The Old Main Stand

[Argylehibby]

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That was where my old man used have his ST. When they started the Hibees chant with the stamping, it usually meant that the occupants had just woken-up from a nap. He also used to call it the Wing-Stand for some reason. Was a bit of an experience to have Hibs shooting down the slope 2nd half and old stand in full voice.

After Bradford City disaster in 1985, everyone woke-up and realised the old place was a deathtrap, an accident waiting to happen.

Think it's because the stand was split into 3 sections, the centre stand and the 2 wing stands.

[Keith_M]

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....
On separate note. Many years ago i remember that Rangers for some reason gave us part of their main stand. It had wooden seats similar to our centre stand.
Somebody set off a flare which hit the roof then ricochet off several pillars and caused terrible smoke. You couldn’t even see the pitch. It was a few years after the Bradford fire and was frightening. When the smoke cleared a couple of Strathclyde’s finest grabbed the nearest Hibs fan although it might have been the culprit. Anyone else remember that game?

That was Andy*, IIRC.

You can read all about it in his book.



* "Andy, Hibs, Rock & Roll"

[eaststandJJ]

Plans in Edinburgh City Archives at the bottom of the Council building in the High Street. If I remember , I think it they are dated 1912.

[Killiehibbie]

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Loved the old North Stand.
On separate note. Many years ago i remember that Rangers for some reason gave us part of their main stand. It had wooden seats similar to our centre stand.
Somebody set off a flare which hit the roof then ricochet off several pillars and caused terrible smoke. You couldn’t even see the pitch. It was a few years after the Bradford fire and was frightening. When the smoke cleared a couple of Strathclyde’s finest grabbed the nearest Hibs fan although it might have been the culprit. Anyone else remember that game?

It was intended for The Govan but he got the trajectory all wrong, probably just as well he did.

[Ringothedog]

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That day at Ibrox was mental even by Ibrox standards. My memory of the flare incident was that after it hit the roof it dropped onto a cable or wire which was loosely hanging and fizzled along it so we had no idea if it would make the cable/wire catch fire or if not where the flare would drop onto our fans. I also remember a singalong at half time to a song being played on the tannoy by the appropriately named Mental As Anything. The wee cherubs supporting the home team didn’t seem happy that we’d been allocated seats in their main stand especially since huns were below us in the enclosure. Funnily enough we’ve never been invited to occupy that section since. 🤡

It was a cracking day out and it’s great to wind those bigots up whenever we can

[Andy74]

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Toilets were prehistoric, you got soaked to the skin if you were in the first few rows and got unlucky with the weather and once, the West North Upper "moved" and folk had to be moved halfway through a game IIRC.

That said, it's where I first went to watch Hibs without parental supervision with my now sadly departed best mate and as such is my favourite football stand of any stadium ever.

When I was a lad I had a piss in the toilets next to John Blackley in the main stand. I was delighted.

It was a reserve game and I can't recall who it was against.

My Dad had arranged a trial at Hibs for a guy called John McCaffrey. He was a Lanarkshire boy but he had trained as a priest out in Spain and whilst he was out there he played for the local team - Real Valladolid. I don't know at what level at the time. He'd given that lifestyle up and wanted to play back home.

Anyway, John had a decent game, he hit the bar from the half way line and pretty much ran the midfield, however being 21 at the time John Blackley reckoned he was too old to give an opportunity to. Instead he wanted to give an opportunity to another young midfielder who was playing in the game - John Collins.

Must have been about 84 or 85.

I guess he was right. As for the other John he took it hard. Played for a little while for Hamilton I think before ditching the game but if you can't play for Hibs then why bother?

[Jack]

I only sat in it once. All my friends thought that was where all the posh rich folk sat!

We stood on the East and I was always fixated by the smoke swirling out either end of the stand, even more so at night games when it drifted into the light of the floodlights.

[Keith_M]

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Even when new it looked far from impressive or not?

Aye, that looks a bit squint right enough. I think they straightened it a bit later on

[ancient hibee]

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I only sat in it once. All my friends thought that was where all the posh rich folk sat!

We stood on the East and I was always fixated by the smoke swirling out either end of the stand, even more so at night games when it drifted into the light of the floodlights.

Yes.We posh rich folk had all done our stints on the main terrace.

[Orchard_Hibs]

Had my first season ticket in the old main stand, I always remember being terrified of having to use the toilet at the end of the big trough where everyone pee’d.

[Since452]

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Does anyone know anything interesting about it?

Who designed and built it? How did it compare to our rivals or any other similarly sized clubs within the UK?

I always thought it was an ugly eyesore. Always looked on the small side. Looked very weird in the TV too.

If we say Highbury was the gold standard with the east and west stands, how would the likes of ibrox, parkhead, yam park, dunfermline compare in the grand scale of things?

if you have anything at all interesting about it please chuck it in here.

Had a tour of Easter Road around 1996 and apparently it was haunted and there had been quite a few sightings. Might have been the ghost of Harry Swan but can't really remember. If you believe in all that stuff of course.

[Scouse Hibee]

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Had a tour of Easter Road around 1996 and apparently it was haunted and there had been quite a few sightings. Might have been the ghost of Harry Swan but can't really remember. If you believe in all that stuff of course.

It was the ghost of 1902, we ghost busted it in 2016

[gbhibby]

Remember the old North stand. Food kiosk was one man one urn and one oven. Food was usually sold out by half time. Remember seeing Mr Dougan on his feet constantly berating the referees. Was the best stand during the tornados time as most goals were scored down the slope.

Best night in Old North stand was sporting Lisbon game.

I would sometimes sit beside the blind fans who had about 6 allocated seats as they had a guy who would commentate for them. He was better than the guys on TV and radio at the time.

I only got to sit in the directors box once in the centre stand.

I thought they should have rebuilt the old red brick entrance at some part of the stadium.

[Keith_M]

My Dad rabbits on endlessly about the 'good old days' of supporting Hibs when, in his rose tinted memory, we played in front of 50,000 people every week.

I'm thinking of having this photo printed, put in a frame and hung on his living room wall.... just to shut him up!

[nonshinyfinish]

Superb photo.

I particularly like the guy at the bottom right who appears to have chosen watching the ducks over the game.

[brog]

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Yeah sorry that’s what I meant to post George Stewart, Watty and Frank Dougan were the guys.

The legend that was Watty Robb!

[Billy Whizz]

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My Dad rabbits on endlessly about the 'good old days' of supporting Hibs when, in his rose tinted memory, we played in front of 50,000 people every week.

I'm thinking of having this photo printed, put in a frame and hung on his living room wall.... just to shut him up!

What year is this

[Keith_M]

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What year is this

I'm not sure, Billy. I think it's mid 60s.

[BeansOnToast]

First post, however I've followed the forum for many years. Does anyone remember the breeze blocked structure with 2 big windows facing the pitch, between the old main stand and the Famous 5 and what it was used for?. Always wondered whether it was some sort of hospitality box or tv studio, however it never seemed to be in use at any point. Unable to find any pictures of it online, however it went up some time in the mid 90's and was then demolished along with the old main stand and never replaced.

[greenginger]

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First post, however I've followed the forum for many years. Does anyone remember the breeze blocked structure with 2 big windows facing the pitch, between the old main stand and the Famous 5 and what it was used for?. Always wondered whether it was some sort of hospitality box or tv studio, however it never seemed to be in use at any point. Unable to find any pictures of it online, however it went up some time in the mid 90's and was then demolished along with the old main stand and never replaced.

It housed the boiler that that was part of the under pitch heating system.

[BeansOnToast]

Ah! That makes sense. Cheers!.

[weecounty hibby]

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It housed the boiler that that was part of the under pitch heating system.

Was it not where the pies etc were cooked? before being taken to the stalls to cool down and congeal before sale!!

[ancient hibee]

The other thing about the main stand was that it was also pay at the gate.I was constantly turfing people out of my seat-both home and away supporters -particularly for big games as Hibs piled as many in as they could.It could be difficult with the OF although fortunately my pal who sat next to me had been a beat polis in Leith and was built to match.I remember him picking up an interloping Celtic fan and hurling him in the general direction of the Directors Box.One match a Rangers fan threw a can of beer from the back row when these cans were much heavier and could do a lot of damage.There were two police on duty-one a woman.So she was sent up to deal with the guy who claimed as he went with her that he would never hit a woman.She told him on the way down that it was just as well as she would have efn killed him.Happy days.

[Keith_M]

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Was it not where the pies etc were cooked? before being taken to the stalls to cool down and congeal before sale!!

I thought it was for that as well.

Incidentally, do you remember it had big adverts on the front for Alloa Pale Ale?

I'm presuming that would have stood out to a Wee County Hibby.... or do you just no 'look aboot ye'?

[Aubenas]

1927.jpg

The old stand in 1927 when it was three years old.
My uncle in natty polo neck training gear and an advert for the Green Dispatch on the stand!

[weecounty hibby]

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I thought it was for that as well.

Incidentally, do you remember it had big adverts on the front for Alloa Pale Ale?

I'm presuming that would have stood out to a Wee County Hibby.... or do you just no 'look aboot ye'?

Haha, yes always loved to see Alloa associated with Hibs. Pity we don't brew any beers in the are anymore on the scale we used to. Couple of breweries left that's all. But that's a whole other debate

[Peevemor]

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Haha, yes always loved to see Alloa associated with Hibs. Pity we don't brew any beers in the are anymore on the scale we used to. Couple of breweries left that's all. But that's a whole other debate

Did you work for Alloa breweries?

[weecounty hibby]

No, been in distilling all my working life. 35 years on 1st July!! My good mate Spike Mandela on here worked for them after moving through from Edinburgh after the brewery he worked in there shut down. But of a jinx that laddie!! Knew loads of folk who worked there. A few Hibbies in there

[Peevemor]

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No, been in distilling all my working life. 35 years on 1st July!! My good mate Spike Mandela on here worked for them after moving through from Edinburgh after the brewery he worked in there shut down. But of a jinx that laddie!! Knew loads of folk who worked there. A few Hibbies in there

OK. It's just I had a mate who worked there for a while and told stories of having to blind test different beers (from blue glasses) while he was RAF of a Monday morning. I'm pretty sure that the Alloa stuff was always the worst.

[weecounty hibby]

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OK. It's just I had a mate who worked there for a while and told stories of having to blind test different beers (from blue glasses) while he was RAF of a Monday morning. I'm pretty sure that the Alloa stuff was always the worst.

Aye, there are many stories about tasting sessions. The blue glasses are so you can't see the colour of the liquid. We use them for samples in the whisky industry as well. Only nosing though, no tastings. Distillers are not savages like the brewers🥃🥃🥃