John Hughes rallies Easter Road faithful

JOHN HUGHES has urged Hibs fans who pay infrequent visits to Easter Road not to make next season's European nights a "one-off."

The Hibs boss, pictured, expects the Leith ground to be "packed to the rafters" for matches in the Europa League, the club's reward for clinching fourth place in the SPL table, with some of the continent's biggest names possible visitors.

Hughes' players will enter the competition at the third qualifying stage along with the likes of Juventus, Liverpool, Sporting Lisbon, VFB Stuttgart and Galatasaray and will learn their fate when the draw is made on 16 July.

Whoever Hibs might be paired with, Hughes knows the fans will turn out in huge numbers, hoping to see their side march on to a place in the play-offs and possibly even the group stages of the competition.

Given the potential opposition and the fact Hibs are likely to be unseeded, that will prove a difficult task but Hughes wants the supporters' backing not only for those glamour nights but throughout the season. And, in particular, he appealed to those fans who have fallen out of the habit of going to Easter Road on a regular basis to give it another go, pointing out that when the new East Stand is completed in a few months' time the capacity of the ground will increase to 20,250.

He said: "What I'm saying to those fans who have not been for a while is 'why not give it a go?'"

And Hughes believes supporters can turn match days at Easter Road into the social event of the week.

He said: "The old social bonding which went on in communities is gone. We've lost the shipyards, the whisky bonds, the mines and the like when, come five o'clock on a Friday, the pubs were heaving.

"I was speaking to someone who told me he came along to Easter Road and met up with a couple of old classmates on a Saturday and that's what we need – fans coming back and bringing their kids.

"I can guarantee everyone will jump on the European nights, which is great, but we need the supporters here at Easter Road helping the club progress."

• FORMER Hibs striker Abdessalam Benjelloun has signed a two-year deal with German Second Division side Greuther Furth. The Moroccan star was one of four players released by Hughes at the end of last week.