Names of our stadiums

[IberianHibernian]

Spain Under 21s played Malta at the Hibernians Ground / Stadium in Malta tonight . I`ve always thought of our present stadium as Easter Road Stadium , sometimes referred to as the Holy Ground by older fans but was present ER known as Hibernian Park or was that earlier grounds we used ? Hibernian Park sounds familiar from reading Lugton trilogy , 100 Years of Hibs etc . With big 150th anniversary coming up , an official naming of stadium as Hibernian Park or similar ( no commercial name now , in 2025 or any time after ) might be a great idea .

[ScottB]

Wasn’t Hibernian Park the original ground we played in prior to ER?

[RyeSloan]

Spain Under 21s played Malta at the Hibernians Ground / Stadium in Malta tonight . I`ve always thought of our present stadium as Easter Road Stadium , sometimes referred to as the Holy Ground by older fans but was present ER known as Hibernian Park or was that earlier grounds we used ? Hibernian Park sounds familiar from reading Lugton trilogy , 100 Years of Hibs etc . With big 150th anniversary coming up , an official naming of stadium as Hibernian Park or similar ( no commercial name now , in 2025 or any time after ) might be a great idea .

Or a terrible idea…

[HoboHarry]

Or a terrible idea…

I'll never call it anything other than Easter Road.

[CowgateHarp1875]

I'll always refer to our stadium as the holy ground.

[Trinity Hibee]

Leith San Siro?

[nonshinyfinish]

Wasn’t Hibernian Park the original ground we played in prior to ER?

Yes. The current ground is on a different site.

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


Hibernian Park was the home ground of the Scottish football club Hibernian from 1880 until the club's dissolution in 1891. When the club was reformed in 1892, the club took out on a lease on a site which became known as Easter Road. Hibernian Park was also located in the Easter Road area; in fact, it was closer to Easter Road itself than the present stadium because it was on the site of what is now Bothwell Street.

[Since90+2]

Spain Under 21s played Malta at the Hibernians Ground / Stadium in Malta tonight . I`ve always thought of our present stadium as Easter Road Stadium , sometimes referred to as the Holy Ground by older fans but was present ER known as Hibernian Park or was that earlier grounds we used ? Hibernian Park sounds familiar from reading Lugton trilogy , 100 Years of Hibs etc . With big 150th anniversary coming up , an official naming of stadium as Hibernian Park or similar ( no commercial name now , in 2025 or any time after ) might be a great idea .

Nah, Easter Road it is.

[Pretty Boy]

Not really related to this thread but I can never picture where the Easter Road Halt was on the old train line? I've seen pictures of it but can't place it in context.

Was it behind the East stand or then terracing or elsewhere?

[Mick O'Rourke]

Spain Under 21s played Malta at the Hibernians Ground / Stadium in Malta tonight . I`ve always thought of our present stadium as Easter Road Stadium , sometimes referred to as the Holy Ground by older fans but was present ER known as Hibernian Park or was that earlier grounds we used ? Hibernian Park sounds familiar from reading Lugton trilogy , 100 Years of Hibs etc . With big 150th anniversary coming up , an official naming of stadium as Hibernian Park or similar ( no commercial name now , in 2025 or any time after ) might be a great idea .

Strangely enough IH, Hibernian Park, being in what we now know as Bothwell Street was actually nearer to Easter Road !

Albion Road or Albion Place,the current ground could have been named.
I think with Easter Road being the main thoroughfare in the area. it stuck and eventually became the official name of the ground.
Although it appears there was another sports ground nearby named "Easter Road "
Confused ? so was i !
This detailed and well researched article from Patrick McPartlin in the EEN last year might answer some questions.
I would copy and paste, but it is a lengthy article with images/photos.
Great read !!

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


Celtic's ground was/is known as Parkhead (media mostly) and Celtic Park.
Celtic fans i know always refer to it as Celtic Park,which is now its official name.

Easter Road Park or Hibernian Park is ok with me, I never got to calling it Stadium !

Certainly resembled the coliseum when i was a boy.
Terracings crumbling and decrepit main stand (a fire hazard) falling to bits !

The cash Hibs made post WW2 ,through the Famous Five years was not well spent !

Of course, i think gate receipts were shared then, but ER had some massive crowds in those years.

[Mick O'Rourke]

Not really related to this thread but I can never picture where the Easter Road Halt was on the old train line? I've seen pictures of it but can't place it in context.

Was it behind the East stand or then terracing or elsewhere?

On names, the railway stop you refer to was called Easter Road Park Halt

Yes behind the old main terracing (East)It was only used on match days.

There are some old photos of local railway stops on the link below
Scroll down to the end..... a couple of the Easter Road Park Halt photos.


https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Edinburgh_Granton_and_Leith_Railways/p763EAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=easter+road+park+halt&pg=PT36&printsec=frontcover

I have hazy memories of it .
Number 1 or 26 bus did us then
Or shanks pony from the Grassmarket :greengrin

[BILLYHIBS]

On names, the railway stop you refer to was called Easter Road Park Halt

Yes behind the old main terracing (East)It was only used on match days.

It was a one stop stop

Supporters had to make their way to Abbeyhill Easter Road or Waverley for their return journey


https://i.ibb.co/rw1XzW4/IMG-2015.png (https://ibb.co/z40tBkG)

[Pagan Hibernia]

Spain Under 21s played Malta at the Hibernians Ground / Stadium in Malta tonight . I`ve always thought of our present stadium as Easter Road Stadium , sometimes referred to as the Holy Ground by older fans but was present ER known as Hibernian Park or was that earlier grounds we used ? Hibernian Park sounds familiar from reading Lugton trilogy , 100 Years of Hibs etc . With big 150th anniversary coming up , an official naming of stadium as Hibernian Park or similar ( no commercial name now , in 2025 or any time after ) might be a great idea .


I wouldn't be opposed to an official title of Hibernian Park, in fact I'd prefer it to a sponsored corporate name, but I'd still always call it Easter Road so I wouldn't see the real point.

[jacomo]

Wasn’t Hibernian Park the original ground we played in prior to ER?


It was - close by, but an entirely different ground. Renaming Easter Road as Hibernian Park would be historically inaccurate.

I like the fact that our stadium is named after a nearby street - it harks back to tradition, not the faceless branded arenas that have become more and more common. You can’t buy heritage, we should celebrate ours.

[Mick O'Rourke]

It was - close by, but an entirely different ground. Renaming Easter Road as Hibernian Park would be historically inaccurate.

I like the fact that our stadium is named after a nearby street - it harks back to tradition, not the faceless branded arenas that have become more and more common. You can’t buy heritage, we should celebrate ours.

Lets hark back then. :greengrin ......it was called Easter Road Park at the beginning.
After playing at a number of locations since foundation we moved to Hibernian Park at what is now Bothwell St/Sunnyside in 1880.
The lease on that ground having expired,the club laid out Easter Road Park and moved there in 1892.
A mere football kick away from Hibernian Park!

I prefer Park to Stadium :agree:


:singing:And still i live and hope to see !!:singing:

[BILLYHIBS]

Lets hark back then. :greengrin ......it was called Easter Road Park at the beginning.
After playing at a number of locations since foundation we moved to Hibernian Park at what is now Bothwell St/Sunnyside in 1880.
The lease on that ground having expired,the club laid out Easter Road Park and moved there in 1892.
A mere football kick away from Hibernian Park!

I prefer Park to Stadium :agree:


:singing:And still i live and hope to see !!:singing:

https://i.ibb.co/X8q9HBL/IMG-2019.png (https://ibb.co/74qHhcC)

[Mick O'Rourke]

https://i.ibb.co/X8q9HBL/IMG-2019.png (https://ibb.co/74qHhcC)

There you go,Billy:aok:.... and that photo would have been taken when i was a bairn.
So many many moons after the club moved there.
Easter Road Park should be the name of the ground and signed above the entrance
Not stadium..imo:greengrin
That name kinda creeped in with the new build of the stands

[brog]

Strangely enough IH, Hibernian Park, being in what we now know as Bothwell Street was actually nearer to Easter Road !

Albion Road or Albion Place,the current ground could have been named.
I think with Easter Road being the main thoroughfare in the area. it stuck and eventually became the official name of the ground.
Although it appears there was another sports ground nearby named "Easter Road "
Confused ? so was i !
This detailed and well researched article from Patrick McPartlin in the EEN last year might answer some questions.
I would copy and paste, but it is a lengthy article with images/photos.
Great read !!

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


Celtic's ground was/is known as Parkhead (media mostly) and Celtic Park.
Celtic fans i know always refer to it as Celtic Park,which is now its official name.

Easter Road Park or Hibernian Park is ok with me, I never got to calling it Stadium !

Certainly resembled the coliseum when i was a boy.
Terracings crumbling and decrepit main stand (a fire hazard) falling to bits !

The cash Hibs made post WW2 ,through the Famous Five years was not well spent !

Of course, i think gate receipts were shared then, but ER had some massive crowds in those years.

To be fair Mick every team had huge crowds in the post war years so the success of the Famous 5 didn't give us a huge financial advantage. We only made I cup final and 1 LC final in the post war decade and despite the crumbling state of our ground we made some major investmehts, floodlights is one example. We also extended the huge East terracing after our record crowd of 65k. Nice thread.

[NAE NOOKIE]

In reality nobody uses the stadium / park bit anyway. Never once heard a Hibs fan say 'aye, um goin' tae Easter Road stadium on Saturday' or a Jambo say 'um goin' tae Tynecastle park.

FWIW when it comes to Easter Road I think stadium flows a bit better, Easter Road park just seems a bit cumbersome. Anyway, potato potaato. If Hibs ever put the grounds name up on it IMO it should simply read 'Easter Road'

[superfurryhibby]

To be fair Mick every team had huge crowds in the post war years so the success of the Famous 5 didn't give us a huge financial advantage. We only made I cup final and 1 LC final in the post war decade and despite the crumbling state of our ground we made some major investmehts, floodlights is one example. We also extended the huge East terracing after our record crowd of 65k. Nice thread.

I think the 65k crowd ( v Hearts)must have been after the building of the upper terrace on the east? I think there were plans to make it even bigger but they never came to fruition.

Seem to recall Lawrie Reilly saying that with all the bonus money etc, the take home pay paid at Hibs was pretty comparable to that earned by other top players he played with at international level, even if the basic wasn’t great.

I would have thought the club were raking it in for that ten years after the war. I wonder who took the gate money from semi finals and finals. Hibs played in front of enormous crowds, v Rangers and Aberdeen?

Then we have to take into account the cash aspect and we can only speculate.....

[Mick O'Rourke]

To be fair Mick every team had huge crowds in the post war years so the success of the Famous 5 didn't give us a huge financial advantage. We only made I cup final and 1 LC final in the post war decade and despite the crumbling state of our ground we made some major investmehts, floodlights is one example. We also extended the huge East terracing after our record crowd of 65k. Nice thread.

Hi Brian, I note your comments
Food for thought that the FF teams only made a couple of finals.
I suppose a number of clubs who had huge crowds did "neglect" many parts of their grounds
The big Glasgow grounds with the cinder/ash covered terraces were awful
Apart from main stands many had huge crowds standing in the open in all weathers.
We got the Albion Rd end partly covered,eventually.
The Cave. Legendary as it became. !!:greengrin

The lights would not have been long in paying for themselves
with the midweek "Floodlight Match" against top English/European Clubs.
Cynic or what ?!
We did have a couple or 3 miserable and tight fisted owners over the years.
Although James/Jimmy always said that Tom Hart was generous on occasion giving players a bit more in a wee wage packet/envelope. (no tax deducted)
When Jimmy was first at Hibs many players got paid in cash at the end of the week
No bank accounts for many in those days

And...
The jiggery pokery that went on announcing crowds far far short of that was actually in attendance.
(even years later George Best had his own turnstile)!)
Supporters were not exactly well catered for back in the day on those old terraces.
But it was what it was at the time.

[jacomo]

Lets hark back then. :greengrin ......it was called Easter Road Park at the beginning.
After playing at a number of locations since foundation we moved to Hibernian Park at what is now Bothwell St/Sunnyside in 1880.
The lease on that ground having expired,the club laid out Easter Road Park and moved there in 1892.
A mere football kick away from Hibernian Park!

I prefer Park to Stadium :agree:


:singing:And still i live and hope to see !!:singing:



Fair point!

[brog]

I think the 65k crowd ( v Hearts)must have been after the building of the upper terrace on the east? I think there were plans to make it even bigger but they never came to fruition.

Seem to recall Lawrie Reilly saying that with all the bonus money etc, the take home pay paid at Hibs was pretty comparable to that earned by other top players he played with at international level, even if the basic wasn’t great.

I would have thought the club were raking it in for that ten years after the war. I wonder who took the gate money from semi finals and finals. Hibs played in front of enormous crowds, v Rangers and Aberdeen?

Then we have to take into account the cash aspect and we can only speculate.....

Pretty sure the East terrace was expanded after the New Year game in 1950. Apparently there were safety concerns. There were plans to expand it further, possibly even to 100k but that of course never happened.

[snedzuk]

In reality nobody uses the stadium / park bit anyway. Never once heard a Hibs fan say 'aye, um goin' tae Easter Road stadium on Saturday' or a Jambo say 'um goin' tae Tynecastle park.

FWIW when it comes to Easter Road I think stadium flows a bit better, Easter Road park just seems a bit cumbersome. Anyway, potato potaato. If Hibs ever put the grounds name up on it IMO it should simply read 'Easter Road'

Pretty sure it used to say Easter Road Stadium on the brickwork above the turnstiles into the Dunbar end.

[Mick O'Rourke]

Fair point!

Its good re reading our history, isnt it?
I wondered why when we vacated Hibernian Park we called the new ground Easter Road Park (Drum Park?)
And what happened to the intial Hibernian Park and the other sports ground called Easter Road?
I gave my Lugton books away to a relative .So cannot check these questions in them.... if there are answers .

GGTTH

[brog]

Hi Brian, I note your comments
Food for thought that the FF teams only made a couple of finals.
I suppose a number of clubs who had huge crowds did "neglect" many parts of their grounds
The big Glasgow grounds with the cinder/ash covered terraces were awful
Apart from main stands many had huge crowds standing in the open in all weathers.
We got the Albion Rd end partly covered,eventually.
The Cave. Legendary as it became. !!:greengrin

The lights would not have been long in paying for themselves
with the midweek "Floodlight Match" against top English/European Clubs.
Cynic or what ?!
We did have a couple or 3 miserable and tight fisted owners over the years.
Although James/Jimmy always said that Tom Hart was generous on occasion giving players a bit more in a wee wage packet/envelope. (no tax deducted)
When Jimmy was first at Hibs many players got paid in cash at the end of the week
No bank accounts for many in those days

And...
The jiggery pokery that went on announcing crowds far far short of that was actually in attendance.
(even years later George Best had his own turnstile)!)
Supporters were not exactly well catered for back in the day on those old terraces.
But it was what it was at the time.

Great points Michael. Actually the FF only made one final, the League Cup in 1950. (the Scottish was in 46/47 before FF were established) Almost unbelievably we lost that LC game 3 0 to Motherwell despite having won 6 2 at Fir Park in our game 2 weeks earlier. Motherwell then also did us 3 2 in the cup semi. We played most of the game with 10 men after Ogilvie broke his leg early on. No wonder 21/5/16 was so wonderful, our previous bad luck was crazy.

[Mick O'Rourke]

Pretty sure the East terrace was expanded after the New Year game in 1950. Apparently there were safety concerns. There were plans to expand it further, possibly even to 100k but that of course never happened.

You are correct. Brian

In 1950, a record crowd of 65,860 watched an Edinburgh derby against Hearts (https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/all-about/hearts-fc) - a record for any match played in the capital.
Space was at a premium to to make things more comfortable, the east terracing was expanded and there were plans to take the capacity to nearly 100,000 by raising the terrace to the same height of the stand, but this never happened.

HIbs were one of the first clubs to install floodlights rather than lights mounted on the stand of the roof.
The first game played under them was again an Edinburgh derby on 18 October 1954.

Source:
Football Scotland website

When the East was extended, it was at the time the biggest single terracing in the UK

https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2224/2198871889_1d88658001_o.jpg

Need to copy and paste, if you can.
Great photo.

[Waxy]

Its good re reading our history, isnt it?
I wondered why when we vacated Hibernian Park we called the new ground Easter Road Park
And what happened to the intial Hibernian Park and the other sports ground called Easter Road?
I gave my Lugton books away to a relative .So cannot check these questions in them.... if there are answers .

GGTTHWe vacated the ground around 1891.
It was down where the hibs club is now and ran through where bothwell st is now. The halfway line would have been around the houses are on bothwell st.
1893 the current Easter rd opened.

[Mick O'Rourke]

We vacated the ground around 1891.
It was down where the hibs club is now and ran through where bothwell st is now. The halfway line would have been around the houses are on bothwell st.
1893 the current Easter rd opened.

Indeed,Waxy
I did mention that in a previous post that Hibernian Park was located Bothwell St/Sunnyside area

I was wondering why we did not keep that name when we moved or New Hibernian Park :aok:

[leith lynx]

Pretty sure it used to say Easter Road Stadium on the brickwork above the turnstiles into the Dunbar end.

Correct.