was going by the year we lost it. It doesn't help that played St Mirren in both finals - the only real anglo-scottish finals - but I guess you had to be there. I went to our first leg away to St. Mirren, hired a car to drive up, and, after a pre-match haggis and chips, spent a wonderful couple of hours in their Supporters Club bar, repeated after the game. Unfortunately, when we tried to return the gesture in the return game, our new friends from Glasgow (Paisley) weren’t allowed in as they weren’t members . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TV Tom Posted March 27, 2022 Report Share Posted March 27, 2022 I think we were called the Bristol butchers when we had 3 sent off in a cup game at Palace in the late ‘70s, also the three ‘A’s’ were sent off in a thriller at Watford in the early 90’s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oh Louie louie Posted March 27, 2022 Report Share Posted March 27, 2022 Bet those bottles, were gone by gloucester, knowing that lot. Talk like that they were beaten before they came. Bet he was thinking imagine what it will be like at their place, if they are kicking ours up in the air here! Anyone got any footage at all please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Swan and Cemetery Posted March 27, 2022 Report Share Posted March 27, 2022 Suspect our 1977 beating of St Mirren was the chastening experience that shaped Sir Alex’s tactical philosophy for the rest of his career. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oh Louie louie Posted March 27, 2022 Report Share Posted March 27, 2022 2 grand to get out of it. For 70s money they really must have been touching cloth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted March 27, 2022 Report Share Posted March 27, 2022 I remember the headline in one of the nationals, "Butchers of Bristol". Yes, the game made the national papers, probably not many other games on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BS2 Red Posted March 27, 2022 Report Share Posted March 27, 2022 6 hours ago, Oh Louie louie said: 2 grand to get out of it. For 70s money they really must have been touching cloth! Equivalent of £13k today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick jones of hereford Posted March 27, 2022 Report Share Posted March 27, 2022 Slight tangent but after once winning the Welsh Cup, our winning the Anglo Scottish cup arguably made us the only true champions of Great Britain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waconda Posted March 28, 2022 Report Share Posted March 28, 2022 Saw us play St Mirren and Morton at home in that competition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillzider Posted March 28, 2022 Report Share Posted March 28, 2022 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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