East Mains

[Hakim Sar]

What does east mains offer to the lothians community?
Would it be of good use to stage cup competitions for kids/the gymnasium for schools? Are good pitches being padlocked shut when they could be opened up to host school games? Are good/cheap scouting opportunities being missed because of lack of community involvement?
Do hibs support local students studying physiotherapy or sports science by inviting them to east mains to get involved?

Sometimes it seems like one of scotlands rivers - nice to know it's there but you cannae go fishing on it cos it's privately owned.

lots of questions to discuss.

[greenlex]

It belongs to Hibs.
It's there to train and develop players from the first team squad right down to under 10's.
Why would Hibs let anyone else use it other than say perhaps a Barcelona, Real Madrid or some continental side looking for a cooler pre season camp and let them pay rent for it if we were not using it?

[stevenhibs]

I agree with the OP.

If it's not used to help or assist the community then it probably should be. Cheap scouting is one plus, the other being extra revenue.

[greenlex]

I agree with the OP.

If it's not used to help or assist the community then it probably should be. Cheap scouting is one plus, the other being extra revenue.
Disagree. It would end up looking like the Jack Kane centre. (aka the dode kane centre mid seventies)

[Peevemor]

I agree with the OP.

If it's not used to help or assist the community then it probably should be. Cheap scouting is one plus, the other being extra revenue.

At present it's a private facility. There would be huge safety and insurance implications should it be opened to the public.

[SMAXXA]

Disagree. It would end up looking like the Jack Kane centre. (aka the dode kane centre mid seventies)

To be fair to Hibs they have let Tranent Juniors train there a couple of times and the club didnt charge for using the facilityies, this was only on 1 or 2 occasions tho when they couldnt train last year due to the weather. I agree with the OP, I think it could offer more to the community in terms of things like this, I mean you dont even have to open the changing rooms for teams to go train there if they come all kitted out, use the all weather then leave, no harm done surley. Only IMO that is.

[Geo_1875]

Too much extra wear and tear for little extra income. And what SPL club would want to share their facilities with students?

[Mikey]

I'm fairly sure that East Mains gets a lot of use. It certainly doesn't have the gates closed when the players leave.

The players always come first though.

[steviecarnie]

Im sorry but NO, as stated its a private facilitity to benefit hibs, A 3g all weather pitch cost a lot of money, and the limited amount these are used can only be beneficial in the long term costs of East Mains, if we let community teams play, it wont be long before these pitches will need replace - negating any revenues taken in on repairs, electricity costs etc.

[Golden Bear]

Too much extra wear and tear for little extra income. And what SPL club would want to share their facilities with students?

:tsk tsk:

:greengrin

[18/03/07]

Too much extra wear and tear for little extra income. And what SPL club would want to share their facilities with students?
:devil:

[one day maybe...]

The fact that it took Hibs finance to build the place, means that they have no obligation to share it with the public. These types of facilities should be build for the public, but built from the public purse if they are to be used by the public.
Imagine a group of wee neds or jealous jambo fans using it, bunging up the lavvies with bog roll, scribbling obscenities on the wall, untold wanton damage on the pitches. Nah no thanks, it belongs to Hibernain FC and should be used for the progression of Hibernian Football Club.
Imagine you had heaps of cash and decided to build yourself a neat wee swimming pool, with flumes and rapids in your back garden. Would you invite the local school round to peeeeesh in the water, no don't think so. :cool2:

[David@EasterRoad]

Seem to remember others on here saying that as per planning permission if the club wanted to make it an open facility as you speak about they would have to pay to upgrade the roads nearby.

Which apparently is why it is referred to as a training centre not an academy?

[bighairyfaeleith]

Too much extra wear and tear for little extra income. And what SPL club would want to share their facilities with students?

:hilarious

[Hakim Sar]

Defo would not want it turned into an Edinburgh leisure style facility like the Jeremy Kyle Centre... oooops sorry Jaques Kane

But Bolton Wanderers utilise their facilities to assist local sports sciences and also I think some sort of summer school/acadamy would assist our scouting and youth development.

Good point about the roads and travel probs

[johnrebus]

IMHO the club should be using the Centre as part of an overall plan to get the kids involved as much as possible with Hibernian Football Club. We may have scoffed at the time, but the Yams had the right idea going into Primary Schools giving away tickets, strips and other goodies to the kids and thus capturing a good few of them, probably for life. I spoke to someone, from the Trinity area a few weeks ago and it turned out both her sons ( 9 & 12 ) were Jambos simply because they had made the effort to go into the schools and make their presence felt.

This is a personal bugbear of mine, because we never seem to go about these things in the right way, with a complete barnstorming of the grass roots of the game in Edinburgh and the Lothians. The last time I know of any players or officials being in Penicuik promoting the club (apart from David Groff on the pish) was back at the time we won the League Cup - nearly four years ago......,


Maybe it is beneath the likes of Petrie and the board?

:rolleyes:

[Jack]

I think it would also be a great idea to open up the private swimming clubs; open up the karting centre so that I can take my car on it; got a spare room in your house? Why not put a homeless person in it? They might want to open up the odd farmer’s field so that we can all plant a few flowers. In fact there are a few yams I would like to lock up; I think they should allow us use of the private prisons.

Its private! :greengrin

[StarMan10]

i played a school 7 a side tournement there so they probably set up some tournies for primary and secondary