ERIN Community Trust

A smaller turnout that in previous years saw promising Under-19 starlet Kurtis Byrne accept the Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards voted for by Trust members. With the majority of the first team squad enjoying a well earned break due to the International weekend, Kurtis gladly stepped in to meet up with fans and accept the awards on Chris Hogg and Steven Fletcher's behalf.

Hibs fans interested in joining the Trust, with memberships ranging from £5 a month, can visit the Joining Page and download an application form, contact Trust secretary Neil Havis via e-mail at secretary@erintrust.org or write to the Erin Community Trust, PO Box 70 70 70, Edinburgh.

Saturday May 5th, was another big day for the ERIN Hibernian Supporters Trust as we handed over a cheque to the club for £12,000. Committee Members Angela Cumming and Neil Havis were invited to view the game from the directors box and then were joined on the pitch by the great Lawrie Reilly to hand over the cheque to Tim Gardiner, the club’s Finance Director.

These funds have been used by the club to renew the licence for the Prozone match analysis system and also for some hardware for another system (Datatrax). Tim was very enthusiastic about both systems and was able to give us an update on their use and was also keen the reaffirm the board’s appreciation for the support the Trust gives to the club. Both systems will also be utilised at the clubs new, state of the art training centre at East Mains, which is due to be opened in October.

All in all a really good day which was only marred by the athletic goalkeeping of Alan Combe in the Kilmarnock net!

ERIN Hibernian Supporters Trust is happy to support the "Kick Out Bigotry" campaign and its sister campaign "Show Racism The Red Card". We are totally opposed to bigotry, sectarianism and racism in sport and indeed in society in general. As such we are happy to provide a link to the "Kick Out Bigotry" web site at the request of its organisers "Football For All".

Happily sectarianism is not a problem at Hibernian Football Club, nor a significant problem in the East of Scotland, however you will all be aware of the interest UEFA have taken in the bigoted action of certain Scottish "football fans" recently. Unfortunately this action stigmatises all Scottish fans in the eyes of Europe whether that is just or not.

Although sectarianism is not a problem at Easter Road there have been a small number of instances where racist comments have been made. I find this hard to believe bearing in mind the early history of our club and the prejudice shown against us in those early days. I assume those who have made these comments are unaware of our early history and may therefor wish to question there allegiance once aware. Or perhaps they can just do us all a favour and stay away from football altogether.

I would urge all football fans to support both "Kick Out Bigotry" and "Show Racism The Red Card" and show society what football fans are all about.

Frank Sweeney, convener, ERIN Hibernian Supporters Trust.

ERIN Hibernian Supporters Trust Player of the Year Dance
(8th September 2006)

ERIN Hibernian Supporters Trust will be holding its Player of the Year function at the Andrew Foley Lounge, Hibernian FC Supporters Association clubrooms on Sunnyside (off Easter Road) on Saturday 7th Oct. KO 7.30pm.

The event will include a disco & buffet as well as the chance to meet players past and present and have a good night out with other committed Hibs fans.

Tickets are priced at £8 Trust members and £10 non members. All proceeds will go to Trust funds which will in turn be used to advance the football club we all love.

At the Trust AGM in August our members decided to donate £12,000 to allow Tony Mowbray and the coaching staff the continued use of the Prozone Match Analysis System which was purchased by the Trust last season for a further 12 months. The Trust have also once again sponsored 2 players shirts for this season.

or by contacting the Committee members via the messageboards at HibeesBounce and Hibs.net.

ERIN Hibernian Supporters Trust would like to put on record our thanks to Dee4life Trust (Dundee F.C. supporters trust) for the hospitality and friendship shown to our Trust members prior to the match v Dundee Utd. on 3rd December. Dee4life hosted members in the executive lounges at Dens Park prior to the game which was greatly appreciated by all who attended.

The hospitality and reception afforded to our members was of the highest order and demonstrates the close link between Football Trust members nationwide.

Despite a heavy defeat at Ibrox earlier in the day, Hibs fans turned out in their numbers to finally congratulate the ERIN Trust's Players of the Year for season 2003/2004 at the Hibernian Supporters Clubrooms.

Unfortunately, most of the first team squad were unable to attend following the game but the Trust Committee were delighted to welcome Kevin Thomson and Scott Brown along for most of the evening. Kevin picked up the Young Player of the Year award, which was presented by former player and scorer of Hibs' first goal in the Skol Cup win back in 1991, Tommy McIntyre while Scott accepted the main award from Hibs legend and Trustee Lawrie Reilly on behalf of Derek Riordan.

Both players took a great deal of time to chat to, and get photographed with, those that had attended the dance and the Trust committee extends their thanks to both for their time.

The evening also raised a substantial sum through a raffle and an auction of memorabilia and these funds will be added to member subscriptions for the current financial year when the Committee look at how much can be passed onto the Club later in the year.

One final award was made on the evening - Hibs fan Colin Dudgeon was given replicas of the awards presented to the players in recognition of the work he's done over the last couple of years in generating members and attendees for functions.

Hibs fans interested in joining the Trust, with memberships ranging from £5 a month, can contact Trust secretary Neil Havis via e-mail at secretary@erintrust.org or write to the Erin Community Trust, PO Box 70 70 70, Edinburgh.

Supporters' cash will give Mowbray inside track on players
by David Hardie
(11th December 2004)

SCOTLAND’S first supporters’ trust was today handing over a further cheque to Hibs, bringing its contribution to the Easter Road club to more than £21,000.

The money raised by the Erin Trust over the past year has already been ear-marked by boss Tony Mowbray for a sophisticated computer database which will allow him to access the history of any player, putting him at the heart of every single match played in Europe. And more cash will be used to buy further new equipment for physio Malcolm Colquhoun.

The Erin Trust was founded five years ago and has since become the role model for similar organisations for Hearts, Aberdeen and Rangers, the aim being to purchase shares in Hibs and to invest in the club for purposes where funds may not normally be available. In the past, annual five-figure sums have paid for scouting trips and medical equipment and while the money involved may be modest in comparison to the cash needed to run an SPL club, Mowbray insisted every penny was appreciated.

Mowbray plans to use the bulk of this year’s windfall to buy "Scout7" computer software, explaining: "It’s an invaluable tool which a lot of football clubs down south use.

"It contains a database of players and with the click of a mouse you can access an individual’s entire history, how many games he has played, which managers he has played under, goals scored, injuries, match reports and so on. So if an agent were to put a name forward to me I can check immediately although, of course, you’d want to see a player in action before committing yourself.

"This football club is run in a very professional manner but we want to keep improving in every detail and it is terrific that the fans support us in this way. It’s not just about training and playing games, there are many things required but they all need money."

Simon Wallace, vice-convenor of the Erin Trust, said: "We are also paying for a new television, video and DVD system for Tony’s use while we’ll be buying a couple of ice baths for the physio department.

"We’ve always said that we didn’t just want to see the money raised disappear into one big pot, we wanted to use it in ways that could help make a little difference, for things that would otherwise have to be paid for out of another budget.

"If the physio can tell us that the guy who has scored the winning goal in a particular match was back a week early thanks to the equipment bought by the Erin Trust then we’ve accomplished what we set out to do."

Hibs fans interested in joining the Trust, with memberships ranging from £5 a month, can contact Trust secretary Neil Havis via e-mail at secretary@erintrust.org or write to the Erin Community Trust, PO Box 70 70 70, Edinburgh.

August saw the Trust hold it’s AGM at the Hibs Club at Sunnyside. Frank Sweeney, the Trust chair gave a summary of the Trust activities in the previous year. Last season the Trust sponsored the Happy Hibee Half Time Draw. Our sponsorship money was used by the club to lease a minibus to continue it’s coaching in the West of Scotland. Trust members were given the opportunity of making the draw on the pitch at half time during home games. We also helped sponsor the Under 21 programme. As usual we also sponsored some of the players kit. Last season it was Matthias Doumbe’s home top and Stephen Glass’ boots.

October saw our Player of The Year Dance. Our player of the year was Ian Murray and the Young Player was Tam McManus. Both were present on the night to collect their awards along with other members of the first team squad, former players and the Management team. The night was great success and helped raise more funds for the Trust. Committee members attended a Supporters Direct Conference at Hampden and also did their bit to help Trust members get tickets for the CIS Cup final in March. We also produced leaflets to recruit new members and had them included in a mailshot by the club to 17,000 fans.

By the end of the year we had collected sufficient funds to make a contribution of over £8,000 to Hibs. We canvassed the club for ideas and members decided to purchase a computerised scouting system and audiovisual coaching equipment for Tony Mowbray as well as more equipment for the club physiotherapist. The elections for office bearers followed and the new management committee consists of the following people

Frank Sweeney (Chair), Simon Wallace (Vice Chair and PR organiser), Neil Havis (Secretary), Dave Shanks (Treasurer), Alison Campbell (Events Organiser and Membership Drive Organiser) and finally Jim Gardiner (Supporters Liaison Officer). A new member Gerard O Donnell was also elected to the committee and an open invitation was extended to all members to attend committee meetings on the first Monday of every month.

The ERIN Community Trust is delighted to announce the details of it's Player of the Year night covering last season. This event will be held alongside a Legends night which will give Hibs fans the opportunity to meet, talk to and have their photographs taken with over 20 ex-players on Saturday 18th October at the Stella Maris Club (behind St Mary's Church), Constitution Street, Edinburgh. Tickets are are available now, priced £10 for Trust members, £13 for Hibernian Supporters Association members and £15 for others, by writing to:

The ERIN Community Trust will be holding it's Annual General Meeting on Monday 25th August 2003 in the Andrew Foley Lounge at the Hibernian Supporters Club, Sunnyside, Edinburgh from 7.30pm.

If you would like to nominate anyone, or wish to stand for any position yourself, please contact us at our PO Box address or e-mail secretary@erintrust.org before Friday 22^nd August and a committee member will be in touch with you.

This year’s Player of the Year function is due to take place on the 12^th of April in the Forthview Suite at Easter Road Stadium. The last time the event was held we had eleven members of the first team squad as well as the manager and assistant manager. The night starts at 7:30 and tickets are now on sale for Trust members.

Tickets are available to Trust members only until the 31^st of March following which there will be a public sale. The cost of the dance will be £10 to members, £13 to Hibs Supporters Club members and 15 pounds to the general public.

As always we shall giving awards to the young player who has impressed the membership of the Trust in the previous year, as well as a vote for your best player.

To cast your vote, or to order tickets, please contact the Secretary at secretary@erintrust.org giving us your name, Membership Number (if available) and your choices for Player and Young Player of the Year.

The ERIN Trust are to continue their traditional sponsorship of a first team player's top with another Frenchman.

23 year old Mathias Kouo Doumbe was signed from PSG by Alex McLeish and made his first team debut earlier this season. He has been a regular on the substitute's bench over the last few games although he is confident that he will make the breakthrough under current Manager Bobby Williamson.

At half-time during the Hibs versus Dundee SPL match on Saturday 16th November 2002, Trustee and Hibernian legend Lawrie Reilly along with Trust vice-convenor Simon Wallace handed over a cheque for £6,061 to Hibernian Chairman Ken Lewandowski.

The Player Of The Year Dance was held in the Forthview suite at Easter Road with a good turnout of both Trust members and players from the club.

Alex McLeish led the party which included Ulrick Laursen, Gary Smith, Ian Murray and Nick Colgan, the latter collecting the POTY award on behalf of the whole team, an honour which recognised everyone's part in a marvellous season.

Musselburgh Windsor held on to the trophy for another year, beating Leith Athletic 2 - 1. Everyone received a medal to commemorate the day and although Lawrie himself was unable, to attend the trophy was presented by councillor Willie Dunn.

The Lawrie Reilly Trophy is a competition that was set up by the Trust in honour of a Hibs legend and is contested annually by boy's clubs. Current holders Musselburgh Windsor U13's will play Leith Athletic U13's for this year's trophy on Sunday 20th August 2000 - 1 p.m. at Leith Links (near Links Gardens). Lawrie Reilly himself will be on hand to present the winners with the trophy.

This will be followed by an adult game between Erin Hibs and Leith Athletic Coaches XI.

The 20th of May saw yet another historic signing when Malcolm MacPherson, Erick Davidson and Steven Dunn signed up as members of Erin community trust.

Erick Davidson, who added "a privilege as I am simply Erick Davidson, Hibs fan, not Erick Davidson, Director in this instance."

This happened at the first ERIN Community Trust end of season party and award ceremony. For a full account of everything you missed, click here.

Tickets are fast selling out, especially with the news that the Trust is hosting an award presentation to - Russell Latapy for player of the year 1999-2000, Kenny Miller for young player of the year 1999-2000 and a special outstanding career award to Franck Sauzee.

A high turnout of playing staff and club officials is anticipated. Also present will be the former players currently charged with trusteeship Craig Paterson, Keith Wright and Lawrie Reilly. Click here for details of how to get tickets.

Erin Community Trust are delighted to announce that Hibs manager Alex McLeish has pledged his support for the Trust initiative by signing up to be member number 000 001. This took place on Monday 24th April at Easter Road.

"The Hibs support never fail to amaze me. They are like a twelfth man to the team and they are second to none in the land" , he genuinely admits.

Trust Convenor, John Campbell, also assured fans that every penny invested in the trust would be treated as 'new' money for use by the manager. He said: "We have been assured by the club, who have supported us throughout this initiative, that all money invested will be treated as new money, and will not replace any investments already being made by the club. Today is the official launch of the trust, after many months of planning and the fine work being done by Craig Paterson, Lawrie Reilly and Keith Wright as Trustees."

The pledging of his money and energy in helping the Trust is a clear indication of the managers long term ambition for the club - and his own long-term commitment to the club.