Source: FOOTYMAD
Happy Birthday Hibs!!!
136 years old today Today, Saturday August 6th 2011, is the 136th birthday of our famous football club, Hibernian FC. The club was formed on August 6th 1875, in a meeting at St Patrick’s Church, the Cowgate, Edinburgh. The Cowgate was known as “little Ireland” back then, due to the number of Irish Immigrants, that come to the area following the Irish potato famine of the 19th Century. Hibs were formed by the leaders of the Catholic Young Men’s Society of Edinburgh, Canon Edward Hannan and Michael Whelahan, as a way to try to integrate the Irish Community into the local Edinburgh one. Hannan became Hibs first ever manager, and Whelahan became the first ever captain of the club. Interestingly, Pat Stanton, widely regarded as Hibs best ever player, is the great, great nephew of Michael Whelahan, Stanton made his debut for the club in 1963, some 84 years after Whelahan helped found the club. Stanton went on to play 400 games for the Hibees, scoring over 50 goals. He captained the club to three cup triumphs and played for Scotland 16 times. Stanton also managed the club from 1982-84. Hibs, at first, found it difficult to arrange games when they were first formed, due to some initial sectarian resistance towards the club, due to their “Irish connections". Ironically, the Hibees fierce rivals, Heart of Midlothian, were the only club who agreed to play against the newly formed club, which got them in trouble with the then governing body. Despite this, Hibs founders, Hannan and Whelahan, managed to fight off the resistance to the club, and Hibs were eventually accepted in to the fold. Hibs and Hearts played for the first time ever on Christmas Day 1875, with the Jambos winning 1-0. Happy Birthday Hibs!!!
