The Holy Ground

[gbhibby]

https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/spfl/scottish-premiership/gallery/easter-road-in-pictures-23448870
Some good pictures of the stadium over the years


Sent from my SM-A127F using Tapatalk

[Mick O'Rourke]

Great find, Gb

The opening aeriel photo showing the vastness of the ground i think used to be on front page of programmes sometimes.
When i see that picture i imagine the stadium full for those great European nights.
My brother Jimmy took me to the Barcelona game.Magical for a wee boy.
It was like a Hollywood scene.My only real memory as the years have went by.

Walking up the stairs to the bottom of Shaws Heights (the add-on terrace at top of Main/East) Then....
The sheer brightness of the floodlights showing the pitch in great colour.
Over 42.000 there that night. The noise/roars from the crowd was heard in Porty!

Truly The Holy Ground.

[He's here!]

The opening aeriel photo showing the vastness of the ground i think used to be on front page of programmes sometimes.
When i see that picture i imagine the stadium full for those great European nights.
My brother Jimmy took me to the Barcelona game.Magical for a wee boy.
It was like a Hollywood scene.My only real memory as the years have went by.

Walking up the stairs to the bottom of Shaws Heights (the add-on terrace at top of Main/East) Then....
The sheer brightness of the floodlights showing the pitch in great colour.
Over 42.000 there that night. The noise/roars from the crowd was heard in Porty!

Truly The Holy Ground.

What's that behind the east terracing? A quarry?

[Bridge hibs]

What's that behind the east terracing? A quarry?Lochend loch

[Mick O'Rourke]

Lochend loch

No been at that side of the Holy Ground for years.
Loch being one of Edinburgh's wee hidden gems.
There is a great black and white photo of the Dunbar End (South) 2 ducks watching the game from top steps.
Probably from the loch.
Sneaked in or got a lift over !

Edit;
Found that photo :greengrin


https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/edinburghs-easter-road-16-pictures-from-1950s-and-1960s-showing-how-much-the-hibs-ground-has-changed-3415059

[IberianHibernian]

No been at that side of the Holy Ground for years.
Loch being one of Edinburgh's wee hidden gems.
There is a great black and white photo of the Dunbar End (South) 2 ducks watching the game from top steps.
Probably from the loch.
Sneaked in or got a lift over !

Edit;
Found that photo :greengrin


https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/edinburghs-easter-road-16-pictures-from-1950s-and-1960s-showing-how-much-the-hibs-ground-has-changed-3415059Says it`s an Edinburgh Derby in 1966 . Tiny crowd even if Cave is full . Says May so maybe end of season East of Scotland Shield ?

[Mick O'Rourke]

Says it`s an Edinburgh Derby in 1966 . Tiny crowd even if Cave is full . Says May so maybe end of season East of Scotland Shield ?

Am sure that photo and others on the link led to a discussion/debate here a while back about Peter Cormack playing in goal.


Yes, i think it was the EOSS 66/67..we won 2-1
The previous year 65/66 .. final was at Tynie.

I most certainly would have been in the Cave :greengrin

[gbhibby]

Great find, Gb

The opening aeriel photo showing the vastness of the ground i think used to be on front page of programmes sometimes.
When i see that picture i imagine the stadium full for those great European nights.
My brother Jimmy took me to the Barcelona game.Magical for a wee boy.
It was like a Hollywood scene.My only real memory as the years have went by.

Walking up the stairs to the bottom of Shaws Heights (the add-on terrace at top of Main/East) Then....
The sheer brightness of the floodlights showing the pitch in great colour.
Over 42.000 there that night. The noise/roars from the crowd was heard in Porty!

Truly The Holy Ground.
There were plans in the 1950s to increase the capacity to
80000 to 85000. My dad said there were plans drawn up,but I not sure they ever saw the light of day. My dad mentioned that this involved building up the other terracing heights to create a bowl effect. Harry the groundsman and my dad were good friends so he would get information from him.

[The Harp Awakes]

https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/spfl/scottish-premiership/gallery/easter-road-in-pictures-23448870
Some good pictures of the stadium over the years


Sent from my SM-A127F using Tapatalk

Some cracking photos there and thanks for sharing. Can remember watching many games from the top tier of the East terracing in the 70s as a wee lad. It seemed you were miles away from the pitch and the stadium looked massive.

Great memories.

[blackpoolhibs]

There were plans in the 1950s to increase the capacity to
80000 to 85000. My dad said there were plans drawn up,but I not sure they ever saw the light of day. My dad mentioned that this involved building up the other terracing heights to create a bowl effect. Harry the groundsman and my dad were good friends so he would get information from him.

I think it was more than that, i have read in the past, that plans were drawn up for a 95000 stadium.

[Mick O'Rourke]

I think it was more than that, i have read in the past, that plans were drawn up for a 95000 stadium.
Aye,yer correct.
Seems after the record attendance game v Hearts that was planned,but obviously never bore fruit.
After the demise of the Famous Five,crowds dropped dramatically,so maybe just as well.
Or it could have been used for Internationals,right enough.
But even back then,the SFA was very "Ibrox and Hampden minded!

Links below to compliment Gb's opener.
The evolution of The Holy Ground

https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/spfl/scottish-premiership/hibs-easter-road-pictures-how-23448819

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/nostalgia/hibs-why-is-the-stadium-called-easter-road-when-did-it-stop-being-hibernian-park-and-who-were-leith-hibernians-3622544?itm_source=parsely-api

[brog]

I think it was more than that, i have read in the past, that plans were drawn up for a 95000 stadium.

It was indeed, just shy of 100k was plan. Perfectly credible if you think that our record crowd of 65k happened before East terrace was extended to the heavens!
PS, I believe Hawrts had plans for Tynie to have a capacity of 100,001! 😀

[Since452]

Aye,yer correct.
Seems after the record attendance game v Hearts that was planned,but obviously never bore fruit.
After the demise of the Famous Five,crowds dropped dramatically,so maybe just as well.
Or it could have been used for Internationals,right enough.
But even back then,the SFA was very "Ibrox and Hampden minded!

Wee link below to compliment Gb's opener.
The evolution of The Holy Ground


https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/spfl/scottish-premiership/hibs-easter-road-pictures-how-23448819

Am I right in thinking our record attendance occurred BEFORE the east terracing was extended? Must have been seriously overcrowded.

[BILLYHIBS]

It was indeed, just shy of 100k was plan. Perfectly credible if you think that our record crowd of 65k happened before East terrace was extended to the heavens!
PS, I believe Hawrts had plans for Tynie to have a capacity of 100,001! 😀

Did that include a view of the Castle ? 😃

[Mick O'Rourke]

Am I right in thinking our record attendance occurred BEFORE the east terracing was extended? Must have been seriously overcrowded.

Yes ,before the main terrace extension (Shaw's Heights) was built,the "official capacity"was 45.000.
It got the name Shaw's Heights after our most successful manager,Hugh Shaw.
People would come from far and wide to witness Hugh's Famous Five sides.
It must have been some spectacle to witness the crowds descending on Easter Road in those days.
Very few cars then,mind.


There would have been many times when that 45k capacity was "broken"
Bear in mind football then was mainly pay at the gate.
Cash at the turnstile.No tickets !
So there was plenty room for "creative accountancy"
And declaring attendances well short of the true figure.!

It happened during the Tornadoes years,never mind the 40s and 50s !!

PS

How do you think George Best was paid?:wink:

[gbhibby]

Yes ,before the main terrace extension (Shaw's Heights) was built,the "official capacity"was 45.000.
It got the name Shaw's Heights after our most successful manager,Hugh Shaw.
People would come from far and wide to witness Hugh's Famous Five sides.
It must have been some spectacle to witness the crowds descending on Easter Road in those days.
Very few cars then,mind.


There would have been many times when that 45k capacity was "broken"
Bear in mind football then was mainly pay at the gate.
Cash at the turnstile.No tickets !
So there was plenty room for "creative accountancy"
And declaring attendances well short of the true figure.!

It happened during the Tornadoes years,never mind the 40s and 50s !!

PS

How do you think George Best was paid?:wink:
I remember some of the queues for the big European nights and a few games against the old firm were massive. You were standing there wondering if you would get into the ground such was the length of the queues. Getting on the No 1 bus at Clerry going to these games and it being full to bursting and not stopping at any stops on its way to the game.

[FilipinoHibs]

Some cracking photos there and thanks for sharing. Can remember watching many games from the top tier of the East terracing in the 70s as a wee lad. It seemed you were miles away from the pitch and the stadium looked massive.

Great memories.
My first game at ER was 1970 at the top of the old East vs Gets in LC quarter final. No segregation in those days. Crowd of over 30,000.

[BILLYHIBS]

The Holy Ground 1980

https://youtu.be/IrskhxNm4HY

[ancient hibee]

Yes ,before the main terrace extension (Shaw's Heights) was built,the "official capacity"was 45.000.
It got the name Shaw's Heights after our most successful manager,Hugh Shaw.
People would come from far and wide to witness Hugh's Famous Five sides.
It must have been some spectacle to witness the crowds descending on Easter Road in those days.
Very few cars then,mind.


There would have been many times when that 45k capacity was "broken"
Bear in mind football then was mainly pay at the gate.
Cash at the turnstile.No tickets !
So there was plenty room for "creative accountancy"
And declaring attendances well short of the true figure.!

It happened during the Tornadoes years,never mind the 40s and 50s !!

PS

How do you think George Best was paid?:wink:

Yes sometimes the players couldn’t get their boots on because of what had been stuffed into them.