Indoor pitch v player recruitment

[hibee-boys]

Picked up from the John McGinn thread that some, or all!, of any transfer fee may be used to build an indoor pitch at East Mains. Pretty sure I've read that this does form part of Leanne's plans as well.

Just wondered what the views are on this?

We've done incredibly well to get people back to Easter Road last few years, record season tickets sales. Surely it's time to invest more towards the playing budget. I appreciated the importance of having our own training ground and the investment into East Mains was a good long term move but have we produced any more new talent in comparison to pre East Mains?

[Future17]

I think a full size indoor pitch is a must for the training centre. Happy to see transfer money being used towards something permanent like this.

[calumhibee1]

I think a full size indoor pitch is a must for the training centre. Happy to see transfer money being used towards something permanent like this.

Agreed. I’m not sure how much the indoor pitch will cost but it’s something we definitely should be going for.

[Mikey]

I think it's a requirement for Project Brave.

[Keith_M]

Anybody know (even roughly) how much the Indoor Pitch is going to cost?

[Eyrie]

Picked up from the John McGinn thread that some, or all!, of any transfer fee may be used to build an indoor pitch at East Mains. Pretty sure I've read that this does form part of Leanne's plans as well.

Just wondered what the views are on this?

We've done incredibly well to get people back to Easter Road last few years, record season tickets sales. Surely it's time to invest more towards the playing budget. I appreciated the importance of having our own training ground and the investment into East Mains was a good long term move but have we produced any more new talent in comparison to pre East Mains?

The counter argument would be that we'd be able to bring through better youths and improve the senior players if they can train on a full sized indoor pitch rather than outdoors in bad weather. Remember the video a couple of years ago showing the wind at East Mains?

[superfurryhibby]

Investment on the field all the way. If we don’t sustain expectations those 13’000 season tickets will just as quickly fade away. We’ve had a very long spell where investment in infrastructure took precedence, now is the time to build a footballing legacy. If things go well the playing side will generate revenue enough for resources, including an indoor pitch.

[superfurryhibby]

The counter argument would be that we'd be able to bring through better youths and improve the senior players if they can train on a full sized indoor pitch rather than outdoors in bad weather. Remember the video a couple of years ago showing the wind at East Mains?

Has the youth system provided enough dividend in terms of players making an impact? Strong arguement to say there are no more players making the first team than there was before we went down the whole youth team route.

[hibee-boys]

The counter argument would be that we'd be able to bring through better youths and improve the senior players if they can train on a full sized indoor pitch rather than outdoors in bad weather. Remember the video a couple of years ago showing the wind at East Mains?

I think the priority at this time, given the number of season tickets and the loss of a number of key players, has to be playing staff. As someone has pointed out already, continued success would hopefully help fund other projects like the indoor pitch.

[Eyrie]

Has the youth system provided enough dividend in terms of players making an impact? Strong arguement to say there are no more players making the first team than there was before we went down the whole youth team route.
Fair point, and very similar to the question I posed about the youth team in the Hibs Ladies thread.


I think the priority at this time, given the number of season tickets and the loss of a number of key players, has to be playing staff. As someone has pointed out already, continued success would hopefully help fund other projects like the indoor pitch.
But at what stage would we stop continuing to invest in sustaining current success to enable us invest in the facilities?

I'd say the windfall from McGinn is the time to do that. The first team budget should be largely sustainable from current income with any boost from transfer money regarded as a bonus to be spread over the next 2-3 years.

[NAE NOOKIE]

This is kind of like the old player recruitment v building the East stand discussion. As it turned out in the long run that investment was worthwhile, every bum on a seat we have had since over the old capacity of around 17,500 has been money into the club.

Hibs, Aberdeen and Hearts pretty well operate in the same market for players, with not a huge difference in what they can pay in wages … Hibs currently lag slightly behind the other two because Aberdeen are well funded and Hearts are insane. In those circumstances what you can offer players in side benefits makes a difference …. Aberdeen will eventually have a full size indoor facility and as we all know Hearts have built the magnificent Orium facility.

East Mains being where it is can be pretty prone to disruption from the elements and I'm sure ( in fact positive ) that any prospective signing being shown around would be far more encouraged to put pen to paper if he knows that if it comes to the crunch he will be protected from having to train in a force 9 gale or the pissing rain, or both, and that he wont have to queue behind the Scottish women's under 15s hockey team for the privilege :greengrin

It makes sense for Hibs to do this, in fact I would imagine that as part of our long term goal to be as attractive as possible to potential recruits and to bring our own players through its absolutely vital. I've said it before … if you want the best kids to sign for you then its the parents you have to impress, not the kids, and from that POV we should do everything possible to make East Mains an attractive place for the parents, friends and relatives who take the kids to training to hang around … we should be building a lounge for them as well as an indoor facility. I used to drive my friends kid from Galashiels to Edinburgh to train with Hibs and if the weather was really bad that meant me sitting in a boozer for two hours with a soft drink or sitting in my car listening to the radio ….. I didn't enjoy either.

This is something we have to do :aok:

[GloryGlory]

I think a full size indoor pitch is a must for the training centre. Happy to see transfer money being used towards something permanent like this.

:agree: It's an investment not just in the current players at the club, but in developing future generations of players with the highest possible level of technical skills.

I know we all like to see new players like Kamberi and Mallan coming in, but the bedrock of the club is producing our own players.

[MyJo]

The indoor pitch is a requirement to the top grade our academy has been given. This allows us to attract and accommodate the best youth talent which in turn will generate players who should be better equipped to step up into the first team and benefit the club on the pitch.

It also provides a much needed training facility that the first team currently do not have. Bad weather and snow like we seen this year has an impact on the ability of the team to train and affects match preparations. An indoor full size pitch will prevent this from impacting the squad.

In other words the indoor pitch that we need to pay for will be investing in the squad....long term.

[Pretty Boy]

Anybody know (even roughly) how much the Indoor Pitch is going to cost?

Circa £1M.

[MyJo]

Circa £1M.

Quarter a McGinn :greengrin

[1875STEVE]

This has been in the pipeline for a while.

My nephew is in the youth system, and my brother has heard many conversations about it, told me about it well over a year ago.

Hibs have cash in the bank though, and have done for some time, I heard that's where it was coming from and it was costing just shy of £1m

[Pretty Boy]

If we don't build the pitch we lose our elite academy status which would be hugely damaging, financially and otherwise, long term. Fans can think 'in the moment' but it's important the people in charge have a clear long term strategy.

[Big_Franck]

Circa £1M.

I had no idea it was costing that kind of money. In my opinion we shouldn't be spending anywhere near that amount on anything other than the first team. We've had little to no return from the youth investment in almost the last decade now. Couldn't care less about project brave as its been created by the SFA so in all probability will amount to nothing.

To put that £1m in perspective that is £6,400 per week towards wages over the next 3 seasons!! That would pay for 2 or 3 new first team signings on 3 year contracts.

I had thought the days of us selling our best players and spending the money on infrastructure to the detriment of the first team were over. Apparently not.

[CropleyWasGod]

I had no idea it was costing that kind of money. In my opinion we shouldn't be spending anywhere near that amount on anything other than the first team. We've had little to no return from the youth investment in almost the last decade now. Couldn't care less about project brave as its been created by the SFA so in all probability will amount to nothing.

To put that £1m in perspective that is £6,400 per week towards wages over the next 3 seasons!! That would pay for 2 or 3 new first team signings on 3 year contracts.

I had thought the days of us selling our best players and spending the money on infrastructure to the detriment of the first team were over. Apparently not.

Project Brave allows (not enables) us to offer top-class training facilities to young players. Without that status, we would be losing out on them to our competitors.

All we need is 1 (one) such player to be developed and sold on for £1m, and it's paid for itself.

That all said, it's becoming a Hibs.net myth that the SJM money is all going to this facility. The Club have said nothing of the sort.

[Billy Whizz]

Project Brave allows (not enables) us to offer top-class training facilities to young players. Without that status, we would be losing out on them to our competitors.

All we need is 1 (one) such player to be developed and sold on for £1m, and it's paid for itself.

That all said, it's becoming a Hibs.net myth that the SJM money is all going to this facility. The Club have said nothing of the sort.

I’m not sure that you have to build an indoor facility, to be in the 1st tier of Project Brave anyway
Apart from Oriam, what other teams have indooor full size facilities in Scotland?

[Ozyhibby]

The indoor pitch is a must have in the modern game. Cancelling training due to the weather is ridiculous in this day and age. It will be built, but with a decent transfer fee for McGinn, it won’t come out of the player budget.
The exact same argument could be had about the extra coaches, dietitians, sports scientists, data analysts and sport psychologists who work at East mains these days since George Craig arrived but I think he has earned the right to be trusted that he knows what he’s been doing.
There is nobody at East Mains, including the manager, who does not want the indoor pitch.


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[Ozyhibby]

I’m not sure that you have to build an indoor facility, to be in the 1st tier of Project Brave anyway
Apart from Oriam, what other teams have indooor full size facilities in Scotland?

Hearts don’t even use the indoor pitch at Oriam. It’s too expensive at about £180 an hour. I don’t think this is a project Brave requirement, it’s just something the management want.


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[Bishop Hibee]

An indoor pitch would be a great step forward. Hibs should be congratulated If/when they start work on this.

[Billy Whizz]

An indoor pitch would be a great step forward. Hibs should be congratulated If/when they start work on this.

Hope they include a small seating area in it too

[Ozymandias]

I had no idea it was costing that kind of money. In my opinion we shouldn't be spending anywhere near that amount on anything other than the first team. We've had little to no return from the youth investment in almost the last decade now. Couldn't care less about project brave as its been created by the SFA so in all probability will amount to nothing.

To put that £1m in perspective that is £6,400 per week towards wages over the next 3 seasons!! That would pay for 2 or 3 new first team signings on 3 year contracts.

I had thought the days of us selling our best players and spending the money on infrastructure to the detriment of the first team were over. Apparently not.

I'm guessing but I would imagine the funding model for the building of an indoor pitch would come out of a Capital spend process rather than out of seasonal operating costs, so whilst it does have to be paid for the impact is not equally short term.

There is absolutely no question that an indoor pitch is the way to go. The impact of having a facility that allows training to be independent of the weather will deliver points on the pitch, no question. That is what will carry on the relative success we have now. Equally, having top class facilities is surely more likely to generate top class players? It's not a short term thing. It might not yield players for a few years, but it only needs to make the difference in one instance for it to pay for itself.

[Big_Franck]

Project Brave allows (not enables) us to offer top-class training facilities to young players. Without that status, we would be losing out on them to our competitors.

All we need is 1 (one) such player to be developed and sold on for £1m, and it's paid for itself.

That all said, it's becoming a Hibs.net myth that the SJM money is all going to this facility. The Club have said nothing of the sort.

When was the last time we sold a product of our youth academy for £1m though? Fletcher in 2009 from what I can remember.

The fact the club might have been keeping money back from the first team to save money for an indoor pitch isn't any better IMO. £1m is a huge amount of money for our club. It would be better spent on the first team over the next few years.

[hibee-boys]

The indoor pitch is a must have in the modern game. Cancelling training due to the weather is ridiculous in this day and age. It will be built, but with a decent transfer fee for McGinn, it won’t come out of the player budget.
The exact same argument could be had about the extra coaches, dietitians, sports scientists, data analysts and sport psychologists who work at East mains these days since George Craig arrived but I think he has earned the right to be trusted that he knows what he’s been doing.
There is nobody at East Mains, including the manager, who does not want the indoor pitch.


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I think we can take it as a given that any coach or player would prefer to work indoor on a wet, windy day.

[Pretty Boy]

Hearts don’t even use the indoor pitch at Oriam. It’s too expensive at about £180 an hour. I don’t think this is a project Brave requirement, it’s just something the management want.


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There is a requirement for 'access to full size indoor facilities'. I think that allows a bit wiggle room in that it doesn't stipulate they must be owned by the club.

Hibs feel it's best to have our own facilities for many of the reasons you highlight above. I think Hearts, Rangers and Celtic all currently fulfil that criteria from the elite group and St Mirren and Forth Valley from the prgressive group.

[Pretty Boy]

When was the last time we sold a product of our youth academy for £1m though? Fletcher in 2009 from what I can remember.

The fact the club might have been keeping money back from the first team to save money for an indoor pitch isn't any better IMO. £1m is a huge amount of money for our club. It would be better spent on the first team over the next few years.

Hibs spend on EM over the last decade has been pretty minimal. It was kitted out to suit John Collins pretty unconventional views on fitness and conditioning and hasn't really been touched since. An ongoing project to modernise the gym and weight racks is being financed in part by one individual and hibs.net.

If Hibs are spending £1M on a facility that will last decades they must feel it is worth it.

[Speedy]

When was the last time we sold a product of our youth academy for £1m though? Fletcher in 2009 from what I can remember.

The fact the club might have been keeping money back from the first team to save money for an indoor pitch isn't any better IMO. £1m is a huge amount of money for our club. It would be better spent on the first team over the next few years.

We have 7 (out of 21) players in the first team squad who have came through our youth academy. That's not bad going.

In my opinion we're in the fortunate position where we can invest in both players and infrastructure. The squad is pretty good, need another striker in, a left winger and a midfielder (assuming McGinn goes) but other than that we're strong across the team.

[Liam978]

[QUOTE=Pretty Boy;5464645]Circa
They have been quoted £800.000 to cover the 4g pitch. IE a roof and sides along the lines of the east stand.

[The Modfather]

Circa £1M.

S, is the £1m the minimum we need to spend to meet the elite level criteria? I know literally nothing about project brave, and the youth set up grading etc. Just wonder if there is an argument/possibility to build an indoor pitch for less to meet the Project Brave criteria meaning we can invest more on the team to take advantage of where we are at the moment?

[delbert]

[QUOTE=Pretty Boy;5464645]Circa
They have been quoted £800.000 to cover the 4g pitch. IE a roof and sides along the lines of the east stand.

The plans for the new indoor pitch is for a half size, not full size pitch, it’s for training and small sided games and there will be no seating area.

[Iggy Pope]

S, is the £1m the minimum we need to spend to meet the elite level criteria? I know literally nothing about project brave, and the youth set up grading etc. Just wonder if there is an argument/possibility to build an indoor pitch for less to meet the Project Brave criteria meaning we can invest more on the team to take advantage of where we are at the moment?

Do you think it's likely that an indoor pitch could be built for less? I think £1m of a budget is pretty tight for something like this. I was involved in the development project at East Mains and if it had been on the table at the time I'm certain the club would've done it then.

[The Modfather]

Do you think it's likely that an indoor pitch could be built for less? I think £1m of a budget is pretty tight for something like this. I was involved in the development project at East Mains and if it had been on the table at the time I'm certain the club would've done it then.

That’s what I was asking, if £1m was the minimum something like this would cost or if we were building an all singing all dancing indoor pitch, or somewhere in between.

[jacomo]

I had no idea it was costing that kind of money. In my opinion we shouldn't be spending anywhere near that amount on anything other than the first team. We've had little to no return from the youth investment in almost the last decade now. Couldn't care less about project brave as its been created by the SFA so in all probability will amount to nothing.

To put that £1m in perspective that is £6,400 per week towards wages over the next 3 seasons!! That would pay for 2 or 3 new first team signings on 3 year contracts.

I had thought the days of us selling our best players and spending the money on infrastructure to the detriment of the first team were over. Apparently not.


Fortunately the people running our club do have a sense of perspective. They have to balance spending across many different priorities.

That’s just how it is.

[Iggy Pope]

That’s what I was asking, if £1m was the minimum something like this would cost or if we were building an all singing all dancing indoor pitch, or somewhere in between.

Dunno about Project Brave but the budget seems tight for the structure and services that would be involved in building an indoor facility the size of a football pitch.

[The Modfather]

Hearts don’t even use the indoor pitch at Oriam. It’s too expensive at about £180 an hour. I don’t think this is a project Brave requirement, it’s just something the management want.


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I thought they didn’t use the indoor pitch because the roof wasn’t high enough for their needs. Costs them a fortune in buying replacement balls anytime Berra plays out from the back.

[Ozyhibby]

[QUOTE=Liam978;5464757]

The plans for the new indoor pitch is for a half size, not full size pitch, it’s for training and small sided games and there will be no seating area.

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/full-size-indoor-pitch-on-the-cards-for-hibs-training-centre-1-4748567

Not according to this.


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[Keith_M]

Circa £1M.

Cheers PB

[lord bunberry]

I thought they didn’t use the indoor pitch because the roof wasn’t high enough for their needs. Costs them a fortune in buying replacement balls anytime Berra plays out from the back.

I’ve heard that as well.

[Liam978]

[QUOTE=delbert;5464763]

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/full-size-indoor-pitch-on-the-cards-for-hibs-training-centre-1-4748567

Not according to this.


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Delberts post not mine haha, still stick to the info given during tour of east mains last month. Cover to the new 4g, not only to protect the new surface but also obviously the players . Btw tons of old 3g rolls still in a good condition for maybe non league teams use or whatever, rolls tons of it are about 25ft long.

[speedy_gonzales]

When was the last time we sold a product of our youth academy for £1m though?

We shouldn't just be looking at the money we can bring in by selling our youth product, we should be looking at the money saved by being able to field the youth product, as long as the quality is there.
Imagine if we could put together a competing team made up mostly of home grown players, all we need is to bleed through a couple a year and bolster the squad with one or two signings of quality.
Investing in a team and not just one player has to be the way forward for clubs our size,,,,

[Iggy Pope]

We shouldn't just be looking at the money we can bring in by selling our youth product, we should be looking at the money saved by being able to field the youth product, as long as the quality is there.
Imagine if we could put together a competing team made up mostly of home grown players, all we need is to bleed through a couple a year and bolster the squad with one or two signings of quality.
Investing in a team and not just one player has to be the way forward for clubs our size,,,,

Post of the day.

[Billy Whizz]

We shouldn't just be looking at the money we can bring in by selling our youth product, we should be looking at the money saved by being able to field the youth product, as long as the quality is there.
Imagine if we could put together a competing team made up mostly of home grown players, all we need is to bleed through a couple a year and bolster the squad with one or two signings of quality.
Investing in a team and not just one player has to be the way forward for clubs our size,,,,

That’s exactly what Lennon said, by having the likes of shaw and Porteous in the 1st team squad. Saved the club a fortune

[Mibbes Aye]

Full-size indoor pitch feels like a no-brainer. The better the quality of the training surface, the better the impact on the technique of players. That then translates to when they have to play on rougher surfaces, let alone on good surfaces.

[Onceinawhile]

When was the last time we sold a product of our youth academy for £1m though? Fletcher in 2009 from what I can remember.

The fact the club might have been keeping money back from the first team to save money for an indoor pitch isn't any better IMO. £1m is a huge amount of money for our club. It would be better spent on the first team over the next few years.

Jason Cummings was pretty close to that.

Also, three of our youth products won the Scottish Cup recently with the club, one of whom who also became the only player, and to put that in context, ever, to win both the league and Scottish Cup.

I'd say that's a decent return.

[Since90+2]

Jason Cummings was pretty close to that.

Also, three of our youth products won the Scottish Cup recently with the club, one of whom who also became the only player, and to put that in context, ever, to win both the league and Scottish Cup.

I'd say that's a decent return.

Cummings was not a product of our youth system.

[Iggy Pope]

Cummings was not a product of our youth system.

Taking a teenage boy off a building site and turning him into a full time pro footballer makes him a product of out youth system. Aye.

[Tug Wilson]

I find these posts a bit odd. Surely the answer is that we want both investment in infrastructure and investment in the playing squad. However they are not simply mutually exclusive.

Better training facilities are just as likely to attract good quality players as much as cash will.

Better facilities will also prevent injuries, improve players and generally put the club in a better position to compete on the park.

Being competitive on the park means higher league position, further in the cups, playing in European matches and therefore producing more revenue to invest in the whole structure of the club and make even more progress on and off the field.

Two of our main rivals in Aberdeen and Hearts are currently undertaking major infrastructure projects that will affect their playing budget. However, they will complete these at some point and we need to make sure that our infrastructure is still as good as theirs or even better.

Long term planning as well as short term (season on season) planning always required.

[RMQ1967]

I find these posts a bit odd. Surely the answer is that we want both investment in infrastructure and investment in the playing squad. However they are not simply mutually exclusive.

Better training facilities are just as likely to attract good quality players as much as cash will.

Better facilities will also prevent injuries, improve players and generally put the club in a better position to compete on the park.

Being competitive on the park means higher league position, further in the cups, playing in European matches and therefore producing more revenue to invest in the whole structure of the club and make even more progress on and off the field.

Two of our main rivals in Aberdeen and Hearts are currently undertaking major infrastructure projects that will affect their playing budget. However, they will complete these at some point and we need to make sure that our infrastructure is still as good as theirs or even better.

Long term planning as well as short term (season on season) planning always required.

Excellent post. There's always a balance & an indoor facility in this climate will provide long benefits for probably 10+ years - not just short term benefits on wages of a player or 2 for a couple of seasons.

[Since90+2]

Taking a teenage boy off a building site and turning him into a full time pro footballer makes him a product of out youth system. Aye.

Naw. He was at Hearts , subsequently released before joining Lothian Thistle HV and then eventually joined Hibs. If he was a product of our youth system how many goals did he score at that level for us?

[hibee-boys]

Jason Cummings was pretty close to that.

Also, three of our youth products won the Scottish Cup recently with the club, one of whom who also became the only player, and to put that in context, ever, to win both the league and Scottish Cup.

I'd say that's a decent return.

Stevenson and Hanlon came through our youth system before the investment was made into East Mains, if it is the 'return' on that you refer to. I've no doubt that having our own training facility has helped sell the club to potential new players, but there's zero evidence thus far that East Mains has helped produce any more talented kids who've been able to become first team regulars.

[Ozyhibby]

In the period between East Mains being built and Leeann and George arriving, Hibs were run horrendously.
That will no doubt have had a massive impact on our youth system as well.
Just because it wasn’t productive during that time doesn’t mean it’s the fault of the facility.
I think we will see better results over the next few years as the changes made by George Craig start to work their way through the system.


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[Unseen work]

Thought we already had one, albeit not full size. Been some videos on hibs tv etc where they’ve done challenges indoor.

Also if it’s indoor and full size it could be rented out to other teams etc.

[Onceinawhile]

Stevenson and Hanlon came through our youth system before the investment was made into East Mains, if it is the 'return' on that you refer to. I've no doubt that having our own training facility has helped sell the club to potential new players, but there's zero evidence thus far that East Mains has helped produce any more talented kids who've been able to become first team regulars.

The question asked was who was the last player to come through our youth system to be sold for a million. Lewis and Paul came through our youth system. I'd rather have hanlon and Lewis than have sold a player for 1 million.

[Mibbes Aye]

Stevenson and Hanlon came through our youth system before the investment was made into East Mains, if it is the 'return' on that you refer to. I've no doubt that having our own training facility has helped sell the club to potential new players, but there's zero evidence thus far that East Mains has helped produce any more talented kids who've been able to become first team regulars.

Interesting, but elite facilities don't necessarily engender playing time for academy/dev players at least at first.

If you look at England and the top six, Man City are most 'guilty' in the season just finished, it's only really been Foden with a few minutes.

Liverpool have only really played Alexander-Arnold and he's not been a fixture in their team.

For Spurs it's predominantly Kane and with his record he is clearly a first-team pick and has been for a good while.

Man U has been Rashford and Lingard but neither have been regular starters to say the least.

Chelsea have played Christensen a bit but that's following extensive loan spells abroad and even then, he's not a first-team regular.

For Arsenal it's been Wiltshere (who has been released) and Maitland-Niles, who looks like a big prospect but is still at the early stages of development.

If you go into the history of any of those clubs, with their ability to spend big on player development, it's rare to see them consistently churning out players who can do it at the level required.

We were extraordinarily lucky with Hanlon and Stevenson. There was a bunch of other players who have been through East Mains since it was set up who had promise. Some had many arguing on here for their retention, some have fashioned careers at some level in professional football.

I think the important point is that good facilities help young footballers but good facilities also help the first team and allow us to play a better style of football - the kind of football our more recent managerial appointments want us to play and the kind of football the managers at the time of EM wanted us to play.

[SirDavidsNapper]

A full sized indoor pitch is important if we want to continue challenging in the top 4. Aberdeen will have one soon along with their new staduim and Celtic and Rangers already have one. We obviously can't compete financially with Celtic and that particular club but but for us and Aberdeen it would be a major selling point to potential signings and push us away from the other clubs in the division.

[RoYO!]

Apologies- a bit late to this one. Do we currently have a 4G full size pitch laid? So the £1M would be to enclose this?

[Brightside]

Picked up from the John McGinn thread that some, or all!, of any transfer fee may be used to build an indoor pitch at East Mains. Pretty sure I've read that this does form part of Leanne's plans as well.

Just wondered what the views are on this?

We've done incredibly well to get people back to Easter Road last few years, record season tickets sales. Surely it's time to invest more towards the playing budget. I appreciated the importance of having our own training ground and the investment into East Mains was a good long term move but have we produced any more new talent in comparison to pre East Mains?

It’s a requirement of Project Brave to have an indoor 3G pitch.

[Brightside]

Thought we already had one, albeit not full size. Been some videos on hibs tv etc where they’ve done challenges indoor.

Also if it’s indoor and full size it could be rented out to other teams etc.
The shed at east mains is horrendous.

[matty_f]

I'd take the opportunity to get the pitch built.

The training centre is now being used properly, almost every player that has arrived at the club over the last three or four seasons has visibly improved, strength and fitness are better than ever and the team has been getting better and better.

Having a full size pitch readily available around the clock is a significant advantage for the team, I'm confident that if we built it, it would be money well spent.

[Scouse Hibee]

I’m happy for Hibs to invest the cash on whatever they see fit, be that players or infrastructure. You certainly don’t need to spend a fortune on players to succeed. We have managed to recruit relatively cheaply and develop players into fantastic assets.

[GloryGlory]

[QUOTE=Pretty Boy;5464645]Circa
They have been quoted £800.000 to cover the 4g pitch. IE a roof and sides along the lines of the east stand.

Just wondering - could we get a grant from the lottery or sportscoland, as this is contributing using to a national sports development programme?

[Ozyhibby]

[QUOTE=Liam978;5464757]

Just wondering - could we get a grant from the lottery or sportscoland, as this is contributing using to a national sports development programme?

Club are already looking into all this.


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[60yearahibby]

[QUOTE=GloryGlory;5465550]

Club are already looking into all this.


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[60yearahibby]

[QUOTE=Ozyhibby;5465561]

[60yearahibby]

[QUOTE=60yearahibby;5465565]

Too early for me. Pressed wrong button twice.
Anyway doubt lottery or sportscotland money available for such a project given their investment in Prism. Worth a try.
When Hibs were building East Mains I was told at the time that RP had agreed to a concrete foundation strip being included right round the perimeter of the outdoor synthetic pitch. This would allow a future cover to be created at a later date without possible damage to the pitch from excavator, concrete or mud. If true well done Rod. Celtic were I'm told offered the same design but didn't take up the offer.

[MB62]

Full size indoor pitch every time for me. The winters can be quite brutal here at times and we need facilities our players can train in all season long. I'm sure STF said many years ago that he was looking at building this in the future, well the future is here and now and if can do it then, GET IT DONE. Use some of the transfer fee from SJM then when we sell Mallan in 3 years time, all that money can go to attracting new and better players. :thumbsup:

[RoYO!]

[QUOTE=60yearahibby;5465566]

Too early for me. Pressed wrong button twice.
Anyway doubt lottery or sportscotland money available for such a project given their investment in Prism. Worth a try.
When Hibs were building East Mains I was told at the time that RP had agreed to a concrete foundation strip being included right round the perimeter of the outdoor synthetic pitch. This would allow a future cover to be created at a later date without possible damage to the pitch from excavator, concrete or mud. If true well done Rod. Celtic were I'm told offered the same design but didn't take up the offer.

‘Mon the ‘Tache! :P

[Iggy Pope]

Naw. He was at Hearts , subsequently released before joining Lothian Thistle HV and then eventually joined Hibs. If he was a product of our youth system how many goals did he score at that level for us?

I know all that. He scored bucket loads for the Hibs Development side didn't he?

[Iggy Pope]

Thought we already had one, albeit not full size. Been some videos on hibs tv etc where they’ve done challenges indoor.

Also if it’s indoor and full size it could be rented out to other teams etc.

It's not great. It was a barn that was converted with a synthetic pitch and impact boards and not much more. The lighting is poor. Us two and our mates would probably have a decent game of 5s or 6s on it.

[Since90+2]

I know all that. He scored bucket loads for the Hibs Development side didn't he?

He played a few months in the development team before making his first team debut,prior to that he had absolutely no involvement with our youth setup. It would be stretching it to say he was a product of our youth system.

[calumhibee1]

He played a few months in the development team before making his first team debut,prior to that he had absolutely no involvement with our youth setup. It would be stretching it to say he was a product of our youth system.

But could he have came into our first team straight from HV? Or did he come on leaps and bounds in the period was here? I don’t know the answer btw.

[Iggy Pope]

He played a few months in the development team before making his first team debut,prior to that he had absolutely no involvement with our youth setup. It would be stretching it to say he was a product of our youth system.

Agreed. But I'm happy stretching it.

[McD]

Agreed. But I'm happy stretching it.


Youth product or not, it can certainly be argued that he improved as a player here, and that improvement subsequently led to him being sold for a significant sum., after achieving success with Hibs.

my tuppence worth, I’m content to let the club, led by LD, to make the decision towards what we use funds on.

if we plough all the money into the squad, what happens if we take a downturn in fortune and then need to fund upgrades to infrastructure, when we don’t necessarily have the relative luxury of multiple million £’s coming in for a single player sale?

Also, as to the argument about whether EM has served its purpose, it’s not there just to produce young up-and-coming players, it’s there to help develop first team players’ abilities also. I think it’s also fair to ask, does anyone think the likes of SJM, McGeouch, Rocky, SDG, Stubbs, Lennon, etc, would have still come to Hibs if we were still training on public parks covered in dog ****?

We’re a very professionally run club, which in part entails maintaining and enhancing infrastructure, which also helps and encourages the staff. For example, my work has in the last couple of years installed a gym onsite, there was no need or requirement to, but how much more motivated and valued do the staff feel, and how much of an attraction is it having a gym in a handy location at little personal cost to the staff? Happy and valued staff means better performing staff. As has been said on this thread already, if the players and coaching staff want this, and we have the financial wherewithal to do it, as well as the project brave implications, then it seems to be an ideal time to do it.

[Barney McGrew]

The indoor facility is a requirement of Project Brave Elite Status, and by achieving that we’ll get more funding from the SFA through the new structure. How much that is I’m not sure, but I believe it’s a fairly substantial sum each year.

Hibs target is to produce one player each year who can move into the first team squad and regularly make the match day squad - if that player then goes on to be transferred elsewhere for money then that’s a bonus. We’ve got Oli Shaw there now, and Ryan Porteous and Fraser Murray on the cusp of it which is not a bad return since George Craig came in.

The indoor pitch will make a return for the club IMO, not necessarily in direct pound notes but as others have already said the ability to use an indoor facility that we own in winter will make a huge difference - not only to the first team but to all groups at all ages in their development, which can only be a good think in the short and long term.

i know we like to laugh about how every signing at one point used to be pressganged into saying how wonderful East Mains is, but don’t underestimate how big a factor that is in players joining us. And a full sized indoor pitch will only add to that.

[Iggy Pope]

Youth product or not, it can certainly be argued that he improved as a player here, and that improvement subsequently led to him being sold for a significant sum., after achieving success with Hibs.

my tuppence worth, I’m content to let the club, led by LD, to make the decision towards what we use funds on.

if we plough all the money into the squad, what happens if we take a downturn in fortune and then need to fund upgrades to infrastructure, when we don’t necessarily have the relative luxury of multiple million £’s coming in for a single player sale?

Also, as to the argument about whether EM has served its purpose, it’s not there just to produce young up-and-coming players, it’s there to help develop first team players’ abilities also. I think it’s also fair to ask, does anyone think the likes of SJM, McGeouch, Rocky, SDG, Stubbs, Lennon, etc, would have still come to Hibs if we were still training on public parks covered in dog ****?

We’re a very professionally run club, which in part entails maintaining and enhancing infrastructure, which also helps and encourages the staff. For example, my work has in the last couple of years installed a gym onsite, there was no need or requirement to, but how much more motivated and valued do the staff feel, and how much of an attraction is it having a gym in a handy location at little personal cost to the staff? Happy and valued staff means better performing staff. As has been said on this thread already, if the players and coaching staff want this, and we have the financial wherewithal to do it, as well as the project brave implications, then it seems to be an ideal time to do it.


Agreed although it could add strength to the argument in that he re-started his life as a pro footballer with Hibs, leaving the full time non-footballing employment he had elsewhere..

On topic the club will certainly know better than any of us. And you are 100% about the training in dug *****.