Hibs Mid/Late 70s Decline

[Tomsk]

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Harper scored 50 times in 99 games for Hibs. Whilst maybe not as good as what had gone before, it doesn't really scream failure.

What I would add, and this is slightly before my time, is that my feeling was that selling Stanton disconnected (for want of a better word) the club and support. The transfer was probably one of the better ones replacing a player coming to the end of his career with one who would go onto be the heart of the team for the following decade but I think it went down very badly with the fans.

In fact, I know many Hibs fans who claim that they've never been back to ER since Stantons testimonial. I've even tried to get a few back, but with no success.

What I can provide to back this up is the average attendances prior to Stanton leaving:

70/71 Pre Turnbull 10,541
71/72 14,057
72/73 16,100
73/74 14,339
74/75 13,721
75/76 13,797 (first year of 10 team SPL)

Stanton sold at start of 76/77 season

76/77 10,003 (This represents a drop of 28% on the season before)
77/78 9,950
78/79 9,794

It would 1987/88 before we would break 10k again.

That's a fascinating set of stats. I had no idea there was such a drop coinciding with Stanton's departure.

There's was nothing calculated about the swap for McNamara. Stanton left because of a fall-out with Turnbull. For whatever reason, McNamara was persona non grata at Celtic. He was make-weight in the deal. It worked out ok in as much as McNamara proved to be a wonderful servant to the club, but nobody will ever convince Hibs supporters - and I'm one of them - that letting Stanton go to Celtc was anything but bad policy.

Without great difficulty Hibs could easily have got McNamara and kept Stanton.

[Since452]

It's strange that league restructuring seemed to favour smaller clubs like Dundee United and Hearts. Hibs seemed to take a body blow as well as coming off the end of a very good period.

[brog]

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Harper scored 50 times in 99 games for Hibs. Whilst maybe not as good as what had gone before, it doesn't really scream failure.

What I would add, and this is slightly before my time, is that my feeling was that selling Stanton disconnected (for want of a better word) the club and support. The transfer was probably one of the better ones replacing a player coming to the end of his career with one who would go onto be the heart of the team for the following decade but I think it went down very badly with the fans.

In fact, I know many Hibs fans who claim that they've never been back to ER since Stantons testimonial. I've even tried to get a few back, but with no success.

What I can provide to back this up is the average attendances prior to Stanton leaving:

70/71 Pre Turnbull 10,541
71/72 14,057
72/73 16,100
73/74 14,339
74/75 13,721
75/76 13,797 (first year of 10 team SPL)

Stanton sold at start of 76/77 season

76/77 10,003 (This represents a drop of 28% on the season before)
77/78 9,950
78/79 9,794

It would 1987/88 before we would break 10k again.

Interesting stats but I'm afraid that there's a more prosaic answer & that is that capacity was reduced to 30k in about 1975. IIRC segregation was enforced more vigorously about the same time meaning that we no longer saw 20k fans of the uglies at ER. For many years before 1976 our average attendance stats were distorted by 3 big gates, often over 40k, a season. After that time our highest attendance was usually about 23k. If you lose say 45k over these 3 games then that accounts for a 2.5k average drop over 18 home games.

[Purple & Green]

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Interesting stats but I'm afraid that there's a more prosaic answer & that is that capacity was reduced to 30k in about 1975. IIRC segregation was enforced more vigorously about the same time meaning that we no longer saw 20k fans of the uglies at ER. For many years before 1976 our average attendance stats were distorted by 3 big gates, often over 40k, a season. After that time our highest attendance was usually about 23k. If you lose say 45k over these 3 games then that accounts for a 2.5k average drop over 18 home games.

Of course a significant factor, but if you drill into those figures:

Average crowds home league only v Hearts/Rangers/Celtic:

70/71 26,139 (3 games)
71/72 33,954 (3 games)
72/73 33,340 (3 games)
73/74 35,699 (3 games)
74/75 31,500 (3 games)

75/76 23,691 (6 games)

76/77 17,222 (6 games)
77/78 17,756 (4 games)
78/79 16,107 (6 games)

A drop off with stadium alterations, but, also we gained 3 crowds v Rangers/Celtic and Hearts when they were in the same premier division and these crowds replaced typically 4 digit crowds against the likes of Clyde or East Fife.

[Edit: I tried to dive into my kindle to check what Hibs books had on the capacity, but apparently I can't because I have 39 devices registered with kindle. This technology is beyond me!]

[Tomsk]

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Of course a significant factor, but if you drill into those figures:

Average crowds home league only v Hearts/Rangers/Celtic:

70/71 26,139 (3 games)
71/72 33,954 (3 games)
72/73 33,340 (3 games)
73/74 35,699 (3 games)
74/75 31,500 (3 games)

75/76 23,691 (6 games)

76/77 17,222 (6 games)
77/78 17,756 (4 games)
78/79 16,107 (6 games)

A drop off with stadium alterations, but, also we gained 3 crowds v Rangers/Celtic and Hearts when they were in the same premier division and these crowds replaced typically 4 digit crowds against the likes of Clyde or East Fife.

Hibs dropped from 3rd to 6th between 76 and 77, which must have had some detrimental effect on attendances . Also Hearts got relegated - what were the crowds in the derby one season to the next?

[EI255]

Got old highlights of Hibs games converted to DVD. Interesting song sung by Hibs fans up at Tannadice (looked like a summer game) Hibs players ran out tunnel to the tune of Roamin in the Gloamin'! Quite clear too. Remember those days very well. Life was very different then with the troubles over the Irish Sea.

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[Keith_M]

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Got old highlights of Hibs games converted to DVD. Interesting song sung by Hibs fans up at Tannadice (looked like a summer game) Hibs players ran out tunnel to the tune of Roamin in the Gloamin'! Quite clear too. Remember those days very well. Life was very different then with the troubles over the Irish Sea.

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I know the words to that song but refuse to share, in case you start singing this at Hibs games.

[ben johnson]

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I know the words to that song but refuse to share, in case you start singing this at Hibs games.

Are you referring to the actual words to the song or the song that includes a
scud book and a vest ?