Where we are at

[Ozyhibby]

Good article in the record. :shocked:

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/opinion/sport/record-fc-hibernian-fans-need-5386427

Sums up where we are. It's going to take a massive effort to convince fans to come back.

The 3 most important of which would be
1. Petrie leaving
2. promotion
3. Win the Scottish cup:partyhibb

[Future17]

Good article in the record. :shocked:

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/opinion/sport/record-fc-hibernian-fans-need-5386427

Sums up where we are. It's going to take a massive effort to convince fans to come back.

The 3 most important of which would be
1. Petrie leaving
2. promotion
3. Win the Scottish cup:partyhibb

You think Petrie leaving is more important to potential returning fans than promotion or winning the Scottish Cup?!? :confused:

[Mr White]

Seems an odd time to write an article like that. HOH and Buyhibs are quiet/dead in the water so why mention them? I appreciate there's still a big petrie out sentiment amongst the support (it would be my preference) but FFS leave it till the summer now surely. Nothing should distract from the aims of promotion and beating falkirk in the semi.

[Andy74]

Oh dear God.

[Ozyhibby]

You think Petrie leaving is more important to potential returning fans than promotion or winning the Scottish Cup?!? :confused:

Apologies, I should have said in no particular order.

[Ozyhibby]

Seems an odd time to write an article like that. HOH and Buyhibs are quiet/dead in the water so why mention them? I appreciate there's still a big petrie out sentiment amongst the support (it would be my preference) but FFS leave it till the summer now surely. Nothing should distract from the aims of promotion and beating falkirk in the semi.


Because we need to get fans back to Easter Road? We can't leave it till the summer because the season tickets are on sale now.
It should not distract from our stated aim of promotion or winning the semi.

[marinello59]

Seems an odd time to write an article like that. HOH and Buyhibs are quiet/dead in the water so why mention them? I appreciate there's still a big petrie out sentiment amongst the support (it would be my preference) but FFS leave it till the summer now surely. Nothing should distract from the aims of promotion and beating falkirk in the semi.

The thrust of the article is that we should support the club financially if we can. I don't see much wrong with what he has blogged.

[Mr White]

The thrust of the article is that we should support the club financially if we can. I don't see much wrong with what he has blogged.

He could have done that with more emphasis on the positive changes in the last 8 months rather than dredging up the Buyhibs and petrie out/ ownership turmoil stuff imo.

[marinello59]

He could have done that with more emphasis on the positive changes in the last 8 months rather than dredging up the Buyhibs and petrie out/ ownership turmoil stuff imo.

Granted. But he is right, we do need to back the club however we can.

[Jay]

Good article in the record. :shocked:

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/opinion/sport/record-fc-hibernian-fans-need-5386427

Sums up where we are. It's going to take a massive effort to convince fans to come back.

The 3 most important of which would be
1. Petrie leaving
2. promotion
3. Win the Scottish cup:partyhibb

Not just aimed at you but at anybody who is still holding out for Petrie to leave - do you think that we would be in a better position right now if Petrie had left last year?

[Ozyhibby]

He could have done that with more emphasis on the positive changes in the last 8 months rather than dredging up the Buyhibs and petrie out/ ownership turmoil stuff imo.

No discussion about Hibs predicament can fail to mention Petrie. The only way that it will stop is when he leaves. Sad but true. It's a shame because I think Leeann is doing a good job.

[Ozyhibby]

Not just aimed at you but at anybody who is still holding out for Petrie to leave - do you think that we would be in a better position right now if Petrie had left last year?

I have no idea but it would have taken away one of the excuses people are using for not coming to the games. The less excuses people have the better.

[Mr White]

Granted. But he is right, we do need to back the club however we can.

That's true and to be fair to him I did possibly pre - judge this article a bit on the back of not thinking much of his previous ones :greengrin

And initially only reading the first half of it :doh:

[NAE NOOKIE]

An interesting piece and quite a bit of truth in it. At one point we did have too many people all wanting the same thing, but at odds about how to achieve it. I think that HSL and the share issue in general has put that to bed.

Yes Petrie is still there and if the appointment of Leeann Dempster's appointment had turned out to be a damp squib I think the cry for him to go would have grown and been as loud as ever. But the proof of the pudding is in the eating and it cant be denied that she appears to be if not a panacea for the malady of Petrie then at least capable of clearing up some of the nastier symptoms. As things stand I think most of us are prepared to put Petrie on the back burner, at least for the time being. Though I for one wish he had gone when he should have and still do.

There is no doubt that though 600 HSL members is a decent start its going to be a long haul to get near 51% fan ownership. Someone said that there could be a process where independent share owners could proxy their shares to HSL for voting purposes and I for one can see some merit in that.

I do think his hints at armageddon if things don't work out are a wee bit OTT but there is no doubt that the club could suffer medium term problems if things don't work out this season. As he alludes to the take up of season tickets and semi final tickets will be a decent indicator of where we are at. A recent statement from the club that like for like ST sales are the best they have been for the last 5 years at this time is encouraging. If we can hit 15 to 20 thousand semi tickets that will be a good sign too.

All I can do is echo his sentiment about support for the club. Yes we have been Tom Kite for years, but most clubs have periods like that. Yes we hate Petrie, but he is not Hibernian football club, we are. At the end of the day do we love our club or not? If you call yourself a Hibby and genuinely want to see the club survive and even thrive get yourself out there, buy a season ticket and buy shares if you can afford it.

GGTTH

[iainm1875]

"If you call yourself a Hibby and genuinely want to see the club survive and even thrive get yourself out there, buy a season ticket and buy shares if you can afford it."

GGTTH

Great post, my sentiments exactly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mikey]

Not just aimed at you but at anybody who is still holding out for Petrie to leave - do you think that we would be in a better position right now if Petrie had left last year?

At this moment in time, the people who are staying away because of Petrie are doing more damage to the club than the man himself.

[Ozyhibby]

At this moment in time, the people who are staying away because of Petrie are doing more damage to the club than the man himself.

Your getting your cause and effect mixed up there. If people are staying away because of Petrie then it is him who is still damaging the club not the people who stay away.

[Mikey]

Your getting your cause and effect mixed up there. If people are staying away because of Petrie then it is him who is still damaging the club not the people who stay away.

Depends whether you look forward or look back.

[Jay]

I have no idea but it would have taken away one of the excuses people are using for not coming to the games. The less excuses people have the better.

This is it, nobody knows. It is entirely possible that we could be in a worse position without him. Maybe he's done some of this famous "unseen" work!

If people are staying away purely on the fact Petries still there then they are not only holding us back financially but they are missing something a wee bit special - the rebuilding of our Club. Cutting off their noses to spite their face IMO

[Ozyhibby]

Depends whether you look forward or look back.

When a business starts to blame its customers for staying away then it really is in trouble.
If Hibs want to entice these customers back then we need to address their concerns.

[jacomo]

When a business starts to blame its customers for staying away then it really is in trouble.
If Hibs want to entice these customers back then we need to address their concerns.

:agree:

Tbf, LD seems to be doing everything in her power to address our weaknesses.

[marinello59]

When a business starts to blame its customers for staying away then it really is in trouble.
If Hibs want to entice these customers back then we need to address their concerns.

The club are not blaming the fans though are they?
They have gone a long way towards addressing our concerns. It is time for ALL Hibs fans to get behind the club.

[Ozyhibby]

The club are not blaming the fans though are they?
They have gone a long way towards addressing our concerns. It is to time for ALL Hibs fans to get behind the club.

The club have gone a long way but have not done everything they could, which is a real shame as Leeann appears to be doing a great job.

I did not mean that the club had started blaming the fans, I just meant that the club should not follow the lead of some on here who do blame the fans.

[Pete]

When a business starts to blame its customers for staying away then it really is in trouble.
If Hibs want to entice these customers back then we need to address their concerns.

You are talking about hibs like they are a supermarket with customers who have no emotional attachments and will shop elsewhere at the drop of a hat.

We go to help our team win at sport and the simple facts are that we will be better if we all pull together.

[Ozyhibby]

You are talking about hibs like they are a supermarket with customers who have no emotional attachments and will shop elsewhere at the drop of a hat.

We go to help our team win at sport and the simple facts are that we will be better if we all pull together.

Absolutely, I agree with that but right now we have supporters staying away and we need to get them back. We need to address their concerns.
Normally we average about 2000 less supporters than Hearts per game, just now its about 6000. They are also chucking in about 1.5m a year on top. Unless we start to close this gap again then we will struggle to match them on the pitch.

[HappyAsHellas]

Absolutely, I agree with that but right now we have supporters staying away and we need to get them back. We need to address their concerns.
Normally we average about 2000 less supporters than Hearts per game, just now its about 6000. They are also chucking in about 1.5m a year on top. Unless we start to close this gap again then we will struggle to match them on the pitch.

In two games against Rangers we got 14 and 15000 respectively. Hearts got 12,500 against Celtic in the cup, a competition when the gate money is split and therefore the truth is told about attendances. Hearts always inflate their home crowd figures for league games through using the MTI system, which means you have no idea how many people actually attend the game. If we were top of the league and they had just come out seven years of hell do you think it might be a bit different?

[truehibernian]

Hibs are paying the price for three terrible managerial appointments and the climate of Scottish football in the last decade - Petrie has gone beyond his expiry date and did so when Calderwood was not allowed to go to Forest. Calderwood, Fenlon and Butcher have effectively scared people away because the product was so poor, so negative and so industrial in footballing terms. We were a football graveyard for journeymen footballers.

After Mixu the club should have taken on someone who had experience with working with youth football - that is always going to be a successful route for a club our size to go down.

Around the time of Calderwood (and before), Aberdeen were investing heavily in both time and money in getting a 'four corner' scouting system and training set up established - Hibs, despite coming out of a very fruitful period where we had made millions, didn't consolidate on that system - Hearts at the time were paying unaffordable salaries to their youths, Celtic too.......Hibs stagnated at that level. In truth we never replaced both Parks (John and Donald).

Not saying 'told you so' but I recall a post I made seasons ago stating we should go all out to get Leeann Dempster as she had energy, verve and above all real positivity - the club was in a lull and was one which simply tolerated mediocrity. I'm glad we did, she's been absolutely superb.

Here we are, in a league we don't want to be in, but deserve to be in because of previous mismanagement - but in a few short months the club seems to be revitalised and we are heading in the right direction. I still think there will be twists and turns and some great results and some stinkers (this season). Our manager is still raw and niave but is certainly someone we all rate and respect and the fans seem to be fully behind him and the coaching team. He has recognised that the fans want excitement and want to see a brand of football that entertains. The off field stuff has been excellent and the season ticket campaign has to be commended for being a terrific piece of work.

I've a feeling Stephen Thompson may be picking up the phone to Rod in a few weeks and asking him how he dealt with all the flak - as Dundee United are like Hibs circa 2007......losing their talent for big bucks and now in a position where the results are faltering and the blame culture will kick in.

Being honest - I don't think we will get promotion this season. For me, Butcher and Fenlon left the club in tatters, unconsciously supported by Rod - he took his hands off the wheel and let them go with it. All three share the blame.

But even lack of promotion for me is not failure this season - because the blueprint is in place and fans will return. The product is better. The place is far more positive. I also think we will make the SC final - however again I think we will face Celtic and fall short.

If that's how it pans out, after the 'near death' last season post Hamilton - a quarter final v full strength Dundee Utd only settled on pens which we were a kick away from winning, a (possible) final in the Scottish Cup, top 4 in the league with play-offs, and really decent football throughout - that for me is strong progress from where we were.

I know that my post is a mix of positive and negative (in saying we will not get promotion), but for me this is realistic - and I'm really encouraged at the youth set up and what we have coming through - because they will get that chance :aok::flag:

[green day]

Absolutely, I agree with that but right now we have supporters staying away and we need to get them back. We need to address their concerns.
Normally we average about 2000 less supporters than Hearts per game, just now its about 6000. They are also chucking in about 1.5m a year on top. Unless we start to close this gap again then we will struggle to match them on the pitch.

You need to smile a bit more......

They bought loads of seasons because they were about to go bust. They bought into the FOH idea because they were about to go bust.

If they had been as crap as us (and they have been in the past) their crowds would be well down.

As for the £1.5m they are raising? So is this working capital or to buy the club? My suspicion is that they will continue to use it to subsidise inflated salaries next season - as they always have (they are "big", dontcha know), and The Auld Budgie will continue to be called " hearts owner" until she pegs out.

They have done well, but let's never kid ourselves the playing field has been level.

[lord bunberry]

At this moment in time, the people who are staying away because of Petrie are doing more damage to the club than the man himself.
I reckon the number of people genuinely staying away because of Petrie wouldn't even reach 3 figures. I've yet to meet 1.

[Swedish hibee]

At this moment in time, the people who are staying away because of Petrie are doing more damage to the club than the man himself.

:clapper:

[truehibernian]

Absolutely, I agree with that but right now we have supporters staying away and we need to get them back. We need to address their concerns.
Normally we average about 2000 less supporters than Hearts per game, just now its about 6000. They are also chucking in about 1.5m a year on top. Unless we start to close this gap again then we will struggle to match them on the pitch.

They've done brilliantly on the pitch and have to be commended.

But don't be fooled by their false economy. Their club nearly liquidated and died. Their fans again have to be applauded for rallying the way they did.

But they have huge huge decisions to make in future regards infrastructure which AB hinted at mid season and also when opposition fans damaged the ground.

I predict some very tricky financial decisions for Hearts in the next 2 years off the field. Which in turn will affect on the field.

[blackpoolhibs]

I know a bloke who says he won't be back until Petrie's gone, but thats not really true because he will be at the Semi Final. I have been once this season, and will only probably be at 3 or 4 games at most before the end of the season.

Speaking for myself, i have found other things to do with my money, and have got out the habit. And i put that entirely down to Petrie and the way he has run the club.

How many more people out there are like me, folk who would buy a season ticket, folk who went most weeks?

That man may still be at the club, and he's not stopping me return, but he is the reason i no longer put Hibs first before all other leisure activities.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

You need to smile a bit more......

They bought loads of seasons because they were about to go bust. They bought into the FOH idea because they were about to go bust.

It always amazes me how many Hibs fans cannae see that. If that had been us the same would've happened. The annoying thing is they are being looked on as a success, if every club could jetison their debt for next to f all they'd be delighted. Most clubs wouldnae need to pump their creditors for what they tramps did either.

[Sir David Gray]

Not just aimed at you but at anybody who is still holding out for Petrie to leave - do you think that we would be in a better position right now if Petrie had left last year?

He should have left about four or five years ago, although I'm not someone who has stayed away due to his continued presence.

[tamig]

Seems an odd time to write an article like that. HOH and Buyhibs are quiet/dead in the water so why mention them? I appreciate there's still a big petrie out sentiment amongst the support (it would be my preference) but FFS leave it till the summer now surely. Nothing should distract from the aims of promotion and beating falkirk in the semi.
Lol. It's the Record ffs. When do they ever write a positive story about us?

[SunshineOnLeith]

If you call yourself a Hibby and genuinely want to see the club survive and even thrive get yourself out there, buy a season ticket and buy shares if you can afford it.

GGTTH

Garbage.

The price of season tickets is such that if you'll miss a few games throughout the season, it doesn't represent value regardless of whether you can afford it. Having priority for buying tickets etc is pretty meaningless as, with the exception of a derby at Tynecastle when we think we might get a result, everyone who wants a ticket for a Hibs game can generally get one, including cup finals.

As for buying shares, I think the appetite for fan ownership has been grossly overstated by a vocal minority, amplified by Hearts' situation. Personally, I've got no interest in fan ownership, and would only get involved in dire circumstances, such as happended across the city. The slow uptake of HSL suggests I'm far from alone in this view.

Neither of these opinions give me any less of a right to "call myself a Hibby", nor do they suggest I don't want Hibs to survive - what a nonsense suggestion.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Garbage.

The price of season tickets is such that if you'll miss a few games throughout the season, it doesn't represent value regardless of whether you can afford it. Having priority for buying tickets etc is pretty meaningless as, with the exception of a derby at Tynecastle when we think we might get a result, everyone who wants a ticket for a Hibs game can generally get one, including cup finals.

As for buying shares, I think the appetite for fan ownership has been grossly overstated by a vocal minority, amplified by Hearts' situation. Personally, I've got no interest in fan ownership, and would only get involved in dire circumstances, such as happended across the city. The slow uptake of HSL suggests I'm far from alone in this view.

Neither of these opinions give me any less of a right to "call myself a Hibby", nor do they suggest I don't want Hibs to survive - what a nonsense suggestion.

Well .... The club don't see it as "garbage" SOL .... Their projected budget for every season depends on ST sales and though walk ups are obviously of equal value in financial terms, getting the money up front is better for the club. As for the points system .. you are probably right ... I cant remember expressing an opinion either way.

Shares........ Well in my opinion I cant see why someone wouldn't want to own a small piece of their club if they can afford it, irrespective of their view on fan ownership .... especially if the money will benefit the club as well.

I didn't say not buying a season ticket or shares meant folk didn't have the right to call themselves a Hibby. I said if they called themselves a Hibby they should get out there and buy a ST or shares, if they could afford it .... not the same thing mate, perhaps you should get a sticking plaster over that raw nerve. :wink:

[Steve20]

Hibs are paying the price for three terrible managerial appointments and the climate of Scottish football in the last decade - Petrie has gone beyond his expiry date and did so when Calderwood was not allowed to go to Forest. Calderwood, Fenlon and Butcher have effectively scared people away because the product was so poor, so negative and so industrial in footballing terms. We were a football graveyard for journeymen footballers.

After Mixu the club should have taken on someone who had experience with working with youth football - that is always going to be a successful route for a club our size to go down.

Around the time of Calderwood (and before), Aberdeen were investing heavily in both time and money in getting a 'four corner' scouting system and training set up established - Hibs, despite coming out of a very fruitful period where we had made millions, didn't consolidate on that system - Hearts at the time were paying unaffordable salaries to their youths, Celtic too.......Hibs stagnated at that level. In truth we never replaced both Parks (John and Donald).

Not saying 'told you so' but I recall a post I made seasons ago stating we should go all out to get Leeann Dempster as she had energy, verve and above all real positivity - the club was in a lull and was one which simply tolerated mediocrity. I'm glad we did, she's been absolutely superb.

Here we are, in a league we don't want to be in, but deserve to be in because of previous mismanagement - but in a few short months the club seems to be revitalised and we are heading in the right direction. I still think there will be twists and turns and some great results and some stinkers (this season). Our manager is still raw and niave but is certainly someone we all rate and respect and the fans seem to be fully behind him and the coaching team. He has recognised that the fans want excitement and want to see a brand of football that entertains. The off field stuff has been excellent and the season ticket campaign has to be commended for being a terrific piece of work.

I've a feeling Stephen Thompson may be picking up the phone to Rod in a few weeks and asking him how he dealt with all the flak - as Dundee United are like Hibs circa 2007......losing their talent for big bucks and now in a position where the results are faltering and the blame culture will kick in.

Being honest - I don't think we will get promotion this season. For me, Butcher and Fenlon left the club in tatters, unconsciously supported by Rod - he took his hands off the wheel and let them go with it. All three share the blame.

But even lack of promotion for me is not failure this season - because the blueprint is in place and fans will return. The product is better. The place is far more positive. I also think we will make the SC final - however again I think we will face Celtic and fall short.

If that's how it pans out, after the 'near death' last season post Hamilton - a quarter final v full strength Dundee Utd only settled on pens which we were a kick away from winning, a (possible) final in the Scottish Cup, top 4 in the league with play-offs, and really decent football throughout - that for me is strong progress from where we were.

I know that my post is a mix of positive and negative (in saying we will not get promotion), but for me this is realistic - and I'm really encouraged at the youth set up and what we have coming through - because they will get that chance :aok::flag:

Good post. A lot of it made sense, although not getting promoted this season would count as failure imo. Another season in this league would be terrible and I think we'd see attendances drop even more.

[Mr White]

Lol. It's the Record ffs. When do they ever write a positive story about us?

It's in the record but it's a blog by hibs fan jamie Montgomery.

[tamig]

It's in the record but it's a blog by hibs fan jamie Montgomery.

Ah sorry. I never read the article so apologies for that. I'll take a look later.

[AndyM_1875]

Call me cynical but the fans who say they're staying away because of Rod are just making excuses. When he does eventually leave for a blazer at Hampden these same fans will find some other excuse not to go - it's too cold, the pies are lukewarm, the team is rubbish, canny be bothered etc etc etc.

You either go and watch a team you claim to support or you don't. That's it.

[Ozyhibby]

Call me cynical but the fans who say they're staying away because of Rod are just making excuses. When he does eventually leave for a blazer at Hampden these same fans will find some other excuse not to go - it's too cold, the pies are lukewarm, the team is rubbish, canny be bothered etc etc etc.

You either go and watch a team you claim to support or you don't. That's it.


Your correct but we need to take all the excuses away to grow as a club, especially the 'team is rubbish' one.:agree:

[Smartie]

Hibs are paying the price for three terrible managerial appointments and the climate of Scottish football in the last decade - Petrie has gone beyond his expiry date and did so when Calderwood was not allowed to go to Forest. Calderwood, Fenlon and Butcher have effectively scared people away because the product was so poor, so negative and so industrial in footballing terms. We were a football graveyard for journeymen footballers.

After Mixu the club should have taken on someone who had experience with working with youth football - that is always going to be a successful route for a club our size to go down.

Around the time of Calderwood (and before), Aberdeen were investing heavily in both time and money in getting a 'four corner' scouting system and training set up established - Hibs, despite coming out of a very fruitful period where we had made millions, didn't consolidate on that system - Hearts at the time were paying unaffordable salaries to their youths, Celtic too.......Hibs stagnated at that level. In truth we never replaced both Parks (John and Donald).

Not saying 'told you so' but I recall a post I made seasons ago stating we should go all out to get Leeann Dempster as she had energy, verve and above all real positivity - the club was in a lull and was one which simply tolerated mediocrity. I'm glad we did, she's been absolutely superb.

Here we are, in a league we don't want to be in, but deserve to be in because of previous mismanagement - but in a few short months the club seems to be revitalised and we are heading in the right direction. I still think there will be twists and turns and some great results and some stinkers (this season). Our manager is still raw and niave but is certainly someone we all rate and respect and the fans seem to be fully behind him and the coaching team. He has recognised that the fans want excitement and want to see a brand of football that entertains. The off field stuff has been excellent and the season ticket campaign has to be commended for being a terrific piece of work.

I've a feeling Stephen Thompson may be picking up the phone to Rod in a few weeks and asking him how he dealt with all the flak - as Dundee United are like Hibs circa 2007......losing their talent for big bucks and now in a position where the results are faltering and the blame culture will kick in.

Being honest - I don't think we will get promotion this season. For me, Butcher and Fenlon left the club in tatters, unconsciously supported by Rod - he took his hands off the wheel and let them go with it. All three share the blame.

But even lack of promotion for me is not failure this season - because the blueprint is in place and fans will return. The product is better. The place is far more positive. I also think we will make the SC final - however again I think we will face Celtic and fall short.

If that's how it pans out, after the 'near death' last season post Hamilton - a quarter final v full strength Dundee Utd only settled on pens which we were a kick away from winning, a (possible) final in the Scottish Cup, top 4 in the league with play-offs, and really decent football throughout - that for me is strong progress from where we were.

I know that my post is a mix of positive and negative (in saying we will not get promotion), but for me this is realistic - and I'm really encouraged at the youth set up and what we have coming through - because they will get that chance :aok::flag:

Excellent post and pretty much how I see it (except I expect us to sneak up by the skin of our teeth).

The only bit that I disagree with is the bit about the successor to Mixu. Yogi actually had decent coaching credentials and a good reputation for bringing through youngsters at Falkirk. He was a rookie though and was bound to make mistakes, mistakes that we (the fans) were unlikely to let him get away with.

That for me was the spell when Petrie did most damage. It is all purely rumour but our player recruitment "policy" at that time seemed to be a shambles. We would miss out on 1st choice targets, sign also-rans and any old trialist that was kicking around and sell our best player on transfer deadline day. I think that all of this had Petrie's grubby paw prints all over it, and it would have happened regardless who the manager was.

Chuck in the fact that we have always been charged top dollar for tickets to watch a club in decline and it was a recipe for disaster. Unfortunately we always chose to blame the manager for this decline, the atmosphere at ER was terrible for years and the constant replacement of players with inferior ones was only going to go one way.

Your point about United is an excellent one - I fear for them right now and it is hard to see what they can do to stop the inevitable slide.

The contrast between last summer onwards and prior to that is staggering. Surely the least a senior football club can expect is to have decent cover for each position on the park? But look at the dearth of right-backs, strikers and wingers at various times over the previous 5-6 years.

I've never been one for the "never going back" talk. And now, to be honest, I'm relatively relaxed about the idea of Petrie being there. Because he is not doing jobs that he is not cut out to do and we have some of the best people we possibly could doing them, i.e. Dempster and Stubbs leading his back room staff.

I understand those who don't go because they've list the habit. I think that that is a genuinely honest reason not to go. But those who give it the Petrie nonsense are imo kidding themselves, and are pointlessly harming the club because a deep-seated grudge based on things that have happened in the past.

We need to rise above it and move on.

[Leithenhibby]

Your correct but we need to take all the excuses away to grow as a club, especially the 'team is rubbish' one.:agree:

:agree:

It's a big opportunity to have a say in our club, the way forward IMO...

http://www.hiberniansupporters.co.uk/

[AndyM_1875]

Your correct but we need to take all the excuses away to grow as a club, especially the 'team is rubbish' one.:agree:

The excuses are just excuses and most of them are just rubbish.
It's annoying hearing this stuff when some people can't get to matches for a variety of reasons such as work, distance, cost , they play a sport, or family commitments. Reasons that are to be totally respected.

Our club is changing in every way imaginable for the better. We will return to the top flight of Scottish football sooner rather than later so what is open to cynicism is someone who sits in an Edinburgh boozer on a Saturday afternoon blethering on about how they're a huge Hibs fan but won't go cos of Petrie. That's just drivel IMHO.

[Thecat23]

Hibs are paying the price for three terrible managerial appointments and the climate of Scottish football in the last decade - Petrie has gone beyond his expiry date and did so when Calderwood was not allowed to go to Forest. Calderwood, Fenlon and Butcher have effectively scared people away because the product was so poor, so negative and so industrial in footballing terms. We were a football graveyard for journeymen footballers.

After Mixu the club should have taken on someone who had experience with working with youth football - that is always going to be a successful route for a club our size to go down.

Around the time of Calderwood (and before), Aberdeen were investing heavily in both time and money in getting a 'four corner' scouting system and training set up established - Hibs, despite coming out of a very fruitful period where we had made millions, didn't consolidate on that system - Hearts at the time were paying unaffordable salaries to their youths, Celtic too.......Hibs stagnated at that level. In truth we never replaced both Parks (John and Donald).

Not saying 'told you so' but I recall a post I made seasons ago stating we should go all out to get Leeann Dempster as she had energy, verve and above all real positivity - the club was in a lull and was one which simply tolerated mediocrity. I'm glad we did, she's been absolutely superb.

Here we are, in a league we don't want to be in, but deserve to be in because of previous mismanagement - but in a few short months the club seems to be revitalised and we are heading in the right direction. I still think there will be twists and turns and some great results and some stinkers (this season). Our manager is still raw and niave but is certainly someone we all rate and respect and the fans seem to be fully behind him and the coaching team. He has recognised that the fans want excitement and want to see a brand of football that entertains. The off field stuff has been excellent and the season ticket campaign has to be commended for being a terrific piece of work.

I've a feeling Stephen Thompson may be picking up the phone to Rod in a few weeks and asking him how he dealt with all the flak - as Dundee United are like Hibs circa 2007......losing their talent for big bucks and now in a position where the results are faltering and the blame culture will kick in.

Being honest - I don't think we will get promotion this season. For me, Butcher and Fenlon left the club in tatters, unconsciously supported by Rod - he took his hands off the wheel and let them go with it. All three share the blame.

But even lack of promotion for me is not failure this season - because the blueprint is in place and fans will return. The product is better. The place is far more positive. I also think we will make the SC final - however again I think we will face Celtic and fall short.

If that's how it pans out, after the 'near death' last season post Hamilton - a quarter final v full strength Dundee Utd only settled on pens which we were a kick away from winning, a (possible) final in the Scottish Cup, top 4 in the league with play-offs, and really decent football throughout - that for me is strong progress from where we were.

I know that my post is a mix of positive and negative (in saying we will not get promotion), but for me this is realistic - and I'm really encouraged at the youth set up and what we have coming through - because they will get that chance :aok::flag:

One of the best posts I've read on Hibs .net in a long time!

[Betty Boop]

When a business starts to blame its customers for staying away then it really is in trouble.
If Hibs want to entice these customers back then we need to address their concerns.

Couldn't agree more.

[ancient hibee]

Garbage.

The price of season tickets is such that if you'll miss a few games throughout the season, it doesn't represent value regardless of whether you can afford it. Having priority for buying tickets etc is pretty meaningless as, with the exception of a derby at Tynecastle when we think we might get a result, everyone who wants a ticket for a Hibs game can generally get one, including cup finals.

As for buying shares, I think the appetite for fan ownership has been grossly overstated by a vocal minority, amplified by Hearts' situation. Personally, I've got no interest in fan ownership, and would only get involved in dire circumstances, such as happended across the city. The slow uptake of HSL suggests I'm far from alone in this view.

Neither of these opinions give me any less of a right to "call myself a Hibby", nor do they suggest I don't want Hibs to survive - what a nonsense suggestion.

The point about season ticket purchase is that it gives the buyer a reasonable discount but more importantly allows the football side to make decisions about players because they know how much income has come in.That is why I encourage everyone who can afford it to do it.

The good thing about the share issue is that the money doesn't go to existing shareholders but is treated as income.I'm sure you're right that there isn't the interest that all the arguments would have made you think there was.I think that many people just wanted a change of ownership-preferably a sugar daddy.That doesn't stop it being a good idea.As far as Hearts are concerned it'll be interesting to see how that scheme goes once the money has to go to Mrs.Budge to buy her out rather than to provide working capital as it does just now.