Where would we be now if we had moved to Straiton 10 years ago?

[Hibbyradge]

Many will view this as heresy, but it might make for interesting discussion.

Had we moved ground, much of our debt would have been repaid from the sale of Easter Road and the surrounding area.

We would not have had the expense of building a new East Stand (TQM would be pleased!).

We may have been able to keep some of the cash we received for the Golden Generation.

Would we have lost fans? I don't know about that. Lots of clubs relocate and actually seem to benefit from the better facilities and the resultant financial restructuring.

Cardiff have coped admirably with a change of Stadium and a complete change of colour in the last few years, so I think we'd have become accustomed to the new ground fairly quickly.

Maybe JC would have been able to sign Barry Robson and Steven Naismith.

Thoughts?

[Spike Mandela]

We would be in Straiton

Do I win a prize?

[Leith Green]

Dunno about where it would leave Hibs , but it would have ripped the local community to shreds.. Leith and the surrounding areas lochend and meadowbank etc..

[rcarter1]

It is certainly a long way from Leith, so might have taken a toll in that regard, but then perhaps we would have become the Borders 'Big Team'

[Dashing Bob S]

Scenario 1 : a successful club in a modern stadium, attracting new supporters, a higher revenue stream and success. (Stoke, Boltonish)

Scenario 2 : out of town, sight and mind, in a horrible cheapo dump, cut off from our fan base and going down the swanney. (Coventry, Leicester.)

Or somewhere between the two.


Glad we swerved it myself.

[Ozyhibby]

Like it where we are.

[Deansy]

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Many will view this as heresy, but it might make for interesting discussion.

Had we moved ground, much of our debt would have been repaid from the sale of Easter Road and the surrounding area.

We would not have had the expense of building a new East Stand (TQM would be pleased!).

We may have been able to keep some of the cash we received for the Golden Generation.

Would we have lost fans? I don't know about that. Lots of clubs relocate and actually seem to benefit from the better facilities and the resultant financial restructuring.

Cardiff have coped admirably with a change of Stadium and a complete change of colour in the last few years, so I think we'd have become accustomed to the new ground fairly quickly.

Maybe JC would have been able to sign Barry Robson and Steven Naismith.

Thoughts?

Rather than selling them, we might've been able to hold onto them for longer than we did - imagine the team we would've had !!

[The Sea-gull]

Where would we, Hearts and the Edinburgh public be if we had sold our grounds and built a stadium in conjunction with the council? Take the alleged Yamish leanings of CEC out of the equation for now, would both clubs maybe be a bit better off financially and the city benefitting from having a really good sports facility?

IMHO, largely gone are the days when the bulk of each team's support toddles down the road or hops on the number 1 bus for a few stops to go and watch their team, taking a quick pint on route. A lot of folk live in the suburbs or surrounding Edinburgh towns which have expanded rapidly in the last 20 years. They bring their cars and park up to watch the game. They would still do the same wherever the ground was in and around Edinburgh.

Plus, public transport has greatly improved during this time too. An area well served by public transport and in-stadium bars would still probably bring in people and allow them to have a match day experience. It might even enhance it.

If you couldn'tget a long to watch your team due to mobility issues, work or finance etc then that is a different story but if you wouldn't go to games just coz of the area of town they play in then you really have to ask yourself how much of a fan you actually are.

I suspect there would be houses/flats where Easter Road is and a supermarket at Tynecastle. Still might get the latter.

[dangermouse]

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Scenario 1 : a successful club in a modern stadium, attracting new supporters, a higher revenue stream and success. (Stoke, Boltonish)

Scenario 2 : out of town, sight and mind, in a horrible cheapo dump, cut off from our fan base and going down the swanney. (Coventry, Leicester.)

Or somewhere between the two.


Glad we swerved it myself.

There's no place like home and that ain't Straiton.

[happiehibbie]

In fairness after the HOH campaign i would have watch Hibs at Inverlieth rather than lose us all together I know we stayed at ER which is great but I would ave no Issue moving if we get a better team on the park

[Hal Jordan]

...at the bottom of a big sink hole due to the subsidence from the old shale mines...

[weonlywon6-2]

It would have been a terrible move.Hibs are a community team not a team sitting on the outskirts of town.

[LancashireHibby]

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Scenario 1 : a successful club in a modern stadium, attracting new supporters, a higher revenue stream and success. (Stoke, Boltonish)

Scenario 2 : out of town, sight and mind, in a horrible cheapo dump, cut off from our fan base and going down the swanney. (Coventry, Leicester.)

Or somewhere between the two.


Glad we swerved it myself.

As a Bolton fan who has gone through such a move, it was a great move on paper but the spirit of the club has never been the same. To me, ER is a huge part of Hibs and what sets us apart from other clubs.

[Bishop Hibee]

STF would have been a lot happier.

I'm delighted we stayed at ER. I don't think our crowds would be any better for a move to Straiton.

With the benefit of hindsight, it would have been ideal if we'd sold ER having bought land at the docks when it was available and built a stadium debt free in Leith.

Some of the propaganda spouted by Cromb and his cronnies was ridiculous. I still have magazines sent by the club saying their was no alternative to Straiton. Rubbish that did nothing to make the fans trust that board or their successors.

[Hibiza]

straiton

[joe breezy]

I doubt I'd go and see Hibs much at all I'm afraid...

Time's at a premium when I'm back in Edinburgh so going to see out of town football is not so feasible

[joe breezy]

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Many will view this as heresy, but it might make for interesting discussion.

Had we moved ground, much of our debt would have been repaid from the sale of Easter Road and the surrounding area.

We would not have had the expense of building a new East Stand (TQM would be pleased!).

We may have been able to keep some of the cash we received for the Golden Generation.

Would we have lost fans? I don't know about that. Lots of clubs relocate and actually seem to benefit from the better facilities and the resultant financial restructuring.

Cardiff have coped admirably with a change of Stadium and a complete change of colour in the last few years, so I think we'd have become accustomed to the new ground fairly quickly.

Maybe JC would have been able to sign Barry Robson and Steven Naismith.

Thoughts?

Cardiff's new stadium is about 100 yards from the old one and it's only worked due to the large amounts of money pumped in on players.

Ninian Park was still a better atmosphere

[Hibbyradge]

I'm delighted we stayed at Easter Road too, but we've had to pay a price for doing so.

Fair enough.

The problem is that a lot of fans forget this and seem to want to have their cake along with someone else's and be able to eat them both and then come back for more!

[GreenCastle]

I love the club being in the city - always great viewing from places like Arthur Seat.

I think the crowds would have really gone down if we have been out of town and not doing well. Even through some terrible football recently a hardcore has stayed and supported.

The questions we should be asking...how long will Hibs be at Easter Road...probably most of our lives...

How long with the yams be at Tynie...probably not much longer...

What's going to happen to Meadowbank next and where will the yams play as that Main Stand won't last another few years...

[jgl07]

No current Premiership clubs in Scotland have moved to a completely new stadium apart from Inverness, St Mirren and St Johnstone. Arguably all three have prospered from their move. The same cannot be said of Clyde, Aidrieonians, and Hamilton. However in those cases the damage was done in the years while they were 'homeless' waiting for the new ground to be completed running down their respective fan bases.

Some clubs seem to benefit initially from the new ground with promotion (Falkirk, Livingston/Meadowbank, Hamilton and Dumbarton) without necessarily maintaining the progress. East Fife and Stirling have made little headway after moving to 'legoland' type stadia.

In England it is somewhat different with Arsenal, Manchester City, Stoke, all showing marked increase in support. The best progress after moving has come from the Welsh Clubs Cardiff and Swansea and also Hull. Sunderland and Middlesbrough progressed strongly after moving but failed to maintain that. Southampton ended up in administration (although I blame 'Arry Redknap) after moving to a new ground but have recovered well. Leicester have marked time and Coventry gone to the dogs.

Liverpool and Everton have stayed put and paid the price with depressed income and crowds although Newcastle did successfully rebuild insitu. Tottenham and West Ham were both keen to move despite relative success. Bolton and Wigan both progressed dramatically after gaining a new stadium. Bolton would never have had the run over the past fifteen years by staying at Burnden Park, especially with half the land behind one goal sold to a supermarket!

[Islington Hibs]

It would have ripped the soul out of the club and a slow but gradual decline would probably have resulted, unless we had been spectacularly successful on the park. Thank God we did not move!

[LancashireHibby]

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Bolton would never have had the run over the past fifteen years by staying at Burnden Park, especially with half the land behind one goal sold to a supermarket!

We twice won promotion to the Premier League while still playing at Burnden. Just saying like. In fact we were hours away from administration in year three at the Reebok, around the time it turned out that Burnden could have been completely rebuilt for £15m-£20m rather than spending £40m to move five miles out of town.

[SaulGoodman]

Frankie & Benny's?

[J-C]

I think we missed a trick by not doing a deal with the council and move to Meadowbank.

The stadium there was and is in disrepair, we could've sold ER and built a new stadium at Meadowbank, it already had 5's pitches, a gym etc, just the stadium was in a mess, only problem would've been the running track.

[hibIBZ]

If it made us a better team with more success on the pitch, then yes i would of been all for it. How many hibs fans actually live within walking distance these days?
im happy we are still at easter road, but would not be against moving if it meant a better team

[clerriehibs]

Hibs would be playing crap football in front of 4 or 5000 disgruntled fans who'd had no chance of a pint beforehand and no prospect of meeting up with mates in the pub afterwards.

Football isn't just a 90 minute game. It's a social occasion. Straiton would have stripped the day to just a game of football.

And 'your' seat would be shared with a yam week about.

[judas]

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Scenario 1 : a successful club in a modern stadium, attracting new supporters, a higher revenue stream and success. (Stoke, Boltonish)

Scenario 2 : out of town, sight and mind, in a horrible cheapo dump, cut off from our fan base and going down the swanney. (Coventry, Leicester.)

Or somewhere between the two.


Glad we swerved it myself.

Leicester. Really?

[NAE NOOKIE]

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It is certainly a long way from Leith, so might have taken a toll in that regard, but then perhaps we would have become the Borders 'Big Team'

Hi ...... We are the Borders big team. I fill a whole car just about every home game, bloody cheek

[Miguel]

Easter Road is home, end of. Opposed Straiton at the time and would still do so now. Let's THEM move out to some souless stadium with no tradition. Will suit them just fine!

[jacomo]

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I think we missed a trick by not doing a deal with the council and move to Meadowbank.

The stadium there was and is in disrepair, we could've sold ER and built a new stadium at Meadowbank, it already had 5's pitches, a gym etc, just the stadium was in a mess, only problem would've been the running track.

Don't remember such a deal ever being on the cards?

Football stadiums with running tracks are rubbish.