Editing Hibernian F.C. (section)

===The Famous Five (1939–1959)===
[[File:Famous Five mural.JPG|right|thumb|upright|Picture depicting [[The Famous Five (football)|the Famous Five]] at [[Easter Road]] stadium.]]

Hibs' most successful era was in the decade following the end of the [[World War II|Second World War]], when it was "among the foremost clubs in Britain".<ref name = "Bobby Johnstone"/> The [[forward (association football)|forward]] line of [[Gordon Smith (footballer, born 1924)|Gordon Smith]], [[Bobby Johnstone]], [[Lawrie Reilly]], [[Eddie Turnbull]] and [[Willie Ormond]], collectively known as [[The Famous Five (football)|the Famous Five]], was "regarded as the finest ever seen in Scottish football".<ref name = "Bobby Johnstone">{{Cite web|last=Gordon |first=Phil |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/bobby-johnstone-729354.html |title=Bobby Johnstone |work=The Independent|date=24 August 2001 |access-date=22 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081226005513/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/bobby-johnstone-729354.html |archive-date=26 December 2008}}</ref> Each of the Famous Five scored more than 100 goals for Hibs.<ref name = "Bobby Johnstone"/> The north stand at [[Easter Road]] is now named in their honour. Smith was signed by Hibs in 1941, while Ormond, Turnbull, Reilly and Johnstone were all signed during 1946. Of the five, only Ormond cost Hibs a transfer fee, [[Pound sterling|£]]1200 from [[Stenhousemuir F.C.|Stenhousemuir]].<ref>{{harvnb|Jeffrey|2005|p=125}}</ref> Reilly, Johnstone, Smith and Turnbull were all signed from youth or junior leagues.<ref name = "Bobby Johnstone"/><ref name = "lawrie load of goals"/>

In the first season of competitive football after the Second World War, Hibs reached the [[1947 Scottish Cup final]]. They took an early lead in the match, but went on to lose 2–1 to [[Aberdeen F.C.|Aberdeen]]. With Reilly added to the first team in [[1947–48 in Scottish football|1947–48]], Hibs won the [[list of Scottish football champions|Scottish league championship]] for the first time since 1903. This was achieved despite the death of team manager [[Willie McCartney]] in January 1948.<ref name = "lawrie load of goals"/> McCartney was succeeded by [[Hugh Shaw (footballer, born 1896)|Hugh Shaw]],<ref name = "lawrie load of goals"/> who added Johnstone to the first team during 1948. Hibs finished third in the league in [[1948–49 in Scottish football|1948–49]]. In a [[Exhibition game|friendly match]] against [[Nithsdale Wanderers F.C.|Nithsdale Wanderers]] on 21 April 1949, Hibs included all of the famous five players in the same team for the first time.<ref name = "lawrie load of goals"/> They then made their collective competitive debut on 15 October 1949, in a 2–0 win against [[Queen of the South F.C.|Queen of the South]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.qosfc.com/History |title=Club History |publisher=Queen of the South FC |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110508013726/http://www.qosfc.com/history |date=13 September 2009 |archive-date=8 May 2011 |access-date=2 May 2017}}</ref> They improved on their season from the year before, by finishing second in the league to Rangers by one point.

[[1950–51 in Scottish football|1950–51]] was the high point of the Famous Five era. With other internationalists such as [[Tommy Younger]] and [[Bobby Combe]], Hibs won the league by 10 points (when two points were awarded for each win). They reached the [[1950 Scottish League Cup final]]. Turnbull had scored a hattrick in the semi-final but was unavailable for the final. [[Jimmy Bradley]] started at left wing with Ormond moved to inside left. Motherwell beat them 3–0. Hibs retained the league championship in [[1951–52 in Scottish football|1951–52]], this time winning by four points. Hibs were narrowly denied a third consecutive title in [[1952–53 in Scottish football|1952–53]] on the last day of the season. A late Rangers equaliser against Queen of the South took the title to Ibrox on [[Goal difference#Goal difference v. goal average|goal average]]. The Famous Five forward line remained in place until March 1955, when Johnstone was sold to [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]].<ref name = "Bobby Johnstone"/>

{{See also|Hibernian F.C. in European football|1955–56 European Cup}}
Despite only finishing fifth in the Scottish League in 1955, Hibs were invited to participate in the first season of the [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]], which was not strictly based on league positions at that time.<ref name = "European Union"/> Eighteen clubs who were thought would generate interest across Europe and who also had the [[floodlight]]s necessary to play games at night, were invited to participate.<ref name = "European Union">{{Cite news|last=Wilson |first=Richard |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article545013.ece |title=European Union |work=The Sunday Times|publisher=News International |date=17 July 2005 |access-date=4 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629123237/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article545013.ece |archive-date=29 June 2011}}</ref> Floodlights had been used at [[Easter Road]] for the first time in a [[Exhibition game|friendly match]] against Hearts on 18 October 1954.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/games/19541018.html |title=Mon 18 Oct 1954 |publisher=London Hearts Supporters' Club |work=Londonhearts.com |access-date=22 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201193027/http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/games/19541018.html |archive-date=1 December 2008 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Hibs became the first British club in Europe because the [[English Football League]] secretary [[Alan Hardaker]] persuaded [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]], the [[List of English football champions|English champions]], not to enter.<ref>{{Cite news|author-link=Brian Glanville |last=Glanville |first=Brian |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article385542.ece |title=The great Chelsea surrender |work=The Times |date=27 April 2005 |access-date=4 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811183830/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article385542.ece |archive-date=11 August 2011}}</ref>

Hibs played their first match against [[Rot-Weiss Essen]], winning 4–0 in the [[Georg-Melches-Stadion]]<ref name = "European Union"/> and drawing 1–1 at Easter Road. They defeated [[Djurgårdens IF Fotboll|Djurgårdens IF]] to reach the semi-final,<ref name = "European Union"/> but in that clash they were defeated 3–0 on [[Two-legged tie|aggregate]] by [[Stade de Reims]],<ref name = "European Union"/> who had the famous [[France national football team|France international]] player [[Raymond Kopa]] in their side.<ref name = "European Union"/> Reims lost 4–3 to [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]] in the [[1956 European Cup Final|final]].<ref name = "European Union"/>