Tony’s goals didn’t lead to a Hibs career like O’Rourke
It’s never been easy for a young player to make his name with a major club.
Jimmy O’Rourke, who sadly passed away at 76 last week, took being thrown into action at a tender age in his stride.
He was just 16 when he first played for Hibs in 1962.
That made him the youngest player to turn out for the club’s first team, a record that remained in place at Easter Road until Jamie McCluskey beat him by just six days in 2004.
Tony McGlynn went to the same school as Jimmy – Holy Cross in Edinburgh – and was also signed by the Edinburgh club.
His experience, however, shows that talent alone doesn’t guarantee a long career.
He said: “I did a Sixth Year at school. “That meant I was still there for the first 12 months of my time as a Hibs player.
“Jimmy had left after Third Year. He made a big impact straight away, and carried the team during a time when it was struggling.
“During his early days, he did a lot of the spade work in midfield.
“He was a determined, very skilful player. His early efforts probably meant he burned out a little and he was out of things for a season.
“But he came back and made a huge contribution to Hibs during the 1960s and early ’70s.”
The fact Tony didn’t have a lengthy career with the Hibees is baffling when you look at his statistics.
He said: “I was attached to the club for a couple of years as a juvenile, training at Easter Road and playing for Edinburgh Thistle.
“Then, much to my surprise, I was called-up for the pre-season trial match in 1961.
“I started for the reserves, but was switched to the first team at half-time. The next day, I signed a contract.
“I was part-time, and the following year I was off to study Physical Education in Glasgow.”
Tony was 17 years and 123 days old when he made his league debut against Raith Rovers.
He scored the opener in a 3-2 win, when he got on the end of a header from Ally MacLeod.
The headline in the next day’s Sunday Post. was “Young Tony Makes His Mark for Hibs”.
He said: “I was over the moon to make my first-team debut and to get a goal.
“But the manager, Hugh Shaw, didn’t give me another chance – and I still don’t know why.”
Tony next appeared for the first team three years later.
A trio from the same Edinburgh school – Tony, Jimmy O’Rourke and Pat Stanton – lined up together.
He said: “I was brought in for a game against Motherwell, and scored again.
“Jimmy got a goal and Neil Martin the other one as we won 3-1.
“The next week I was in the team for a game against Dunfermline that finished 0-0. “That was my final outing for Hibs. “I suspect that being part-time counted against me.”
Walter Galbraith, a largely-unsuccessful Hibs boss, gave Tony his last two games.
He said: “I have to say he was totally hopeless as a manager.
“I can’t say much more about him because we hardly saw him around the club or at training. He didn’t give us any pre-match guidance.”
Having been released in 1964, Tony had to look for a new club.
He said: “I went to Airdrie for a short time but they decided to sign another player.
“I joined Third Lanark, but I didn’t last long there because I picked up a bad injury after colliding with a goalkeeper.
“That was me finished with football in Scotland.”
Tony did, however, play in England.
“I went to university in London to do the equivalent of a PhD in teaching,” he said “While I was there, I played for Barnet.
“It was a great club, and the money was enough to keep me going while I studied.”
Tony, now 78, then returned to Edinburgh and pursued a teaching career.