When Hibs flew 4,000 miles to Trinidad and Tobago for a winter break

As the midnight bells rang in the year 2000, Hibs were preparing for a winter break like no other.

These days, warm-weather training camps in Spain or Portugal are de rigeur but 20 years ago the Easter Road players were packing their bags for a trip to the Caribbean.

With the talismanic Russell Latapy, who had made quite an impact since signing from Boavista and helping Hibs to the First Division title, in the team Alex McLeish took his charges to the little magician’s homeland of Trinidad and Tobago, for what striker Mixu Paatelainen would later describe as a “mini pre-season”.

This was the year of the fluorescent yellow away kit, which featured in one of the matches.

Hibs played a handful of games, facing a President’s XI, a Tobago Select, and Caribbean XI, and photographer Paul Chappells was there to capture some of the sights of the trip for the Evening News.

This was the year of the fluorescent yellow away kit, which featured in one of the matches.