Latest news with #SirTomFarmer
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Hibernian fans pay tribute to ex-owner Sir Tom Farmer
Hundreds of Hibernian fans paid tribute to Kwik Fit founder and former club owner Sir Tom Farmer as his coffin passed Easter Road Edinburgh-born businessman died peacefully at his home in the city earlier this month at the age of Tom owned a majority stake in Hibernian FC for 28 years and built Kwik Fit into the world's biggest independent tyre and automotive chain before selling it to Ford for £1bn in a private family funeral the cortege drove past Hibernian's stadium and through the streets of Sir Tom's native Leith. Sir Tom was born in Leith in 1940 and first opened a tyre business in started Kwik Fit in 1971, eventually operating in more than 2,000 locations in 18 was knighted in 1997 for his services to the automotive industry and was made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in 2009 for his charitable Tom's philanthropic work saw him awarded the Carnegie Medal and he became a Knight Commander with Star of the Order of St. Gregory the Great, an honour bestowed by the Pope, in 1997.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Sir Tom Farmer to make final journey past the club he helped save
The hearse of Scottish business tycoon and former owner of Hibernian FC Sir Tom Farmer will be driven past the club's stadium following his funeral so fans can pay their respects. He owned a majority stake in Hibs for 28 years, selling his interest in 2019 to US businessman Ron Gordon, and was credited by current head coach David Gray as having 'saved the club at a time of need'. Sir Tom's financial intervention helped block a hostile takeover from Hearts chairman Wallace Mercer in 1990 and he bought the club and Easter Road from the receivers of the parent company a year later amid serious financial difficulties. Hibs would soon win the first of two League Cups of Sir Tom's 28-year stewardship, and he also presided over the Scottish Cup being brought back to Easter Road in 2016 after a 114-year wait. The founder of the Kwik Fit garage chain died at his home in Edinburgh on May 9, aged 84. A minute's applause was held for him at the Hibs v Rangers match at Easter Road on Saturday. On Wednesday it was announced that following a private family funeral, Sir Tom will make a final journey past his beloved Easter Road stadium in Edinburgh on May 28 so fans and members of the public can say their goodbyes. The hearse is expected to pass the club at around 12.45pm. A memorial service for him is planned later this year to acknowledge his contribution to civic and public life in Scotland and beyond. Sir Tom, a former director of MyTravel Group and ScottishPower, was hailed by Scotland's First Minister John Swinney as a 'generous individual to so many causes in Scotland'. Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said Sir Tom was a 'proud Scot' and a 'huge contributor' to Edinburgh's community football. Gray, whose late winner against Rangers secured the Scottish Cup for Hibs, said 'it was a nice moment to be able to present the Scottish Cup to him for everything he's done as a Hibs supporter and everything he's been through'. He added: 'All the times he's probably seen Hibs not win the Scottish Cup and all the pain he went through with that as well, so that was a real privileged moment for myself to be involved with the club on that day. 'I know how much it meant to absolutely everyone that day who was involved with the club, but no more so than him I'm sure.' Born in Leith in 1940 as the youngest of seven children, Sir Tom started Kwik Fit in 1971 and grew it to become an international chain before selling it to Ford for £1 billion in 1999. He married Anne in 1966 after they met at their local church, and the devout Catholics were together for 57 years until her death in 2023. He was knighted in 1997 for his services to the automotive industry and made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 2009 for his charitable work, including as chairman of the board of trustees for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. He was the first Scot to be awarded the prestigious Andrew Carnegie Medal for philanthropy, and was made a Knight Commander with Star of the Order of St Gregory the Great by the Catholic Church. His family said in a statement previously that Sir Tom's life and career 'touched many aspects of Scottish and UK life', and his philanthropy would be remembered. They added: 'Sir Tom will be remembered by many for his deep commitment to his family, his work and his faith and for being at all times a proud Scotsman.' Hibs previously paid tribute in a post on X, saying: 'Hibernian FC are devastated to hear of the passing of former owner Sir Tom Farmer, aged 84. 'Thank you for everything, Tom. Rest in peace.'
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Hibs support will be eternally grateful to Sir Tom'
Despite the defeat at Parkhead, Hibs came out of last weekend's fixtures in a marginally stronger position than we went into it. St Mirren's win over Dundee United means we can't finish lower than fourth, and with Aberdeen's defeat damaging their goal difference more than Celtic did to Hibs', it means Hibs will finish in third place if they better or match Aberdeen's result against Celtic when we face St Mirren on Wednesday Cadden won the club's men's player of the year award on Sunday night; he's had a great impact on the team and is a deserving winner. My own vote went for Jack Iredale, but I could have picked from four or five players, so there are no complaints for 'Nadden' picking up the award. He can feel slightly aggrieved at not winning the 'moment of the season' award for his injury time equaliser against Aberdeen in November. Aberdeen, of course, went ahead again that night, only for Rocky Bushiri to steal a late equaliser with seconds to spare and subsequently pick up the was a pivotal moment in the team's season, and it's brilliant to see Rocky get the recognition after also picking up the players' player of the year award. We're all hopeful he extends his stay at Easter Road beyond this the Hibernian family were rocked with the sad news that Sir Tom Farmer had died on Saturday morning. Sir Tom is a hugely significant figure in Hibs' history, stepping in at a time of crisis to save the club from the clutches of then Hearts chairman Wallace Mercer, who sought to wipe the club only did Sir Tom keep the lights on at Hibs, but he also facilitated the rebuild of Easter Road into the modern ground we have today - the biggest football stadium in Scotland's capital - and the build of our training centre in East Lothian. He also helped deliver, finally, the Scottish Cup in 2016. The Hibs support will be eternally grateful to Sir Tom and my thoughts go to his family and can be found at Longbangers, external
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
John Swinney leads tributes after Kwik Fit founder Sir Tom Farmer dies aged 84
John Swinney has paid tribute to the 'profound impact' of Sir Tom Farmer after the Scottish businessman died at the age of 84. Sir Tom, who founded the garage chain Kwik Fit and was also a former director of MyTravel Group and Scottish Power, died at his Edinburgh home on Friday. He owned a majority stake in Hibernian Football Club for 28 years, selling his interest in 2019 to US businessman Ron Gordon. The First Minister hailed him as a 'generous individual to so many causes in Scotland'. Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said he was a 'proud Scot' and a 'huge contributor' to Edinburgh's community football. His family said in a statement on Saturday that Sir Tom's life and career 'touched many aspects of Scottish and UK life', and his philanthropy would be remembered. They added: 'More than anything Sir Tom was a family man. Born in Leith, Edinburgh, in 1940 he was the youngest of seven children. 'He frequently spoke of the love, care and attention that was bestowed upon him by being the youngest in such a large family.' Sir Tom started Kwik Fit in 1971 and grew it to become an international chain before selling it to Ford for £1 billion in 1999. He was knighted in 1997 for his services to the automotive industry and made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 2009 for his charitable work, including as chairman of the board of trustees for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. He was the first Scot to be awarded the prestigious Andrew Carnegie Medal for philanthropy, and was made a Knight Commander with Star of the Order of St Gregory the Great by the Catholic Church. The First Minister released a statement on Saturday afternoon, saying: 'I am very sorry to hear of the death of Sir Tom Farmer, an outstanding entrepreneur and such a generous individual to so many causes in Scotland. 'He was a source of wise counsel who gave so much of himself to assist others. 'Sir Tom made a profound impact on his beloved Leith, on Scotland and the wider world. I express my condolences to his family.' Hibernian head coach David Gray also spoke of his sadness at Sir Tom's death, saying the businessman had 'saved the club at a time of need'. Mr Gray recalled the moment he delivered the Scottish Cup to Sir Tom in 2016 after the club's 114-year wait for the trophy. He said: 'My relationship with him personally, it wasn't as if I've seen him all the time, not at all, but I did have one real positive meeting and introduction with him, which was straight after the cup final. 'I saw him on the Sunday and it was a nice moment to be able to present the Scottish Cup to him for everything he's done as a Hibs supporter and everything he's been through. 'All the times he's probably seen Hibs not win the Scottish Cup and all the pain he went through with that as well, so that was a real privileged moment for myself to be involved with the club on that day.' A post on Kwik Fit's X page said everyone at the company 'is very saddened', adding: 'Sir Tom will always be a towering figure in our industry. His entrepreneurship revolutionised the UK automotive aftermarket sector and built the foundations on which we stand today. 'Although Sir Tom's direct connection with the company ended more than two decades ago, his professional and personal qualities have remained a positive influence on many members of the Kwik Fit team to this day.' The businessman had three brothers and three sisters, many nieces and nephews, and the family said he was 'proud to be an uncle to them and their families'. He married Anne in 1966 after they met at their local church, and the devout Catholics were together for 57 years until her death in 2023. Their family said Sir Tom often credited Anne for his business success: 'In later years when asked about the secret to his success, he would often say it was because he 'married a girl like Anne.' 'They lived their whole married life in Edinburgh and are survived by their two children and four grandchildren. 'Sir Tom's Roman Catholic faith was present throughout all areas of his life. He attended mass weekly in Edinburgh and enjoyed the friendship and company of many people with the Catholic community both here in Scotland and further afield. 'Sir Tom will be remembered by many for his deep commitment to his family, his work and his faith and for being at all times a proud Scotsman.' Hibs paid tribute in a post on X, saying: 'Hibernian FC are devastated to hear of the passing of former owner Sir Tom Farmer, aged 84. 'Thank you for everything, Tom. Rest in peace.' The family has asked for privacy. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
John Swinney leads tributes after Kwik Fit founder Sir Tom Farmer dies aged 84
John Swinney has paid tribute to the 'profound impact' of Sir Tom Farmer after the Scottish businessman died at the age of 84. Sir Tom, who founded the garage chain Kwik Fit and was also a former director of MyTravel Group and Scottish Power, died at his Edinburgh home on Friday. He owned a majority stake in Hibernian Football Club for 28 years, selling his interest in 2019 to US businessman Ron Gordon. The First Minister hailed him as a 'generous individual to so many causes in Scotland'. Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said he was a 'proud Scot' and a 'huge contributor' to Edinburgh's community football. His family said in a statement on Saturday that Sir Tom's life and career 'touched many aspects of Scottish and UK life', and his philanthropy would be remembered. They added: 'More than anything Sir Tom was a family man. Born in Leith, Edinburgh, in 1940 he was the youngest of seven children. 'He frequently spoke of the love, care and attention that was bestowed upon him by being the youngest in such a large family.' Sir Tom started Kwik Fit in 1971 and grew it to become an international chain before selling it to Ford for £1 billion in 1999. He was knighted in 1997 for his services to the automotive industry and made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 2009 for his charitable work, including as chairman of the board of trustees for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. He was the first Scot to be awarded the prestigious Andrew Carnegie Medal for philanthropy, and was made a Knight Commander with Star of the Order of St Gregory the Great by the Catholic Church. The First Minister released a statement on Saturday afternoon, saying: 'I am very sorry to hear of the death of Sir Tom Farmer, an outstanding entrepreneur and such a generous individual to so many causes in Scotland. 'He was a source of wise counsel who gave so much of himself to assist others. 'Sir Tom made a profound impact on his beloved Leith, on Scotland and the wider world. I express my condolences to his family.' A post on Kwik Fit's X page said everyone at the company 'is very saddened', adding: 'Sir Tom will always be a towering figure in our industry. His entrepreneurship revolutionised the UK automotive aftermarket sector and built the foundations on which we stand today. 'Although Sir Tom's direct connection with the company ended more than two decades ago, his professional and personal qualities have remained a positive influence on many members of the Kwik Fit team to this day.' The businessman had three brothers and three sisters, many nieces and nephews, and the family said he was 'proud to be an uncle to them and their families'. He married Anne in 1966 after they met at their local church, and the devout Catholics were together for 57 years until her death in 2023. Their family said Sir Tom often credited Anne for his business success: 'In later years when asked about the secret to his success, he would often say it was because he 'married a girl like Anne.' 'They lived their whole married life in Edinburgh and are survived by their two children and four grandchildren. 'Sir Tom's Roman Catholic faith was present throughout all areas of his life. He attended mass weekly in Edinburgh and enjoyed the friendship and company of many people with the Catholic community both here in Scotland and further afield. 'Sir Tom will be remembered by many for his deep commitment to his family, his work and his faith and for being at all times a proud Scotsman.' Hibs paid tribute in a post on X, saying: 'Hibernian FC are devastated to hear of the passing of former owner Sir Tom Farmer, aged 84. 'Thank you for everything, Tom. Rest in peace.' The family has asked for privacy.
