There was something different about Peter Marinello from the very start — not just the way he could make a football obey his every whim, but that glint in his eye that told you he was destined for something big.
PART ONE
Born in Edinburgh, Peter Marinello grew up dreaming of glory in a city divided by green and maroon, and he chose green. As a teenager breaking into Hibernian first team in 1968, Marinello was the kind of player who made crowds lean forward in anticipation every single time he touched the ball. He could play either as a centre forward or out wide, but wherever he lined up, he brought a touch of electricity to the pitch.
Now, in the early weeks of the 1968–69 campaign, the results were far from inspiring. Hibs opened their league season on 7 September with a painful 3–1 home defeat to local rivals Hearts. Stanton grabbed the consolation, but the match set a tone of unpredictability. However, as if to prove that one poor afternoon couldn’t define them, Hibs bounced back a fortnight later with a thrilling 3–2 home win over Falkirk.
Furthermore, the month of October brought glimpses of the team’s potential. A resounding 5–1 thrashing of Airdrieonians at Easter Road had their supporters cheering every flick and feint. Yet, Hibernian’s inconsistency soon reappeared. A battling 1-1 draw at Clyde was followed by a narrow 1-0 victory over Kilmarnock, then another tough-fought 1-1 draw against Dundee United. Just as optimism started to build, an embarrassing 3–0 defeat at St Mirren reminded everyone that Hibs could as easily lose their rhythm as find it.
However, when they clicked, they really clicked. On 16 November 1968, they demolished Morton 5–0 on home soil, with Joe McBride scoring four. Then there was the astonishing 6–2 win at Aberdeen on 7 December when Peter Cormack grabbed a hat-trick, but the rollercoaster nature of the season continued. A 0–0 draw at Dundee, a 3–1 home win over Dunfermline, and then a goalless Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle on New Year’s Day – all reflected a team capable of brilliance but prone to frustrating stalemates.
As spring turned to summer, Marinello continued to feature prominently. He scored in the 3–4 defeat away to Morton on 8 March, a match that summed up Hibs’ season in miniature: brilliant attacking play undermined by defensive chaos. That goal, though, was a statement — his first of the campaign and a glimpse of the attacking instincts that would later take him to Arsenal.
Hibernian’s league season wound down with mixed results, including a 1–1 draw at Celtic, a home draw with Aberdeen, and a heavy 3–0 loss at Dundee United. They eventually finished twelfth in the Scottish First Division standings, far from the glory they aspired to but safe enough to rebuild.
Hibs’ league form may have been quite erratic, but their cup adventures offered some of the most memorable moments of the season. In the Scottish Cup, unfortunately, there was disappointment — an early exit at home to Rangers in January 1969. A 1–0 loss at Easter Road ended their hopes before they had properly begun.
In the League Cup, Hibernian battled through to reach the final, and Marinello, by now a key figure, was in the starting lineup for that Hampden showdown on 5 April 1969. However, the final turned into a nightmare for Hibs, losing 6–2 to a rampant Celtic side inspired by Bobby Lennox and Willie Wallace.
Similarly, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup brought drama and excitement in equal measure. Hibernian had already gained a reputation as one of Scotland’s most adventurous sides in Europe, and Marinello relished the continental stage. The third-round tie against Hamburg was particularly memorable. Hibs lost 1–0 in Germany but responded magnificently at Easter Road with a 2–1 victory — only to go out on away goals.
PART TWO
At Hibernian, Peter Marinello didn’t just play football — he performed it. His debut arrived while still a teenager, and his performances quickly caught the eye. The Hibs supporters loved him, and with good reason: he was quick, inventive, and daring in possession. When he ran at defenders, it was like watching a dancer improvise — never quite predictable, always entertaining.
He had that rare ability to make defenders back off — not because of brute force, but because they knew he might do something they’d never seen before. In a Scotland still basking in the afterglow of the greats like Manchester United´s Denis Law and Jim Baxter of Rangers, Marinello felt like the next in line.
Indeed, it wasn’t long before the comparisons began — and not just with his fellow Scots. The London tabloids, ever hungry for a headline, dubbed him “the next George Best.” It was a label that sounded flattering, but as history would later show, it was also a curse wrapped in praise. Because Marinello, like Best, was brilliant, impulsive, and a magnet for both attention and trouble.
Between 1968 and 1970, Peter Marinello accumulated nearly 50 first class appearances for the Easter Road club, amassing seven goals during the process, but those numbers didn’t capture the excitement he generated. Scouts from England came north to watch this Scottish prodigy, and soon enough, Arsenal — one of the grand names of English football — decided that they had seen more than enough.
In January 1970, just shy of his 20th birthday, Marinello was on his way to London. Arsenal paid £100,000 — a record fee for the club at the time, and their first-ever six-figure signing. It was a headline-making deal, not least because Arsenal were not known for extravagant transfers. Yet here was Marinello, a young Scot with long hair, good looks, and flair to spare, paraded as the Gunners’ answer to the glamour of the era.
Arriving in the capital was like stepping into a new world. Arsenal, under Bertie Mee, were a team on the rise — organised, disciplined, and poised for success. Marinello, on the other hand, was a free spirit, an entertainer in boots. Still, his Football League debut on 10 January 1970 suggested fireworks ahead. Facing Manchester United at Old Trafford, Marinello wasted no time making an impression.
After just 15 minutes of play, the new signing pounced on an error from ex-Arsenal defender Ian Ure and slotted the ball home from only a few yards out to give the Gunners a 1–0 lead. However, Manchester United managed to equalise on the stroke of half-time through substitute Carlo Sartori and went on to win 2-1 thanks to Willie Morgan who found the back of the net three minutes into the second half, but Marinello’s goal was all anyone wanted to talk about. A new hero had arrived on the stage — or so it seemed.
In the following weeks, Marinello wasn’t just making headlines on the sports pages; he was on Top of the Pops on February 5, chatting and laughing like a man made for television. Later that month, he even reviewed singles of the week in Melody Maker, rubbing shoulders with rock stars rather than right-backs.
Nevertheless, the glitz of London life would soon blur into distraction. Marinello was suddenly famous, not just for his football, but for being Peter Marinello — the young Scot with a £100,000 price tag and a smile that belonged in a pop group. The nightlife, the parties, the attention — it all came at once.
In North London, the expectations were immense. The Arsenal were a club with history and ambition, and Marinello was expected to be their spark. But life in the English First Division wasn’t simple. The style of football was slower, more tactical, and less forgiving to improvisation. Moreover, he suffered from injuries — most notably to his knee — that disrupted his rhythm.
As a result, the sparkle that defined him at Hibernian began to fade. He wasn’t a regular starter and found himself in and out of the side. He played a part in Arsenal’s run to the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1970, featuring in four matches, including the semi-final first leg against Dutch giants Ajax of Amsterdam. Yet, by the time the North Londoners lifted the trophy, Marinello wasn’t in the squad.
That absence summed up his time at Highbury — close enough to touch success, but never quite a central figure in it. When Arsenal won the famous League and FA Cup double in the 1970–71 campaign, Marinello made only three league appearances. He would feature sporadically in the next two seasons — eight league games in 1971–72, thirteen in 1972–73 — but the pattern was set.
Still, he had moments of magic. When fit, Marinello could turn a game, but consistency escaped him. And as so often happens, the press that had built him up now began to tear him down. They said he was distracted, undisciplined, too fond of the limelight. It wasn’t entirely fair — he was, after all, still young — but Arsenal were a club of structure and control, and Marinello was chaos in boots.
By July 1973, his time at Highbury was up. After 51 appearances and five goals, he moved to Portsmouth in the Second Division. It was meant to be a fresh start, away from the glare of London and its temptations.
PART THREE
At Fratton Park, Peter Marinello was handed another opportunity to rediscover himself. Portsmouth manager Ian St John was lured from Motherwell by the promise of funds to rebuild, and Marinello was part of that plan. The idea was simple: give the lad freedom, let him play, and watch the magic return.
At first, it seemed to work. Marinello’s talent shone in bursts — clever touches, sharp passes, and the occasional goal that reminded everyone why Arsenal had once paid six figures for him. Yet, the glamour of top-flight football had gone, and the muddy pitches of the Second Division were not kind to flair players. And as things turned out, the South Coast outfit ended the 1973-74 season with a record of 14 wins, 12 draws and 16 defeats for a haul of 40 points, finishing a dismal fifteenth place in the Division Two table.
The following campaign saw Pompey eventually finish in 17th position in the standings with 37 points gained from 42 games played, avoiding relegation to the Third Division by just a mere two points.
Moreover, Portsmouth were struggling financially and competitively, and Marinello, though gifted, could not single-handedly turn the tide. He stayed for two seasons, making over 50 appearances and scoring a handful of goals, but the momentum of his career had slowed.
In 1975, looking to rejuvenate his fortunes, Marinello returned north of the border. He joined Motherwell, hoping that a move back to Scotland — and to a quieter environment — might help him recapture his spark.
Motherwell offered familiarity, but not fortune. Scottish football in the mid-70s was physical and direct, and Marinello’s artistry didn’t always fit the mould. Still, there were glimpses of his old brilliance — a dribble here, a curling cross there — enough to remind fans that the talent was still intact.
Marinello was handed his Motherwell debut by Willie McLean in a 1-0 Premier Division defeat against none other than Hibernian at Easter Road on 13 December 1975. His first goal for the club came when he found the back of the net in a 4-1 demolition of Dundee at Dens Park on 17 January 1976. The flanker would go on to make 18 Premier Division appearances and score three goals (including a penalty) during first season at Fir Park. In the 1976-77 campaign, he netted three Premier Division goals in 22 appearances for the side.
From Motherwell, he moved to Fulham in 1977, returning once again to England. Fulham, then in Division Two, had a reputation for giving flair players a home, and Marinello joined a squad sprinkled with experience and character. It was a decent fit, and he contributed both skill and spark, but the consistency still eluded him.
By the early 1980s, the game had changed, and so had Marinello. His adventures took him to the United States, where he briefly played for the Phoenix Inferno in the Major Indoor Soccer League. It was football, but not as he’d known it — fast, showy, and played under the lights of an arena rather than the open air. Perhaps, in a sense, it suited him — a performer on a stage, still drawing applause.
When he returned to Scotland, he wound down his round ball career with relatively short spells with Heart of Midlothian and then finally Partick Thistle. There was no fairytale ending, no grand comeback, just the quiet fade of a playing career that had once burned so brightly.
After football, Marinello’s life was as unpredictable as his playing days. He faced financial troubles, personal struggles, and the challenge of adjusting to life away from the roar of the crowd. In later years, he spoke candidly about his mistakes, his misfortunes, and the way fame had overwhelmed him before he was ready for it.
In many ways, his career mirrors the turbulent glamour of professional football in the 1970s — when the sport and celebrity began to merge, and when being a football player suddenly meant being part of a cultural phenomenon. He was, in essence, one of the first footballers to live under that modern pressure — to be an athlete as well as an icon, and to find that fame could be both a blessing and a burden.
Moreover, Marinello´s story is a reminder that talent alone isn’t enough — that football is as much about timing, luck, and resilience as it is about flair. Yet, despite the disappointments, there’s something undeniably endearing about him. He never stopped trying to play the game his way, even when the game itself changed around him. And besides, when he was on song, there were few sights more thrilling. Ask any Hibernian fan old enough to remember those early days at Easter Road, and their eyes will light up.
Football is full of nearly men — players who had the talent but, for one reason or another, never quite fulfilled it. But Peter Marinello wasn’t just another name in that list. He was a character, a showman, and, for a brief moment in 1970, the most talked-about footballer in Britain.