English Premier League club send condolences to family of player who inspired affection and admiration
Hibs have paid tribute to one of their all-time greats following the sad passing of former Easter Road favourite Alex Cropley. And the club said he will always be remembered for his part in what Hibs fans still call ‘The Greatest Game in History.’
The former midfielder, who went on to play for Arsenal and Aston Villa, was a member of the great Turnbull’s Tornadoes side of the early 1970s. A tough tackler with a silky touch, he was a League Cup winner who made 199 appearances for Hibs.
He will forever be remembered for scoring in the most famous Edinburgh derby in Hibs history, netting the fourth as Eddie Turnbull’s team racked up a stunning 7-0 win over Hearts at Tynecastle on New Year’s Day of 1973. He left Hibs for Arsenal in 1974, in a move valued at £150,000, and became and instant favourite.
A move to Aston Villa followed, Cropley completing his own personal double by winning the English League Cup with the Birmingham club in 1977. He would later play for the Toronto Blizzard in the short-lived but fondly-remembered North American Soccer League, before finishing his career at Portsmouth aged just 31.
Plagued by a series of injuries, including suffering three leg breaks over his spells at Highbury and then Villa Park, Cropley is still fondly remembered by fans who saw him play. A fact underlined by the attendance of so many attendees from the Arsenal Supporters’ Association when he launched his autobiography, written with the help of Hibs historian Tom Wright, in 2013.
In December of 2020, his family announced that the great man, who had later become a taxi driver and run Cropley’s Bar in Portobello, had been diagnosed with dementia.
Hibs confirmed the sad news in a post on social media this evening, saying: “Everyone at Hibernian FC is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Hibs legend Alex Cropley, at the age of 75. A member of the Hibs Hall of Fame, Alex made 199 appearances for the Club and was an instrumental part of the iconic 'Turnbull's Tornadoes' side that won the League Cup in 1972.
“Cropley scored 49 goals for Hibs, including the fourth in our 0-7 victory over Hearts at Tynecastle on New Year's Day 1973. Rest in peace, Alex.”
Hibs were joined in their tribute by Aston Villa, the Premier League club sending a statement of condolence declaring: “The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Alex’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.
“During his first season at Villa Park, he helped Ron Saunders’ side to a 1977 League Cup triumph against Everton in the famous second replay of the final at Old Trafford.
“But yet another broken leg, sustained against West Bromwich Albion in December the following season, ruled him out of action for 12 months. He re-established himself as a regular member of the team by the end of the 1978/79 campaign but was unable to recapture the brilliant form he had displayed before his injury.
“His misfortune meant he was limited to 83 Villa appearances and seven goals, yet he is still fondly recalled by supporters from that era as one of the most talented players ever to wear a claret-and-blue shirt. But for injury, he might easily have been a member of the League Championship-winning squad of 1980/81. Rest in peace, Alex.”
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