STRAITON IS DEAD!
Hibernian will remain at Easter Road

HIBERNIAN HAVE REVEALED THIS MORNING the news that fans have been hoping to hear for months - the club will not be moving to Straiton, or anywhere else for that matter.

The Easter Road board met on Sunday and while all the attention was on their deliberations over the future of manager Bobby Williamson, most of the discussion centred not around the Hibernian manager and his contract, important as that is, but on the future home of Hibernian Football Club.  And this morning the results of these deliberations provided the best possible news for the Hibernian support, with fears that the club would be moved from its traditional home in the city permanently taken off the agenda.

The Straiton debate has raged from the moment it was revealed that the club were giving serious consideration to a proposal from Heart of Midlothian football club that the two city clubs share a new purpose-built stadium on land partly owned by Sir Tom Farmer just outside the city boundaries.  Hearts insisted that it was the only site available for a new stadium following their own consultations with the city council – but the move immediately sparked intense debate, with Hibs fans opposed from the start to any moves that would take Hibs from Easter Road no matter what the financial implications may have been.

Financial realities appeared to make a move inevitable however, with many fans claiming that it was a ‘done deal’ and would be pushed through no matter what the opinions of the Hibernian support.  However the club moved swiftly to consult with their supporters, with a series of consultation meetings taking place.  At the last of these, Sir Tom Farmer himself made a passionate plea for unity among the Hibernian support.  Against this backdrop, attendances at Easter Road have saw a steady and dramatic decline this season, leading many to believe that this would simply fuel the need for the club to move as the only option available in clearing debts reported to be in excess of £15m.

The club board however have insisted all along that Straiton was simply one option that had to be studied.  Today these deliberations have finally put an end to all speculation, with the board making it perfectly clear that they now believed the club could both deal with the level of debt and remain at Easter Road.  “This is the news the supporters of the club have been waiting for, and noone is happier to deliver it than this board,” Rod Petrie said in a prepared statement this morning.

He added: “while we have an obligation to look at every viable option put before us, we have consistently stated that staying at Easter Road is our preferred option – provided we can find a way to do that and break even.”  To that end the board have agreed an outline business plan, of which Petrie said:  “We believe the outline business plan can help us deliver that goal – but now we truly need supporters to rally behind their Club to make it happen Throughout the consultation is has become very obvious that there is a great groundswell of goodwill towards the Club and, in particular, to working with us to stay at Easter Road.”

Chairman Ken Lewandowski meanwhile revealed only that more details of the clubs plans will be presented to shareholders next week.  He said: “We will outline some of the options from the outline business plan to shareholders at the annual general meeting on November 4^th. The plan is deliverable, but only with the help and backing of our supporters and supporters groups.

“One obvious way is to turn out and support the team. We have seen crowds drop this season to just 6,500 home fans at the game against Kilmarnock at Easter Road. We thank those who have turned out, and urge those who have stayed away to come back and help the Club. Watch your team – it is the best way to support the Club. Start against Queen of the South in the League Cup on Tuesday.”