Retro Hibernian Shirt – The Famous Five and Easter Road Glory

The story of Hibernian begins not just as a football club but as a community lifeline. Canon Edward Hannan and members of Edinburgh's Irish Catholic community established the club in 1875, giving the Irish diaspora in Scotland a focal point for identity and belonging. The name Hibernian was chosen deliberately, honouring their Irish roots, and the green strip echoed the colours of the old country. Early success came quickly, with the club winning the Scottish Cup in 1887 – a triumph that established Hibernain as a genuine force in Scottish football.

The club's true golden age arrived in the late 1940s and early 1950s with the legendary Famous Five forward line: Gordon Smith, Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly, Eddie Turnbull, and Willie Ormond. This quintet terrorised defenders across Scotland and Europe with breathtaking skill and telepathic understanding. They powered Hibs to three Scottish League championship titles in four seasons – 1948, 1951, and 1952 – producing football that neutrals travelled miles to watch. Lawrie Reilly, nicknamed 'Last Minute Reilly' for his habit of scoring crucial late goals, became a national icon, while Gordon Smith was arguably the finest right-winger of his generation anywhere on the continent.

In 1955, Hibs made history as the first British club invited to compete in the newly formed European Cup. They reached the semi-finals, defeating Rot-Weiss Essen and Djurgårdens before losing narrowly to Reims, the eventual finalists. It was a pioneering achievement that helped shape the entire tradition of British clubs in European competition, predating Manchester United's famous entry into the same competition.

The 1970s brought further glory under manager Eddie Turnbull – himself a Famous Five member – who built a team known as Turnbull's Tornadoes. This vibrant side won the Drybrough Cup and challenged persistently for league honours, playing expansive, attacking football that captured the imagination.

For decades, the Scottish Cup remained a source of agonising frustration. Hibs had not won it since 1902, a drought that stretched across 114 years and became one of football's most discussed curses. That all changed on 21 May 2016 when David Gray's stoppage-time header against Hearts at Hampden Park sent thousands of green and white clad supporters into delirium. The 3-2 victory ended the longest trophy wait in Scottish football history and provoked scenes of euphoria that will be spoken of for generations.

The Edinburgh Derby against Heart of Midlothian remains one of Scottish football's fiercest and most passionately contested fixtures, with both clubs separated by geography but united in mutual contempt. Matches at Easter Road and Tynecastle carry an intensity matched by few derbies anywhere in Britain.

Hibernian's history is illuminated by players of genuine world class, beginning with the Famous Five whose legacy looms over everything else at Easter Road. Gordon Smith was so technically gifted that he represented three different Scottish clubs in European competition during his career. Bobby Johnstone became the first player to score in consecutive FA Cup finals at Wembley after leaving Easter Road for Manchester City. Eddie Turnbull later returned to manage the club with distinction, completing a remarkable circle of service.

Pat Stanton was the heartbeat of Hibs throughout the 1960s and 1970s – an elegant, intelligent midfielder who embodied everything the club stood for and captained the side with distinction before a late-career move to Celtic under Jock Stein. Joe Baker, who burst onto the scene as a teenager, scored with extraordinary regularity and became the first player from an English or Scottish club to be capped by England, drawing on his birthright having been born in Liverpool.

The 1990s brought John Collins, a technically superb midfielder who went on to Monaco and Celtic, helping raise the club's profile significantly. Russell Latapy, the Trinidadian playmaker, became a cult hero with his dribbling wizardry and infectious personality. Gareth Evans, Murdo MacLeod, and Keith Wright each contributed to memorable cup runs.

Managers have shaped the club as much as players. Jock Stein had a brief but impactful spell before departing for Celtic, while Bob Shankly – brother of the great Bill – brought stability and ambition. Eddie Turnbull's managerial era produced some of the most entertaining football Easter Road has ever witnessed. More recently, Pat Fenlon, Terry Butcher, and Neil Lennon all left their marks on the club's modern identity, with Alan Stubbs overseeing that historic 2016 Scottish Cup triumph.

The Hibernian retro shirt tradition is anchored in one of football's most recognisable colour combinations – a vibrant emerald green and white that references both Irish heritage and the lush intensity of Easter Road itself. Through the decades, the kit has evolved while retaining that essential identity.

In the 1970s and early 1980s, Hibs wore simple, elegant designs – plain green shirts with white collars and cuffs, sometimes with a thin white stripe down the sleeve. These stripped-back aesthetics have aged beautifully and are among the most collectible items for vintage kit hunters today.

The late 1980s and 1990s brought the era of bold graphics and adventurous design. Umbro and later Le Coq Sportif produced shirts featuring diagonal stripes, abstract patterns, and striking badge placements that reflected the exuberant kit design culture of the time. The green occasionally deepened towards a darker emerald, giving some kits a dramatically different visual weight.

Sponsorship arrived on Hibs shirts through the 1980s, with various Edinburgh-based businesses lending their names to the chest. Collectors particularly seek out clean examples of pre-sponsor or early-sponsor editions where the design speaks for itself.

The 2000s introduced more streamlined, athletic fits and the gradual move towards modern synthetic fabrics, but Hibs' designers consistently respected the club's colour heritage. Certain away shirts – notably pale yellow and white versions – have developed passionate followings among collectors for their novelty and rarity.