Hibs fans have stepped up their bid to take control of the club after holding talks with majority share-holder Tom Farmer.
The Kiwk Fit multi-millionaire rescued the club from Wallace Mercer in 1990 but has never taken a hands on role due to a basic lack of interest in football.
Last season’s relegation from the Premiership brought supporters unhappiness to a head with current chairman Rod Petrie the main target for their anger.
As well as being an author of the plan to gift Sevco a place in the second tier of Scottish football Petrie has been responsible for a series of disastrous managerial appointments that culminated in relegation under Terry Butcher.
The former England skipper has been replaced by Alan Stubbs but it’s events off the field that concerns the fans with former midfielder Paul Kane leading the campaign for change.
“It is a step forward and we are over the first hurdle,” Kane said after meeting with Farmer. We met with Sir Tom Farmer a couple of weeks ago and put in a proposal. That has been rejected at this stage, but the door has not been closed.
“We are now drawing up a proposal for a Newco Hibernian Fans Co-Operative to own the club and the stadium. The key point is the fans will own a 51 per cent majority shareholding through a membership scheme and we will attract finance for the other 49 per cent.
“We have already talked to potential investors in the business community who are Hibs supporters as well as other potential investors.
“We know we are going in the right direction and can reach an agreement with the club owner with both parties acting in good faith. The current owner acknowledges the club is entering a new era and we are confident we can establish common ground.”
Kane added: “Sir Tom Farmer has always said he saved Hibs for the community. Now is the time to establish his legacy for Hibs with the fans at the very heart of the club.
“It is also crucial both sides act in an open and transparent manner. We are busy making sure we get the right model and no doubt there will be adjustments regards the membership scheme, details of the co-operative and trust etc.
“We are working with the Hibs Supporters Association and all the people involved, putting in a lot of effort in the background, are Hibs people with one common goal – Forever Hibernian.
“We will present more details to the fans as soon as we can in the near future about the membership scheme. Overall we are in for the long haul. Meanwhile football clubs know they are in a new era of openness and transparency where they have to involve and respect the fans – especially with social media where their views cannot be ignored.”
It’s unlikely that Forever Hibernian will be arranging any red card protests or marches around empty stadiums.
