Latest news with #JoeNewell
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
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Scotsman
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Hibs boss David Gray on unsung coaching heroes and captain's role in comeback
'I never felt like I lost them,' says manager as he hails dressing room culture 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 boss David Gray believes crocked captain Joe Newell and the unsung heroes of his backroom staff all deserve credit for creating the strongest winning culture he's known in a decade of service with the Easter Road club. And the former skipper, who dragged Hibs from the foot of the Scottish Premiership to a third place finish in a season of extremes, insists he never felt like he'd 'lost' the dressing room as he endured a torrid start to his first taste of management. Gray, who returned to the familiar role of interim boss following Nick Montgomery's sacking late last season, was handed the reins on a more permanent footing in the summer. He ended the campaign with European football secured – and was shortlisted for both the PFA Scotland and Scottish Football Writers Manager or the Year awards. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad All of those achievements seemed unlikely as Hibs won just one of their opening 14 league games. But a 17-game unbeaten run in Scotland's top flight, equalling a club record dating back to the Famous Five era, saw Gray's men mount a furious comeback that ended with them claiming the Best of the Rest honour behind the country's established big two. Midfielder Joe Newell 'held it all together' during crisis Explaining some of the factors that went into that turnaround, Gray singled out central midfielder Newell, who hasn't featured since late December because of two groin/hernia operations, the gaffer declaring: 'I've been here for 10 years, and the culture is as good as I've seen it, in terms of the togetherness in the group here. 'And that goes down to Joe Newell as club captain and what he does. He's not been someone that's performed on the pitch as much as he would like, but he's certainly held it all together off the pitch during the difficult times. And then players who have really had to step up this season, they've certainly done that during difficult times.' Manager can be 'crabbit' because assistants deal with players Explaining the importance of assistants Liam Craig and Eddie May, as well as goalkeeping coach Craig Samson, in coping with that brutal start to the campaign, Gray said: "They were very consistent. It's something that, knowing when I brought them to the football club, what they would be like. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Especially Sammy, the goalie coach. If he was quiet, then we know we've got a problem. 'He's the complete same every single day, win, lose or draw, which is really good. Sometimes he can be a bit frustrating! 'But it's really good because he's very consistent with that. He's very to the point. 'So the players, if they're feeling sorry for themselves, he'll put it on them straight away. Come on, what's wrong with you? It's only a game of football or it's only one result or whatever it might be. So he's very good from that point of view. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'And it allows me probably to be a bit more crabbit knowing that they can get round about the players and make sure everyone's OK. Because a lot of the issues that maybe will happen in a dressing room, it's natural, it happens every single day. There's things that go on. 'Very rarely does it come to my door because my coaching staff will nip it in the bud, which is brilliant. So it is a real collective effort all the time and I'm very lucky to have staff that all pull in the same direction. Every single one of them has been a massive benefit to me this season.' Sitting in the auditorium used for analysis and planning sessions with players at the Hibernian Training Centre, Gray said there was no single incident that convinced him he was still on the right track even while results pushed his team into the relegation zone, explaining: "Maybe not directly that one moment. 'One thing that I think me and Liam were talking about a lot was ... he kept saying to me during the run, especially at the start when it was poor: 'We're not far away'. That's the words he kept saying to me all the time. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I was like: 'That doesn't help!'. He just kept saying: 'We're not far away, honestly, we're not far away from being a good side.' Aye, I know, I know. 'But, genuinely, I think it's every day in training. When I was watching them in training and I was feeling like everything I'm asking them to do, the belief was there, they were doing it, they were all sticking by it. 'I'm coming in here and demonstrating, showing things on the screen, having meetings, post-match meetings. And, as I say, I never ever felt like I lost the buy-in. And that was something that was huge. 'And, again, that comes back to the characters that are in your group, who all want to be successful. And the environment that we've created here, the culture in the building.'
Scotsman
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Latest Hibs injury news as key leader's European hopes assessed after surgery
Pre-season and Europa League qualifiers on schedule as skipper recovers from second op of season 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 hope to have crocked club captain Joe Newell fit to play at least some part in the first team's pre-season programme. And the frustrated skipper could be ready to fight for a place in his club's first competitive match of the season – a crucial European qualifier in late July. Newell has gone under the knife twice this season, as a recurring groin/hernia problem continued to hamper his mobility. The central midfielder bravely battled his way through the first half of the season, playing a key role in the screeching U-turn that saw Hibs drag themselves off the foot of the Scottish Premiership table in dramatic fashion. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But he hasn't played a minute for David Gray since limping out of the 1-0 home win over Kilmarnock at half-time back on December 29. Having already undergone a double hernia operation earlier in the campaign, the Englishman was named on the bench for Hibernian's spectacular 2-1 home win over reigning champions Celtic in March – but felt an issue in the warm-up that made it impossible for him to take part in the contest. The 32-year-old was forced to get a second operation last month, instantly ruling him out of action for the rest of the season as Hibs tied up third place in the Scottish Premiership with a game to spare. But the latest post-surgery bulletins have been promising. Rehab programme for club captain who played through pain barrier Gray and the medical staff are determined not to rush the return of a player who, even while carrying the injury, was crucial to how the manager wanted his team to play. They're closely monitoring his rehab programme to reduce the risk of picking up another injury as the body continues to heal. Newell is expected to play at least some part in pre-season training, including an overseas training camp. With Aberdeen's Scottish Cup win over Celtic pitching Hibs into European action a month earlier than usual, he's not guaranteed to be fully match fit for the first Europa League qualifier on July 24 – but has set the first competitive fixtures as a tentative target for his return in green-and-white. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Joe Newell season 2024/25 Starts 20 Last game Hibs 1 Kilmarnock 0, Dec 20 Gray, who handed Newell the captain's armband as one of his first acts as manager last summer, has been disappointed to be without the player's influence on the field in 2025. But he praised the skipper for still being a forceful presence during the chase for European places, pointing out: 'You're not seeing him on the pitch but the influence he has in the dressing room every single day is huge. He's in every single meeting: post-match, pre-match, set-piece meetings - he's involved all the time, and he's got so much respect for the rest of the boys in the dressing room. 'It's a really hard position to be in when people are playing well around you and there's success around the club and a feel-good factor and you're not directly contributing on the pitch. He's certainly contributing off it and I know he'll continue to do it, which is a testament to him, because he's such a good professional.'
BBC News
05-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Hibs' Newell may be out for season
Hibernian midfielder Joe Newell, 32, may not play again this season. (Scotsman - subscription required), externalRead Saturday's Scottish gossip
BBC News
26-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Dundee United 1-3 Hibs: Analysis
This was a match the Hibs of the first half of the season - who at one point were rock bottom of the Premiership - would have fact, they did lose late on against United in October, with Joe Newell's red card eventually leading to the concession of two goals in stoppage they carry a potent threat up front and have cultured players in the middle of the park, with Nectarios Triantis at the heart of much of their good work, sliding through a brilliant pass for Bowie to effectively win Gray's side are far more resilient in defence as well, with the back three of Jack Iredale, Rocky Bushiri and Warren O'Hora looking this form, and with this momentum, Hibs will strongly fancy their chances of overtaking Aberdeen, now just one point in front, and finishing only defeat in their last 17 games was against leaders Celtic, and they even managed to get the better of them at the up, rivals Hearts at Easter Road on Sunday.
