Hibs will overhaul their Easter Road stadium this summer, with extensive revamp plans unveiled by the club.
The developments, which have been fully funded by the Gordon family as they continue the vision for the club held by the late Ron Gordon, will see the introduction of a safe-standing section in the Famous Five Stand, the redevelopment of the interior of the Famous Five Stand including the resurrection of the 'Behind the Goals' bar popular with season ticket-holders in years gone by, the establishment of a new family section in the East Stand, and improved facilities for disabled supporters in the East Stand which will ensure the arena is fully UEFA-compliant in terms of accessibility.
Safe standing
Hibs carried out a consultation process with fans last year with a view to gauging support for a safe-standing section at Easter Road. With overwhelming backing for the move, the club announced the introduction of a safe-standing section from the start of the 2024/25 season and this summer the Famous Five Lower tier will be restructured with rail seating introduced.
As detailed in the graphic, the safe-standing section will stretch the entire width of the lower tier, with a larger area directly behind the goal in section 18RS. Season ticket-holders impacted by the new layout in the Famous Five Stand have been granted priority to either renew or move their seat for the 2024/25 campaign - either within the safe-standing section or elsewhere in the stadium.
'Behind the Goals' returns
The Hibs Observer reported back in October that the interior of the Famous Five Stand was due to be refurbished as part of wider plans to smarten up the stadium and that vision will be realised with the redevelopment of the Behind the Goals bar area.
As part of the revamp, seats in the Block 50 section in the Famous Five Upper have been upgraded to form part of a new membership package named after the bar.
The 'Behind the Goals' membership offering will charge supporters £800 a season, working out at around £50 per home game, and will include access to the bar before, after, and at half-time during games and a variety of street food among other perks. Match-by-match access is expected to be on offer in the future.
New family section
Hibs have also announced the creation of a new family section, with the existing zone in the Famous Five Stand affected by the safe-standing area. After another consultation with fans, blocks 37 and 38, at the north end of the East Stand, have been designated the new family section. The concourse area within the stand will be redeveloped to create a family-friendly feel.
New accessible seating
The club is also upgrading its access for disabled supporters. A new accessible wheelchair section will be created in the East Stand which will not only boost the number of wheelchair spaces in the stadium but will also ensure the club is fully UEFA-compliant in terms of accessibility.
Several seats in blocks 43, 44, and 45 of the East Stand, at the south end, will be removed to allow for the new section to be created.
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