April 21, 1949, was a red letter day for Scottish Football. No-one quite appreciated it at the time but down at Sanquar, in a friendly game between Hibs and Nithsdale Wanderers, something of great significance took place.

The Famous Five were born. Smith, Johnstone, Reilly, Turnbull and Ormond - names destined to be memorised by all Scottish football fans because of their skill and artistry, not to mention their superb goalscoring achievments, played together in that formation for the first time.

It would surprise no-one now to learn that Hibs scored eight goals against Nithsdale, with Ormond, Reilly, Turnbull and Smith among the scorers.

On Wednesday, May 4, they played as a forward line in another friendly, this time at Windsor Park, Belfast, against an Irish FA XI. Hibs won 4-0 and Johnstone, 2, Smith and Turnbull were the scorers.

It was a match in aid of the Ulster War Memorial Building Fund and Colvin, a former Hib, was in the Irish side.

On Saturday, October 15, they lined up at EasterRoad for their first competitive match in Division"A" of the Scottish League. Hibs beat Queen of the South 2-0, with Smith and Turnbull finding the net. Little did the 25,000 crowd know that so much more was to come.

They only lost three games that season - twice to Hearts and once to Third Lanark - and finished runner-up to Rangers. For the third season in succession Gordon Smith was top league scorer, with 25 goals to his credit.

They came into their own in season 1950-51, reaching the League Cup final and the Scottish Cup semi-final, both times losing to Motherwell.

They won the league, however, with Lawrie Reilly their top league scorer with 23 goals.

Retaining the title the following season, Reilly bagged 27 league goals in a season that saw them pip Rangers by four points, and they established a record by collecting 96 goals in their 30 matches.

In 1952-53 they failed only on goal average to take the title for a third consecutive year; on goal difference, they would have won the title. They netted 92 goals, including Gordon Smith's 300th for the club.

In the same season Reilly bagged no fewer than six hat-tricks, including a four goal burst against Motherwell.

And it was in 1953 that they were almost chosen to play for the Scottish League against the League of Ireland. The selectors chose Smith, Johnstone, Reilly and Ormond but baulked at making it an all-Hibs line, preferring Jimmy Bonthrone of East Fife to Eddie Turnbull.

All five forwards reached 100 goals for Hibs in their careers.

The final match in which The Famous Five played as a line was on January 29, 1955, against Clyde at home. Two goals up at one stage, they eventually went down 2-3.

It was the end of a legend. On March 1 the same year, Bobby Johnstone was transferred to Manchester City for £22,000.