St. Mirren Take Over No. 2 Spot (1979)

(first published in the match programme for St. Mirren v Aberdeen, 4^th April 2026)

The severe winter of 1978/79 had a devastating effect on the Scottish football calendar, forcing the season to stretch into late May. St. Mirren managed to play only one match in January, with a further six fixtures being lost to the weather between 23^rd December and 10^th February.

Among the casualties was the Buddies’ trip to Easter Road to play Hibernian on 6^th January. Even if the pitch had survived the frost, burst pipes had caused damage within the stadium infrastructure, prompting an early postponement and sparing Hibs the need to produce a programme.

When the match was finally rearranged for Wednesday 4^th April 1979, Hibernian issued programme no. 21 of their standard league offering. Priced at 15p, the sixteen-page A5-sized publication was printed black on glossy white paper, with green spot colour used on the cover and centre pages. The front cover displayed the full match details beneath a photograph from a previous St. Mirren v Hibs encounter at Love Street.

The editorial on page three urged the Hibs support to rally behind the team ahead of their Scottish Cup semi-final tie against Aberdeen. Chairman Tom Hart had resisted Aberdeen’s request to move the tie from Hampden to Dens Park, believing the national stadium would give both players and fans a psychological lift.

Manager Eddie Turnbull’s column reflected on Hibs’ three wins in the previous eight days, a run that had propelled them back into the Premier League’s leading pack. He expressed hope that another win over St. Mirren, whom he described as one of the division’s most talented and entertaining teams, would set his side up well for a demanding spell of away fixtures.

Page five offered a scattering of news items and analyses of Hibs’ season, including the note that Hibs’ weekend home victory over Celtic had secured their best sequence of results against the Parkhead club for many years, with five points gained out of six in the three meetings in the season to date.

Two pages were devoted to St. Mirren, reviewing their season to date and providing pen pictures of several squad members. The feature was illustrated with photos of Andy Dunlop and Alex Beckett.

The centre pages listed the two starting XIs accurately, though the substitutes were omitted. The two linesmen were named, but the referee — Alan Ferguson of Giffnock — was left blank, a small but noticeable oversight in an otherwise tidy production.

Page ten presented Hibs’ season fixtures, results and scorers alongside the current Premier League table in which St Mirren and Hibs lay third and fourth respectively, level on games played and separated only by goal difference.

Jim O’Rourke’s Reserve Review followed, along with a “Sportrait” of Rikki Fleming and action photos from Hibs’ recent matches against Celtic and Hearts, the details of which were covered in the traditional “Hibs’ Record” on page fifteen.

The back page featured the half-time scoreboard for a busy midweek card, though it deliberately excluded that evening’s Scottish Cup semi-final match between Rangers and Partick Thistle, which was scheduled to kick off later at 8pm.

This programme remains relatively easy to obtain today at a modest price.

Despite the significance of the fixture, a crowd of only 5,867 - Easter Road’s smallest of the season so far - gathered under the midweek floodlights. St. Mirren arrived seeking to end a run of three straight defeats, including one to Hibs ten days earlier, while the home side sought to extend their own sequence of three victories and continue their climb up the table.

Hibs began with purpose, dominating the opening half-hour and carving out several chances but failing to convert. Gordon Rae and Ralph Callachan were among those passing up gilt-edged opportunities.

St Mirren, however, were nothing if not resilient and, in the 44^th minute, they punished Hibs’ wastefulness. Frank McGarvey sneaked in behind Hibs’ George Stewart to get onto the end of a Tony Fitzpatrick lob and guide a looping back header over Jim McArthur, giving the visitors a half-time lead against the run of play.

The pattern continued after the interval as Hibs created but squandered further chances, while St Mirren gradually grew in confidence and determination. Their persistence was rewarded in the 70^th minute when McGarvey chased down what looked a harmless ball and turned it back into the path of Billy Stark. The forward, despite taking an awkward touch, controlled the ball and dispatched it beyond McArthur.

At 2–0, the contest was effectively settled. Hibs continued to press, but the composure and discipline of the Paisley side ensured there would be no late drama. The victory lifted St Mirren above Rangers into second place in the Premier League, albeit having played four games more than the Ibrox side. Next up for the Buddies – League leaders Dundee United at Tannadice.