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Hibernian Football Club is one of two main Edinburgh football clubs (the other being Heart of Midlothian). They are currently managed by Tony Mowbray.
History
The club was founded in 1875, and play at the Easter Road ground in Leith, Edinburgh. They were the first major club in Scotland formed out of the immigrant Irish Catholic population (hence the name, from Hibernia, the Latin name for Ireland) and as such were often discriminated against by the early Scottish football authorities. As the first such team, their example led to the creation of Dundee Hibernian (now Dundee United) and Glasgow Celtic, who when they were formed were nearly called Glasgow Hibernian. Their position as the principal Catholic football club in the country was usurped in 1888 by the growth of Celtic. The club is seen as being less of a Catholic institution now than it was in the past, and geography rather than religion is the primary reason that association fans support the team (Hibernian being the club for East Edinburgh).
Hibs were leaders in British football in many respects - the first Scottish team to have floodlights, the first British team to participate in European competition, the first to adopt the distinctive style of strips which have the sleeves a different colour from the body (later copied by Arsenal), and the first British team to have advertising on their shirts (the logo BUKTA had to be reduced to two inches in height when their matches were televised).
Hibernian have traditionally been viewed as one of Scotland's main clubs outside the 'Old Firm' of Celtic and Rangers but were seen as one of Britain's top clubs up to the 1950s, when The Famous Five (see below) were at their peak. Rather earlier, on August 13, 1887, they defeated Preston North End for the grand title of 'World Champions'. Hibernian were the first British club to participate in UEFA's European Cup, in its inaugural 1955/56 season. Success has been rare in recent years. The last major trophy won by the club was the 1991 League Cup, when they defeated Dunfermline in the final.
The team colours are emerald green and white. The strip is a green body, with white sleeves, with a white collar, and green cuffs. The shorts are white, and the socks are green with white tops. For the 2004/2005 season the colour of the shorts has been changed to a green which matches the shirt colour to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the club's 2-0 win over Real Madrid, as this was the kit originally worn for this friendly match. Hibernian has a history of cultured and attractive football - the current manager, Tony Mowbray, embodies this and the current young team does their best to adhere to these principles despite the youth of the team and the pressure for results.
They are known by their fans by the nickname The Hi-bees, and the club's name is almost universally shortened to Hibs.
Famous Players
Famous players have included: The Famous Five - Gordon Smith, Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly, Eddie Turnbull and Willie Ormond; in the seventies Pat Stanton, Alex Cropley, John Blackley and Arthur Duncan, Eric Schaedler. In the early eighties George Best played with the club.
Other moe recent famous players include:
- Franck Sauzee (Le Champ)
- Ray Wilkils
- Mixu Paatelainen
- Urik Laursen
- Ulises de la Cruz
- Russell Latapy
- Ian Murray
- Gary Caldwell
- Derek Riordan
- Gary O'Connor
Honours
- 'Championship of the World' 1887
External links
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