Hibs fans’ group votes to back club share scheme

Hibernian: HSA backed share scheme. Picture: SNS

Mike Riley, chairman of the umbrella organisation, which brings together around 3,000 members from supporters branches in Scotland and as far away as Australia, had previously been critical of the Easter Road outfit’s plans to offer 50 per cent of the club to fans.

The scheme will raise £2.5 million if fully subscribed and leave the supporters with a 51 per cent controlling interest in the club. A short statement released by HSA said: “The chairman and general secretary of The Hibernian Supporters Association (HSA) are happy to announce that, following a meeting with affiliated branches, HSA are supporting the share issue launched by Hibernian Football Club.”

Hibernian Supporters Limited (HSL), the body set up to buy up shares on behalf of supporters, with the ultimate aim of community ownership, purchased its first bock of shares last week, just days after fundraising went ‘live’. HSL director Gordon Smith was presented with a certificate for 625,000 shares – £25,000 worth – before Saturday’s Scottish Cup victory over Arbroath.

Meanwhile, teenage striker Lewis Allan has been handed a new contract which ties him to Hibs until 2018. The 18-year-old marked his new deal with a  hat-trick in yesterday’s 3-2 win for the club’s under-20s against Inverness at Ainslie Park.