Callum Davidson

[HibbyKeith]

signed for St Johnstone.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13565103.stm

seems alot of clubs are making early moves to strengthen their teams.

C'mon hibs get the finger out. im starting to get worries our "main targets" aint keen to come.

[Pedantic_Hibee]

Was it ever thus.

We're always slow off the mark in transfer windows.

However, unlike the famous story of the tortoise and the hare, we do finish last and retreat into our shell in silent humiliation after another transfer campaign that's ended in turtle disaster.

[LeithBoozy]

I really dont care how long they take as long as they bring in some quality. Good players will always have several options, and be harder to sign. So lets hope that is the case and CC gives us an unexspected and pleasant surprise.

[Andy74]

Sproule?

[NORTHERNHIBBY]

Has to be said though, that the signing of an eye-catching name can have a positive impact on season ticket sales.

[PeterboroHibee]

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signed for St Johnstone.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13565103.stm

seems alot of clubs are making early moves to strengthen their teams.

C'mon hibs get the finger out. im starting to get worries our "main targets" aint keen to come.

If CC is still pursuing his main signings then dont see the problem. If the 2 he is excited about go elsewhere then Ill start to be a bit concerned.

Not sure who our rivals have signed so far that is particularly exciting. Sutton is a great signing and Flood will be good for United but other than that, Grainger, Rankin, Davidson, Diamond...

[son of haggart]

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If CC is still pursuing his main signings then dont see the problem. If the 2 he is excited about go elsewhere then Ill start to be a bit concerned.

Not sure who our rivals have signed so far that is particularly exciting. Sutton is a great signing and Flood will be good for United but other than that, Grainger, Rankin, Davidson, Diamond...

I think one of the issues is simply is the acquisition of players early in the transfer window a factor in the financial planing.

If it makes no difference )or a small difference) to the season ticket sales and salaries costs, then the only factor is - are the targets that Hibs have likely to go elsewhere.

Only the agents, calderwood and petrie know that.

[Andy74]

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I think one of the issues is simply is the acquisition of players early in the transfer window a factor in the financial planing.

If it makes no difference )or a small difference) to the season ticket sales and salaries costs, then the only factor is - are the targets that Hibs have likely to go elsewhere.

Only the agents, calderwood and petrie know that.

Easy to get players in early when you happily pay way over the odds in wages. The players have nothing to think about.

[bighairyfaeleith]

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I think one of the issues is simply is the acquisition of players early in the transfer window a factor in the financial planing.

If it makes no difference )or a small difference) to the season ticket sales and salaries costs, then the only factor is - are the targets that Hibs have likely to go elsewhere.

Only the agents, calderwood and petrie know that.

not for hearts no

[Franck is God]

We have actually already signed a player and the window isn't open yet.

Our pre-season starts around the 20th June, as long as they arrive by then who cares who other teams sign in between.

[bingo70]

I've already had my wee hissy fit about how late we do our transfer business on a different thread but even i can see its a bit early to be getting overly worried about it.

If there's no transfer activity in a couple of weeks then i'll be a bit more concerned, i know it's an excuse we hear every year but i'm sure there's some truth in the fact that a lot of players will be on holiday just now, the players that are being signed early are probably the ones that are booked to go away next week or the week after.

[lucky]

FFS it'd not even the end of may. Hibs have signed 1 player and more to follow. Surely a wee bit of patience from the Hibs support is what is required

[matty_f]

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Sproule?

Think he's just being ignored for some reason. It's much easier to have a pop at hibs for signing players late when you ignore the players that are signed early.

[IWasThere2016]

Sproule - is he not the exception to the rule? I cannot think of another signing as early.

[BEEJ]

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Sproule - is he not the exception to the rule? I cannot think of another signing as early.

David van Zanten was announced on 7 May 2008. Brian Kerr on 3 May 2007....



.... this isn't going very well, is it?

[Bostonhibby]

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Was it ever thus.

We're always slow off the mark in transfer windows.

However, unlike the famous story of the tortoise and the hare, we do finish last and retreat into our shell in silent humiliation after another transfer campaign that's ended in turtle disaster.

Maybe we should break the mould and go for this tortoise guy? I cannae find him on Wikipedia but he sounds ideal, is he Portuguese?

[Benny Brazil]

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David van Zanten was announced on 7 May 2008. Brian Kerr on 3 May 2007....



.... this isn't going very well, is it?

Sometimes its better to say nothing Beej

[scoopyboy]

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David van Zanten was announced on 7 May 2008. Brian Kerr on 3 May 2007....



.... this isn't going very well, is it?

De Graaf was quite early IIRC.

[Kaiser1962]

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Sproule - is he not the exception to the rule? I cannot think of another signing as early.

You may well be right TQM but was this board not full of posts urging Hibs to get Ivan signed? They did that but we seem to have moved on from Ivan like it's never happened.

[Moulin Yarns]

Haven spoken to a Perth Saints fan this morning, I can exclusively reveal he is more underwhelmed than we are. He worries how much Davidson will be able contribute at the age of 35.

[blackpoolhibs]

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Haven spoken to a Perth Saints fan this morning, I can exclusively reveal he is more underwhelmed than we are. He worries how much Davidson will be able contribute at the age of 35.

No better now than Lewis Stevenson.

[ScottB]

Oh another, 'we haven't signed anyone yet so obviously CC / Petrie / the evil Board / Tam McCourt are sitting around doing nothing' threads. Good, it's been about 5 seconds since we had one of them.

[col02]

Renewal date for existing season ticket holders is the 4th of June is it not? At this moment in time I am not exactly prepared to put the balance on my credit card as Hibs do not seem willing to invest either in players at this moment in time.

[marinello59]

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Renewal date for existing season ticket holders is the 4th of June is it not? At this moment in time I am not exactly prepared to put the balance on my credit card as Hibs do not seem willing to invest either in players at this moment in time.

Don't then. That'll show them.

[ancient hibee]

There will be plenty of players with English clubs at the end of their contracts just now who will be doing a bit of ducking and diving before deciding their next move.Plenty time.

[jdships]

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FFS it'd not even the end of may. Hibs have signed 1 player and more to follow. Surely a wee bit of patience from the Hibs support is what is required

Thankyou !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kaiser1962]

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Renewal date for existing season ticket holders is the 4th of June is it not? At this moment in time I am not exactly prepared to put the balance on my credit card as Hibs do not seem willing to invest either in players at this moment in time.

I'm with Marinello59 on this one.

[Andy74]

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David van Zanten was announced on 7 May 2008. Brian Kerr on 3 May 2007....



.... this isn't going very well, is it?

Graeme Smith 1st Jan, De Graaf and Hart were early enough. Stack when he signed. Cregg.

Not going that well either but we do sign players as early as anyone.

[BEEJ]

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Graeme Smith 1st Jan, De Graaf and Hart were early enough. Stack when he signed. Cregg.

Not going that well either but we do sign players as early as anyone.

I was thinking of the summer window so Smith didn't feature.

De Graaf was 15 June 2010 and Hart was 8 July 2010. Cregg was 29 July 09 and Stack 7 August 2009 - neither of them could be categorised as early.

Since 2004 the split of the timing of all the players Hibs have signed during the Summer transfer window is as follows:

Pre July: 8 (19%)
July: 17 (40%)
August: 15 (36%)
Post August: 2 (5%)

That might seem a reasonable weighting towards the first half of the window but bear in mind that the league campaign in those seasons kicked off anywhere between the end of July to mid August. So ideally a Manager would hope to have 75 - 80% of his transfer business done and new players embedded in the squad by the first league fixture.

Also interesting to note that 7 of the 15 players signed in the month of August have been announced right at the end, in the last few days of the summer window.

The picture for the January transfer window since 2004 is much more skewed:

1st - 8th: 3 (10%)
9th - 16th: 2 (7%)
17th - 24th: 4 (14%)
25th - 31st +: 20 (69%)

The three players that we signed during the first week in January were all in 2009 and 2010.

So to summarise, we have indeed announced the signature of some players really early in the transfer windows. But we do have a tendency to leave things until much later on - for reasons that have been well rehearsed on here.

[ScottB]

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I was thinking of the summer window so Smith didn't feature.

De Graaf was 15 June 2010 and Hart was 8 July 2010. Cregg was 29 July 09 and Stack 7 August 2009 - neither of them could be categorised as early.

Since 2004 the split of the timing of all the players Hibs have signed during the Summer transfer window is as follows:

Pre July: 8 (19%)
July: 17 (40%)
August: 15 (36%)
Post August: 2 (5%)

That might seem a reasonable weighting towards the first half of the window but bear in mind that the league campaign in those seasons kicked off anywhere between the end of July to mid August. So ideally a Manager would hope to have 75 - 80% of his transfer business done and new players embedded in the squad by the first league fixture.

Also interesting to note that 7 of the 15 players signed in the month of August have been announced right at the end, in the last few days of the summer window.

The picture for the January transfer window since 2004 is much more skewed:

1st - 8th: 3 (10%)
9th - 16th: 2 (7%)
17th - 24th: 4 (14%)
25th - 31st +: 20 (69%)

The three players that we signed during the first week in January were all in 2009 and 2010.

So to summarise, we have indeed announced the signature of some players really early in the transfer windows. But we do have a tendency to leave things until much later on - for reasons that have been well rehearsed on here.

More interesting would be comparing those figures to other clubs. Obviously once you're into August deals are likely to be towards the end of the month with clubs likely to hold off selling till they get replacements in, and players trying to maximise the money they can get.

Early on signings are likely predominately free transfers, like Sproule this year.