IT'S a night which has been written into Hibee folklore, the stunning Fairs Cities Cup triumph over Spanish champions Barcelona, who had just ended bitter rivals Real Madrid's five-year reign as kings of Europe.
Given it was all of 47 years ago, Hibs kid Lewis Stevenson can be forgiven for not knowing that particular historical fact until he saw Barca's name emblazoned on a banner listing the Easter Road club's European opponents.
The banner, part of the
celebrations to mark Hibs' 50th anniversary as Britain's first team in the European Cup, ran round all four stands bearing every opponent from Rot-Weiss Essen in 1955 to the visit of Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in 2005.
But it was the name of Barcelona which jumped out for Stevenson, then only 17. Then the thought of one day facing the Catalan outfit was only a far-off dream.
Today that dream is about to be realised as Mixu Paatelainen's players begin to prepare for the visit of Barca to Murrayfield.
A pre-season friendly it may be, but midfield ace Stevenson insisted he and his team-mates will be taking the game just as seriously as the likes of Joe Baker, Tommy Preston, Willie Ormond and Bobby Kinloch did all those years ago, their victory over Barcelona coming just after the Catalans had knocked five time winners Real out of the European Cup.
And he insisted, as fanciful as it may sound, that it wasn't beyond the realms of possibility that the clubs might again clash one day with a European tie at stake once more.
He said: "I didn't realise Hibs had played Barcelona until I saw that banner at Easter Road before the Dnipro game. You never know what might happen, if they have a bad season and end up in the UEFA Cup and we do well and get into it we might draw them again.
"But we'll never get into that situation by finishing mid-table, our aim has to be to finish the coming season in third place."
In the meantime, Thursday's clash at the home of Scottish rugby will have to do, with Stevenson insisting the lack of a competitive edge won't detract from the occasion.
He said: "There's no way we will be treating it like a circus. We want to show what we can do. It is part of our preparation for the new season and you can't get better than Barcelona.
"We'll enjoy it but there is also a serious side to the game and we'll try to ensure the fans get their money's worth."
Stevenson believes facing a side of Barca's stature will certainly help sharpen Hibs' skills, well aware that possession surrendered too readily will result in Paatelainen's players chasing shadows for lengthy spells.
Paatelainen has complained that his players have given the ball away too easily in their matches so far but 20-year-old Stevenson said: "Barcelona can keep the ball for fun against the best teams in the world while our passing has not been up to scratch.
"Our best performances last season came when we kept possession and so dominated games but, if we give the ball away cheaply against a team like Barcelona, we're not likely to get it back in a hurry."
While much of the focus at the Nou Camp over the summer has been departures rather than arrivals, Portuguese star Deco joining Chelsea and Brazilian ace Ronaldinho making a big money move to AC Milan as a question mark remains over the future of striker Samuel Eto'o, Stevenson immediately rattled off a lengthy list of superstars who remain.
He said: "It's easy to overlook some of the names there because there are so many of them. It's hard to keep track at a club like Barcelona because there always seems to be players coming and going. But they don't have average players at the Nou Camp. They've still got Thierry Henry, Xavi, Lionel Messi, Iniesta, Carles Puyol and so on. They've just signed Alexander Hleb from Arsenal and he could play his first game for them against us."
Stevenson believes, however, that it won't only be Barcelona who will be parading their new signings, confident boss Paatelainen, who has so far only added David van Zanten to his squad, will have further new faces in place if not for next week then for the start of the season.
He said: "I think Motherwell are the benchmark for the rest of us after last season. They dominated us in three games but I feel we are perfectly capable of achieving what they did last season. I think we have a lot of depth in our squad, there are young boys coming through again and I'd imagine there's a lot going on and I'm sure we'll have more transfers coming in before August 9."
Paatelainen insisted he'd agreed to face Barcelona because his players would never have forgiven him had he turned the chance down – and Stevenson revealed his boss was spot on.
He said: "I don't think anyone would have been best pleased if we had given a game like this away. It's going to be a great occasion but there is also much we can learn from being on the same pitch as them for 90 minutes."
One player Stevenson intends to get up close and personal with is Argentine star Messi, revealing that he's the one Barcelona star with whom he'd like to swap jerseys on the final whistle.
He said: "I've only ever had a fake Barcelona shirt brought back by relatives from a holiday in Spain so this is a chance to get the real thing. I think everyone will be fighting to get a Barcelona jersey for themselves. I'd probably go for Messi but perhaps I'll settle for one of the young boys who is going to be the next superstar."
Stevenson, who lists Scottish rugby star Andrew Easson as a lifelong friend, admitted playing at Murrayfield would also be an experience to relish.
He said: "It's a massive ground and there won't be too many football players can say they've played at the home of Scottish rugby.
"Andrew and I went to school together in Kirkcaldy from the age of five so we know each other well but I was never tempted by rugby – I'm just not big enough."
Stevenson will also have his fingers crossed he gets the chance to impress Paatelainen in the glamour match having found himself on the fringes of the big Finn's plans so far, although he did captain Hibs against Raith Rovers at Stark's Park in midweek.
His lack of action has raised a question mark against his future in some circles but Stevenson was quick to shoot down any speculation. He said: "I've heard people say this is a make-or-break season for me but that's not the case. I'm still young, I have three years left on my contract and it is up to me to keep my head down and to work hard. The manager has been saying I've been doing well so it is a matter of keeping the right attitude and then seeing what happens.
"Apart from not playing as much as I would like, I've been enjoying it under the gaffer since he came in. He's not just the manager, he likes to have a laugh with you and everyone enjoys training, it's quite relaxed."
The full article contains 1246 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
