Latest news with #IanGordon
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Ian Gordon provides verdict after Hibs seal 'significant' agreement with shareholder
Hibs' chairman has provided his verdict as the club get set to unveil some 'exciting projects.' 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... Ian Gordon has hailed a new partnership between Hibs and Hibernian Supporters. HSL is the club's largest supporter shareholder group and hold shares in the Easter Road club on behalf of members who contribute monthly to support their activities. More than £1.5 million has been put into the club since 2015 and Following the Black Knight Football Club investment, they now own around 7% of the club, having previously held as much as around a 20% equity stake. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A club statement reads: 'Hibernian Football Club is pleased to announce a significant new partnership with Hibernian Supporters (HSL). The new agreement signals a renewed commitment to a strengthened working relationship between the Club and its shareholders. Hibs confirm new partnership with stakeholder 'Hibernian Supporters is the largest supporter-shareholder group at Hibernian Football Club, having been established in 2015. Since then, HSL have supported the Club across a variety of areas, most notably during the Covid pandemic where their members rallied to fundraise on behalf of the Club. Since the turn of the year, HSL have been working closely with the Club on an exciting, landmark project as part of the club's 150th anniversary celebrations, with details set to be revealed to supporters over the coming days. In addition, HSL and the club will work together throughout the season to promote the work of HSL and to offer unique opportunities for its members.' Chairman Ian Gordon said: 'I am absolutely delighted to welcome Hibernian Supporters as one of the Club's principal partners,. As we head into what is such a significant year for our football club, we're excited to be working closer than ever before with HSL for the benefit of our supporters. 'I'd like to personally thank everybody at HSL and their members for their longstanding support and we look forward to revealing some exciting projects soon.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Shareholder reacts to new Hibs partnership HSL chairman, Jim Adie, added: 'We are absolutely delighted to launch this partnership with the Club, in what is set to be a hugely significant year for Hibernian. We have been working hard with Ian Gordon, Murray Milligen and the team at Easter Road to ensure we can play a positive role in the continued success of Hibernian FC, and we all felt the 150th anniversary was the perfect way to kick things off. 'With a refreshed relationship with the Club we are looking forward to engaging with our members and the wider Hibs support to ensure we can continue to provide meaningful financial backing to David Gray and the Club as a whole.' Head coach Gray guided the club to a third place finish in the Premiership during his first season as permanent head coach. His squad will return to pre season training in the weeks ahead as they get set to take on Europa League qualifiers in July. Attentions will also be on bolstering the squad so it is able to compete and provide a strong defence of the Premiership's third spot during next campaign.
Edinburgh Reporter
3 days ago
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
Hibs announce significant new partnership with Hibernian Supporters (HSL)
Hibs have announced a significant new partnership with Hibernian Supporters (HSL). The new agreement signals a renewed commitment to a strengthened working relationship between the Club and its shareholders. Hibernian Supporters is the largest supporter-shareholder group at Hibernian Football Club, having been established in 2015. Since then, HSL have supported the Club across a variety of areas, most notably during the Covid pandemic where their members rallied to fundraise on behalf of the Club. 'I'm absolutely delighted to welcome Hibernian Supporters as one of the Club's principal partners,' said Ian Gordon, Chairman of Hibernian Football Club. 'As we head into what is such a significant year for our football club, we're excited to be working closer than ever before with HSL for the benefit of our supporters. 'I'd like to personally thank everybody at HSL and their members for their longstanding support and we look forward to revealing some exciting projects soon.' Jim Adie, Hibernian Supporters chairman, added: 'We are absolutely delighted to launch this partnership with the Club, in what is set to be a hugely significant year for Hibernian. 'We have been working hard with Ian Gordon, Murray Milligen and the team at Easter Road to ensure we can play a positive role in the continued success of Hibernian FC, and we all felt the 150th anniversary was the perfect way to kick things off. 'With a refreshed relationship with the Club we are looking forward to engaging with our members and the wider Hibs support to ensure we can continue to provide meaningful financial backing to David Gray and the Club as a whole.' Since the turn of the year, HSL have been working closely with the Club on an exciting, landmark project as part of the club's 150th anniversary celebrations, with details set to be revealed to supporters over the coming days. In addition, HSL and the club will work together throughout the season to promote the work of HSL and to offer unique opportunities for its members. For more information on Hibernian Supporters (HSL), how you can get involved and how to become a member, visit their website here. Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Ian Gordon shares how Hibs and Black Knights moved on from 'disagreement'
The Hibs chairman has been talking of his Easter Road ambition. 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... Ian Gordon has set out his stall for Hibs improvement - as he opened up on a blossoming relationship with Black Knight Football Club. The Easter Road chairman has watched on with glee after David Gray's side finished third in the Premiership. They are now preparing for Europa League second round qualifiers in July with players due back in pre season weeks ahead of those key games, with transfer business likely to be done. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After Nick Montgomery's sacking last year, coach and club icon Gray was selected to lead the first team. He endured a rocky start to his first year as permanent head coach and after a Premier Sports Cup group stage defeat to Kelty Hearts, Black Knight leader Bill Foley said 'If the other ownership group at Hibernian listens to us, they will do better.' How Hibs have developed alongside Black Knight Football Club BKFC acquired a 25% stake in Hibs in February 2024 and their other clubs include AFC Bournemouth, FC Lorient, and Auckland FC. President Tim Bezbatchenko now sits on the Hibs board and speaking with The Athletic, Gordon has detailed how the pair have moved on from a head coach difference in opinion. He said: 'There was a disagreement about the coach, but since then, Tim has come in and he's now hired multiple people under him. Black Knight is now really starting to put their network together, and since then the collaboration is daily. The biggest benefit we see now is the exchange of best-practice behind the scenes. We're doing so many things in the background to get the structure that we now have in place, so we can just be a well-oiled machine. Ultimately, I decided that Dave was the right guy, and luckily that paid off quite well this season.' There's plenty of learning done by the Gordon family at Hibs when it comes to managers, namely through the sacking of Jack Ross in December 2021, just months after he had clinched third place and a week out from a League Cup final. The Hibs chairman added: 'We felt we needed to make a change, but I don't think we had the long-term or what's next figured out yet. Looking back, I don't think we would have made that change now. Everything's been a learning lesson.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Gordon's Hibs ambition Ron Gordon bought the Leith club in July 2019 and sadly died from cancer in February 2023, at the age of 68. Now looking ahead to the future, his son hopes to get Hibs to the place they used to speak about, and trophies are on the agenda. He candidly said: 'Towards the end, me and my brother watched the games on the bed with my dad. We kind of knew that was it, that he only had a couple of days left. But he loved that day, sitting there talking about Hibs and everything. I wake up every morning with even more pride and fire to drive forward now and make sure we get it to the place that we talked about. 'Step one needs to be consistent years where we're qualifying for Europe, and then you're able to build from there. Then (the goal is) to see this club competing year in, year out in Europe and winning multiple cups — not just one, multiple cups. This club has won just one Scottish Cup in almost 130 years. It deserves more.'
Scotsman
29-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Hibs fan forum minutes reveal 'better level' promise on Black Knight players
Training ground revamp and Easter Road upgrade discussed at summit 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 owner Ian Gordon and a number of high-ranking club employees laid out their hopes and ambitions for the club at a recent meeting with fans. And the chairman addressed a number of important issues – including plans to land a better class of player through the club's tie-in with billionaire Bournemouth owner Bill Foley's Black Knight group. Hibernian Supporters Panel members also heard news on the need to upgrade Easter Road to meet UEFA criteria for their impending European campaign, last year's huge financial losses – and the need to start winning cups on a more regular basis to fulfil the vision of late chairman Ron Gordon. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The minutes of the meeting, attended by Ian Gordon, communications director Adam Tomlinson, supporter liaison officer Kieran Power and Steve Hazlett, venue and operations manager, include updates on the redevelopment of Hibernian Training Centre. There were also discussions about tifo displays and the dangers of pyros. The official report of the meeting referenced the most recent recorded losses of £7.2 million, noting that the figures 'didn't make for great reading and there's no hiding away from that.' But it was pointed out that Hibs continued to make £1 million from player trading, while season ticket records have been broken – with more growth expected. Interestingly, fans were also told: 'We believe that the strategy with Black Knights can get us to a different level and type of players required can allow us to really build in this area of player trading. On Black Knights, the last 10 months has been positive but especially since Tim (Bezbatchenko) came in; it improves every day and we're in a really good spot as we have shared ambitions and end goals.' Fans heard that 'a club like Hibs need to be winning cups on a more regular basis …' and that 'qualifying for Euro group stages was Ron's ultimate goal.' Aberdeen's Scottish Cup victory ripped that guaranteed league stage football from Hibernian's hands on the last day of the domestic season, meaning David Gray's men will have to get through at least two qualifying rounds before securing a prize worth upwards of £5 million. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad UEFA regulations on Europa League and Conference League group stages addressed Supporters were also told that, while Easter Road's current UEFA Category 3 status would NOT be enough to host Europa League or Conference League group games, work was underway to upgrade behind-the-scenes parts of the stadium to meet Category 4 criteria. All will be completed before their Europa League second qualifying round tie in July. Should Hibs reach the league stage of UEFA competition, meanwhile, the club will consider selling tickets in match bundles – possibly including Hibernian Women's Champions League campaign and the league-winning under-18s, who will enter the UEFA Youth League as an under-19s group. Chairman and majority shareholder Gordon also provided an update on the prosed redevelopment of HTC. Armed with architect drawings, he revealed there will be two new hybrid pitches AND a full-sized indoor synthetic pitch to UEFA Championship Standard, including seating for fans. Work is expected to begin in early 2026. There will also be two new satellite academy facilities open, with Hamilton selected as the first site as Hibs look to spread their recruitment potential. The second venue will be to the west of Edinburgh.
Daily Record
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Fantasy movie set during Highland Clearances stuns audiences at Cannes Film Festival
Scottish director Ian Gordon brought The Gudeman, a fantasy film set during the Highland Clearances, to Cannes. A Scottish director has turned one of the darkest chapters of the nation's history into a fantasy adventure film that stunned audiences at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Ian Gordon, from Fife, took to the red carpet in France wearing a kilt to promote his new movie The Gudeman, set during the Highland Clearances. The film blends myth and history, telling the story of a tormented man sent to evict villagers from a rural Scottish settlement, only to become entangled in a fierce battle between ancient mythical beings while being relentlessly stalked by a sinister force. Gordon, who shot the film in the rugged northern landscapes that shaped the tale, said: "People in the industry from around the world were blown away by the dramatic scenery of the Highlands." While fantasy may drive the plot, The Gudeman draws deeply from a painful true event. The Highland Clearances saw thousands of Scots driven from their homes throughout the Highlands and Islands during the 18th and 19th centuries. It was a period marked by economic upheaval, brutal eviction, cultural suppression, and mass migration. By the early 1700s, Scotland's Lowlands were becoming increasingly urban and aligned with English culture, language and politics. The Highlanders, in contrast, were rural and still rooted in the centuries-old clan system. Clans were collective communities tied by kinship, with chiefs leasing land to tacksmen who in turn sublet it to tenant farmers. The social fabric was not only agricultural but also martial, with warriors owing allegiance to their chiefs, often surviving through raids and warfare. Everything changed after the 1745 Jacobite uprising. Charles Edward Stuart, known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, rallied Highland support in a doomed bid to reclaim the British throne. His army was crushed at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, where thousands of Highlanders were slain. In the aftermath, around 1,000 more were hunted down and killed. Entire clans were wiped out or driven into exile. Even before the battlefield bloodshed, the traditional clan structure had started to fray under James VI and I, who forced Highland chiefs to spend long spells at court in an attempt to prevent rebellion. But following Culloden, destruction came swiftly. The British government imposed harsh restrictions aimed at dismantling Highland culture: bagpipes were banned, clan tartans outlawed, and the land itself was opened up for outsiders to buy. A wave of wealthy landlords swept in, determined to reshape the Highlands into profitable farmland. Over the next century, a series of evictions followed in phases, now remembered collectively as the Highland Clearances. One of the most infamous figures was George Granville Leveson-Gower, later the Duke of Sutherland. Between 1810 and 1820, under the advice that his estate was more suitable for sheep than people, he expelled thousands of tenants. Their homes were burned, their land converted into vast sheep farms. According to Historic UK, around 15,000 people were removed from land owned by the Duchess of Sutherland and her husband the Marquis of Stafford between 1811 and 1821 to make room for 200,000 sheep. Displaced families were moved to tiny coastal crofts where they had to survive on rocky, infertile land. Many were forced into unfamiliar trades like fishing or kelp collecting. Kelp, used to make potash and iodine, was briefly a booming industry at the time. Others turned to cattle farming or intensive crop cultivation, but the economic blows kept coming. The kelp industry collapsed and cattle prices plummeted. Then, in the mid-1840s, came the potato famine. By 1846, famine had taken hold of the Highlands. Crofters, who had no legal claim to the land, faced disease and starvation. Tens of thousands emigrated in desperation. Some moved to the Lowlands to work in factories. Others set sail for Canada, America, or Australia, many as indentured servants clinging to the hope of one day owning land. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Some emigrants paid their own way. Others had their journeys funded by landlords who preferred to clear their land than provide charity. The injustice sparked a wave of sympathy and activism. In 1883, the government launched the Napier Commission to investigate crofters' conditions. The Highland Land Law Reform Association, known as the Land League, was also formed. Three years later, Parliament passed the Crofters Holdings Act, ensuring crofters would no longer face arbitrary eviction. It granted them the "three Fs": fair rent, free sale, and fixity of tenure. Now, centuries later, Gordon's haunting tale of eviction, revenge, and folklore is bringing that brutal history back into the spotlight, framed by the haunting beauty of the land where it all began.
