David Hardie, long-serving Evening News Hibs correspondent, hangs up his pen after 44 years

Long-serving journalist calls time on three decades covering Easter Road club

David Hardie spent more than 30 years covering Hibs for the Evening News

Our Hibs correspondent David Hardie has hung up his Edinburgh Evening News pen after 44 years with the title.

David - the longest-serving member of staff at the News - wrote his last pieces on the Easter Road club for Saturday's print and online editions.

He started working for the News in 1976, carrying out roles that included reporting on Edinburgh's courts, before he transferred over to the sports desk in the 1980s.

His first match on the Hibs beat was in August 1989 when he covered the team’s 1-0 defeat away at Aberdeen and, ironically, his final match was last weekend's 3-1 defeat by the Dons at Pittodrie.

In his time reporting on Hibs, he has witnessed two League Cup wins, two relegations from the top flight, two promotions from the second tier, the Hands off Hibs campaign, club takeovers and, most notably, Hibs' Scottish Cup triumph in 2016.

‘A bastion of the paper’s football coverage’

"David has been a bastion of the Evening News' football coverage for decades and there will not be a Hibs supporter who has not read a story of his," said Mark Atkinson, current sports editor of the Evening News.

"He is hugely respected within the industry and I know numerous managers and players that he has worked with hold him in the highest regard.

"It will be strange not having him covering the club in the future, but everyone at the Evening News wishes him all the very best for life away from the paper. He is held in the highest regard by his peers."

‘The consummate professional’

David, 64, has worked with an incredible 17 managers - not including caretakers - during his time reporting on Hibs, starting with Alex Miller and ending with Jack Ross.

"David has been the consummate professional and a pleasure to work with," said Graham Bean, the Scotsman's group head of sport. "He would always make time for younger members of staff and pass on good advice and will be sorely missed by all on the sports desk.

"Covering Hibs for 31 years represents a length of service which is unprecedented in modern journalism and his departure truly marks the end of an era for the Evening News."

‘An Evening News legend’

Scotsman Publications editor-in-chief Frank O'Donnell said: "David is a legend in terms of the Evening News. He has witnessed so much change in the industry, yet has continued to cover Hibs impressively for so many years.

"The press box at Easter Road will not be the same without him. It goes without saying that I wish him all the very best for the future."

‘A proper gentleman’ and ‘respected journalist’

Evening News Hibs columnist Michael Weir, who did one of his first interviews with David as a player, also paid tribute to him, saying: "David is a proper gentleman. He was always a journalist you could trust to quote you accurately and I don’t recall any players turning down an interview with him. His knowledge of football always impressed me.”

Hibs chief executive Leeann Dempster led the congratulations from all at Easter Road. She said: “On behalf of everyone at Hibernian Football Club, I’d like to wish David all the best for the future and congratulate him on his incredible service to the Edinburgh Evening News over the years.

“David has been a popular and respected journalist who has witnessed first-hand some incredible highs and lows during his 31 years covering Hibernian.

“He will always be welcome at Easter Road.”