Final whistle set to blow on traditional pre-match pubs

FOR years they were the staple diet of match day, supplying pints for fans right up until 2:55pm on a Saturday.

But, on Easter Road, fans are concerned the football pub may be a dying breed.

This emerged after the Royal Nip – one of the most popular Hibs pubs on Easter Road, complete with memorabilia on the walls – said it was to close for refurbishment later this month.

Supporters have reacted with fury to it "becoming a wine bar" and slated the "gentrification" of the famous street.

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They cited the closure of the Cabbage and Ribs on Albert Street – another famous pre-game venue and named after the side's cockney rhyming slang name – as well as the desire of another Easter Road pub, Utopia, to close on Saturday afternoons and dissociate itself from football.

Leith councillor Gordon Munro, a passionate Hibs fan, said that while times were changing, it was important not to lose the culture of visiting the pub before the game.

The Labour councillor said: "I can't see fans flocking to have their pre-match lattes or Chardonnay.

"It's a really big part of the match experience – you hear all the banter and whole families get involved.

"You just need to look at Easter Road down the years on the days of big matches to see how great it is.

"I'm not against pubs changing, but it's important to understand and respect this culture, too."

While there are still traditional watering holes which remain on Easter Road, such as the Four in Hand, fans are concerned about the loss of atmosphere, which has been compounded by the increasing frequency of lunchtime and Sunday kick-off times.

One fan on the Hibees Bounce internet forum said: "Been in the Nip a good few times, it always feels like we have won when you are in there, even when we get beat."

The manager of the Royal Nip, Andrew Currie, was unavailable for comment when the Evening News tried to reach him.

It is not known if the current name will change.

But another staff member said: "Everyone's saying it'll turn into a wine bar, but he just wants to make it better than it is just now."

Lifelong Hibs fan Norval Barclay, 40, a musician from Craigleith, said football pubs were important in the fabric of Easter Road, but he understood the wider needs.

"In this climate there are a lot of pubs struggling to get by," he said. "A pub can't rely purely on folk coming in before or after the game every second Saturday.

"They need to appeal to a larger audience, otherwise they wouldn't do much trade through the week.

"There are still old pubs around Easter Road that haven't changed that much over the years, and the same goes for Gorgie."