Easter Road 1980

Super-8 film footage of Easter Road in 1980, taken by a Mr W. Gibson who was obviously on a mission at the time to film as many of the UK’s football grounds as he could.

Apart from the roof and benches on the north terrace this is substantially how Easter Road had looked since the early 1950s. Three years after this film was taken the top tier was sliced off the massive east terrace and by 1985 the present roof had been added.

Ten years later and work began to replace the north and ‘Dunbar’ ends with new stands, and in 2001 the main west stand, which had stood (and decayed) since the 1930s was replaced, and not before time.

It seems probable that the final part of the jigsaw, the east terrace, is about to be levelled and rebuilt, erasing the last vestige of the ground shown in this film and creating a complete stadium fit for the century ahead.

It is well worth having a look at the film of other grounds too, many of which have now either been completely or significantly rebuilt, or in many cases bulldozed and covered in supermarkets or housing developments. Of several that I have visited, Douglas Park, Kilbowie, Boghead and Brockville have all disappeared, although the last two survived almost exactly as you see them here into the 21st century when they barely seemed fit for the 19th. God knows what Frank Sauzee thought when I saw him make his debut for Hibs at that Brockville in 1998. Did he for a moment think that he had fallen through a crack in the fabric of time and was doomed to play out the twighlight of his career in places like that? Luckily he didn’t just rip up his contract and run screaming for the airport then and there.

Hats off to Mr Gibson for his priceless record of our football heritage.

the hibLOG

Mephisto!

Well that didn’t take long. Anyone else notice the striking similarity between our new manager and the Bond-baddie from Never Say Never Again? Could they be in any way related?

Let’s hope Captain Jones’s not-so-secret agent is first in the torture chamber.

the hibLOG

Expectation

League Cup 2007 - 8,

While we are all waiting with baited breath the unveiling of our new manager (it’s Mixu, we all ken that), readers may like to while away a few moments browsing my small collection of Hibs photos and memorabilia, shamelessly culled from online media sources.

The photos of John Collins’s finest hour are all my own work though. Ah John, where did it all go wrong?

the hibLOG

"The Clash of the Maroon and the Green and White"

An interesting article by journalist Graham Spiers about the great Edinburgh rivalry. The piece focusing on the sociological aspects surrounding Hibs and Hearts rivalry perhaps contains many half-truths, untruths and a good dash of social stereotyping. It’s nevertheless a worthy attempt in investigating what makes ‘us’ different to ‘them’. I enjoyed the article in spite of it’s obvious flaws.

Edinburgh derby is the jewel of the game in Scotland

Stuart Frew

A manager we can belieeeeeeve in...

Another good in-depth interview with John Collins in Yesterday’s Scotland on Sunday I see. Good to read him tackling the contentious issues head on and putting fat oafs like Simon Brown in their place without having to resort to diplomatic euphemism. Pity it came on the back of such a monstrously gash performance on the park…

Still, JC’s sincerity and commitment shine out, as well as his obvious intelligence. No doubt the more intellectually challenged Yams will still go on about Six-Pack and Tommy Craig the Puppetmaster, but articles like this remove any substance from claims that Collins is not his own man, or that he is just an arrogant narcissus. He ain’t. He’s just an honest, dedicated professional trying to do a tough job with materials of sometimes questionable quality.

the hibLOG

Troubled Times: Straiton

A past perspective written shortly after the prospect of ‘Straiton II’ was announced. Worthwile considering when we measure the reaction to Hibs losing a game to St. Mirren 0-1 last Saturday?

"I felt the same emotions as many other THAT Monday
morning recently when news filtered through about a possible prospective move
from the Hibernian heartland of Easter Road. Feelings of confusion, incredulity,
anger and disappointment were paramount primarily.Fear not here, as I do not
proffer another angle as to whether our football team should indeed be
Straiton-bound or not. Many have comprehensively and expertly covered this
subject, through informative and well-conceived articles reproduced on the
Hibs.net front page and further by excellent debating skills displayed within
the recently particularly well-used medium of the message board. It would be a
difficult task to imagine anything new to present to the table currently.

I offer a word of reassurance to this end, as I am
perfectly sure many of are feeling the effects of a certain Straiton
‘burn-out’!My own initial opinions of the move, admittedly with a very little
information to hand, like most of us, had been woven around fears of deceit. I,
like others have at times taken the opportunity to make my, (in my case negative
towards a move), opinions known, so If I may, I’d enjoy laying that thought down
straight away and moving on toward my main point.

Over some considerable period of, at first, passively
noting contributions to the original Erin site and Hibs.net and progressively to
being a regular, hopefully constructive contributor through postings on the
message board, it has been my pleasure always to talk to fellow Hibernian
supporters. I should also give mention to other club’s supporters who offer
width and depth to the conversation. Without their presence we could potentially
experience a more sterile environment.It is against this backdrop that I would
like to express some very real concerns and fears for the brotherhood that we
call supporting Hibernian Football Club.

There has been mention by some of a feeling of ‘supporter
against supporter’ in recent times over this huge issue that confronts us all.
Indeed I recognise the signs in myself – thoughts of impatience and
dismissiveness at others opinions which do not correspond with my own. I started
to feel some anger at some fellow fans, fans who I have enjoyed the ‘company’ of
on Hibs.net and have had copious amounts of respect for previously, for their
wisdom, intelligence, debating skills and not least, a love of our club,
Hibernian.Now, I don’t like this, I don’t like it all. In fact I thought about
this so much it moved me to come along here for the first time, and share my
thoughts with those of you who would be kind enough to listen.

After an initial period of understandably fierce debating
there is movement afoot. We have watched as Hibernian people are starting to
inevitably collect and organise themselves to make themselves heard. I sense
huge black clouds gathering and the chill wind of harsh words that will surely
blow around us all very soon. This has to be, and perhaps is the way it should
be?I’ll get to the point, and thank you for your patience thus far. I’d like to
offer a little plea if I may? It would make me very happy if I could observe my
fellow supporters, whichever ‘side’ of the debate you may stand on, behaving
with decorum and dignity. Let’s leave the insults at home and attempt to
understand fellow fan’s various points of view, be what they may. It might be
fair to say that a majority of supporters have already achieved this desirable
state. I salute those of you.

We are all under great provocation at times to act
otherwise, (note my self-confessed emotions earlier), the measure of us will be
to witness our actions in this (yet another) time of adversity.We have an
excellent forum for debate on the Hib.net message board, and indeed over on our
friends at the Hibees Bounce site, another superb portal for Hibbies worldwide.
Let’s utilise these facilities to their full, with honest, reasoned and
respectful debate as talking must always be the foremost way forward. Yes of
course there will be anger and derision occasionally. That we can be sure
of, I am equally sure that we can concentrate on the avoidance of unnecessary
instances of this though, happily.

The current storm brewing rumbles ominously, when those
hard times pass we will see Hibernian Football Club delivered into fresh new
pastures and a new era or alternatively steadfastly resolute in our beloved home
of Easter Road – The Holy Ground. A safe and respectful passage I bid you
all."

Stuart Frew

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning

Hibernian 0 St. Mirren 1

An unsatisfactory result by most standards for the Hibs today then and a double disappointment after finally last week relinquishing a superb unbeaten league run this season. Well all good things come to an end and how, let down as we might feel, can say they’ve never been taken to extremes of expectancy by Hibs only to have their dream dashed? For those of us who have been following this club for any time at all it has been a default condition over the years, we’re Hibbies and we expect and quite often accept this as part of the ride whilst following the Green Jerseys.

I get annoyed when Hibs capitulate from these fine positions they get into, I feel as desperately disappointed as anyone else. That said a certain maturity in dealing with it comes about after much experience of another bad day at the office. To be fair I’m not able to be at Easter road often enough to actually watch and feel the ebb and flow of the game. It’s quite easy to be more balanced about such situations overlooking them at a distance - quite another to watch a poor and seemingly unnecessary and inexplicable performance unfold. Having added that caveat I am almost more disappointed with some supporters rants during and immediately after the game than the team’s deficiencies…almost.

Today I found myself listening to the Internet radio coverage and flicking through the Hibs messageboards whilst the game was going on, picking up on snippets added by stay at home and distant Hibbies. Some of the comments I read make me wonder if some of these people actually support this team at all? It’s each to their own of course and I take the point that people pay their money and deserve their say just like anyone else, but some of it is just totally ridiculous and in particular very fickle. After the twelfth minute today when St. Mirren went ahead due to an apparent defensive mix-up between centre back Jones and Makalamby in goal one fan opined that this was ‘unnacceptable’. Take that apart for a second and what oes it actually mean? Does it mean that it’s unacceptable for any team to score a goal against Hibs? Manager John Collins has expressed at various times that it is important to realise and understand that there will be setbacks - during games and in the team’s general progress but that point does not appear to have been ‘acceptable to some’.

Further chagrin tonight then as I read that Clayton Donaldson is ‘pure and utter keek’ whilst his strike partner Curier is a ‘carthorse’. Luckily I was able to see these guys take the pitch for Hibs quite recently and whilst always saying that it is impossible to judge a player on one performance the evidence I saw with my own eyes would be contrary to those extreme views given. Of course Jones should ‘go - and take Makalamby with him’. Next game, a different day and different performance their praises will be getting sung no doubt… What’s the answer here? I’m not sure. I do believe generally that Hibs should open the purse strings a little, within reason. I’m not however suggesting a wholesale hiking up of the wage structure that would see the bulk of the type of the quality in the team getting a big overhaul. We need a lot more patience yet, the board still have to convince me on the extreme prudence though, but that’s another debate. Speaking of patience I really think I might resort to my old routine of waiting to hear what supporters have to say on the day after - or better still Monday - rather than on a Saturday evening.

Any football supporters, not just Hibs, are liable to get a little angry when their team underperforms and disappoints come match day. It’s a passionate game and it just wouldn’t be the same without that. It’s not a notion that fans should ’sit down and shut up’ but I have to ask this one final question. Does our club have some of the moaniest, critical and negative individuals of any team you’ve witnessed? I’ll leave you to decide.

Stuart Frew