Hi Everyone, Just looking to pick a few brains. Was down opposite the west stand today and noticed a sign for the Russian visa application centre in a building on Albion Road, during my early days of attending matches it was known as the 50 Club and had links to HFC but no idea in what capacity
Anyone enlighten me
Thanks
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Thread: 50 Club
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08-02-2019 08:54 AM #1
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50 Club
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08-02-2019 09:25 AM #2
My Dad was a founder member. The 50 Club was set up by 50 original members who were mostly Leith business men. It operated out of the club rooms you are talking about and was independent from the football club. A few years before the old main stand was replaced, Hibs invited them to move into the old Toyota Lounge in the main stand with seats behind the directors box. The members agreed and sold the premises on Albion Road. When the new stand was built, they were not offered an alternative venue in it and that pretty much signaled the end of the club. Many of the members still attend but sadly some have now passed on. In its heyday the players would often head to the 50 Club after games for a few refreshments and mingle with the fans.
I’m sure some can offer more details (and probably correct my recollections).
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08-02-2019 09:52 AM #3
The building in question was the premises of Metro Press, a printing company owned by a good hibee. At one point the 50 Club owned the basement, and Metro the ground floor and first floor (which they rented to Hibs as their admin offices). Eventually both Hibs and the 50 Club moved out and Metro took over the whole building.
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08-02-2019 09:59 AM #4
I don't know the details of the building or even the club but I do remember being taken quite a few times as a wee boy by an acquaintance of my uncle. It was a great place for a wee bit to go as there was always loads of players in
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08-02-2019 09:59 AM #5
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Thanks for the info
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08-02-2019 11:43 AM #6This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
I’d be young at the time but remember that members were always pretty well respected, and as you highlighted, came from the business community. It’s a shame it wound down eventually.
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08-02-2019 11:49 AM #7
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08-02-2019 11:59 AM #8This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
Membership was by invitation when a place became available, and was generally drawn from the business community.
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08-02-2019 12:31 PM #9This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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08-02-2019 12:32 PM #10This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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08-02-2019 01:09 PM #11This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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08-02-2019 01:45 PM #12This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
My Dad was a member also, possibly a founder member. It's maybe the passage of time but my recall was that it started in the old stand & then moved across the road. It may then have moved back across to the Toyota lounge. It was definitely restricted to 50 members & I can definitely confirm £50k was not a criteria!
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08-02-2019 05:21 PM #13
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I met Jackie MacnaMara once coming out of it
I remember as a laddie that my local newsagent owner (Mr. Fleming?) who had his business at the junction of Craigentinny Avenue and Restalrig Avenue was a member
It was always perceived that it was a club for those that had dosh, and that the fifty members paid a substantial membership fee
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08-02-2019 05:29 PM #14
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Heard about the 50 club, never really understood what it was about....
Sounds like it was some sort of Hibs secret society.. Are they still meeting in some sort of "Knights of the templar" fashion and plotting who the next manager is? :)
ps. Can we start a new one up?
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08-02-2019 06:39 PM #15
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Yes.I think they fell out with Tom Hart and moved across the road/.He retaliated by having only one turnstyle for season ticket holders and two for pay at the gate to the main stand.When season ticket holders complained that they were having to queue and often missed the kick off while two turnstyles were unused he put up a notice saying season ticket holders should be in their seats ten minutes before kickoff.An old charmer was Tom.
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08-02-2019 07:41 PM #16This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
I recall that many members were not wealthy businessmen as some may think.
Certainly many were prominent and well known in the wider Edinburgh/Leith community.
If i recall correctly, like your father, there were academics and councillors in the 50 club over the years.
For many members it was more than a social club.
They strived financially or otherwise to serve the best interests of Hibernian.
I was in a few times back in the day,though of course,never a member !!
I was not aware (or dont recall) that Tom Hart "barred" the "50s" from using the stand.
Be interested to know that full story.
Or even how many STs we had then.
I only knew a handful then.
So i cant see why they would need more than one turnstile (in the old main stand)
In saying that, all of the names aforementioned on this thread were good servants to the football club.Last edited by Mick O'Rourke; 08-02-2019 at 07:48 PM.
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08-02-2019 07:49 PM #17This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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08-02-2019 08:15 PM #18
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The building that the 50 club was in was the offices of Redpath Brown where i served my apprenticeship and i now the interior well, for those of who don't remember when we had a manufacturing industry Redpaths was a structural steelworks who used to employ hundreds of men and women. As boys we used to get sent up to the offices with all the piece work sheets to the typing pool to all those old women who used to rip the p... out of us, the oldest was about 23 ! Happy days !
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08-02-2019 09:37 PM #19
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08-02-2019 09:50 PM #20
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What a refreshingly interesting thread. Thanks for the contributions, good read so far. Had a quick Google and nothing comes up. Is there anywhere to read more about it?
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08-02-2019 09:57 PM #21
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Don’t recall ever seeing anything specifically about it.It would sometimes get a mention in the papers if there was an article ,say about Kenny McLean,but just as an aside.I suspect many Hibs fans who went on the main terracing and were never round the back of the stand had never heard of it.
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08-02-2019 10:04 PM #22This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
Me and my mates were usually skint on a Monday in those days ;-)
Never mind being able to buy an ST.
You have just gave me an image of all those 50 Club members finishing their drinks at 5 minutes to 3, then dashing across the road,fumbling wae their season tickets with 2 minutes to kick off. -)
I can just imagine the scene and the expletives ringing up and down the queue !
Load of drunks !!
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08-02-2019 10:05 PM #23
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08-02-2019 10:09 PM #24
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08-02-2019 11:28 PM #25This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
Dougie Crombe invited me in for a meeting once, it took place in that building, I recall it being rather cramped & dingy, untidy with stacks of paperwork etc lying around, not what I really expected.
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08-02-2019 11:45 PM #26
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I used it once to watch a game....he refused To go to Celtic games as he thought their supporters were Neanderthal.
Perched high in the old centre stand.....not my cup of tea, and couldn’t wait to get back in the cow shed next game
Not many people had season tickets in the early 70’s
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09-02-2019 06:06 AM #27This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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09-02-2019 06:51 AM #28
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09-02-2019 09:10 AM #29
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16-12-2022 10:36 PM #30This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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