Ray of sunshine

Or ‘Cromb ushers in old age’ as the headline might have read. Forty year-old Ray Wilkins signed on initially for four games, in the aftermath of a 5-0 drubbing for Hibs at Celtic, as Alex Miller attempted to shore up the deficiencies in his squad and strengthen his own embattled position.

‘Alex Miller will be at Easter Road longer than I will,’ predicted Dougie Cromb. He was wrong, and even Wilkins outlasted his manager in the end.

The arrival of Thorsten Schmugge was also announced. Schmugge played once and then departed, reputedly because he missed his pet dog back in Germany. Whether Juha ‘The Grim’ Riippa was the other ‘high calibre’ foreigner referred to in the article I don’t know. Riippa, for what it’s worth, was another one game wonder, vanishing back to Finland after participating in a goalless draw at Tynecastle in November, during the janitorial tenure of Jocky Scott.

As for Wilkins, he eventually appeared 17 times for Hibs, finally departing after the game against Rangers at Easter Road on 4 January 1997.