History of Hibernian F.C.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hibernian, one of the most prominent clubs in Scottish football, was founded in 1875.[1] The club was named in honour of the Roman name for Ireland and the Ancient Order of Hibernians.[1]
The club has competed in the top division of Scottish football in all but four seasons since they first gained entry to the top division in 1895. Hibernian have been Scottish champions four times, most recently in 1952.[2] The club has also been champions of the second tier five times, most recently in 1999.
Hibernian have won the Scottish Cup twice, but not since 1902.[3] The club has won the League Cup three[4] times, most recently when they defeated Kilmarnock 5–1 in the 2007 Scottish League Cup Final.[5]
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[edit] Formation (up to 1875)
There was a substantial migration of Irish people to Scotland during the 19th century, particularly after the Irish Potato Famine. Most settled in the Glasgow area, but a small proportion made their way through to Edinburgh.[6] The Cowgate was known as Little Ireland at the time, due to the concentration of Irish people in the area.[6]
The St. Patrick's Church in the Cowgate had founded a Catholic Young Men's Society (CYMS) in 1865.[7] The Irish community was not integrated into the wider Edinburgh community,[7] but Canon Edward Hannon was looking for a way to achieve this.[7] Michael Whelahan suggested to Canon Hannon that the CYMS should form its own football club. In a meeting on August 6, 1875, Hibernians was founded, with Canon Hannon as its first manager and Whelahan as its first captain.[1]
Hibs players had to be members of the CYMS.[8] Because of this, some people accuse Hibs of being the first sectarian Scottish football club,[9] a charge commonly levelled at Rangers.[10] The club was intended to be an organisation for young Catholics to pursue a life of temperance and religious adherence by offering top-class football to them.[11] Hibs played charity matches in benefit of causes other than the Catholic Church, however, and Whelahan once said:[12]
| “ | We were both surprised and delighted at the invitation and can assure you that neither race nor religion were ever a consideration of Hibernian or the CYMS to help such a worthy cause. | ” |
During the first few years of their history, Hibs played their matches on The Meadows of the south side of Edinburgh. Hibs established themselves in Scottish football after overcoming some initial sectarian resistance to an Irish club.[1] A note from the Scottish Football Association stated that:[1]
| “ | We are catering for Scotsmen, not Irishmen | ” |
Ironically, Hibs' future rivals Hearts played a significant role in breaking down this resistance,[1] as they defied rules which stated that no club should play matches against the Irish club. Hearts provided the opposition in Hibs' first match on Christmas Day 1875, which Hearts won 1–0.[13] The persistence of Canon Hannan and Whelahan meant that Hibs were eventually accepted by the governing bodies.[1]
[edit] Early success (1878–1887)
Hibs and Hearts quickly established themselves as the dominant clubs in Edinburgh, forming a rivalry that lasts to this day. The five-game struggle for the Edinburgh Cup of 1878 played a major part in this.[12][14] The club moved from The Meadows to the Easter Road area in 1880 to a ground known as Hibernian Park.[12]
By 1883, Hibs had "largely conquered" Edinburgh football,[15] and in 1887 became the first club from the "east coast" of Scotland and only the fifth club overall[16] to win the Scottish Cup.[17] On August 13, 1887, Hibs defeated Preston North End in a match co-billed by the FA and the SFA as the Association Football Championship of the World decider.[18] Both clubs were invited to play this match after winning the associations' respective Cup competitions, the FA Cup and the Scottish Cup.
[edit] Celtic (1887–1891)
- See also: History of Celtic F.C.
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Hibs were the first club in Scotland who had been formed by members of the Irish Catholic population who had settled in Scotland during the 19th century. Their example led to the creation of Irish clubs in Dundee and Glasgow. These were Dundee Harp, Dundee Hibernian and Celtic.
Brother Walfrid regularly invited Hibs to play in Glasgow before Celtic were formed.[19] This included a match against Renton that drew a crowd of over 12,000.[19]
Glasgow had a far greater Irish population than Edinburgh.[19] Brother Walfrid realised that a Glasgow club could do a lot more to help the Irish population in that city than relying on charity from an Edinburgh club.[19] This led in November 1887 to the formation of Celtic, who played their first match in May 1888 with players mostly borrowed from Hibs.[19]
The real danger to Hibs came from John Glass, who was the financial backer for Celtic. He had observed the coming of professionalism in England and correctly surmised that the same would happen in Scotland.[19] Celtic signed several of the Hibs players through offering financial inducements to the amateur Hibs players.[19]
This effectively left Hibs without the team who had been highly successful in the preceding years. Celtic went on to win four league championships in the 1890s.
Mismanagement over the next few years led to the demise of Hibernians. The club inexplicably failed to attend a meeting which led to the formation of the Scottish Football League in 1890. This meant that Hibs did not participate in the league, while Edinburgh rivals Hearts and St Bernards were founder members of the league.[20]
Not participating in the league meant that Hibs found friendly match opponents harder to come by, while the lease on Hibernian Park expired.[21] Hibs became homeless and the club effectively ceased operations during 1891, which meant that the remaining star players (including captain James McGhee) moved to Celtic.[21]
[edit] Reformation (1892–1945)
The club was reformed as Hibernian and the club acquired a lease on a site in late 1892 that was to become known as Easter Road.[22] A significant change at the time of the reformation of Hibs was that players no longer had to be members of the Catholic Young Men's Society. On February 4, 1893, the club played its first match at Easter Road.[22]
The club belatedly entered the league during the 1893-94 season, winning the inaugural Division Two championship. Bizarrely, Hibs were refused admission to Division One for the 1894-95 season and Clyde were promoted instead.[23] Undeterred, Hibs won the Division Two championship for a second time in 1894-95. Hibs winning Division Two formed part of what was known as the Edinburgh Slam, as Hearts won Division One and St Bernard's won the Scottish Cup. Hibs canvassed sufficient support amongst the Division One clubs to ensure that they were promoted to Division One for the 1895-96 season.[24]
In their first year in Division One, Hibs finished in a creditable third place.[25] The club also reached the Scottish Cup final, where they were to meet Hearts.[25] This raised the issue of where the match should be played, as the cup final is traditionally played in Glasgow.[25] The Scottish Football Association decided that an Edinburgh venue would make more sense, and decided upon Logie Green, the home of St Bernard's.[25] Hearts won 3–1 before a crowd of 17,000.[25]
Over the next decade, Hibs were to have a relatively successful period. The club finished 4th or higher in every season until 1901, before winning the Scottish Cup in 1902 and the league championship in 1903.
After this, however, Hibs had a very barren period of nearly forty years either side of the Great War, as the Old Firm started their dominance of Scottish football. The club only finished 3rd or higher on one occasion (1925) in the league, and was eventually relegated for the first time in 1931. Hibs reached three Scottish Cup finals in this period, two of them in consecutive years in the mid 1920s.
[edit] The Famous Five (1945–1955)
Hibs' most successful era by far was in the decade following the end of the Second World War. The Famous Five forward line of Gordon Smith, Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly, Eddie Turnbull and Willie Ormond led Hibs to league championships in 1948, 1951 and 1952. The championship of 1952 is the last time to this day that Hibs were Scottish football champions. Hibs also finished second to Rangers in 1953 on goal average and second to Rangers by a point in 1950.
The team was less successful in cup competitions. Their only Scottish Cup final appearance in this period was in 1947, where they lost 2–1 to Aberdeen. Hibs reached the final of the Coronation Cup in 1953 by winning against Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, but lost 2–0 to Celtic in the final[26]. The Coronation Cup was a competition played between the best teams in England and Scotland to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth.
It was due to this successful period that Hibs were invited to play in the inaugural European Cup in the 1955-56 season[27], even though the club had only finished in 5th place in 1955, 15 points behind champions Aberdeen[28]. The club reached the semi-finals of the European Cup, losing to Stade Reims[29].
The north stand at Easter Road was named in honour of the Famous Five[30] when it was rebuilt in 1995.
[edit] Turnbull's Tornadoes (1971–1980)
Another successful era for Hibs was in the early 1970s when Turnbull's Tornadoes[31], managed by Eddie Turnbull, challenged for the league championship, finishing second in 1974 and in 1975. In cup competitions, the club won the League Cup in 1972, reached the Scottish Cup final of 1972 and also won the Drybrough Cup in 1972 and 1973.
The club recorded its most famous victory over Hearts, 7–0 at Tynecastle on New Year's Day 1973[32]. The teams of this era included notable players such as Pat Stanton, Alan Gordon, Joe Harper, John Blackley, John Brownlie, and Erich Schaedler.
During this period, Hibs also made some innovations. In 1977, Hibernian became the first Scottish club[33] to have a sponsor's logo on their shirts, advertising sportswear company Bukta. When Hibs started advertising on their shirt, the television companies refused to broadcast matches involving Hibs. The eventual compromise was that Hibs wore purple shirts when their games were televised[34]. In 1980, Hibernian were the first Scottish club to have undersoil heating installed[citation needed] at their stadium.
Towards the end of Eddie Turnbull's time in charge, the club managed to reach the Scottish Cup final in 1979. The first match was a goalless draw, as was the first replay. Hibs were finally beaten in extra time in the second replay, cruelly by an own goal from the long-serving Arthur Duncan.
[edit] Takeover bid by Hearts (1989–1991)
After mismanagement during the late 1980s, Hibs were on the brink of financial ruin. During the close season of 1990, Hearts chairman Wallace Mercer proposed a merger of Hibs and Hearts to form "one unit" who could more realistically compete with the Old Firm of Celtic and Rangers.[35] Hibs fans believed that the proposed merger was more like a hostile takeover, where Hearts would continue, but Hibs would cease to exist.
In response to the threat from Mercer, Hibs fans formed Hands off Hibs, which campaigned for the continued existence of the club and acted to frustrate Mercer in his attempt to acquire a majority shareholding in Hibernian.[36] The campaign succeeded when a local prominent businessman, Kwik Fit owner Sir Tom Farmer, was persuaded to acquire a controlling interest in Hibs. The fans were able to persuade Farmer to take control despite the fact he had no great interest in football, and he has since taken a "hands-off" approach to his ownership.[37] Farmer was persuaded to intervene by the fact that an ancestor of his, Philip Farmer, had been involved in the rescue of Hibs from financial ruin in the early 1890s.[22]
Farmer provided some investment to ensure that Hibs could bounce back on the field, having struggled for much of the previous 15 years when the New Firm of Dundee United and Aberdeen achieved significant success. Using this investment, Hibs signed Murdo MacLeod and Keith Wright. As a result, the club won the Skol Cup in the early part of the 1991-92 season by beating Rangers in the semi-final and Dunfermline in the final. The period from the Mercer takeover to the Skol Cup win was documented in an episode of the television series That Was The Team That Was.
[edit] Recent history (1998–present)
[edit] Alex McLeish as manager
Hibernian's most recent relegation to the First Division came at the end of the 1997-98 season,[38] just months after Alex McLeish had been appointed as manager.[39] The club immediately won promotion back to the newly formed Scottish Premier League in the 1998-99 season, helped by a run of 12 wins in a row on as they were crowned Scottish First Division champions. Hibs earned a record total of 89 points and finished 23 points ahead of second-placed Falkirk.
On their return to the top tier in 1999-2000, Hibs performed relatively well for a newly-promoted side and finished 6th in the SPL. Hibs also reached the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup that year, but lost 2–1 to Aberdeen. The famous Easter Road slope was removed at the end of the season.[40].
In 2000-01, Hibs got off to a great start, recording six consecutive victories in August. Hibs also reached the final of the Scottish Cup for the first time in 22 years, but lost 3–0 to Celtic at Hampden Park. Hibs secured third place behind the Old Firm, which meant that Hibs qualified for the UEFA Cup. The highlight of the season was on October 22, 2000, when a Mixu Paatelainen hat-trick helped Hibs to a 6–2 victory over city rivals Hearts at Easter Road.
A brand new West Stand was completed for the start of season 2001/2002. Hibs took AEK Athens to extra time in their UEFA Cup tie, but were eventually beaten 4–3 on aggregate. Alex McLeish departed for the vacant Rangers job in December,[41] and fans' favourite Franck Sauzée was appointed as McLeish's replacement.
Sauzée's tenure saw a disastrous run of form,[42] as Hibs recorded only one victory in three months, a 4–0 win over Stranraer in a Scottish Cup replay. Hibs were being sucked into a relegation battle by the time Sauzée was sacked as manager in February 2002.[43] The decision to sack Sauzée after only 69 days was highly controversial[44] despite the terrible results in that time.
[edit] Bobby Williamson as manager
Franck Sauzée was replaced as Hibs manager in March 2002 by Bobby Williamson, who had previously managed Kilmarnock. Hibs recorded five wins from nine matches towards the end of the 2001-02 season, which ensured that they retained their place in the SPL.
Williamson's time in charge was seemingly ‘jinxed’ by conceding late goals.[45] A memorable example of this was when Hibs themselves scored two late goals at Tynecastle to take a 4–2 lead against Hearts on January 2, 2003, only to concede two even later goals by Graham Weir to give Hearts an unlikely 4–4 draw.[46]
Despite indifferent results under Williamson, a string of exciting young players including Garry O’Connor, Derek Riordan, Kevin Thomson and Scott Brown started to emerge. These players featured heavily as Hibs eliminated both halves of the Old Firm to reach the 2004 Scottish League Cup final,[47] only to lose 2–0 to Livingston. Williamson departed near the end of the 2003-04 season to manage Plymouth Argyle.
[edit] Tony Mowbray as manager
Tony Mowbray was appointed Hibs manager on May 24, 2004, replacing Bobby Williamson.[48] Mowbray's appointment came as a surprise, because the media had speculated that other candidates, including John Gorman,[49] David Hay and Tommy Burns[50] were going to be appointed.
Mowbray quickly established that he wanted Hibs to play attacking, passing football, despite inheriting a team with a low average age which was under pressure to deliver results after disappointing seasons under Bobby Williamson. Mowbray's policies were rewarded with a 3rd place finish in his first season as manager and a place in the UEFA Cup for the following season. Mowbray won the manager of the year award from the Scottish Football Writers' Association in his rookie season, while striker Derek Riordan won the young player of the year award from his fellow professionals. Hibs reached the semi-final stage of the Scottish Cup, where they lost 1–2 to Dundee United despite taking the lead early in the second half.
In the 2005-06 season, Hibs got off to an excellent start, winning 10 of their first 14 league games. This form led to speculation by some commentators that they could put in a challenge for the championship,[51] but Mowbray played down the club's chances,[52] pointing to the inconsistency of the side and the much higher budgets of Rangers, Celtic and Hearts. Highlights of the season included three consecutive victories over Rangers (including two 3-0 wins at Ibrox Stadium), and a 2–0 victory over Hearts that ended their unbeaten start to the league.[53]
Hibs were beaten 5–1 on aggregate by Ukrainian club Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the first round of the UEFA Cup[54] and they also lost heavily, 3–0, to Dunfermline Athletic in the CIS Cup.
Injuries, suspensions, and the sale of Garry O'Connor to Lokomotiv Moscow[55] exposed a lack of depth in the squad. After a largely disappointing second half of the season, Hibs finished 4th in the SPL and qualified for the Intertoto Cup. They showed promising signs in the Scottish Cup, beating Arbroath 6–0, Rangers 3–0 and Falkirk 5–1, but were well beaten 0–4 by Hearts in the semi-final at Hampden Park.
Mowbray left Hibs in October 2006 to manage West Bromwich Albion, with whom he gained promotion to the English Premier League by winning the Championship in the 2007-08 season.
[edit] John Collins as manager
Following media speculation that Falkirk manager John Hughes, Cowdenbeath manager Mixu Paatelainen and Nottingham Forest coach Ian McParland would be appointed, it was announced on 31 October 2006 that John Collins would be the new manager of Hibs, with Tommy Craig as assistant manager.[56] Collins resigned on December 20, 2007, having won the Scottish League Cup during his sole year in charge.[57]
Collins' tenure saw the club sell more of their star players, including Kevin Thomson, Scott Brown, Ivan Sproule and Steven Whittaker, mostly to the Old Firm. The benefit of these sales is that the club's financial position has been improved significantly[58] and the club has also been able to invest in a training ground.[59] Hibs have kept a tight control of player wages, however, and Collins blamed frustration over the lack of funds available to replace the players who were sold as his reason for resigning.[60]
[edit] Mixu Paatelainen as manager
Mixu Paatelainen was appointed as manager on January 10, 2008.[61] Improved results in the first few months under Paatelainen's management ensured that Hibs finished in the top half of the SPL table for a fourth successive season. By finishing in the top half, Hibs have guaranteed a place in the last Intertoto Cup competition.
[edit] Cup Finals
[edit] Scottish Cup
Hibs have won the Scottish Cup twice, in 1887 and in 1902. Hibs have been in 11 finals and 25 semi-finals in total and have played a record 336 games in the competition since last winning it.[62] Dumbarton and Queen's Park have gone longer since their last wins, but have played fewer matches in the intervening period.
| Season | Date | Winners | Finalists | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1886-87 |
Hibernian |
2–1 |
||
|
Hibernian |
3–1 |
|||
|
Hibernian |
1–0 |
|||
|
Celtic |
Hibernian |
4–1 |
||
|
Celtic |
Hibernian |
1–0 |
||
|
Hibernian |
2–0 |
|||
|
Hibernian |
2–1 |
|||
|
Hibernian |
1–0 |
|||
|
Celtic |
Hibernian |
6–1 |
||
|
Hibernian |
3–2 |
|||
|
Celtic |
Hibernian |
3–0 |
[edit] League Cup
Hibs have won the Scottish League Cup three times - 1972, 1991 and 2007. The 1972 win was the first time in 70 years (since the 1902 Scottish Cup) that Hibs had won a national cup tournament. Hibs also won the 1943-44 Southern League Cup, a forerunner of the Scottish League Cup that was played during the Second World War. Hibs won the cup by defeating Rangers 6–5 on corner kicks in the final, which had ended in a goalless draw.
| Season | Date | Winners | Finalists | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hibernian |
3–0 |
|||
|
Hibernian |
6–2 |
|||
|
Hibernian |
Celtic |
2–1 |
||
|
Celtic |
Hibernian |
6–3 |
||
|
Hibernian |
3–0 |
|||
|
Hibernian |
2–0 |
|||
|
Hibernian |
2–1 |
|||
|
Hibernian |
2–0 |
|||
|
Hibernian |
5–1 |
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g The Origins of Hibernian - 3, Hibernian official site
- ^ www.rsssf.com
- ^ Hibs' Cup of woe adds to strife of Reilly, The Observer, February 3, 2008
- ^ The club also won the Southern League Cup, which was the forerunner of the Scottish League Cup, during the Second World War.
- ^ Kilmarnock 1–5 Hibernian, BBC Sport
- ^ a b The Origins of Hibernian - 1, Hibernian official site
- ^ a b c The Origins of Hibernian - 2, Hibernian official site
- ^ God squad signs up to play host to Hibs past, Edinburgh Evening News, August 4, 2006
- ^ Hibernian Football Club – The First Irish Team in Scotland
- ^ Johnston row still rages BBC Sport March 1, 2002
- ^ The Making of Hibernian, Alan Lugton
- ^ a b c The Origins of Hibernian - 4, Hibernian official site
- ^ Sat 25 Dec 1875; Friendly; Hearts 1, Hibernian 0, www.londonhearts.com
- ^ The First Great Edinburgh Derby — The Five Games for 1878 EFA Cup, www.londonhearts.com
- ^ Origins of Hibernian - 6, Hibernian official site
- ^ The Scottish Cup had hitherto been dominated by Queen's Park and Vale of Leven.
- ^ Origins of Hibernian - 8, Hibernian official site
- ^ On The Record Daily Record, January 23, 2008
- ^ a b c d e f g Origins of Hibernian - 9, Hibernian official site
- ^ Origins of Hibernian: Weakened, Hibernian official site
- ^ a b Origins of Hibernian: Need to move, Hibernian official site
- ^ a b c Origins of Hibernian - New Beginnings Hibernian official site
- ^ Origins of Hibernian - Championship Destiny, Hibernian official site
- ^ Origins of Hibernian: Justice, Hibernian official site
- ^ a b c d e Origins of Hibernian: Another Cup Tilt, Hibernian official site
- ^ Coronation Cup in Glasgow 1953, www.rsssf.com
- ^ Season 1955-56, www.europeancuphistory.com
- ^ Aberdeen official site
- ^ BBC
- ^ Seating plan of the Famous Five stand, Hibernian official site
- ^ LIFE IS NOT JUST A BIG ADVENTURE, WARNS MOWBRAY, Sunday Herald, November 27, 2005
- ^ Hibs 7 Hearts 0, YouTube
- ^ A Short Story, Hibs official site
- ^ Hibernian, www.historicalkits.co.uk
- ^ Club History, Hibs official site
- ^ Scottish FA official site
- ^ Farmer content with Hibs backseat, BBC Sport
- ^ Hibernian 1 Dundee United 2 Sporting Life
- ^ Alex McLeish, www.4thegame.com
- ^ Hibs bid farewell to slope, BBC Sport, April 29, 2000
- ^ Rangers unveil McLeish BBC Sport, December 11, 2001
- ^ The Joy of Six: terrible managerial stints The Guardian, November 6, 2007
- ^ Hibs sack Sauzee, BBC Sport, February 21, 2002
- ^ Sauzee sacking such a mistake claim angry fans, Edinburgh Evening News, February 25, 2002
- ^ Room for improvement at Hibs, BBC Sport
- ^ High drama in Edinburgh derby, BBC Sport
- ^ Hibernian 1–1 Rangers (4–3 pens), BBC Sport
- ^ Few Hibees will mourn Williamson. BBC Sport (2004-04-20). Retrieved on 2007-06-05.
- ^ Gorman backed for Hibs. BBC Sport (2004-05-12). Retrieved on 2007-06-05.
- ^ Hay and Burns ponder Hibs. BBC Sport (2004-04-24). Retrieved on 2007-06-05.
- ^ O'Connor sees Hibs bright future, BBC Sport, November 28, 2005
- ^ Mowbray denies title credentials, BBC Sport, November 27, 2005
- ^ London Hearts
- ^ BBC Sport
- ^ Lokomotiv complete O'Connor deal, BBC Sport, March 7, 2006
- ^ John Collins confirmed as Hibs manager. BBC Sport (2006-10-31). Retrieved on 2007-06-05.
- ^ Collins resigns as Hibs manager. BBC Sport (2007-12-20). Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
- ^ Setanta.com
- ^ Sunshine on Leith, FIFA official site, October 17, 2007
- ^ John Collins quits over lack of funds The Times, December 21, 2007.
- ^ Mixu Paatelainen appointed Hibs manager, Daily Telegraph, January 10, 2008
- ^ London Hearts
[edit] See also
- Hibernian F.C. seasons
- Hibernian F.C. in Europe
- List of Hibernian F.C. players
- List of Hibernian F.C. international footballers
- Hibernian F.C. season 2006-07
- Hibernian F.C. season 2007-08
[edit] External links
- Club History, Hibernian official site
