Jimmy O’Rourke, a former Hibs forward who scored 122 goals in 325 games for the team, passed away at the age of 76.
On the morning of November 15, the childhood Hibee, who also played for St. Johnstone and Motherwell throughout his career and was a member of Eddie Turnbull’s coaching staff at Easter Road, passed away in Edinburgh.
There will only be room for one wee fat barrel, and it won’t be me,” O’Rourke famously said after St Johnstone transferred him in 1974 to make room for Joe Harper. O’Rourke later spent two years at Fir Park before moving back to Leith. He is best known for his two goals in the 7-0 New Year’s derby victory over Hearts at Tynecastle Park.
He was born in September 1946, attended Holy Cross Academy as a student, where he was two years younger than Pat Stanton, another Hibernian legend, and signed for the Easter Road team. He made his professional debut against Utrecht at the tender age of 16 years and 85 days.
Jimmy O’Rourke’s cause of death
Jimmy O’Rourke’s family has not made an official pronouncement about the circumstances of his death. He earned a spot in the club’s history books as the group’s youngest debutant up until Jamie McCluskey, who entered the game as a second-half substitute in a 2-0 victory against Kilmarnock in January 2004 at the age of 16 years and 79 days.
