Hecky didn’t get to sign a single player

[RIP]

For the most part, neither did Lennon or Stubbs. Apart from their former players that is.

In 2014 after a revolving door of managers and faceless journeymen, the Hibs board accepted a proposal for a fundamental restructuring of the club. It was based upon a model designed by the Lets Work Together Vision group and known as The Hibernian Way’.

The Chairman’s executive responsibilities would end and a CEO appointed. LD had been targeted eight months earlier. A Director of Football would run the football operation and the CEO the business. The DOF would recruit a Head Coach and also scout and sign players that fitted the club profile and who would play the Hibs brand of attacking football.

Under that model there was still to be scope for Head Coach suggestions.For example Lennon wanted Vela. But ultimately the style of play and all the recruitment has been the responsibility of Graeme Mathie. The Head Coach is hired and fired by Mathie, not Dempster.

His summer recruits were sourced for a long term future at the club and in recent months we are starting to see what he and his team saw when they were scouted. So apart from Lennon’s Vela, they may yet all make the grade.

Credit where credit’s due to Mathie and his team. However jthe decision that Vela was a better DM than Bartley was a stinker of a call. That will be the last time he trusts the judgement of a Head Coach when it comes to a signing.