Hibernian
Formed 1875.
Founder member of Scottish Division Two 1893
Kit History
1875-1876 b
1876-1879 a b q
1879-1889 a b o p
1889-1891 c o q
1893-1895 b o p q
1895-1896 q u
1901-1902 b o p u
1902-1907 b o p q u
1909-1915 b o p q
1915-1929 b o q
1927-1929 away q
1929-1931 b d q
1932-1933 b d o q
1933-1935 e o g
1935-1937 e o g
1937-1938 q
1938-1947 b e h v
1947-1957 e f q u
1955-Dec 60 e q v
Jan 61-Jan 64 q v
Jan 62-64 v
Nov1965-1966 q
1966-Nov1969 e q
Dec 69-Jan 71 e q v
Feb-May 71 n v
Aug 71-Jan 72 v
Jan-May 72 v
9 Sept 1972 x y
Jan 72-1974 n q
1974-1976 e n q
1976-1977 v
1977-1980 b f g s
1977-1980 alt q v
1980-1981 g n
1981-1982 g s v
1982-1983 v
1983-1984 g n s v
1984-1985 n r v
1 Jan 1985 v
1985-1986 h
1986-1987 1 h v
1986-1987 2 v
1987-1988 h t v
1988-1989 h t v
1989-1991 e t v
1991-1992 h r t
1992-1994 h v
1994-1996 i h t v
1996-1998 e s
1998-2000 l m
2000-2001 j s
2001-2002 s
2002-2003 j s
2003-2004 j k r s
2004-2005 j k r
2005-2006 j k r t v
2006-2007 c
2007-2008 c v
Oct 2007 only c v
2008-2009 c v
2009-2010 c v
2010-2011 c v
2011-2012 c
2012-2013 c
2013-2014 c
2014-2015 c
2015-2016 c
2016-2017 c
2017-2018 c
2018-2019 c
2019-2020 c
2020-2021 c
2021-2022 c
2022-2203 c
Background
In the mid 1870s, Edinburgh
hosted an Irish community of 25,000 living in conditions of appalling
poverty in the Cowgate district or “Little Ireland”. As
association football grew in popularity, the committee of the Catholic
Young Men’s Society (CYMS) decided to form their own club to be
called “Hibernian” (from the Latin Hibernia = Ireland);
their emblem would be the harp and their motto Erin Go Brach (Ireland
Forever). According to John Mackay's history, "members were required
to furnish at their own expense caps, white guernsey with harp
on left breast, also white trousers with green stripes". Father
(later Canon) Edward Hannan, the priest of St Patrick’s Church in Cowgate, was elected manager and President for Life.
The Edinburgh FA banned its members from playing against, or even having contact with these upstart Irishmen but on Christmas Day 1875 the Heart of Midlothian club broke the embargo. Hibernian were grudgingly admitted to the Edinburgh FA and then the Scottish FA in 1876. New hooped jerseys that bore a remarkable resemblance to those worn by Hearts at the time were adopted and we can assume they came from the same outfitter. The cordial relationship between the two clubs did not last long, however.
In 1877 Hibs were allowed to enter the Scottish
FA Cup, defeating Hearts in a replay after which fighting broke out
between rival fans. The clubs met again in
the Edinburgh Cup final, which was finally settled in favour of Hearts
after four replays, marked by more disorder and sharp rebukes from the
pulpit by Father Hannan. Relations between the two clubs remained bitter
for years to come.
After the deduction of running costs, profits from Hibs' games went to charitable projects. Their competitive potential was limited by the Edinburgh FA’s rule that clubs only recruit players from their local neighbourhood, a rule that meant Hibs were unable to defend the Edinburgh Shield in 1882 because they could not field eleven fit players. The following season Hibs included three Irish-Scots players from Ayrshire, bringing them into conflict with authority once more, Hearts going so far as to urge that they be banned from all competition. When a meeting to decide the issue was called, the Hibs and CYMS chairman, Michael Whelahan noticed the Hearts' delegation and their supporters slip out for a dram. He moved for an immediate vote and the eligibility rule was dropped.
By 1885 Hibernian could claim to be one of Scotland’s elite clubs after beating Rangers, Renton and most notably Queen’s Park. In 1887 they won the Scottish FA Cup, which was proudly displayed in St Patrick’s Church in the heart of Little Ireland.
Irish communities throughout Scotland were by now forming their own "Hibernian" teams. In Glasgow, home to 250,000 Irish people, a priest, Father Walfrid founded what would become Glasgow Celtic. While he shared Hibernian’s principles - to raise money to relieve poverty – his partners were more interested in commercial potential, a fact that would have catastrophic consequences for the Edinburgh club.
During 1888 Celtic first borrowed and then signed Hibs’ best players, having offered them (illegal) financial inducements. The Hibernian club went into rapid decline and were ignored when the Scottish League was formed in 1890. When the lease on their ground expired in January 1891, they were without a home, fixtures or players. In May 1891 Father (now Canon) Hannon died at the age of 55, leaving the club bereft of its guiding founder. Within months Hibernian FC ceased to field a team but they continued to pay their subscription fees to the SFA.
Over the next 18 months officials and supporters set about reform, rewriting the constitution to allow players of all faiths to join the club which would now be run as a business rather than a charity. In 1892 a lease was taken out on Drum Park (now Easter Road) in Leith, the port district of Edinburgh. Strenuous efforts made to raise funds to build a new stadium and on 4 February 1893, the new Hibernian played their first fixture against Clyde FC.
Hibernian joined the campaign to expand the Scottish League and were rewarded with a place in the new Second Division when this was formed in 1893. After winning the championship at the first time of asking the club campaigned optimistically for election to the First Division (this was before automatic promotion and relegation) only to be rejected in favour of Clyde (who had finished in third place). Both Hearts and Celtic voted against Hibs. When they won the Second Division for the second time the following season, however, they could no longer be denied and took their place in the elite for the 1895-96 season. They finished third and reached the Scottish Cup final, only three years after coming back from the brink.
In 1902 Hibs won the Scottish Cup for the second time and a year later they were Scottish League champions.
After the Second World War the “Hi-Bees” enjoyed their greatest period of success. Having adopted white sleeves to emulate the great Arsenal side in 1938, they were Scottish Champions in 1948, 1951 and 1952. In 1955 Hibernian were the first British club to take part in European competition, playing in the inaugural European Champions Cup. Around this time, the harp was dropped from the official club crest (which never appeared on the team shirts) due to concerns that it might encourage sectarianism.
Success in the League Cup came in 1972 followed
by the Dryborough Cup in 1973 and 1974. In 1977 Hibs became the first
British club to wear sponsored shirts, featuring the Bukta
logo. The television companies refused to broadcast sponsored shirts at the time so Hibs were obliged to introduce an alternative kit to be worn when the cameras were 
present. The first of these was in purple and white although a green and white version was introduced before the end of the season.
The club's crown crest appeared on the team shirts for the first time in 1979-80 and was modified a couple of years later.
The 1980s were a lean spell, with the club failing to qualify
for Europe between 1979 and 1989. In 1990 Hearts chairman, Wallace Mercer,
attempted to buy out Hibernian with the intention of closing the club
down but he was 
foiled when Sir Tom Farmer bought them instead.
A stylish new crest was introduced in 1989.
A resurgent team won the Skol League Cup in 1991, reached the final again in 1993 and finished third in 1994 but in 1998 they were bottom of the Premier Division and suffered relegation for only the third time in their history. As often happens when one of Scotland’s big clubs is relegated, they romped back to the top the following season rejuvenated, finishing in third place in 2001 and reaching the Scottish Cup final once more.
With their reputation for inconsistency, Hibs
have come close to success on many occasions but in modern times they have rarely they been
able to deliver the trophies their devoted fans crave. Geography rather
than sectarian history now determines loyalties, with the Hi-Bees drawing
their support from East Edinburgh and Leith. The new crest introduced at the turn of the millenium celebrates rather than avoids the club's heritage and includes the symbols of Ireland, Leith and Edinburgh in the design.
The team finished next to last in 2013-14 and under the new SPFL arrangements, had to play off over two legs against the team finishing second in the Championship, Hamilton Academical. After winning the away leg 2-0 Hibs support were full of confidence but Hamilton reversed the scoreline at Easter Road and went on to win the penalty competition 4-3 to send Hibernian down to the second tier.
The following season the team wore a strip modelled on that worn in the 1920s to honour their forward line of Gordon Smith, Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly, Eddie Turnbull and Willie Ormond, the "Famous Five" all of whom were born in that decade. The legend "The memory marches on" was printed on the shirt as a tribute following the death of the last surviving member, Lawrie Reilly, in 2013.
In 2015-16 Hibs won their third Scottish Cup, more than a century after their previous victory, beating Rangers 3-2 with a goal in injury time. Both teams were in the second tier at the time. Following this fans voted overwhelmingly for a return to emerald green for 2016-17. This proved a good luck charm as the team romped to the Championship title and returned to the top tier that season.
Hibs' 2021-22 shirt featured a street map of Edinburgh printed into the fabric with the club crest placed firmly in the centre of Leith.
This article draws heavily on the excellent Hibernian Historical Trust website.
Sources
- (a) Brian McColl
- (b) The Hibees (John Mackay 1986) provided by Fraser Pettigrew
- (c) Hibernian Official Site
- (d) Historic Saints of Edinburgh (George Campbell 1983) provided by Stuart Swan.
- (e) London Hearts
- (f) Riccardo Bertani
- (g) From Argentina to (Benny) Brazil history and cuttings from 1978 to 1989
- (h) Hibslog - Fraser Pettigrew's fine site lots of information on the 1980s and 1990s
- (i) Pete's Picture Palace
- (j) Colours of Football
- (k) The Scotsman
- (l) Groundhopping
- (m) The Bairn in Holland
- (n) Brian McEwan
- (o) Alan Lugton - author of "The Making of Hibernian," the defnitive three volume history of the club between 1875 and 1946.
- (p) James Barclay
- (q) Alick Milne
- (r) Old Football Shirts
- (s) SNS Pix
- (t) David Reynolds
- (u) Keith Ellis
- (v) Ian McConnel
- (w) William Kay
- (x) Mark Badger
- (y) YouTube submitted by David Baxter
Photograph courtesy of Hibernian Historical Trust. Crests are the property of Hibernian FC.