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HIBERNIAN-0762
31-12-2012, 01:34 PM
I've seen a sort of street map picture of our old ground at Bothwell Street but are there any actual photographs of the stadium?, and also to settle a slight dispute with a relative was the ground to the right of Bothwell Street at the top on the approach to the bridge?

Thanks in advance.

Waxy
31-12-2012, 02:08 PM
Yes to the right from the bridge.
The halfay line ran along bothwell street.
Kinda from where the hibs club is through bothwell street and over the road where the gap is with the car garage at the back.
I doubt any pics exist.
Maybe one will surface one day.
A pic must have been taken at some point.

hibbybrian
31-12-2012, 02:09 PM
I've seen a sort of street map picture of our old ground at Bothwell Street but are there any actual photographs of the stadium?, and also to settle a slight dispute with a relative was the ground to the right of Bothwell Street at the top on the approach to the bridge?

Thanks in advance.

No pictures that I know of but this map shows the location of the first ground at Easter Road - the present Supporters Club in Sunnyside is on the original pitch!

9181

Prior to this ground at Easter Road Hibs had at least 2 different grounds in Mayfield/Powburn and then leased a ground at Powderhall (to the east of the more recent Powderhall stadium)

Waxy
31-12-2012, 02:22 PM
Does anyone know which year the Hibs club was built?
And was it built on the site of our old ground on purpose?

Mr White
31-12-2012, 02:26 PM
No pictures that I know of but this map shows the location of the first ground at Easter Road - the present Supporters Club in Sunnyside is on the original pitch!

9181

Prior to this ground at Easter Road Hibs had at least 2 different grounds in Mayfield/Powburn and then leased a ground at Powderhall (to the east of the more recent Powderhall stadium)
Do you know what year that map is from Brian? Cheers

hibbybrian
31-12-2012, 02:35 PM
Do you know what year that map is from Brian? Cheers

It's dated 1888 but the survey would have been done at least a year earlier.

Here's another dated 1891 showing the ground still there despite the last match being played on 27 September 1890 as building work was encroaching.

9182

AndyM_1875
31-12-2012, 02:52 PM
It's dated 1888 but the survey would have been done at least a year earlier.

Here's another dated 1891 showing the ground still there despite the last match being played on 27 September 1890 as building work was encroaching.

9182

By 1891 Hibs had let the lease expire I believe as the club had suspended football activities due to the Club Secretary going to Canada with Club Funds and the never to be forgotten (or forgiven :devil:) dirty tricks from our **ahem** friends in the West who let us not forget left Easter Road on Saturday with a big fat ZERO!:fenlon

Regarding the ground itself I don't think it would have looked like much. The Pitch would probably have been roped off and some form of changing facility along the side of pitch. Doubt there was any sort of proper Stand area in the manner we would think.

When Hibs moved into Easter Road in 1893 some years later I am told they had a stand built later where the East is now called the Eggbox. When the old main Stand was built in 1924(?) the Eggbox was demolished and converted to Terracing.
Johnnyboy may know (and no I am not suggesting he was there!:wink:)

--------
31-12-2012, 03:05 PM
By 1891 Hibs had let the lease expire I believe as the club had suspended football activities due to the Club Secretary going to Canada with Club Funds and the never to be forgotten (or forgiven :devil:) dirty tricks from our **ahem** friends in the West who let us not forget left Easter Road on Saturday with a big fat ZERO!:fenlon

Regarding the ground itself I don't think it would have looked like much. The Pitch would probably have been roped off and some form of changing facility along the side of pitch. Doubt there was any sort of proper Stand area in the manner we would think.

When Hibs moved into Easter Road in 1893 some years later I am told they had a stand built later where the East is now called the Eggbox. When the old main Stand was built in 1924(?) the Eggbox was demolished and converted to Terracing. Johnnyboy may know (and no I am not suggesting he was there!:wink:)


John WILL know - he worked as a rigger's apprentice on the building of that stand.

He told me he was paid sixpence (old pence) a day and his dinner piece was a stale Gregg's sausage roll and a pickled egg.

:devil:


I'm sure I've seen pictures of the old "Egg-box" stand - which IIRC is actually almost exactly what it looked like, an egg box with the front cut off - but I've no idea where they could be found. I THINK it was on the opposite side of the pitch to the 1924 Main Stand.

Put it this way - if either the Egg-box or the Jonnyboy Stand was built at Tynecastle today, it would be a huge modernisation of the place - not to mention an immeasurable improvement.

hibbybrian
31-12-2012, 03:15 PM
John WILL know - he worked as a rigger's apprentice on the building of that stand.

He told me he was paid sixpence (old pence) a day and his dinner piece was a stale Gregg's sausage roll and a pickled egg.

:devil:


I'm sure I've seen pictures of the old "Egg-box" stand - which IIRC is actually almost exactly what it looked like, an egg box with the front cut off - but I've no idea where they could be found. I THINK it was on the opposite side of the pitch to the 1924 Main Stand.

Put it this way - if either the Egg-box or the Jonnyboy Stand was built at Tynecastle today, it would be a huge modernisation of the place - not to mention an immeasurable improvement.

I'm sure John served his apprenticeship on the 1890 stand and had risen to the rank of Foreman for the new mid 1890's eggbox stand :greengrin

Eggbox stand

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9186

Andy Bee
31-12-2012, 03:32 PM
I was chatting with my uncle after the game on Saturday, moaning about the traffic as we were trying to get back to Northfield Rd. It turns out according to him that the stadium could of been built at the end of Northfield Rd at the site where the cemetery is located now, Easter Rd was chosen over it because of the close proximity to the steel yard that was supplying the steel work.:dunno:

Mr White
31-12-2012, 03:32 PM
It's dated 1888 but the survey would have been done at least a year earlier.

Here's another dated 1891 showing the ground still there despite the last match being played on 27 September 1890 as building work was encroaching.

9182

:aok: i was imagining that the tenements would have been being built around that time. really interesting stuff you've posted, thanks!

hibbybrian
31-12-2012, 03:41 PM
I was chatting with my uncle after the game on Saturday, moaning about the traffic as we were trying to get back to Northfield Rd. It turns out according to him that the stadium could of been built at the end of Northfield Rd at the site where the cemetery is located now, Easter Rd was chosen over it because of the close proximity to the steel yard that was supplying the steel work.:dunno:

It was behind the cemetary

Hibernian's Northfield ground

9187

oregonhibby
31-12-2012, 03:48 PM
If you go down to Easter Road there is an exhibition about all of the Hibs grounds. Including maps, architectural drawings, pictures and other paraphernalia.

Put on by the Hibernian Historical Trust.

--------
31-12-2012, 03:51 PM
I'm sure John served his apprenticeship on the 1890 stand and had risen to the rank of Foreman for the new mid 1890's eggbox stand :greengrin

Eggbox stand

9185

9186


That's it!

Thanks, Brian.

I've always wondered how on earth anyone saw anything of the game from the back of that stand. I take it that that would be the press box on the top?

degenerated
31-12-2012, 03:53 PM
I'm sure John served his apprenticeship on the 1890 stand and had risen to the rank of Foreman for the new mid 1890's eggbox stand :greengrin

Eggbox stand

9185

9186

It looks a far more robust construction than that main stand at tynecastle. :greengrin

Peevemor
31-12-2012, 04:33 PM
This is a great site for old maps of Edinburgh.

http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_maps/0_maps_thumbnails.htm

wookie70
31-12-2012, 04:49 PM
I never realised that the ground at Northfield was once ours. Always thought it might have been something to do with Bruce Anchor who had a site there. Old-maps.co.uk is pretty good for old Ordnance Survey maps

HIBERNIAN-0762
31-12-2012, 05:18 PM
Cheers for all the replies guys, fascinating stuff.

vein
31-12-2012, 07:05 PM
I never realised that the ground at Northfield was once ours. Always thought it might have been something to do with Bruce Anchor who had a site there. Old-maps.co.uk is pretty good for old Ordnance Survey maps

It wasn't ours, that map is a plan of where it would have been. I think the land was sold to the railway instead, probably a dodgy underhand council deal :)

The ground your maybe thinking of is where morrisons is now. There was a wee stand there and hibs used it for training in the 80's.

hibbybrian
31-12-2012, 07:36 PM
It wasn't ours, that map is a plan of where it would have been. I think the land was sold to the railway instead, probably a dodgy underhand council deal :)

The ground your maybe thinking of is where morrisons is now. There was a wee stand there and hibs used it for training in the 80's.

It was leased by Hibernian

9189

9190

The railway company said they needed some of the land for expansion and it was bought by compulsory purchase however they never used it :wink:

vein
31-12-2012, 07:52 PM
It was leased by Hibernian

9189

9190

The railway company said they needed some of the land for expansion and it was bought by compulsory purchase however they never used it :wink:

So there was a stadium there? I was always under the impression that those were only plans, an olden days straiton if you like :)

wookie70
31-12-2012, 08:46 PM
It wasn't ours, that map is a plan of where it would have been. I think the land was sold to the railway instead, probably a dodgy underhand council deal :)

The ground your maybe thinking of is where morrisons is now. There was a wee stand there and hibs used it for training in the 80's.

I saw the ground on old ordnance survey maps but there was no mention of hibs. I suspect if it is on OS maps then there was a pitch there but maybe not used by Hibs. Im from Northfield so was always interested in the area. The ground at Morrisons belonged to Royal High and the wee stand which was a wreck even the the 80s was for Rugby. I saw Goram play Cricket there too.Fond memories of Royal High primary with ex Hibs goalie Jim McArthur as my PE teacher.

Jonnyboy
31-12-2012, 08:55 PM
By 1891 Hibs had let the lease expire I believe as the club had suspended football activities due to the Club Secretary going to Canada with Club Funds and the never to be forgotten (or forgiven :devil:) dirty tricks from our **ahem** friends in the West who let us not forget left Easter Road on Saturday with a big fat ZERO!:fenlon

Regarding the ground itself I don't think it would have looked like much. The Pitch would probably have been roped off and some form of changing facility along the side of pitch. Doubt there was any sort of proper Stand area in the manner we would think.

When Hibs moved into Easter Road in 1893 some years later I am told they had a stand built later where the East is now called the Eggbox. When the old main Stand was built in 1924(?) the Eggbox was demolished and converted to Terracing.
Johnnyboy may know (and no I am not suggesting he was there!:wink:)



John WILL know - he worked as a rigger's apprentice on the building of that stand.

He told me he was paid sixpence (old pence) a day and his dinner piece was a stale Gregg's sausage roll and a pickled egg.

:devil:


I'm sure I've seen pictures of the old "Egg-box" stand - which IIRC is actually almost exactly what it looked like, an egg box with the front cut off - but I've no idea where they could be found. I THINK it was on the opposite side of the pitch to the 1924 Main Stand.

Put it this way - if either the Egg-box or the Jonnyboy Stand was built at Tynecastle today, it would be a huge modernisation of the place - not to mention an immeasurable improvement.


I'm sure John served his apprenticeship on the 1890 stand and had risen to the rank of Foreman for the new mid 1890's eggbox stand :greengrin

Eggbox stand

9185

9186

As you guys well know, I built that egg box stand almost single-handedly :agree: Had to be an egg box, given we were at Easter Road :wink:

MSK
31-12-2012, 09:36 PM
As you guys well know, I built that egg box stand almost single-handedly :agree: Had to be an egg box, given we were at Easter Road :wink:Jonnyboy conducting the old "sectioned" 43 .... 9191 :greengrin

Jonnyboy
31-12-2012, 09:39 PM
Jonnyboy conducting the old "sectioned" 43 .... 9191 :greengrin

:faf:

"Stand up cos there are nae seats ........"

iwasthere1972
01-01-2013, 01:03 AM
Jonnyboy conducting the old "sectioned" 43 .... 9191 :greengrin

No flag fund.

Miguel
01-01-2013, 02:17 AM
The proposed Northfield ground ran from the newish flats on Northfield Broadway along to the cemetery and down as far as Mountcastle Green. The stand where Morrisons is now belonged to Royal High when it was a prep school for the main school in the old building on Regent Road that was once going to be the Scottish Parliament. The stained glass above the entrance to Morrisons shows Royal High playing rugby at the site. Off topic, but surely there should be a plaque on St Mary's Street Halls to show where Hibernians were founded. Unbelievable there isn't one.

Waxy
02-01-2013, 06:16 PM
It was leased by Hibernian

9189

9190

The railway company said they needed some of the land for expansion and it was bought by compulsory purchase however they never used it :wink:Wouldnt mind reading the article about the new ground.any way of makindg it readable?

Kato
02-01-2013, 06:28 PM
Seemingly our very very first "ground", I suppose it was more of a "patch", on the meadows was at the Eastern most end, where the tennis courts around Sciennes sits.

Essential info in this book.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hibernian-The-Easter-Road-Story/dp/0859764265

erin go bragh
02-01-2013, 07:20 PM
John WILL know - he worked as a rigger's apprentice on the building of that stand.

He told me he was paid sixpence (old pence) a day and his dinner piece was a stale Gregg's sausage roll and a pickled egg.

:devil:


I'm sure I've seen pictures of the old "Egg-box" stand - which IIRC is actually almost exactly what it looked like, an egg box with the front cut off - but I've no idea where they could be found. I THINK it was on the opposite side of the pitch to the 1924 Main Stand.

Put it this way - if either the Egg-box or the Jonnyboy Stand was built at Tynecastle today, it would be a huge modernisation of the place - not to mention an immeasurable improvement.
Ive got a picture of the stand [ it is where the east is now ] got the picture off Pat Stanton's mother in the late 80s when i was putting new seals on her doors .
Ill have a look for it later and see if i can put it up .
Lovely lady she was .

ggtth

Waxy
10-06-2015, 04:19 PM
Ive got a picture of the stand [ it is where the east is now ] got the picture off Pat Stanton's mother in the late 80s when i was putting new seals on her doors .
Ill have a look for it later and see if i can put it up .
Lovely lady she was .

ggtthDid you ever find the picture?
This is a great wee thread.Now if you look on google earth, incredibly half the northfield ground is still there.One half has been built over and it looks like the other half is almost as it would have been when built.except for the small matter that it seems to have been taken over by the cemetery and people have been buried on the east side of the pitch.

GreenLake
10-06-2015, 05:01 PM
It's interesting to read these threads about Hibernian history where members try to obtain facts and evidence to describe our past. Quite different from the maroon mob across the city who quickly concoct a Rabelaisian tale based on hyperbole, wishful conjecture and world beating ignorance.

Keith_M
10-06-2015, 05:09 PM
Just a bit of history on the Northfield site......

In the early 1900s, Hibs were having some success, Scottish Cup in 1902 and the League in 1903. This lead to a desire at Hibs to either increase the capacity of ER or move elsewhere. Because of the ER slope, the decision was taken to move and some land at Northfield leased.

Hibs put a considerable sum of money into developing a new stadium (seen in the photos in previous posts) but were undermined by the North British Railway Company, who decided they needed the land for a Railway 'Spur'. The council took the Railway's side in the matter and Hibs never played in the Stadium they had spent so much money on (incidentally, the capacity was estimated at 50k but overestimation was typical in those days and it was probably in the region of 30-35k).

Hibs suffered incredibly from the wasted outlay and took years to recover. The NB Railway company never actually built the 'spur', so Hibs lost the Stadium for nothing. The site was eventually used for amateur games and (I think) rugby matches. Part of the land is now the Cemetery.


[The above is my recollection from a book called The Easter Road Story (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hibernian-The-Easter-Road-Story/dp/0859764265), which I have now sadly lost ]

Shore Thing
10-06-2015, 05:33 PM
Fascinating stuff!

Here are some links to check out (hope they work!). National Library of Scotland has this site where you can view historical maps, overlaid on up to date maps. You can fade between the old and new maps with the slider on the left (where it says "Change transparency of overlay").

1891 - Showing the Recreation Ground at Bothwell Street:
http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=55.9607&lon=-3.1689&layers=136

1902 - Hibs based at Easter Road as we know it (note the shooting ranges - for practising long-range 'squigglers'?):
http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16&lat=55.9629&lon=-3.1669&layers=140

1910 - You can see 'Hibernian Football Park' at Albion Place, and also 'New Hibernians Football Park' beside Piershill Cemetery:
http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15&lat=55.9581&lon=-3.1532&layers=143

Kato
10-06-2015, 05:53 PM
It's interesting to read these threads about Hibernian history where members try to obtain facts and evidence to describe our past. Quite different from the maroon mob across the city who quickly concoct a Rabelaisian tale based on hyperbole, wishful conjecture and world beating ignorance.

That's easy for you to say, if you showed any kind of balance you would recognise that Hearts fans do so because they are all twats.

Kato
10-06-2015, 05:54 PM
1910 - You can see 'Hibernian Football Park' at Albion Place, and also 'New Hibernians Football Park' beside Piershill Cemetery:
http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15&lat=55.9581&lon=-3.1532&layers=143

Thanks for that. Was about to go looking for this one.

MSK
10-06-2015, 05:56 PM
Fascinating stuff!

Here are some links to check out (hope they work!). National Library of Scotland has this site where you can view historical maps, overlaid on up to date maps. You can fade between the old and new maps with the slider on the left (where it says "Change transparency of overlay").

1891 - Showing the Recreation Ground at Bothwell Street:
http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=55.9607&lon=-3.1689&layers=136

1902 - Hibs based at Easter Road as we know it (note the shooting ranges - for practising long-range 'squigglers'?):
http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16&lat=55.9629&lon=-3.1669&layers=140

1910 - You can see 'Hibernian Football Park' at Albion Place, and also 'New Hibernians Football Park' beside Piershill Cemetery:
http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15&lat=55.9581&lon=-3.1532&layers=143Brilliant stuff ..thanks for that ..:agree:...:aok:

Waxy
10-06-2015, 06:13 PM
Fascinating stuff!

Here are some links to check out (hope they work!). National Library of Scotland has this site where you can view historical maps, overlaid on up to date maps. You can fade between the old and new maps with the slider on the left (where it says "Change transparency of overlay").

1891 - Showing the Recreation Ground at Bothwell Street:
http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=55.9607&lon=-3.1689&layers=136

1902 - Hibs based at Easter Road as we know it (note the shooting ranges - for practising long-range 'squigglers'?):
http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16&lat=55.9629&lon=-3.1669&layers=140

1910 - You can see 'Hibernian Football Park' at Albion Place, and also 'New Hibernians Football Park' beside Piershill Cemetery:
http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15&lat=55.9581&lon=-3.1532&layers=143Thanks thats brilliant.The northfield ground is exactly where i was looking earlier.It'd be great if the newspaper clip on the first page was readable.Looks like alot of good info in that.

high bee
10-06-2015, 06:28 PM
Thanks thats brilliant.The northfield ground is exactly where i was looking earlier.It'd be great if the newspaper clip on the first page was readable.Looks like alot of good info in that.

Can't you just click on it to view it?

I did in my phone, it's a story about a foot race held at the ground on a Sunday and how Hibs were denying any involvement, seems to have caused outrage.

Waxy
10-06-2015, 06:36 PM
Can't you just click on it to view it?

I did in my phone, it's a story about a foot race held at the ground on a Sunday and how Hibs were denying any involvement, seems to have caused outrage.No it's too blurry on mine.

high bee
10-06-2015, 06:46 PM
No it's too blurry on mine.

THE SUNDAY RACING IN EDINBURGH - HIBERNIAN CLUB'S POSITION - In connection with the foot racing which was held at Northfield on Sunday, it has been ascertained that the directors of Hibernian Football Club, who hold the ground on a lease from the Duke of Abercorn, disclaim all connection with what took place. They knew absolutely nothing about the Sunday racing until it was over, and the chairman stated whether it occurred through persons having forced their way onto the park, or whether it was under the auspices of a sub-tenant, it would be stopped immediately. He further added that they instructed their agents, Messers Elder & Aikman, W.S., to write to their tenant for information on the subject, and if he were responsible for what happened, to intimate to him that no such thing would be tolerated in the future, in terms of the lease, which has a clause to the effect that on no condition was he, the tenant, to have the use of the ground for any purpose on a Sunday.

Waxy
10-06-2015, 06:58 PM
THE SUNDAY RACING IN EDINBURGH - HIBERNIAN CLUB'S POSITION - In connection with the foot racing which was held at Northfield on Sunday, it has been ascertained that the directors of Hibernian Football Club, who hold the ground on a lease from the Duke of Abercorn, disclaim all connection with what took place. They knew absolutely nothing about the Sunday racing until it was over, and the chairman stated whether it occurred through persons having forced their way onto the park, or whether it was under the auspices of a sub-tenant, it would be stopped immediately. He further added that they instructed their agents, Messers Elder & Aikman, W.S., to write to their tenant for information on the subject, and if he were responsible for what happened, to intimate to him that no such thing would be tolerated in the future, in terms of the lease, which has a clause to the effect that on no condition was he, the tenant, to have the use of the ground for any purpose on a Sunday.Thanks but thats not the clip i meant.it's the one above titled "Hibernian football clubs new ground"

Conrad Gray
10-06-2015, 07:17 PM
It was behind the cemetary

Hibernian's Northfield ground

9187

Brian, (or anyone else that can confirm), I was told many years ago that the undertakers building on the opposite corner from Scotties Bar on Portobello Road was part of the original club rooms. There is what appears to be a football carved into the stonework above the undertakers door. Has anybody else heard this? Or can confirm either way?

1875STEVE
10-06-2015, 08:00 PM
Did we not also play on a field down by Cameron Toll for a while???

At the end of Crawford RD/ East Suffolk Road??

Im sure I read that somewhere, but im not sure where???

GreenLake
10-06-2015, 08:35 PM
That's easy for you to say, if you showed any kind of balance you would recognise that Hearts fans do so because they are all twats.

It seems appropriate in a post about members to oppose them with twats.