Marine Gardens Stadium (NHC)

[Bridge hibs]

Love this old photo of the former Marine Gardens stadium in Portobello which hosted speedway, boxing events and of course football with both Leith Athletic and Edinburgh City playing there for a period with hibs no doubt making an appearance versus either of the above, closed for good in 1939, love the big terrace on the Seafield road side and I think an old entrance gate still exists on the promenade side although that may have been altered or even removed through time26921

[AltheHibby]

Thats Marine Depot now?

[Bridge hibs]

Thats Marine Depot now?

Yeah bus depot now mate

[Hibernian Verse]

I stayed on Kings Road for a few years. Those tenements must be the only constant in the area!

[delbert]

Yeah bus depot now mate

On a freezing cold February day, that must have rivalled Arbroath as the coldest ground in Scotland !

[AltheHibby]

Yeah bus depot now mate

Thanks.

[norhfc]

Born and bred Porty and never knew about this, thanks 😁

[London Hibs FC]

Born and bred Porty and never knew about this, thanks 😁

Same here.

[Bridge hibs]

No problem guys, just find it a fascinating photo, my auld in laws used to talk about ballroom dancing that was a regular event in the “olden days” as well as the above mentioned and circus plus showband stuff, it seemed to be the place to go to

Opened in 1909, its attractions initially included a ballroom, circus and zoo, cinema and theatre, scenic railway, ornamental gardens and maze and a football ground

[JimBHibees]

Absolutely no idea there used to be a huge ground down there.

[Bridge hibs]

2692526926 First photo from above showing the old power station in the foreground with Marine gardens in the background, also right hand corner you can see Portobello open air pool, and the second photo showing the old Kings Road tenements with a packed crowd on the terraces

[cocteautwin]

Well you learn something new everyday day. Good post. Spent the first 20 years of my life in Porty and never knew this was there before the bus depot.

[Bridge hibs]

Well you learn something new everyday day. Good post. Spent the first 20 years of my life in Porty and never knew this was there before the bus depot.Your welcome mate, I love old photos especially local, strangely enough the army took over the site, if Im right in thinking just a mile up the road hibs had a ground, now part of the Peirshill cemetery that we never had use of as I believe the army used that too

[Bridge hibs]

2692726928 21,000 attendance, not too shabby

[scoopyboy]

First Edinburgh speedway track there as well before moving onto Old Meadowbank and then Powderhall.

[dar]

Couple more images and some info here.
http://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk/Edinburgh%20Marine%20Gardens.htm

[Bostonhibby]

Well you learn something new everyday day. Good post. Spent the first 20 years of my life in Porty and never knew this was there before the bus depot.Exactly the same here, all that time and never knew, good wee thread.

Sent from my SM-A750FN using Tapatalk

[wallpaperman]

Surprised that so many folk from Porty have never heard of it, suppose being a (mostly ex) speedway fan it’s part of the Edinburgh speedway folklore, but I thought it was pretty well known regardless.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

Surprised that so many folk from Porty have never heard of it, suppose being a (mostly ex) speedway fan it’s part of the Edinburgh speedway folklore, but I thought it was pretty well known regardless.

I thought about posting something very similar earlier today.

[Bridge hibs]

I thought about posting something very similar earlier today.I just came across the photos and thought I would share, its good to see that a few havent seen those photos before and moreso younger posters, they may have been posted before but perhaps before my time on here, apologies if so

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

I just came across the photos and thought I would share, its good to see that a few havent seen those photos before and moreso younger posters, they may have been posted before but perhaps before my time on here, apologies if so

Nae need to apologise.

[stu in nottingham]

Thanks Bridge :wink:

Long been aware of the Marine Gardens which was a mile or two away from where I came to be brought up in Fisherrow. Quite an amazing story really. There were one or two things that would be questionable today such as a tribe of Somalian villagers who were shipped over and lived in a mock 'African village' of mud huts where they would stage fights with spears. It was much like a 'human zoo'.

https://portobelloheritagetrust.co.uk/marine%20gardens.htm

The stadium at Piershill/Northfield was another amazing story. It was mean to be a 'super stadium' for Hibs I believe. Incredible to think that Hibs were actually considering relocating to Aberdeen or Motherwell in those times.

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/nostalgia/northfield-the-ghost-stadium-built-for-hibs-but-never-used-3025564

[Alex Trager]

Thanks Bridge :wink:

Long been aware of the Marine Gardens which was a mile or two away from where I came to be brought up in Fisherrow. Quite an amazing story really. There were one or two things that would be questionable today such as a tribe of Somalian villagers who were shipped over and lived in a mock 'African village' of mud huts where they would stage fights with spears. It was much like a 'human zoo'.

https://portobelloheritagetrust.co.uk/marine%20gardens.htm

The stadium at Piershill/Northfield wasanother amazing story. It was mean to be a 'super stadium' for Hibs I believe. Incredible to think that Hibs were actually considering relocating to Aberdeen or Motherwell in those times.

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/nostalgia/northfield-the-ghost-stadium-built-for-hibs-but-never-used-3025564

God, I dread to think what colour I would wear if they had moved to MWell or Aberdeen!

[Oscar T Grouch]

2692526926 First photo from above showing the old power station in the foreground with Marine gardens in the background, also right hand corner you can see Portobello open air pool, and the second photo showing the old Kings Road tenements with a packed crowd on the terraces

Great photo of the power station. I was on top of the petrol station canopy across the road to watch it being demolished in 1980. Thinking back it was so unsafe but it was a spectacular view of the explosions.

[Hillsidehibby]

God, I dread to think what colour I would wear if they had moved to MWell or Aberdeen!

If there was no Hibs in Edinburgh I dread to think what the alternative might have been

[Bridge hibs]

Great photo of the power station. I was on top of the petrol station canopy across the road to watch it being demolished in 1980. Thinking back it was so unsafe but it was a spectacular view of the explosions.Yeah Im sure quite a few windows in the tenements opposite caved in when the chimney was blown 😵

[HIBERNIAN-0762]

Fascinating thread.

[LancsHibs]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Gardens

[son of haggart]

http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_buildings_g/0_buildings_-_portobello_marine_gardens_ballroom.htm

My grandfather 2nd from the right in the first photo, with his dance band at the Marine Gardens in 1930. There's a bit more info in that thread

[JimBHibees]

http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_buildings_g/0_buildings_-_portobello_marine_gardens_ballroom.htm

My grandfather 2nd from the right in the first photo, with his dance band at the Marine Gardens in 1930. There's a bit more info in that thread

Thanks for sharing interesting stuff. :aok:

[southfieldhibby]

Good thread. I’ve got a book about Leith Athletics history and there photos of Hibs playing LA at Marine Gardens, plus other interesting info.
I’d put it up here but the number of adverts I’m seeing is brutal, plus I can’t see a way of uploading pics from a mobile?