Our original ground

[HIBERNIAN-0762]

I've seen a sort of street map picture of our old ground at Bothwell Street but are there any actual photographs of the stadium?, and also to settle a slight dispute with a relative was the ground to the right of Bothwell Street at the top on the approach to the bridge?

Thanks in advance.

[Waxy]

Yes to the right from the bridge.
The halfay line ran along bothwell street.
Kinda from where the hibs club is through bothwell street and over the road where the gap is with the car garage at the back.
I doubt any pics exist.
Maybe one will surface one day.
A pic must have been taken at some point.

[hibbybrian]

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I've seen a sort of street map picture of our old ground at Bothwell Street but are there any actual photographs of the stadium?, and also to settle a slight dispute with a relative was the ground to the right of Bothwell Street at the top on the approach to the bridge?

Thanks in advance.

No pictures that I know of but this map shows the location of the first ground at Easter Road - the present Supporters Club in Sunnyside is on the original pitch!

1888 ER albert st elgin st.jpg

Prior to this ground at Easter Road Hibs had at least 2 different grounds in Mayfield/Powburn and then leased a ground at Powderhall (to the east of the more recent Powderhall stadium)

[Waxy]

Does anyone know which year the Hibs club was built?
And was it built on the site of our old ground on purpose?

[Mr White]

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No pictures that I know of but this map shows the location of the first ground at Easter Road - the present Supporters Club in Sunnyside is on the original pitch!

1888 ER albert st elgin st.jpg

Prior to this ground at Easter Road Hibs had at least 2 different grounds in Mayfield/Powburn and then leased a ground at Powderhall (to the east of the more recent Powderhall stadium)

Do you know what year that map is from Brian? Cheers

[hibbybrian]

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Do you know what year that map is from Brian? Cheers

It's dated 1888 but the survey would have been done at least a year earlier.

Here's another dated 1891 showing the ground still there despite the last match being played on 27 September 1890 as building work was encroaching.

1891 ER.jpg

[AndyM_1875]

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It's dated 1888 but the survey would have been done at least a year earlier.

Here's another dated 1891 showing the ground still there despite the last match being played on 27 September 1890 as building work was encroaching.

1891 ER.jpg

By 1891 Hibs had let the lease expire I believe as the club had suspended football activities due to the Club Secretary going to Canada with Club Funds and the never to be forgotten (or forgiven ) dirty tricks from our **ahem** friends in the West who let us not forget left Easter Road on Saturday with a big fat ZERO!:fenlon

Regarding the ground itself I don't think it would have looked like much. The Pitch would probably have been roped off and some form of changing facility along the side of pitch. Doubt there was any sort of proper Stand area in the manner we would think.

When Hibs moved into Easter Road in 1893 some years later I am told they had a stand built later where the East is now called the Eggbox. When the old main Stand was built in 1924(?) the Eggbox was demolished and converted to Terracing.
Johnnyboy may know (and no I am not suggesting he was there!)

[--------]

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By 1891 Hibs had let the lease expire I believe as the club had suspended football activities due to the Club Secretary going to Canada with Club Funds and the never to be forgotten (or forgiven ) dirty tricks from our **ahem** friends in the West who let us not forget left Easter Road on Saturday with a big fat ZERO!:fenlon

Regarding the ground itself I don't think it would have looked like much. The Pitch would probably have been roped off and some form of changing facility along the side of pitch. Doubt there was any sort of proper Stand area in the manner we would think.

When Hibs moved into Easter Road in 1893 some years later I am told they had a stand built later where the East is now called the Eggbox. When the old main Stand was built in 1924(?) the Eggbox was demolished and converted to Terracing. Johnnyboy may know (and no I am not suggesting he was there!)

John WILL know - he worked as a rigger's apprentice on the building of that stand.

He told me he was paid sixpence (old pence) a day and his dinner piece was a stale Gregg's sausage roll and a pickled egg.




I'm sure I've seen pictures of the old "Egg-box" stand - which IIRC is actually almost exactly what it looked like, an egg box with the front cut off - but I've no idea where they could be found. I THINK it was on the opposite side of the pitch to the 1924 Main Stand.

Put it this way - if either the Egg-box or the Jonnyboy Stand was built at Tynecastle today, it would be a huge modernisation of the place - not to mention an immeasurable improvement.

[hibbybrian]

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John WILL know - he worked as a rigger's apprentice on the building of that stand.

He told me he was paid sixpence (old pence) a day and his dinner piece was a stale Gregg's sausage roll and a pickled egg.




I'm sure I've seen pictures of the old "Egg-box" stand - which IIRC is actually almost exactly what it looked like, an egg box with the front cut off - but I've no idea where they could be found. I THINK it was on the opposite side of the pitch to the 1924 Main Stand.

Put it this way - if either the Egg-box or the Jonnyboy Stand was built at Tynecastle today, it would be a huge modernisation of the place - not to mention an immeasurable improvement.

I'm sure John served his apprenticeship on the 1890 stand and had risen to the rank of Foreman for the new mid 1890's eggbox stand

Eggbox stand

original east stand 1900s.jpg

1913-1914 team in front of east stand.jpg

[Andy Bee]

I was chatting with my uncle after the game on Saturday, moaning about the traffic as we were trying to get back to Northfield Rd. It turns out according to him that the stadium could of been built at the end of Northfield Rd at the site where the cemetery is located now, Easter Rd was chosen over it because of the close proximity to the steel yard that was supplying the steel work.

[Mr White]

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It's dated 1888 but the survey would have been done at least a year earlier.

Here's another dated 1891 showing the ground still there despite the last match being played on 27 September 1890 as building work was encroaching.

1891 ER.jpg

i was imagining that the tenements would have been being built around that time. really interesting stuff you've posted, thanks!

[hibbybrian]

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I was chatting with my uncle after the game on Saturday, moaning about the traffic as we were trying to get back to Northfield Rd. It turns out according to him that the stadium could of been built at the end of Northfield Rd at the site where the cemetery is located now, Easter Rd was chosen over it because of the close proximity to the steel yard that was supplying the steel work.

It was behind the cemetary

Hibernian's Northfield ground

1912 Jocks lodge.jpg

[oregonhibby]

If you go down to Easter Road there is an exhibition about all of the Hibs grounds. Including maps, architectural drawings, pictures and other paraphernalia.

Put on by the Hibernian Historical Trust.

[--------]

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I'm sure John served his apprenticeship on the 1890 stand and had risen to the rank of Foreman for the new mid 1890's eggbox stand

Eggbox stand

original east stand 1900s.jpg

1913-1914 team in front of east stand.jpg

That's it!

Thanks, Brian.

I've always wondered how on earth anyone saw anything of the game from the back of that stand. I take it that that would be the press box on the top?

[degenerated]

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I'm sure John served his apprenticeship on the 1890 stand and had risen to the rank of Foreman for the new mid 1890's eggbox stand

Eggbox stand

original east stand 1900s.jpg

1913-1914 team in front of east stand.jpg

It looks a far more robust construction than that main stand at tynecastle.

[Peevemor]

This is a great site for old maps of Edinburgh.

http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_maps/0...thumbnails.htm

[wookie70]

I never realised that the ground at Northfield was once ours. Always thought it might have been something to do with Bruce Anchor who had a site there. Old-maps.co.uk is pretty good for old Ordnance Survey maps

[HIBERNIAN-0762]

Cheers for all the replies guys, fascinating stuff.

[vein]

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I never realised that the ground at Northfield was once ours. Always thought it might have been something to do with Bruce Anchor who had a site there. Old-maps.co.uk is pretty good for old Ordnance Survey maps

It wasn't ours, that map is a plan of where it would have been. I think the land was sold to the railway instead, probably a dodgy underhand council deal :)

The ground your maybe thinking of is where morrisons is now. There was a wee stand there and hibs used it for training in the 80's.

[hibbybrian]

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It wasn't ours, that map is a plan of where it would have been. I think the land was sold to the railway instead, probably a dodgy underhand council deal :)

The ground your maybe thinking of is where morrisons is now. There was a wee stand there and hibs used it for training in the 80's.

It was leased by Hibernian

northfield001.jpg

13-4-1909 northfield lease.jpg

The railway company said they needed some of the land for expansion and it was bought by compulsory purchase however they never used it

[vein]

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It was leased by Hibernian

northfield001.jpg

13-4-1909 northfield lease.jpg

The railway company said they needed some of the land for expansion and it was bought by compulsory purchase however they never used it

So there was a stadium there? I was always under the impression that those were only plans, an olden days straiton if you like :)

[wookie70]

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It wasn't ours, that map is a plan of where it would have been. I think the land was sold to the railway instead, probably a dodgy underhand council deal :)

The ground your maybe thinking of is where morrisons is now. There was a wee stand there and hibs used it for training in the 80's.

I saw the ground on old ordnance survey maps but there was no mention of hibs. I suspect if it is on OS maps then there was a pitch there but maybe not used by Hibs. Im from Northfield so was always interested in the area. The ground at Morrisons belonged to Royal High and the wee stand which was a wreck even the the 80s was for Rugby. I saw Goram play Cricket there too.Fond memories of Royal High primary with ex Hibs goalie Jim McArthur as my PE teacher.

[Jonnyboy]

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By 1891 Hibs had let the lease expire I believe as the club had suspended football activities due to the Club Secretary going to Canada with Club Funds and the never to be forgotten (or forgiven ) dirty tricks from our **ahem** friends in the West who let us not forget left Easter Road on Saturday with a big fat ZERO!:fenlon

Regarding the ground itself I don't think it would have looked like much. The Pitch would probably have been roped off and some form of changing facility along the side of pitch. Doubt there was any sort of proper Stand area in the manner we would think.

When Hibs moved into Easter Road in 1893 some years later I am told they had a stand built later where the East is now called the Eggbox. When the old main Stand was built in 1924(?) the Eggbox was demolished and converted to Terracing.
Johnnyboy may know (and no I am not suggesting he was there!)

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

John WILL know - he worked as a rigger's apprentice on the building of that stand.

He told me he was paid sixpence (old pence) a day and his dinner piece was a stale Gregg's sausage roll and a pickled egg.




I'm sure I've seen pictures of the old "Egg-box" stand - which IIRC is actually almost exactly what it looked like, an egg box with the front cut off - but I've no idea where they could be found. I THINK it was on the opposite side of the pitch to the 1924 Main Stand.

Put it this way - if either the Egg-box or the Jonnyboy Stand was built at Tynecastle today, it would be a huge modernisation of the place - not to mention an immeasurable improvement.

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I'm sure John served his apprenticeship on the 1890 stand and had risen to the rank of Foreman for the new mid 1890's eggbox stand

Eggbox stand

original east stand 1900s.jpg

1913-1914 team in front of east stand.jpg

As you guys well know, I built that egg box stand almost single-handedly Had to be an egg box, given we were at Easter Road

[MSK]

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As you guys well know, I built that egg box stand almost single-handedly Had to be an egg box, given we were at Easter Road

Jonnyboy conducting the old "sectioned" 43 .... old section 43.jpg

[Jonnyboy]

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Jonnyboy conducting the old "sectioned" 43 .... old section 43.jpg

"Stand up cos there are nae seats ........"

[iwasthere1972]

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Jonnyboy conducting the old "sectioned" 43 .... old section 43.jpg

No flag fund.

[Miguel]

The proposed Northfield ground ran from the newish flats on Northfield Broadway along to the cemetery and down as far as Mountcastle Green. The stand where Morrisons is now belonged to Royal High when it was a prep school for the main school in the old building on Regent Road that was once going to be the Scottish Parliament. The stained glass above the entrance to Morrisons shows Royal High playing rugby at the site. Off topic, but surely there should be a plaque on St Mary's Street Halls to show where Hibernians were founded. Unbelievable there isn't one.

[Waxy]

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It was leased by Hibernian

northfield001.jpg

13-4-1909 northfield lease.jpg

The railway company said they needed some of the land for expansion and it was bought by compulsory purchase however they never used it

Wouldnt mind reading the article about the new ground.any way of makindg it readable?

[Kato]

Seemingly our very very first "ground", I suppose it was more of a "patch", on the meadows was at the Eastern most end, where the tennis courts around Sciennes sits.

Essential info in this book.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hibernian-Th.../dp/0859764265

[erin go bragh]

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John WILL know - he worked as a rigger's apprentice on the building of that stand.

He told me he was paid sixpence (old pence) a day and his dinner piece was a stale Gregg's sausage roll and a pickled egg.




I'm sure I've seen pictures of the old "Egg-box" stand - which IIRC is actually almost exactly what it looked like, an egg box with the front cut off - but I've no idea where they could be found. I THINK it was on the opposite side of the pitch to the 1924 Main Stand.

Put it this way - if either the Egg-box or the Jonnyboy Stand was built at Tynecastle today, it would be a huge modernisation of the place - not to mention an immeasurable improvement.

Ive got a picture of the stand [ it is where the east is now ] got the picture off Pat Stanton's mother in the late 80s when i was putting new seals on her doors .
Ill have a look for it later and see if i can put it up .
Lovely lady she was .

ggtth