Hibs chief hails fanbase for 33-year milestone - with Friday night football to be considered again

Hibs chief executive Ben Kensell has thanked the club’s supporters for backing its Friday night football initiative after more than 19,500 home fans bought tickets for the cinch Premiership game against St Johnstone.

The Edinburgh club welcome the Saints to Easter Road for a match that doubles up as the first one to use VAR in Scotland’s top flight. Even before it was announced that the technology would make its debut in this game, ticket sales had been high, with the price point of £10 being well-received by the paying public. It means Hibs will have the highest number of home fans inside their ground for 33 years – January 4, 1989 against Hearts when 27,219 home fans were present – while St Johnstone have sold out their away allocation of 1068 briefs and wanted more.

Kensell and Hibs were keen to pilot Friday night football for the SPFL and the Hibs CEO hailed the backing it has received, saying: “Everyone at the club is excited for what is set to be a historic night for Hibernian FC and Scottish football. To have over 19,500 Hibernian supporters inside the stadium is absolutely magnificent. I’d like to thank the supporters for embracing the special ticket offering and the return of Friday night football.

“Behind the scenes, we’ve been working incredibly hard to produce a memorable, special build-up to the game that really marks the occasion. With the introduction of VAR, a sold-out Easter Road and the pre-match build-up, I hope it’s a game that lives long in the memory of supporters.”

Hibs chief executive Ben Kensell plans a special night for fans.

The Scotsman understands that Hibs would be open to hosting another Friday night match given the popularity of the game against St Johnstone. The capital outfit are involved in a game away at Aberdeen on November 4 that has been moved to a Friday from a Saturday, although this is because the police did not want the original date of November 5 to clash with a pre-arranged fireworks event close to Pittodrie rather than an experiment by the Dons. It is likely that dates in the second half of the season will be explored by Hibs for suitability if they decide to host another one.

How to watch Hibs v St Johnstone