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Edinburgh Reporter
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Edinburgh Reporter
The new-look Ron Gordon Football Festival scheduled for 21 June at HTC
Featuring members of the current Hibs men's and women's squads, and coaching staff – this year, fans have an opportunity to be managed by their heroes whilst raising funds for a wide range of community initiatives. Following on from the mould set by the inception of the Ron Gordon Football Challenge in 2023, this year will allow members of the Hibernian community to play at HTC for the day, with some special guests at the helm of each team. Hibs First Team Captain and HCF Board Member Joe Newell will be there on the day and is confirmed as one of the coaches for the event! The current captain is not alone in making his managerial debut at HTC, with Cadden brothers Nicky and Chris, Jordan Obita, Jordan Smith and Rudi Molotnikov all joining him on the sidelines. The star-studded manager list doesn't stop there, however, with more players, coaching staff and legends expected to be announced by HCF in due course. Proceeds from purchasing a spot in each team will go towards HCF's various initiatives surrounding the Hibernian Community, including: community meals, events for the elderly, mental health support networks, initiatives for New Scots, and community football. 'We are absolutely thrilled to have Joe and the others signing on this year for the Ron Gordon Football Festival,' said HCF Board Chair Steve Smith. 'The work done by the entire team at the Foundation affects the community in such a positive light, and whenever players – current and past – get involved it always allows us to elevate the event and draw more attention to the great work we do. I'm really excited for the day and can't wait to see how the players go with their coaching.' The Ron Gordon Football Festival is named in honour of Hibernian FC's late owner, Ron Gordon. Ron was passionate about the work done by HCF and about providing football opportunities for all, regardless of their background. The structure of the day will follow a slightly different format from previous years. The morning will act as a showcase of HCF's Community Clubs, offering them the chance to play at HTC. The afternoon will then follow the format of a 7-a-side round-robin tournament in which Hibs players past and present will attempt to coach their team to victory. Over the course of the day there will be food trucks and family fun on offer for families and players to enjoy. For more information on the day itself, visit the event page here. Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
How Hibs skipper Boyle's team-mates responded to star man's contract extension
Socceroos forward banged in 20 goals to earn himself another year at Easter Road Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hibs assist king Nicky Cadden has spoken about the electric dressing room reaction to livewire leader Martin Boyle having his contract extended for another year. And he's revealed the most important quality Boyle brings to the squad. Boyle has just finished his best-ever season as a goal scorer for Hibs, finding the net 20 times in a campaign disrupted by not one but two injury issues, as he fought to overcome a serious hand/wrist issue and then a bone graft on his hip. Deputising for sidelined club captain Joe Newell, the stand-in skipper has been praised by first-year manager David Gray for bringing a different sort of leadership to the group. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But the extension clause in his contract, keeping him at Easter Road for one more season, wasn't triggered by Hibs until just before the final game of the season – AFTER third place in the Scottish Premiership had been secured. The 32-year-old, who had spoken about his long-term goal of playing in the A-League, believes continuing to excel for Hibs gives him the best chance of being part of the Socceroos squad at next summer's World Cup. Nicky Cadden topped assist charts in first year with Hibernian And summer signing Cadden, an absolute stand-out in his first year as a Hibee as he's topped the assist charts and chipped in with five goals, revealed: 'We're all absolutely buzzing about him staying for another year, honestly. As you know, he's a bit of a character! 'It's so important to have someone like Martin in the changing room. He helps the team in so many ways. 'I've actually become really close to him since joining the club. He's one of my close mates now, someone who went out of his way to welcome me. I'd obviously heard a lot about him. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Has he surprised me in any way? Aye, he's surprised me in many ways … but I cannae say much! 'But no, he's honestly like, he has you laughing every day. Every day he just has you laughing, he has you in stitches. 'That's the type of characters you want around the place. Even if we get beat on a Saturday, he's in on a Monday and he's making everybody laugh. 'He's definitely special as a character and a leader. And as you can see he's a good player as well.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Front man still chasing century of goals Cadden set up Boyle for the first of his team's goals in the season finale for Hibs, a 2-2 home draw at Easter Road. That was Boyle's 99th goal for Hibs – and Cadden was convinced the livewire forward was going to sign off on the campaign, which saw Gray's men climb from the foot of the table to European qualification thanks to a 17-game unbeaten run in the league, by bagging his century. 'As soon as I put that ball in for Boyler, I knew he was scoring,' said Cadden. 'Especially after signing the new deal! 'I just wish he'd got his hundredth against Rangers, too. He had one bad touch when he got in; that could have been it for him. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'But it gives him a chance to do it next year. And hopefully I'm the one crossing it in for him. 'You know, if you're a wide player, that just putting the ball in there gives him a chance. I mean, he doesn't score many with his head … but I'm glad he got on the end of that one.'
Scotsman
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Top Hibs star on fan connection, emotional scenes and Euro hopes
Nicky has new targets in sight as UEFA competition beckons Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It was all a bit much for little Leo Cadden, whose first reaction to being taken on a lap of honour at Easter Road was to start bawling as he cooried into dad Nicky's shoulder. Still, maybe the wee man – just two – will be more up for a party on one of the glorious European nights destined to have the place absolutely rocking in just a few short months. To say that Cadden has enjoyed his first season as a Hibs player would be fair enough. Warts and all, this has been a campaign to remember for many a highlight, the best moments made more special by the bleak beginning that cast so much doubt on David Gray's first steps into management. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad From derby wins to beating both Old Firm sides, hearing Sunshine on Leith being sung around Easter Road on THREE separate occasions, culminating in Saturday's love-in between players and fans as the campaign was capped by a barmy 2-2 home draw with Rangers, it's been eventful, to say the least. Cadden has been a stand-out, too, the left wingback topping the assist charts with seven in 19 league starts. The former Barnsley wide man, who joined twin brother Chris at East Mains last summer, has also banged in five goals despite his appearances being limited by injury. Fit enough to start against Rangers at the weekend, season 2024-25 has been pretty much everything he hoped for. 'Yeah, it's been good,' he said, laughing at his own tendency towards understatement. 'Obviously the start was a wee bit ropey, and it was tough at the beginning of the season. But once we got to grips with basically winning games and getting the individual error out the way, we started to kick on. 'You can see how much it meant to everyone from the celebrations. Wednesday night in Paisley and then Sunday at home to Rangers, those were special scenes. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'So, yeah, now I can't wait for next year in Europe. Because this is definitely up there with anything I've experienced in my career. 'Even beating Hearts and Celtic at home, hearing Sunshine on Leith being sung all around the place, I've never experienced something like that in my life. I've been around the game a long time, I know when something's special - and those were two special days.' Wide man grew up watching Scottish clubs on big European glory nights Looking ahead to the prospect of playing either Europa League or Conference League football in season 2025-26, Cadden confessed: 'Oh, I'm buzzing. Absolutely buzzing. 'Obviously it's going to be hard. You look at all the teams we might get, and it shows how difficult it could be. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'None of us really want to look too far ahead. We just want to enjoy what we've achieved and see what summer brings. 'But all of us grew up watching European football. I've spent my life watching Scottish teams playing all the different competitions – and now I'm going to be playing in it, whether it's the Europa League or Europa Conference League.' Saturday was a day for families as well as players, as kids of varying sizes joined dads for the traditional post-match show of thanks to supporters. Some of the youngsters coped better with the sensory overload than others. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Yeah, my wee boy Leo didn't like it,' confessed Cadden. 'I tried to take him round at the end, he didn't like it. He was just crying on my shoulder. He's just turned two, he's two and three months or something. He never liked that, so I had to give him back to his grandpa. He went upstairs again. 'But I took him out as a mascot for a moment. That's a moment he'll cherish when he gets older, hopefully. He'll look back on that, and he'll see he walked out with his dad against Rangers at Easter Road. 'And, aye, maybe he'll fancy one of the European nights. Probably still a wee bit young for that! Maybe. We'll see.'
Scotsman
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Hibs star reveals painful motivation in race for Europe
Watch more of our videos on and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now David Gray's men take on St Mirren in Paisley tomorrow night - with plenty at stake Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hibs starter Chris Cadden insists he has more reason than most at Easter Road to crave an extended run in Europe next season – after TWICE being denied the thrill by horrendous injury luck. And the all-action wingback, virtually an ever-present as David Gray's men bounced back from the relegation zone to the brink of a third-place finish in the Scottish Premiership, insists he and his team-mates are laser focused on delivering for the fans who stood by the team during the tough months. 'It would mean a lot to me, if we were to get into Europe,' said Cadden, the former Motherwell man adding: 'We've been in European football twice since I've been here – and I've been injured both times. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I had the Achilles' tendon issue, obviously, and I also had a stress fracture in my back. So I missed the first two chances to play in Europe. 'For me personally, it would be big, obviously. It would be big for everybody, not just me, but big for the club as well, which we're looking forward to trying to go and achieve. But the hunt's not done yet, we've got a bit of a way to go. 'It's a big week to come, two cup finals against St Mirren and Rangers. And that makes it a big challenge. But we'll meet it head-on.' Aston Villa and Lucerne highlights 'enjoyed' from seat in stand Recalling the experience of being stuck in the stands for Conference League adventures at the start of season 2021-22 and, more painfully, the uproarious journey to Villa Park – via wins over Inter Club D'Escaldes and Lucerne – last season, Cadden admitted: 'I wasn't the best, to be honest. With my Achilles' in particular, I'd done it in pretty much the last game of the season. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'So I knew I had no chance of being involved. There was absolutely no way I was going to feature, because I was still probably nine months away from getting back out playing. 'I quickly realised that I didn't enjoy watching the games! I just got really nervous. It was tough, because you just want to be a part of it. 'Fingers crossed we can do it, but you don't want to look too far ahead. You know how big the games are coming up, so we'll try and do our best to do that for the fans, who have really stuck with us all year.' It goes without saying that even the most optimistic supporter couldn't have predicted this scenario playing out as recently as, oh, early December, maybe. At that stage, just making the top six seemed like a stretch. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad So to be in with a shout of finishing third, and potentially securing guaranteed Europea Conference League group stage football should Celtic beat Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final? That's a dream come true for these players. Hibernian players focused on 'getting the job done' after comeback campaign Cadden said: 'You need to realise how well we've done to get ourselves in this position. But we know t's all about going and finishing it off. 'The boys have worked really hard; they've been brilliant to get here. It's in our own hands, and that's all we could have asked for. The gaffer told us that throughout the week. It's all down to us really, we just need to concentrate on us. How Scottish Premiership 'Best of Rest' race looks right now Battle for third GP Pts GD 3 - Hibs 36 56 12 4 - Aberdeen 36 53 -8 5 - Dundee United 36 50 -8 'It starts with St Mirren in midweek. They're a good team and we're under no illusions. It's going to be a tough game, especially away from home. So we know we need to be at our best if we want to go and win the game. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'They're back in the hunt for fifth, which shows you how exciting the split can be. I'm a fan of it, to be honest. I think it makes every game competitive. Going into the last week of the season, it's a pretty good set-up for the neutral. 'Obviously have St Mirren have done really well to get where they are and to get in that hunt for European football, so they'll be right up for it. Then Rangers at the weekend, which will be as tough as ever – but we've just got to concentrate on ourselves.'
Daily Record
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Chris Cadden dreaming of digging out passport for Hibs and Scotland as he eyes perfect ending to season
Seven years have passed since Chris Cadden made his two Scotland appearances in end of season friendly matches against Peru and Mexico. But the Hibs right back has never given up on his dream of adding to that pair of caps. Some players might already be thinking about slipping into their flip flops in a few weeks' time. Not the Easter Road ace though. He insists pulling on the boots for his country would be the perfect way to spend the first two weeks in June. Scotland warm up for the World Cup qualifiers with a Hampden friendly against Iceland and a trip to face Liechtenstein. Steve Clarke could experiment with his squad particularly as he looks for extra right back cover. And Cadden - who is back to his best after an Achilles rupture ruined last season - admits he would love to play a part. But only after ensuring Hibs are digging out their passports for Europe by finishing third. He said: "Yeah, I've always wanted to play for Scotland. Playing those two times was the pinnacle of my career. It was one of the proudest moments of my life and something that I'll cherish a lot. 'Listen, if it came then that would be absolutely great. But I've just got to concentrate on Hibs. "If it doesn't come then it doesn't change anything. That'll be something I'll take into account at the end of the season. But right now, it's just full focus on playing as best I can and trying to help Hibs be as successful as possible. 'This was my first full season coming back from a pretty serious injury. I was getting frustrated with myself, there was always going to be a period where I wasn't feeling up to 100 per cent. But I've worked hard and kept my head down. Now I feel like I'm playing pretty well. I feel really good. "I don't know if it's the best form of my career, but it's probably the proudest I've been of myself in terms of what I've been through.' Cadden has been a key part of Hibs' resurgence that has seen them rocket into third spot on the back of a sensational 17-game unbeaten run. The 28-year-old reckons David Gray is building something special at Easter Road. And the foundation for that was going through the rocky start to the season as a group. Cadden, who penned a new deal last month, said: 'To be honest, going through a lot of adversity at the start of the season helps you. 'A squad can go one way or the other. We stuck together, fought for each other. It was tough out there at some points when things weren't going our way. Losing last-minute goals and everyone was going against us. We were at the bottom. "But for the group and the players in the dressing room, we just stuck together and hopefully, we're reaping the benefits of that now. "It's a great group. It's been really tight knit. It's a pleasure going into the dressing room every single day. It's one of the best dressing rooms I've had in my career.' That team spirit has Hibs in pole position for the potentially lucrative third place finish. Gray appeared to be teetering towards the sack five months ago with the club rock bottom. Hibs recovered. And Cadden would love to repay the boss by clinching third. He said: 'He's just been so calm and level-headed, which has been great for us because we felt the pressure at the start of the season. It's a big club. You do feel it. "Every time you went to Easter Road, it's a tough place to be if fans demand things. We weren't good enough at the start of the season. "The criticism we were getting was expected. We felt that as players. I can't even imagine what it would be like for a manager. 'He's been unbelievable, especially for his first job. The way it started, he's been great. I'm just buzzing for him that we've been able to turn it around and have this run. "It's a credit to him and his coaching staff for how hard they've worked and what they've done. "If we keep winning games of football then it's going to be hard to catch us, to be honest. So that's the goal. 'But we won't look too far past the Aberdeen game this weekend. This is the big one just now and we'll go in there trying to get three points, as we always do.'
