The Gordons

[Donegal Hibby]

With the under 18’s winning the Championship and the senior team finishing third , yesterday when watching the ladies team lift the championship trophy for the first time in eighteen years the one person who I thought on was Ron Gordon and how proud he’d have been with what we have achieved as a club this season.

He’d also be extremely proud of his family as it’s not been an easy road for them though I think they deserve credit for appointing Malky MacKay and David Gray who probably weren’t the preferred choices for some but who they believed were the right choices . They showed good judgment and IMO were brave in sticking with the manager when things looked grim .

I’m happy with the situation at the club in having the BK’s on board in their input will hopefully in the future help the Gordons improve the club on/ off the park. As for the Gordons from the time Sir Tom Farmer and Rod Petrie were involved in the club being sold to Ron Gordon it was always my believe that they had made sure that the club was in good hands . The Gordon’s have made mistakes along the way but I do believe they are a good family who genuinely care about our football club.

Personally I hope they are with us for many , many years..

The Gordon family .. Thank you .

[jacomo]

Agreed, big appreciation due to the Gordons for their continued support and investment in the club. Taking last season's losses on the chin and admitting to previous mistakes has cleared the deck and helped in this turnaround.

They genuinely do seem to have learned a lot over the past year.

[SHODAN]

All the signs suggest they're learning. Long may it continue.

[Hibby Kay-Yay]

Shout out to BKFC too

[Donegal Hibby]

Shout out to BKFC too

Absolutely . 👍

[Hibs4185]

Nice to see an appreciation thread after so much, deservedly or not, criticism over the last couple of seasons.

As fans we can criticise their decisions and team performance but no one can question their commitment ans well deserved results this season.

Well done everyone involved in the club.

[stalbanshibby]

With the under 18’s winning the Championship and the senior team finishing third , yesterday when watching the ladies team lift the championship trophy for the first time in eighteen years the one person who I thought on was Ron Gordon and how proud he’d have been with what we have achieved as a club this season.

He’d also be extremely proud of his family as it’s not been an easy road for them though I think they deserve credit for appointing Malky MacKay and David Gray who probably weren’t the preferred choices for some but who they believed were the right choices . They showed good judgment and IMO were brave in sticking with the manager when things looked grim .

I’m happy with the situation at the club in having the BK’s on board in their input will hopefully in the future help the Gordons improve the club on/ off the park. As for the Gordons from the time Sir Tom Farmer and Rod Petrie were involved in the club being sold to Ron Gordon it was always my believe that they had made sure that the club was in good hands . The Gordon’s have made mistakes along the way but I do believe they are a good family who genuinely care about our football club.

Personally I hope they are with us for many , many years..

The Gordon family .. Thank you .

10/10. Great post. Thank you to the Gordon family and to all the staff connected to Hibs for a great season all round.

[Northernhibee]

Kensell leaving has given the chance to turn over a new page and it feels like things are going right.

Thank you to them, and it’s great to see how much more enjoyable it is to be a Hibby as of late.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Cant help thinking it's been a massive, and at times slow, learning curve for them. In all honesty I don't think even Ron fully understood what he had gotten himself into and was slightly taken aback when the fans ire turned on him and his family.

What IMO was never in doubt was the Gordon's commitment to doing their best to make Hibs a success, but that has required facing some hard truths, not least the fact that the football side is no place for amateurs and needs to be run by clever and experienced football people. Where their expertise lies is bringing in income and improving the matchday experience around ER, which they have certainly done ..... but they corners, come on guys :greengrin

When you look at the ********s running the likes of Manchester United this football club could have done a lot worse than the Gordon family, they at least seem like genuine people and nobody is more pleased than me that things have turned around. Long may it continue.

[Since452]

When we're criticising when it's not going well, it's important to give praise when it is. Well done to the Gordon family.

Ron would be proud.

[USA_Hibee]

Credit fully deserved. Thank you Gordon Family! 😊

[Juice-Terry]

I can only echo previous sentiments: Thank you Gordons - and well done! :flag:

[Pretty Boy]

When we're criticising when it's not going well, it's important to give praise when it is. Well done to the Gordon family.

Ron would be proud.

:agree:

In a nutshell. If there has been a bit of learning and development then that is well worthy of praise.

I don't think there was ever any doubt about the commitment of them as a business/family to Hibs. Money was always in plentiful supply. It was strategy and implementation of such along with family appointments to roles they were wholly unsuited to that was the target of much of the criticism. I don't think anyone would deny there was some pretty grim circumstances they had to deal with. Covid, the death of the family patriarch and then the son subsequently being mentored in running a football club by someone who wasn't really qualified to run an entire football club himself (and yes he was capable in lots of other areas). That was a bizarre dynamic and an unenviable position for all parties really.

If Ian Gordon is still hands on and we are improving across the board then great. If he has learned to step back and let people experienced in such matters run the club then equally great. As it stands the result is positive whatever the dynamics behind the scenes.

[Thatdayinmay16]

Kensell leaving has given the chance to turn over a new page and it feels like things are going right.

Thank you to them, and it’s great to see how much more enjoyable it is to be a Hibby as of late.

According to his Linkedin post he was the catalyst for us finishing 3rd.

[Pagan Hibernia]

I don't think we're too far away from the type of football club Ron wanted us to be, and the vision he put forward in the early months after he came in, and at the 2020 AGM. The pandemic put a lot of those plans on ice, then of course his own health and sad loss turned everything upside down.

I'm not going to pretend I've always been the biggest fan of the Gordons. They've clearly made mistakes (Ron too, the sad fact that he's no longer here shouldn't mean his record isn't looked at as a whole) but when I saw Easter Road looking resplendent on Saturday, radiating positivity and warmth and optimism, the team flying high and proudly into Europe, the youth team and the women's team both excelling, and indeed the hospitality areas of the stadium also looking fantastic and providing an alternative sort of match day for those that want that and are happy to pay for it, I think the late Ron Gordon would be very, very proud.

[superfurryhibby]

Hats off to the Gordon family, the club is back on track, we have a manager we love and a core group of players who are here for next season. The fans are right behind the team. The future is bright-the future is Green.

[evy]

the vision he put forward in the early months after he came in, and at the 2020 AGM. The pandemic put a lot of those plans on ice, then of course his own health and sad loss turned everything upside down

Was going to say something similar. He talked about a 5 year plan when he first came along, covid definitely slowed that time frame down but I’d say we’re getting towards where he’d want us to be by now.

[matty_f]

I don't think we're too far away from the type of football club Ron wanted us to be, and the vision he put forward in the early months after he came in, and at the 2020 AGM. The pandemic put a lot of those plans on ice, then of course his own health and sad loss turned everything upside down.

I'm not going to pretend I've always been the biggest fan of the Gordons. They've clearly made mistakes (Ron too, the sad fact that he's no longer here shouldn't mean his record isn't looked at as a whole) but when I saw Easter Road looking resplendent on Saturday, radiating positivity and warmth and optimism, the team flying high and proudly into Europe, the youth team and the women's team both excelling, and indeed the hospitality areas of the stadium also looking fantastic and providing an alternative sort of match day for those that want that and are happy to pay for it, I think the late Ron Gordon would be very, very proud.

Really good post.
Ron talked about the matchday experience and let’s be honest, a lot of people sneered at the phrase and even the ambition to make it better.

On Saturday, I had (almost) exactly the match day experience I would want when going to see Hibs. The stadium looked great, it was busy and full of happy punters watching a team of players fighting for the jersey.

There were enough Hibs fans to justify reducing Rangers’ allocation and we were noisy and boisterous, with a great display in the standing section. The big screens (mind everyone slaughtering them for some reason?) playing a presentation of Hibees we’ve lost with music and messaging clearly coming out the upgraded sound system.

To have a successful season across the club should be a source of immense pride to the Gordons, and while I’ve been critical and believe that they absolutely should have covered the losses incurred, they did and they’ve spent more to ensure we can be competitive, so absolutely they deserve thanks and credit for the season we’ve had.

[Bridge hibs]

Really good post.
Ron talked about the matchday experience and let’s be honest, a lot of people sneered at the phrase and even the ambition to make it better.

On Saturday, I had (almost) exactly the match day experience I would want when going to see Hibs. The stadium looked great, it was busy and full of happy punters watching a team of players fighting for the jersey.

There were enough Hibs fans to justify reducing Rangers’ allocation and we were noisy and boisterous, with a great display in the standing section. The big screens (mind everyone slaughtering them for some reason?) playing a presentation of Hibees we’ve lost with music and messaging clearly coming out the upgraded sound system.

To have a successful season across the club should be a source of immense pride to the Gordons, and while I’ve been critical and believe that they absolutely should have covered the losses incurred, they did and they’ve spent more to ensure we can be competitive, so absolutely they deserve thanks and credit for the season we’ve had.Excellent post Matty, fully agree 👍

[McD]

With the under 18’s winning the Championship and the senior team finishing third , yesterday when watching the ladies team lift the championship trophy for the first time in eighteen years the one person who I thought on was Ron Gordon and how proud he’d have been with what we have achieved as a club this season.

He’d also be extremely proud of his family as it’s not been an easy road for them though I think they deserve credit for appointing Malky MacKay and David Gray who probably weren’t the preferred choices for some but who they believed were the right choices . They showed good judgment and IMO were brave in sticking with the manager when things looked grim .

I’m happy with the situation at the club in having the BK’s on board in their input will hopefully in the future help the Gordons improve the club on/ off the park. As for the Gordons from the time Sir Tom Farmer and Rod Petrie were involved in the club being sold to Ron Gordon it was always my believe that they had made sure that the club was in good hands . The Gordon’s have made mistakes along the way but I do believe they are a good family who genuinely care about our football club.

Personally I hope they are with us for many , many years..

The Gordon family .. Thank you .


Excellent post, and well deserved.


They’ve attracted a lot of criticism over their time, so it’s definitely right that they get to receive their credit for the times going well

[Callum_62]

According to Malky the Gordona have put about £25M into the club.

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

[tonyrougier123]

This thread deserves triple digit respect.

What a dynasty the Gordon’s have created already at Hibernian, it’s a small pity that we don’t have a men’s trophy to show for all the work that’s been done. Has it been all plain sailing? Absolutely it hasn’t, but there has been sacrifice of time and funds not to mention sad loss from the original takeover. Ron such a buoyant character full of passion for hibs never wavered in his goal of transforming hibs.
Soak it in what’s actually happened in that time around the club it’s incredible! Sad loss to the family but that mantle was picked up by his son Ian and his wife kit, Ian,a quieter voice around the place but with no less desire, you can see even in his few interviews how much this all means to him and his family.
I can’t thank the Gordon’s enough, I’ve enjoyed seeing the transformation of the stadium and getting it right on the pitch was never and still won’t be a guarantee, however putting football men in charge of that side of things was truly essential and we seem to be putting that right at this time. The black knight shares is the way of the modern game and if that truly becomes the partnership it could be we are primed for a new chapter in Scottish football with the right direction. A team plays well as that,doesn’t have to be full of world beaters just a desire to win and buy in to the journey like we all do every season.
Take a look around the place Saturday past, truly exceptional. A season of extreme low and extreme highs with a club legend at the helm growing his own reputation, a few learning curves for supporters, none more so than myself, I’m used to a season where we might start off the campaign well but fade never from the bottom up in my memory, I’ve had a few wake up calls this season, from writing off players to disagreeing about investment in the women’s team, I’ve been right many times also ofcourse😝. Malky Mackay for example I truly believed he’d be an asset to the club, couldn’t have been more pleased with Triantis as I originally said we should go back in as a midfielder couldn’t have predicted how good that would’ve turned out.
The potential the Gordon’s seen initially is vibrant and in full flow and may there be much much more to come in the future. The new season will bring new challenges if everything happens over next couple months and the rollercoaster of being a hibby never halts.

Best season in a long time.

Thank you to the Gordon’s.

[neil7908]

I've always been quite wary of Black Knights and not as fan of these groups so keen to keep the Gordon's at the helm. It's been a tough couple of seasons though so delighted they've been turned it around.

This is football, we will still have plenty of lean times ahead but I hope they have learned a good bit and we can now have some consistency and success on the horizon

[Forza Fred]

It would have been so easy for the Gordons to have walked away after Ron’s passing…..especially after reading the vitriol directed their way for a while.

But they didn’t, and continued to financially support the club.

Thank you to the Gordon family, who surely now have won the trust of even the biggest doubters.

[TrinityHibby]

Really good post.
Ron talked about the matchday experience and let’s be honest, a lot of people sneered at the phrase and even the ambition to make it better.

On Saturday, I had (almost) exactly the match day experience I would want when going to see Hibs. The stadium looked great, it was busy and full of happy punters watching a team of players fighting for the jersey.

There were enough Hibs fans to justify reducing Rangers’ allocation and we were noisy and boisterous, with a great display in the standing section. The big screens (mind everyone slaughtering them for some reason?) playing a presentation of Hibees we’ve lost with music and messaging clearly coming out the upgraded sound system.

To have a successful season across the club should be a source of immense pride to the Gordons, and while I’ve been critical and believe that they absolutely should have covered the losses incurred, they did and they’ve spent more to ensure we can be competitive, so absolutely they deserve thanks and credit for the season we’ve had.

Exactly how I see things too. Saturday was everything you want from a Hibernian team on match day. Beyond proud of what the club have achieved this season and Ian, Kit and the Board have every right to be praised for their performance. Loved seeing Kit handing out the medals to our SWPL winning ladies team at Ibrox and her pride and commitment to this club was clear to see as she hugged the players.

[Not In The Know]

On the recent podcasts MM saying the Gordons have put £20-25 million into Hibs on stadium, pitch and training ground improvements (including some shan players and managers ;-).

Plus are going to put more in... Wow hats off!

[BILLYHIBS]

Legends

👏

[CropleyWasGod]

On the recent podcasts MM saying the Gordons have put £20-25 million into Hibs on stadium, pitch and training ground improvements (including some shan players and managers ;-).

Plus are going to put more in... Wow hats off!

Stretching things a bit, I'd say.

My arithmetic says Hibs have cost them about £20m, with £5m of that going to STF.

[Eyrie]

Stretching things a bit, I'd say.

My arithmetic says Hibs have cost them about £20m, with £5m of that going to STF.

We know the Gordons covered the 2023/24 season's loss, so could the difference be them covering a loss in the season just finished?

[CropleyWasGod]

We know the Gordons covered the 2023/24 season's loss, so could the difference be them covering a loss in the season just finished?

It's a possibility, although there's still a month to go before the club could know how much it is. Possibly longer, since the SPFL prize money and UEFA Solidarity (?) payments might not have been decided by then.

Last year's loss wasn't made good until earlier this year.

[CapitalGreen]

It's a possibility, although there's still a month to go before the club could know how much it is. Possibly longer, since the SPFL prize money and UEFA Solidarity (?) payments might not have been decided by then.

Last year's loss wasn't made good until earlier this year.

When was last years loss made good? IG said at the AGM that it wouldn’t be done until the summer.

[CropleyWasGod]

When was last years loss made good? IG said at the AGM that it wouldn’t be done until the summer.

Ah. I don't remember that bit. In that case, the £25m is way overstated, if it hasn't yet been paid.

[CapitalGreen]

Ah. I don't remember that bit. In that case, the £25m is way overstated, if it hasn't yet been paid.

How would we find out when it’s been paid?

[CropleyWasGod]

How would we find out when it’s been paid?

Only in the accounts, I suppose. Either in this year's, or next, depending when it is paid.

So..... January 26 or 27. :greengrin

[Winston Ingram]

All the signs suggest they're learning. Long may it continue.

This was my worry at the start of the season. They’ve certainly demonstrated that they have learned.

[Donegal Hibby]

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/ian-gordon-exciting-hibs-trophy-pledge-black-knights-disagreement-5155131

Think it showed a lot of character from Ian Gordon to stick to his beliefs that David Gray was the right man when it might have been easier to go along with what others wanted . Thankfully everything seems good now .

[dangermouse]

Really good post.
Ron talked about the matchday experience and let’s be honest, a lot of people sneered at the phrase and even the ambition to make it better.

On Saturday, I had (almost) exactly the match day experience I would want when going to see Hibs. The stadium looked great, it was busy and full of happy punters watching a team of players fighting for the jersey.

There were enough Hibs fans to justify reducing Rangers’ allocation and we were noisy and boisterous, with a great display in the standing section. The big screens (mind everyone slaughtering them for some reason?) playing a presentation of Hibees we’ve lost with music and messaging clearly coming out the upgraded sound system.

To have a successful season across the club should be a source of immense pride to the Gordons, and while I’ve been critical and believe that they absolutely should have covered the losses incurred, they did and they’ve spent more to ensure we can be competitive, so absolutely they deserve thanks and credit for the season we’ve had.

You obviously don't sit in the West Stand :rolleyes: The sound system is incoherent when announcements are made.

[A Hi-Bee]

This was my worry at the start of the season. They’ve certainly demonstrated that they have learned.

That's all you can ask for and sure as time goes on they will continue to get it right.
GGTTH

[matty_f]

You obviously don't sit in the West Stand :rolleyes: The sound system is incoherent when announcements are made.

Right at the back of the west upper - section 13. Sound is much better than it used to be!