Hibs pay tribute to club legend as all-time Easter Road great Pat Stanton's lasting legacy honoured

Hibs have honoured club legend Pat Stanton by officially rebranding the east stand in honour of a footballing titan whose name will always be synonymous with Easter Road. And the all-time favourite will be there for the renaming ceremony before next Wednesday night’s throwback contest against Rot-Weiss Essen.

Stanton, skipper of the great Eddie Turnbull-led team who won the League Cup in 1972, made over 600 appearances for Hibs – and won 16 caps for Scotland. The Edinburgh-born Stanton, now 80, later served as Hibs manager and has helped his club in a variety of capacities over the decades.

Hibs chairman Ian Gordon announced the stand renaming this evening as part of the club’s 150th anniversary celebrations, the majority shareholder saying: “It’s with great pride and pleasure that we are honouring Pat Stanton’s amazing contribution to Hibernian FC and Scottish football during our anniversary season. The Pat Stanton Stand will serve as a lasting tribute to his achievements and legacy, inspiring future players and supporters for many years to come.

Watch as emotional legend is told about honour

“On behalf of everyone associated with Hibs – the fans, the board, the staff, the players, the entire Hibernian family – I would like to thank Pat for everything he’s done for the club.”

Stanton captained the club he loved

Hibs are hosting Essen in a friendly replay of the club’s first ever European tie. The Edinburgh club became the first British side to take part in official European competition when they beat the Germans over two legs in the 1955-56 European Cup.

Stanton grew up as a Hibs fan watching his heroes from the terraces, his childhood dream coming true when he signed for his club in 1963. Quickly impressing as one of the most composed midfielders in the game after breaking into the first team aged 19, he would go on to win individual and club honours with the club.

Named Scottish Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year in season 1969-70, he was captain of the club when they won the League Cup in December of 1972, scoring the opener as Hibs beat Celtic 2-1 at Hampden. Over the course of a glittering career which saw him bring defensive nous and game-reading ability to the middle of the park, he was front and centre for a number of favourite moments among Hibs fans – from beating Hearts 7-0 at Tynecastle to famous European wins over Napoli and Sporting Lisbon.

He would go on to win the Scottish League with Celtic after being signed by the great Jock Stein in 1976. When he returned to Easter Road for his testimonial match, over 40,000 turned out to show their appreciation for one of the finest players in the history of Scottish football.

Still a regular visit to Hibernian Training Centre and Easter Road, he’ll now be able to see his name emblazoned across the top of the Pat Stanton Stand.

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