Hibernian F.C. season 2007-08
Encyclopedia
Season 2007–08 for Hibernian
could be split into three distinct parts: a great unbeaten start to the Scottish Premier League
season that temporarily took the club to the top of the league; a terrible middle phase which saw a long winless run and the resignation of John Collins as Hibs manager; and, finally, a modest recovery under the management of Mixu Paatelainen
, who was appointed in January 2008. This recovery took Hibs into the top half of the SPL, but short of third place and the UEFA Cup
spot, which was won by Motherwell
.
, where they worked with fitness coach Roger Propos. At the end of the week they played SV Vöcklabruck in their first pre-season friendly. John Collins used this game to experiment, using 21 different players as Hibs lost the match 3–2.
Returning to Scotland
, Hibs played a friendly against Brechin
, which they won 2–0 with goals from Abdessalam Benjelloun
and Clayton Donaldson
. Four days later, Hibs routed First Division
new boys Stirling Albion 5–0. Hibs then played their third friendly in eight days at the Almondvale Stadium, where they left it late against Livingston
. Hibs eventually won 2–0 through goals by Steven Fletcher
and Merouane Zemmama
, who scored on a rebound from a penalty kick
taken by Ross Chisholm
. Hibs rounded off their pre-season campaign with two friendlies against Premiership opposition, beating Bolton Wanderers
3–0 and Middlesbrough
1–0.
Hibs got the season off to a dream start by beating Edinburgh derby
rivals Hearts
1–0 at Tynecastle. Brian Kerr
, who was making his competitive debut for Hibs, scored the goal in the second minute. Hibs continued their winning start to the season, coming from 2–0 down to beat Gretna
4–2.
Hibs extended their unbeaten run with two draws, 0–0 away to Dundee Utd
and 3–3 at home with Aberdeen
. In the latter game, Hibs had to come back from 3–1 down after two clear mistakes by their goalkeeper, Yves Makabu-Makalambay. Hibs then beat Inverness 1–0 in their next game, during which Makalambay saved a penalty
taken by Marius Niculae
.
Despite being unbeaten in the league, Hibs were expected to struggle in the next three games, as they were due to play both of the Old Firm
. Hibs upset league champions
Celtic
at Easter Road
3–2, although they were aided by two clear errors made by Celtic
goalkeeper Artur Boruc
. Hibs then bounced back from their disappointing CIS Cup
exit by beating Kilmarnock 4–1, mainly thanks to a hat trick
by Clayton Donaldson. In the following match, Hibs beat Rangers
1–0 at Ibrox
to temporarily go top of the SPL
and extend their unbeaten league run to 10 games, including the last game of the 2006–07 season
.
Hibs then started a dreadful run of form by losing their next two games against Motherwell
and St. Mirren
. After a 1–0 victory over Gretna
, Hibs went on a run of 11 games without a win in the SPL
. By the end of 2007, Hibs had fallen out of the top six. This slump prompted the resignation of manager John Collins in December.
Mixu Paatelainen
was appointed as manager on 10 January 2008. Hibs won their first game under him, defeating Inverness
3–0 in the Scottish Cup
, but lost their first league game, 1–0 in the derby at Tynecastle. Hibs won four successive league games in February, defeating Gretna
4–2, Aberdeen
3–1, Inverness
2–0 and Falkirk
2–0. Hibs lost their next league game 2–0 against Celtic
, but bounced back to win their next two games, 1–0 against Motherwell
and 2–0 against Kilmarnock
. This completed a run of 6 wins in 7 league games.
Hibs lost their next two games to Rangers
and Motherwell
, but defeated St. Mirren
2–0 in their last game before the SPL split. Hibs guaranteed a spot in the Intertoto Cup
by finishing in the top six at the split. This was because Falkirk, the only other SPL side who applied to enter the competition, finished in the bottom half of the table and therefore could no longer overtake Hibs. Hibs were in contention for a UEFA Cup
place at this point, but then only took two points from the five games after the league split and finished in sixth place.
with a 2–1 win over Queen's Park
at Hampden
. After the game, manager John Collins was quick to praise Filipe Morais
, who scored the opening goal. They were drawn to play Motherwell
at home
in the next round. Hibs took the lead through an early goal by Clayton Donaldson
, but Motherwell ran out comfortable 4–2 winners, ending Hibs' defence of the Cup and their unbeaten start to the season.
after a 3–0 win over Inverness
. Dean Shiels
scored a hat-trick
.
They were then drawn against league leaders Rangers
in the next round, and drew the first game 0–0 at Easter Road
. Rangers finished the match with ten men after Allan McGregor
was sent off for a professional foul on Shiels. The tie was replayed at Ibrox
on March 9, but Hibs lost 0–1 to a goal by Chris Burke
while Hibs were temporarily down to 10 men due to an injury sustained by Ian Murray. Rangers again had a player sent off late on the match (Nacho Novo
), but Hibs were unable to take advantage of the extra man.
for £4.4 million, while Chris Killen
, Hibs' top goalscorer in 2006–07
, also moved to Celtic
. Ivan Sproule
was sold to Bristol City
for an undisclosed fee, estimated to be around £500,000. Defender Shelton Martis
joined up with former Hibs manager Tony Mowbray
at West Brom
for £50,000.
Hibs manager John Collins made several signings in an effort to replace those players. These included the Bosman
signings of Brian Kerr
, Clayton Donaldson
, goalkeeper Yves Makabu-Makalambay and Republic of Ireland
international Alan O'Brien
from Newcastle
. German
youth international Torben Joneleit
was taken on loan from Monaco. On the last day of the summer transfer window
, Hibs signed striker
Mickaël Antoine-Curier
from FK Haugesund
for a nominal fee.
During the January transfer window, new Hibs manager Mixu Paatelainen
strengthened the squad by bringing in defenders Abderraouf Zarabi
, Ian Murray and Martin Canning
. He also signed midfielder John Rankin
and striker Colin Nish
. Unlike most of the summer signings, all of the winter signings, except Zarabi, had significant experience of playing in Scottish football. David Murphy
was the only major transfer out during the winter, joining Birmingham
for a fee of £1.5M.
|}
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
could be split into three distinct parts: a great unbeaten start to the Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
season that temporarily took the club to the top of the league; a terrible middle phase which saw a long winless run and the resignation of John Collins as Hibs manager; and, finally, a modest recovery under the management of Mixu Paatelainen
Mixu Paatelainen
Mika-Matti Petteri "Mixu" Paatelainen is a former Finnish international football player and the current manager of the Finnish national team, having started the role in April 2011...
, who was appointed in January 2008. This recovery took Hibs into the top half of the SPL, but short of third place and the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
spot, which was won by Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
.
Pre-season
Hibs started pre-season training at a training centre in AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, where they worked with fitness coach Roger Propos. At the end of the week they played SV Vöcklabruck in their first pre-season friendly. John Collins used this game to experiment, using 21 different players as Hibs lost the match 3–2.
Returning to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Hibs played a friendly against Brechin
Brechin City F.C.
Brechin City Football Club is a Scottish football team based in Brechin, Angus. They are members of the Scottish Football League and play in the Second Division in the 2010–11 season...
, which they won 2–0 with goals from Abdessalam Benjelloun
Abdessalam Benjelloun
Abdessalam Benjelloun is a Moroccan footballer, who currently plays for Wydad de Fes.Benjelloun, who is also known as Benji, has represented the Morocco national football team. He started his career in his native Morocco, before moving to Scottish Premier League club Hibernian in 2006...
and Clayton Donaldson
Clayton Donaldson
Clayton Andrew Donaldson is an English footballer who plays for Brentford as a striker.Donaldson started his career with Hull City in 2002, scoring on his first team debut in the Football League Trophy later that year...
. Four days later, Hibs routed First Division
Scottish Football League First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
new boys Stirling Albion 5–0. Hibs then played their third friendly in eight days at the Almondvale Stadium, where they left it late against Livingston
Livingston F.C.
Livingston Football Club is a Scottish association football club based in Livingston, West Lothian. The club currently plays in the Scottish Football League First Division.The club was founded in 1943 as Ferranti Thistle, a works team...
. Hibs eventually won 2–0 through goals by Steven Fletcher
Steven Fletcher (footballer)
Steven Kenneth Fletcher is a Scottish international footballer who plays as a striker. He is currently signed to English Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers....
and Merouane Zemmama
Merouane Zemmama
Merouane Zemmama is a Moroccan football player who currently plays for English Championship club Middlesbrough. Zemmama represented Morocco at the 2004 Summer Olympics and was first capped at full international level in 2008....
, who scored on a rebound from a penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
taken by Ross Chisholm
Ross Chisholm
Ross Chisholm is a Scottish professional footballer, who currently plays for Dundee. He began his career with Hibernian and made over 40 appearances in the Scottish Premier League before being released in 2009. Chisholm then had short spells with Shamrock Rovers and Darlington before signing for...
. Hibs rounded off their pre-season campaign with two friendlies against Premiership opposition, beating Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
3–0 and Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
1–0.
Results
League season
Edinburgh derby
The Edinburgh derby is an informal title given to any football match played between Scottish clubs Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian , the two professional clubs based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The two clubs have a fierce rivalry that dates back to the clubs being founded in the mid-1870s, which...
rivals Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
1–0 at Tynecastle. Brian Kerr
Brian Kerr (footballer)
Brian Kerr is a Scottish international association football player.- Newcastle United :Kerr started his career with Newcastle United, but failed to hold down a regular first team place. Despite this, he won three caps for Scotland under the management of Berti Vogts...
, who was making his competitive debut for Hibs, scored the goal in the second minute. Hibs continued their winning start to the season, coming from 2–0 down to beat Gretna
Gretna F.C.
Gretna Football Club was a Scottish football club that represented the town of Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway, close to the border between England and Scotland...
4–2.
Hibs extended their unbeaten run with two draws, 0–0 away to Dundee Utd
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
and 3–3 at home with Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
. In the latter game, Hibs had to come back from 3–1 down after two clear mistakes by their goalkeeper, Yves Makabu-Makalambay. Hibs then beat Inverness 1–0 in their next game, during which Makalambay saved a penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
taken by Marius Niculae
Marius Niculae
Marius Constantin Niculae is a Romanian footballer who plays for FC Dinamo Bucureşti as a centre forward.A Romanian international since the age of 19, he participated at Euro 2008.-Dinamo Bucharest:...
.
Despite being unbeaten in the league, Hibs were expected to struggle in the next three games, as they were due to play both of the Old Firm
Old Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...
. Hibs upset league champions
Scottish football champions
The Scottish football champions are the winners of the highest league in Scottish football, namely the Scottish Football League from 1890 until 1998 and the Scottish Premier League thereafter....
Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
at Easter Road
Easter Road
Easter Road is a football stadium located in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Hibernian . The stadium currently has an all-seated capacity of 20,421, which makes it the fifth-largest football stadium in Scotland. Easter Road is also...
3–2, although they were aided by two clear errors made by Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
goalkeeper Artur Boruc
Artur Boruc
Artur Boruc is a Polish footballer who plays for Serie A club Fiorentina as a goalkeeper. On 20 October 2008, Boruc was one of 55 players shortlisted for the FIFPro World XI Player Awards.-Pogoń Siedlce:...
. Hibs then bounced back from their disappointing CIS Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
exit by beating Kilmarnock 4–1, mainly thanks to a hat trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
by Clayton Donaldson. In the following match, Hibs beat Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
1–0 at Ibrox
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
to temporarily go top of the SPL
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
and extend their unbeaten league run to 10 games, including the last game of the 2006–07 season
Hibernian F.C. season 2006-07
-League season:Hibs got off to a slow start in the new league season, taking eleven points from the first nine matches. The highlight of the early part of the league season was a 2–1 win over Rangers on 17 September, but this was then followed with two disappointing losses against Falkirk and...
.
Hibs then started a dreadful run of form by losing their next two games against Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
and St. Mirren
St. Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...
. After a 1–0 victory over Gretna
Gretna F.C.
Gretna Football Club was a Scottish football club that represented the town of Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway, close to the border between England and Scotland...
, Hibs went on a run of 11 games without a win in the SPL
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
. By the end of 2007, Hibs had fallen out of the top six. This slump prompted the resignation of manager John Collins in December.
Mixu Paatelainen
Mika-Matti Petteri "Mixu" Paatelainen is a former Finnish international football player and the current manager of the Finnish national team, having started the role in April 2011...
was appointed as manager on 10 January 2008. Hibs won their first game under him, defeating Inverness
Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club from Inverness who compete in the Scottish Premier League. They are currently managed by Terry Butcher and assistant manager Maurice Malpas...
3–0 in the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
, but lost their first league game, 1–0 in the derby at Tynecastle. Hibs won four successive league games in February, defeating Gretna
Gretna F.C.
Gretna Football Club was a Scottish football club that represented the town of Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway, close to the border between England and Scotland...
4–2, Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
3–1, Inverness
Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club from Inverness who compete in the Scottish Premier League. They are currently managed by Terry Butcher and assistant manager Maurice Malpas...
2–0 and Falkirk
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
2–0. Hibs lost their next league game 2–0 against Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
, but bounced back to win their next two games, 1–0 against Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
and 2–0 against Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
. This completed a run of 6 wins in 7 league games.
Hibs lost their next two games to Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
and Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
, but defeated St. Mirren
St. Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...
2–0 in their last game before the SPL split. Hibs guaranteed a spot in the Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
by finishing in the top six at the split. This was because Falkirk, the only other SPL side who applied to enter the competition, finished in the bottom half of the table and therefore could no longer overtake Hibs. Hibs were in contention for a UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
place at this point, but then only took two points from the five games after the league split and finished in sixth place.
Results
Final table
Scottish League Cup
Hibs started their defence of the CIS CupScottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
with a 2–1 win over Queen's Park
Queen's Park F.C.
Queen's Park Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland. The club are currently the only amateur club in the Scottish League; their amateur status is reflected by their motto, Ludere Causa Ludendi – to play for the sake of playing.Queen's Park are the oldest...
at Hampden
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
. After the game, manager John Collins was quick to praise Filipe Morais
Filipe Morais
Filipe Alexandre Morais is a Portuguese footballer who is currently with Oldham Athletic.-Club career:Morais was born in Benavente, Portugal and turned professional after signing for Chelsea in 2003. Prior to the 2006–07 season, Morais joined Millwall on a free transfer, scoring once against...
, who scored the opening goal. They were drawn to play Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
at home
Easter Road
Easter Road is a football stadium located in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Hibernian . The stadium currently has an all-seated capacity of 20,421, which makes it the fifth-largest football stadium in Scotland. Easter Road is also...
in the next round. Hibs took the lead through an early goal by Clayton Donaldson
Clayton Donaldson
Clayton Andrew Donaldson is an English footballer who plays for Brentford as a striker.Donaldson started his career with Hull City in 2002, scoring on his first team debut in the Football League Trophy later that year...
, but Motherwell ran out comfortable 4–2 winners, ending Hibs' defence of the Cup and their unbeaten start to the season.
Results
Scottish Cup
Hibs progressed to the fifth round of the Scottish CupScottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
after a 3–0 win over Inverness
Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club from Inverness who compete in the Scottish Premier League. They are currently managed by Terry Butcher and assistant manager Maurice Malpas...
. Dean Shiels
Dean Shiels
Dean Andrew Shiels is a Northern Irish footballer who plays for Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premier League. Shiels is on loan to Kilmarnock from Doncaster Rovers...
scored a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
.
They were then drawn against league leaders Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
in the next round, and drew the first game 0–0 at Easter Road
Easter Road
Easter Road is a football stadium located in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Hibernian . The stadium currently has an all-seated capacity of 20,421, which makes it the fifth-largest football stadium in Scotland. Easter Road is also...
. Rangers finished the match with ten men after Allan McGregor
Allan McGregor
Allan James McGregor is a Scottish association footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Rangers and the Scotland national team...
was sent off for a professional foul on Shiels. The tie was replayed at Ibrox
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
on March 9, but Hibs lost 0–1 to a goal by Chris Burke
Chris Burke (footballer)
Christopher Robert "Chris" Burke is a Scottish footballer who plays for Birmingham City.Burke began his career with Scottish Premier League club Rangers, playing in almost 100 league games, but without establishing himself as a regular first team player. He then played more than 100 matches over...
while Hibs were temporarily down to 10 men due to an injury sustained by Ian Murray. Rangers again had a player sent off late on the match (Nacho Novo
Nacho Novo
Ignacio Javier "Nacho" Gómez Novo is a Spanish association footballer who plays for La Liga side Sporting Gijón.Novo formerly played for Huesca in Spain then moved to Scotland with Raith Rovers and Dundee. In July 2004, he moved to Rangers for £450,000. During his first season at the club he...
), but Hibs were unable to take advantage of the extra man.
Results
Transfers
Hibs lost several key players in the 2007 close season. Star player Scott Brown was sold to CelticCeltic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
for £4.4 million, while Chris Killen
Chris Killen
Christopher John "Chris" Killen is a New Zealand international footballer who plays as a striker for Chinese Super League club Shenzhen Ruby. Killen grew up in Wellington and played his club football for Miramar Rangers. After a trial with Manchester City, he joined City's youth academy...
, Hibs' top goalscorer in 2006–07
Hibernian F.C. season 2006-07
-League season:Hibs got off to a slow start in the new league season, taking eleven points from the first nine matches. The highlight of the early part of the league season was a 2–1 win over Rangers on 17 September, but this was then followed with two disappointing losses against Falkirk and...
, also moved to Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
. Ivan Sproule
Ivan Sproule
Ivan Sproule is a Northern Irish professional association football player. Sproule, a winger who is known for his explosive pace, only turned professional after he signed for Scottish Premier League side Hibernian in January 2005, just a month before his 24th birthday...
was sold to Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
for an undisclosed fee, estimated to be around £500,000. Defender Shelton Martis
Shelton Martis
Shelton Martis is a football defender, currently playing for Doncaster Rovers.-Early career:...
joined up with former Hibs manager Tony Mowbray
Tony Mowbray
Anthony Mark "Tony" Mowbray is an English former professional football player, who is currently the manager of Middlesbrough...
at West Brom
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
for £50,000.
Hibs manager John Collins made several signings in an effort to replace those players. These included the Bosman
Bosman ruling
Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football Association ASBL v Jean-Marc Bosman is a 1995 European Court of Justice decision concerning freedom of movement for workers, freedom of association, and direct effect of article 39 of the EC Treaty...
signings of Brian Kerr
Brian Kerr (footballer)
Brian Kerr is a Scottish international association football player.- Newcastle United :Kerr started his career with Newcastle United, but failed to hold down a regular first team place. Despite this, he won three caps for Scotland under the management of Berti Vogts...
, Clayton Donaldson
Clayton Donaldson
Clayton Andrew Donaldson is an English footballer who plays for Brentford as a striker.Donaldson started his career with Hull City in 2002, scoring on his first team debut in the Football League Trophy later that year...
, goalkeeper Yves Makabu-Makalambay and Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
international Alan O'Brien
Alan O'Brien
Alan O'Brien is an Irish association football player who plays for Yeovil Town.O'Brien, who plays as a winger, has represented the Republic of Ireland at full international level five times, all while he was on the books of Newcastle United.- Newcastle United :O'Brien played for Cabinteely and St...
from Newcastle
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
. German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
youth international Torben Joneleit
Torben Joneleit
Torben Joneleit is a Monegasque-born German professional footballer who plays for Belgian club Genk.- Career :Joneleit joined Scottish Premier League club Hibernian on what was originally intended to be a year's loan from Monaco for the 2007–08 season on 26 June 2007...
was taken on loan from Monaco. On the last day of the summer transfer window
Transfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...
, Hibs signed striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
Mickaël Antoine-Curier
Mickaël Antoine-Curier
Mickaël Antoine-Curier is a French born Guadeloupean professional footballer who currently plays in Cyprus for Ethnikos Achnas....
from FK Haugesund
F.K. Haugesund
Fotballklubben Haugesund is a Norwegian football club from the city of Haugesund. It was founded on October 28, 1993, after a merger between the football clubs Djerv 1919 and SK Haugar. FK Haugesund played in Tippeligaen in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2010 and in 2011. In 2007, FK Haugesund reached the...
for a nominal fee.
During the January transfer window, new Hibs manager Mixu Paatelainen
Mixu Paatelainen
Mika-Matti Petteri "Mixu" Paatelainen is a former Finnish international football player and the current manager of the Finnish national team, having started the role in April 2011...
strengthened the squad by bringing in defenders Abderraouf Zarabi
Abderraouf Zarabi
Abderraouf Zarabi is an Algerian international footballer. He currently plays as a defender for JS Kabylie in the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1...
, Ian Murray and Martin Canning
Martin Canning
Martin Canning is a Scottish football defender who plays for Scottish Premier League side .Canning became 's record signing in January 2006 after joining from in a £60,000 deal...
. He also signed midfielder John Rankin
John Rankin (footballer)
John Rankin is a Scottish footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Scottish Premier League club Dundee United.-Early career:...
and striker Colin Nish
Colin Nish
Colin Nish is a Scottish footballer who currently plays as a striker for Hartlepool United.-Early life:Nish grew up in Musselburgh and was a fan of his local side Hibernian as a child.-Dunfermline Athletic:...
. Unlike most of the summer signings, all of the winter signings, except Zarabi, had significant experience of playing in Scottish football. David Murphy
David Murphy (footballer)
David Paul Murphy is an English professional footballer who plays for Birmingham City. Murphy, born in Hartlepool, County Durham, is a defender who plays at left back.-Club career:...
was the only major transfer out during the winter, joining Birmingham
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
for a fee of £1.5M.
Players In
| Player | From | Fee |
|---|---|---|
 Brian KerrBrian Kerr (footballer) Brian Kerr is a Scottish international association football player.- Newcastle United :Kerr started his career with Newcastle United, but failed to hold down a regular first team place. Despite this, he won three caps for Scotland under the management of Berti Vogts... |
Motherwell Motherwell F.C. Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998... |
Free |
 Clayton DonaldsonClayton Donaldson Clayton Andrew Donaldson is an English footballer who plays for Brentford as a striker.Donaldson started his career with Hull City in 2002, scoring on his first team debut in the Football League Trophy later that year... |
York City York City F.C. York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions... |
Free |
 Alan O'BrienAlan O'Brien Alan O'Brien is an Irish association football player who plays for Yeovil Town.O'Brien, who plays as a winger, has represented the Republic of Ireland at full international level five times, all while he was on the books of Newcastle United.- Newcastle United :O'Brien played for Cabinteely and St... |
Newcastle Newcastle United F.C. Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger... |
£200,000 |
| Yves Makabu-Makalambay | Chelsea Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four... |
£100,000 |
 Thierry GathuessiThierry Gathuessi Thierry Gathuessi is a Cameroonian footballer.He has been capped once at full international level by Cameroon.... |
Sète FC Sète FC Sète 34 is a French football club based in Sète and founded in 1900. The club won the French league twice and the French cup also twice . In 1934 they became the first club to win the French league and cup double.... |
Free |
 Filipe MoraisFilipe Morais Filipe Alexandre Morais is a Portuguese footballer who is currently with Oldham Athletic.-Club career:Morais was born in Benavente, Portugal and turned professional after signing for Chelsea in 2003. Prior to the 2006–07 season, Morais joined Millwall on a free transfer, scoring once against... |
Millwall Millwall F.C. Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the... |
Free |
 Mickaël Antoine-CurierMickaël Antoine-Curier Mickaël Antoine-Curier is a French born Guadeloupean professional footballer who currently plays in Cyprus for Ethnikos Achnas.... |
Haugesund F.K. Haugesund Fotballklubben Haugesund is a Norwegian football club from the city of Haugesund. It was founded on October 28, 1993, after a merger between the football clubs Djerv 1919 and SK Haugar. FK Haugesund played in Tippeligaen in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2010 and in 2011. In 2007, FK Haugesund reached the... |
Nomial Fee |
| Patrick Noubissie Patrick Noubissie Patrick Benjamin Noubissié Youmbi is a French football midfielder of Cameroonian descent who currently plays for Kettering Town in the Conference National.-Career:... |
Swindon Town Swindon Town F.C. Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011... |
Free |
| Ian Murray |
Norwich City Norwich City F.C. Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The... |
Free |
| John Rankin John Rankin (footballer) John Rankin is a Scottish footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Scottish Premier League club Dundee United.-Early career:... |
Inverness CT Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C. Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club from Inverness who compete in the Scottish Premier League. They are currently managed by Terry Butcher and assistant manager Maurice Malpas... |
£110,000 |
| Colin Nish Colin Nish Colin Nish is a Scottish footballer who currently plays as a striker for Hartlepool United.-Early life:Nish grew up in Musselburgh and was a fan of his local side Hibernian as a child.-Dunfermline Athletic:... |
Kilmarnock Kilmarnock F.C. Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park... |
£100,000 |
 Abderraouf ZarabiAbderraouf Zarabi Abderraouf Zarabi is an Algerian international footballer. He currently plays as a defender for JS Kabylie in the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1... |
Gueugnon FC Gueugnon Football Club Gueugnonnais was a French association football club based in Gueugnon. The club was formed in 1940 and played in the Championnat National, the third level of French football, before entering liquidation in April 2011. Gueugnon played its home matches at the Stade Jean Laville... |
Undisclosed fee |
| Martin Canning Martin Canning Martin Canning is a Scottish football defender who plays for Scottish Premier League side .Canning became 's record signing in January 2006 after joining from in a £60,000 deal... |
Gretna Gretna F.C. Gretna Football Club was a Scottish football club that represented the town of Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway, close to the border between England and Scotland... |
Free |
Players Out
| Player | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Scott Brown |
Celtic Celtic F.C. Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the... |
£4,400,000 |
 Ivan SprouleIvan Sproule Ivan Sproule is a Northern Irish professional association football player. Sproule, a winger who is known for his explosive pace, only turned professional after he signed for Scottish Premier League side Hibernian in January 2005, just a month before his 24th birthday... |
Bristol City Bristol City F.C. Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City... |
£500,000 |
 Chris KillenChris Killen Christopher John "Chris" Killen is a New Zealand international footballer who plays as a striker for Chinese Super League club Shenzhen Ruby. Killen grew up in Wellington and played his club football for Miramar Rangers. After a trial with Manchester City, he joined City's youth academy... |
Celtic Celtic F.C. Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the... |
Free |
| Simon Brown Simon Brown (footballer born 1976) Simon James Brown is an English footballer, who currently plays for Cambridge United. Brown is a goalkeeper.-Playing career:... |
Brentford Brentford F.C. Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One.... |
Free |
| Michael Stewart Michael Stewart (footballer) Michael James Stewart is a Scottish footballer who is currently a free agent after his release by Charlton Athletic. He is notable for beginning his career with Manchester United and having played for both of the Edinburgh derby rivals Hibernian and Hearts. He terminated his contract with Turkish... |
Heart of Midlothian Heart of Midlothian F.C. Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian... |
Free |
 Shelton MartisShelton Martis Shelton Martis is a football defender, currently playing for Doncaster Rovers.-Early career:... |
West Brom West Bromwich Albion F.C. West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands... |
£50,000 |
| Kevin McDonald |
Airdrie United Airdrie United F.C. Airdrie United Football Club are a Scottish professional football team based in the town of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire. They are currently managed by ex-Airdrieonians player and former Airdrie United Under 19s coach Jimmy Boyle. They are members of the Scottish Football League and play in the... |
Free |
| Steven Whittaker Steven Whittaker Steven Gordon Whittaker is a Scottish association footballer who currently plays as a right back for Scottish Premier League club Rangers and the Scotland national side.... |
Rangers Rangers F.C. Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses... |
£2,000,000 |
| David Murphy David Murphy (footballer) David Paul Murphy is an English professional footballer who plays for Birmingham City. Murphy, born in Hartlepool, County Durham, is a defender who plays at left back.-Club career:... |
Birmingham Birmingham City F.C. Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the... |
£1,500,000 |
Loans In
| Player | From |
|---|---|
 Torben JoneleitTorben Joneleit Torben Joneleit is a Monegasque-born German professional footballer who plays for Belgian club Genk.- Career :Joneleit joined Scottish Premier League club Hibernian on what was originally intended to be a year's loan from Monaco for the 2007–08 season on 26 June 2007... |
Monaco |
Loans Out
| Player | To |
|---|---|
 Zbigniew Małkowski |
Inverness Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C. Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club from Inverness who compete in the Scottish Premier League. They are currently managed by Terry Butcher and assistant manager Maurice Malpas... |
| Dermot McCaffrey Dermot McCaffrey Dermot McCaffrey is a Northern Irish footballer, currently with Dungannon Swifts.McCaffrey spent his childhood in Clogher, County Tyrone, and he started his professional career with Scottish club Hibs. McCaffrey made only one appearance for the Hibs first team, in which he was sent off... |
Livingston Livingston F.C. Livingston Football Club is a Scottish association football club based in Livingston, West Lothian. The club currently plays in the Scottish Football League First Division.The club was founded in 1943 as Ferranti Thistle, a works team... |
| Patrick Noubissie Patrick Noubissie Patrick Benjamin Noubissié Youmbi is a French football midfielder of Cameroonian descent who currently plays for Kettering Town in the Conference National.-Career:... |
Dundee Dundee F.C. Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from... |
| Mickaël Antoine-Curier Mickaël Antoine-Curier Mickaël Antoine-Curier is a French born Guadeloupean professional footballer who currently plays in Cyprus for Ethnikos Achnas.... |
Dundee Dundee F.C. Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from... |
| Sean Lynch |
St. Johnstone |
| Damon Gray Damon Gray Damon Ian Gray is an English footballer, who is currently playing for Berwick Rangers. He began his professional career with Scottish Premier League club Hibernian, and has spent time on loan with Partick Thistle. Gray then played for Berwick Rangers for a season before moving to Sweden... |
Partick Thistle Partick Thistle F.C. Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football club from Glasgow. Despite their name, the club are based in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908... |
Player stats
During the 2007–08 season, Hibs used 30 different players in competitive games. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player.|}
External links
- Hibernian F.C. Fixtures Guide - 2007/2008 Season, HibernianHibernian F.C.Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
official site - Hibernian 2007–08 results and fixtures, Soccerbase