Hibs chief outlines East Lothian training centre plans as split HTC vision accelerates

The Hibs chief confirmed that a land swap - first trailed at last month’s Easter Road AGM - has been completed.

And that is with a view of building a purpose-built facility for David Gray’s team to use, with Hibs’ SPWL-leading women’s side and the club’s academy staying within the current East Mains infrastructure. The land swap has seen the Easter Road hierarchy get rid of a unusable piece of land, and in turn gain a more suitable spot near HTC.

With the Black Knights’ 25-per cent stake in Hibs now rubber-stamped - the wheels have been put in motion for a number of projects and processes across the club.

Ron Gordon’s HTC vision will come to life with Black Knights’ backing

“We've completed a land swap,” Gordon explained. “We had a portion of land that we weren't able to develop on. So we've now swapped that land for land that's closer to the current site, which can be developed on. It is in a better position to develop on too.

“So the plan would be to put a first-team building in place, a indoor facility alongside couple of new pitches. My dad (Ron Gordon), at his first AGM, had laid out a desire to build an indoor facility. So the development at HTC is always something we wanted to do.

“Having now the women's team full-time down there now, it's getting quite tight and there's a lot of wear and tear on the building.”

Hibs are ‘thoroughly in the process’ of plans to build dedicated facility

Although unable to commit to a timeline, Gordon says Hibs are “thoroughly in the process” as a new-look HTC comes closer to being a reality. He confirmed a leading design firm had been identified as the Easter Road club look to reach the next phase of the training centre vision.

He said: “It was just a month ago or so that we completed the land process. I wouldn’t put a timeline on it. But we are starting to make steps in the right direction.

“Having done the deal with Black Knights - we felt that some of that (funding) needed to be ring fenced towards that area. We're thoroughly in the process now.”

Hibs’ East Mains complex was opened officially in the winter of 2007. The facility cost just £5 million at the time and was heralded as a state-of-the-art training centre akin to any one of any European giant.