Edinburgh club Hibernian have not been champions since winning the title in both the 1950-51 and the 1951-52 seasons.
Striker Lawrie Reilly (1928-2013) was the top scorer in both seasons and it was his winners’ medals that were for sale at Thomson Roddick (17.5% buyer’s premium) in Edinburgh on August 22. Against an estimate of £1000-2000, they sold at £12,000.
Appropriately, they were bought by the Hibernian Historical Trust, an independent charity, after a fundraising drive among Hibs supporters, according to the Edinburgh Evening News. The hope is to exhibit them at Hibs’ Easter Road ground.
Reilly was with Hibs from 1946-58, scoring 234 times in 333 appearances. The first of three Hibs titles came in the 1947-48 season (although Reilly wasn’t deemed to have played enough games to receive a winner’s medal). The club competed in the very first European Cup in 1955-56 when Reilly helped Hibernian to reach the semi-finals.
