Hibernian F.C. season 2009–10
Encyclopedia
Season 2009–10 for Hibernian
was their eleventh consecutive season of play in the Scottish Premier League
. The SPL season began on 15 August 2009, with a 2–1 win against St. Mirren
at home
. After a very strong start to the season in which they challenged for the league leadership, Hibs then had a slump in form in the later part of the season. The team eventually secured a Europa League place via finishing fourth in the SPL by winning 2–0 on the final day at Tannadice. Hibs were eliminated from the Scottish Cup
in a quarter final replay by Ross County
and were knocked out of the Scottish League Cup
in the third round by St. Johnstone.
initially confirmed seven friendly matches for pre-season, with two of those matches being billed as a "Hibernian XI". Hibs played their first match on 15 July, winning 7–0 against Selkirk
. Hibs split their resources on 18 July, with a young side losing 4–2 at Berwick
, while a more experienced side won 4–0 at Dunfermline
. John Hughes only retained five players in the team that started against Dunfermline for the first team's next match, against Raith Rovers
. Hibs were losing 1–0 when an electrical storm
caused the floodlights
to fail, prompting the referee David Somers to abandon the match after 46 minutes.
Hibs then underwent a short Irish tour, winning 2–0 against IFA Premiership
champions
Glentoran
. Two days later they lost 1–0 against a Shamrock Rovers
side managed by former Hibs player Michael O'Neill
. Hibs also lost their only pre-season game at Easter Road
, 3–1 against Preston North End
on 1 August. The game was a rematch of sorts for a match played in 1887 dubbed the Championship of the World by the Football Association
and the Scottish Football Association
, as both clubs had won their respective national cup competitions that year.
Hibs' final two matches of pre-season saw them play out goalless draws against Blackburn Rovers
on 5 August and against Bolton Wanderers
, in a testimonial match
for Jussi Jääskeläinen
, on 8 August.
, who had Steven Thomson
sent off early in the match. Although Hibs conceded the first goal due to a series of defensive errors, David Wotherspoon
scored a quick equaliser on his senior debut and Abdessalam Benjelloun
scored a late winner. Inconsistent form in the early part of the season saw Hibs win their first two games, lose the next two, but then win the following two league matches. These results put Hibs tied with Rangers
on points for second place in the league, but manager John Hughes commented that it would be a position that Hibs would be unlikely to hold for the rest of the season. Hughes put this inconsistency down to the team's failure to work hard enough in the games they had lost.
Four points from the two following home games against Dundee United
and Kilmarnock
left Hibs clear in third place, just behind the Old Firm
, after 8 games. Poor performances by the Old Firm, particularly in European competition
, led some writers to comment that there was an opportunity for Hibs to challenge the Old Firm in a way not seen since the New Firm
's success in the 1980s. John Hughes again tried to play down these expectations, stating that Hibs were "miles away" from challenging the Old Firm. Hibs continued their good start to the season with a 1–1 draw at Ibrox
, and a 2–0 win against Aberdeen
; former Hibs player and manager John Collins then praised the job that Hughes had done.
Continued good form, including late winning goals against Celtic
and St. Mirren
in late January, led to Hughes challenging his players to maintain that form and secure Europa League qualification by finishing third in the SPL. Hughes targeted third even though Hibs would move above second-placed Celtic by winning a game in hand, arguing that the Old Firm
were still "miles and miles in front of us". Hibs suffered heavy defeats by Rangers
and St. Johnstone soon afterwards, however, with Hughes admitting that he had picked the wrong team for the latter game. A defeat at Motherwell and draw with St. Johnstone extended a winless run to five games, with Hibs showing "defensive frailties". A narrow win against Kilmarnock was followed by an Edinburgh derby
defeat, which led Graham Stack to comment that Hibs had perhaps been "found out".
Further poor results, including a 4–1 defeat at Hamilton
, led Hughes to concede that the team were "too expansive". Hibs had conceded 28 goals in a run of 13 matches that had produced only two wins. Defeats by Celtic, Rangers and Hearts meant that Hibs lost six straight matches, their worst sequence of results in 13 years.
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in the fourth round, and were drawn to play junior
club Irvine Meadow
at home
. Irvine's secretary Iain McQueen described the tie as the "biggest game in our history". Hibs were heavy favourites to progress, and did so after surviving a few scares. Hibs again received a favourable draw for the fifth round, being drawn at home to either neighbours Edinburgh City
or Montrose
; Montrose
won the tie 3–1 against Edinburgh City to set up a "lucrative visit to Easter Road
". At the date of the tie, there were 39 league places between the two clubs, with Hibs third in the SPL
and Montrose bottom of the Third Division
. Hibs progressed to the quarter-finals after a "resounding" 5–1 win.
Hibs were given a third consecutive home draw in the quarter-final, paired with First Division
club Ross County
. The tie was the first meeting of the two clubs and Ross County's first appearance in a Scottish Cup quarter-final. Hibs were "fortunate" to remain in the cup, as Ross County forced a 2–2 draw and had chances to win the tie. The result meant that there would be a replay at Victoria Park, Dingwall
on 23 March. Hibs went into the replay in poor form; manager John Hughes challenged his players to handle the pressure of the situation. They were unable to do this, however, as Ross County won the replay 2–1. Hughes admitted that the team's performance over the previous month, which had also seen poor results in the SPL
, had not been acceptable.
competition in the previous season, Hibernian entered the Scottish League Cup
at the second round, and were drawn to play Brechin City
, who were managed
by former Hibs manager Jim Duffy. Hibs won the second round tie 3–0 on 26 August. In the third round, Hibs were again drawn to play at home, against SPL
newcomers St. Johnstone. Hibs beat St. Johnstone 3–1 after extra time in the semi-final en route to their previous competition win in 2007
. Despite winning a league match against the same opponents on the previous Saturday, Hibs lost 3–1 to exit the competition.
, becoming the third SPL
club to change manager in the space of a week. Falkirk
manager John Hughes was immediately linked with the vacancy, and he was appointed Hibs manager 10 days later.
Paatelainen had already begun making changes to the squad for the new season before he left, by releasing Fabián Yantorno
, Damon Gray
and Andrew McNeil
. Grzegorz Szamotulski
's departure under free agency meant that Hughes needed to sign a new goalkeeper, which he addressed by signing Graham Stack. Paatelainen had also done much of the work leading to the signing of Danny Galbraith
, which Hughes completed after he was appointed.
There were two significant departures early in the summer, with Scotland international Steven Fletcher
moving to newly promoted Premier League club Burnley
, and club captain Rob Jones
signing for Scunthorpe United
. Both buying clubs broke their transfer fee record to secure their services.
Hughes went back to his former club to sign midfielder
s Patrick Cregg
and Kevin McBride
, with Cregg being his first signing as Hibs manager. Towards the end of the window, he signed Anthony Stokes from Sunderland
, with the move going against a trend of SPL players moving to English clubs. Like Cregg and McBride, Stokes had previously played under Hughes' management at Falkirk.
On the first day of the January 2010 transfer window, Hibs signed goalkeeper
Graeme Smith on a free transfer. The club also loaned out youngsters Lee Currie and Sean Welsh to Stenhousemuir
for a month. Towards the end of the window, Hibs signed another goalkeeper, Mark Brown, who had been released by Celtic
. Hibs had tried to sign Brown in the previous window, but Celtic had been demanding a transfer fee at that time. John Hughes stated that it "looks as if" the deal to sign Brown would complete Hibs' transfer activity for the season, with the club now having a "goalkeeping school" in place. Nonetheless, late on transfer deadline day, Hibs brought in Alan Gow on loan from Plymouth
. Gow had previously played for Hughes at Falkirk
, forming a forward partnership with Anthony Stokes.
made the most appearances, only missing one game each. Stokes played in every game after he was signed, as the opening league match was played before that date.
|}
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...
was their eleventh consecutive season of play in 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...
. The SPL season began on 15 August 2009, with a 2–1 win against 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...
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...
. After a very strong start to the season in which they challenged for the league leadership, Hibs then had a slump in form in the later part of the season. The team eventually secured a Europa League place via finishing fourth in the SPL by winning 2–0 on the final day at Tannadice. Hibs were eliminated from 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...
in a quarter final replay by Ross County
Ross County F.C.
Ross County Football Club are a Scottish professional football team from the town of Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty. Founded in 1929 they currently compete in the Scottish Football League First Division and play their home matches at Victoria Park. Prior to the 1994–95 season they played in the...
and were knocked out of the Scottish League 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...
in the third round by St. Johnstone.
Pre-season
HibsHibernian 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...
initially confirmed seven friendly matches for pre-season, with two of those matches being billed as a "Hibernian XI". Hibs played their first match on 15 July, winning 7–0 against Selkirk
Selkirk F.C.
Selkirk Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Selkirk. They are members of the East of Scotland Football League and currently play in the Premier Division.Their ground is Yarrow Park, Selkirk TD7 5AZ- History :...
. Hibs split their resources on 18 July, with a young side losing 4–2 at Berwick
Berwick Rangers F.C.
Berwick Rangers Football Club are a football team based in the English Border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, although they play in the Scottish Football League Third Division...
, while a more experienced side won 4–0 at Dunfermline
Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They currently compete in the Scottish Premier League....
. John Hughes only retained five players in the team that started against Dunfermline for the first team's next match, against Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers F.C.
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Kirkcaldy, Fife. They are members of the Scottish Football League, currently playing in the First Division, having secured promotion from the Second Division as champions in 2009. Rovers have won one national trophy, the...
. Hibs were losing 1–0 when an electrical storm
Electrical storm
Electrical storm may refer to:* A thunderstorm* A medical condition of chaotic electrical activity of the heart, usually manifested by ventricular tachycardia* "Electrical Storm" , song by U2...
caused the floodlights
Floodlights (sport)
Floodlights are broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial lights often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions....
to fail, prompting the referee David Somers to abandon the match after 46 minutes.
Hibs then underwent a short Irish tour, winning 2–0 against IFA Premiership
IFA Premiership
The IFA Premiership – formerly the Irish Premier League, and before that the Irish Football League–and still known in popular parlance simply as the Irish League, is the national football league in Northern Ireland, and was historically the league for the whole of Ireland. Clubs in the league are...
champions
IFA Premiership 2008-09
-League table:-Matches 1–22:During matches 1–22 each team played every other team twice ....
Glentoran
Glentoran F.C.
Glentoran F.C. is a semi-professional, football club in Northern Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield...
. Two days later they lost 1–0 against a Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers F.C.
Shamrock Rovers Football Club are a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish football history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 17 times and the FAI Cup a record 24...
side managed by former Hibs player Michael O'Neill
Michael O'Neill (footballer)
Michael Andrew Martin O'Neill is a former Northern Irish international association football player, who is now the manager of Shamrock Rovers.-Playing career:...
. Hibs also lost their only pre-season game 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...
, 3–1 against Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
on 1 August. The game was a rematch of sorts for a match played in 1887 dubbed the Championship of the World by the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
and the Scottish Football Association
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
, as both clubs had won their respective national cup competitions that year.
Hibs' final two matches of pre-season saw them play out goalless draws against Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
on 5 August and against 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....
, in a testimonial match
Testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
for Jussi Jääskeläinen
Jussi Jääskeläinen
Jussi Albert Jääskeläinen is a Finnish football goalkeeper, who plays for Bolton Wanderers.-Club career:Jääskeläinen was born in Mikkeli, and made his Veikkausliiga debut in Finland for MP Mikkeli in 1992, and became the club's first choice goalkeeper in 1994. In 1996, he moved to VPS Vaasa where...
, on 8 August.
Fixtures
Scottish Premier League
Hibs began the 2009–10 league season with a 2–1 win against St. MirrenSt. 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...
, who had Steven Thomson
Steven Thomson
Steven John Thomson is a Scottish footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League side St. Mirren.-Club career:Thomson, a midfielder, previously played for English clubs Crystal Palace, Peterborough United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Scottish team Falkirk where he later became the club...
sent off early in the match. Although Hibs conceded the first goal due to a series of defensive errors, David Wotherspoon
David Wotherspoon
David Wotherspoon is a Scottish professional football player, who is currently playing for Scottish Premier League side Hibernian...
scored a quick equaliser on his senior debut and 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...
scored a late winner. Inconsistent form in the early part of the season saw Hibs win their first two games, lose the next two, but then win the following two league matches. These results put Hibs tied with 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...
on points for second place in the league, but manager John Hughes commented that it would be a position that Hibs would be unlikely to hold for the rest of the season. Hughes put this inconsistency down to the team's failure to work hard enough in the games they had lost.
Four points from the two following home games against Dundee United
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 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...
left Hibs clear in third place, just behind 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,...
, after 8 games. Poor performances by the Old Firm, particularly in European competition
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
, led some writers to comment that there was an opportunity for Hibs to challenge the Old Firm in a way not seen since the New Firm
New Firm (Scotland)
The New Firm was the short-lived term used, during the 1980s, to describe the rivalry between Scottish football clubs Aberdeen and Dundee United...
's success in the 1980s. John Hughes again tried to play down these expectations, stating that Hibs were "miles away" from challenging the Old Firm. Hibs continued their good start to the season with a 1–1 draw 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...
, and a 2–0 win against Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
; former Hibs player and manager John Collins then praised the job that Hughes had done.
Continued good form, including late winning goals 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...
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...
in late January, led to Hughes challenging his players to maintain that form and secure Europa League qualification by finishing third in the SPL. Hughes targeted third even though Hibs would move above second-placed Celtic by winning a game in hand, arguing that 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,...
were still "miles and miles in front of us". Hibs suffered heavy defeats by 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 St. Johnstone soon afterwards, however, with Hughes admitting that he had picked the wrong team for the latter game. A defeat at Motherwell and draw with St. Johnstone extended a winless run to five games, with Hibs showing "defensive frailties". A narrow win against Kilmarnock was followed by an Edinburgh derby
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...
defeat, which led Graham Stack to comment that Hibs had perhaps been "found out".
Further poor results, including a 4–1 defeat at Hamilton
Hamilton Academical F.C.
Hamilton Academical Football Club, often known as Hamilton Academical, or Accies, are a Scottish football club from Hamilton in South Lanarkshire. They were established in 1874 from the school football team at Hamilton Academy. They remain the only professional club in British football to have...
, led Hughes to concede that the team were "too expansive". Hibs had conceded 28 goals in a run of 13 matches that had produced only two wins. Defeats by Celtic, Rangers and Hearts meant that Hibs lost six straight matches, their worst sequence of results in 13 years.
Fixtures
Final table
|- style="background-color:#AAAAAA; line-height:3pt;"||||||||||||||||||||||
Scottish Cup
Hibs entered 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...
in the fourth round, and were drawn to play junior
Scottish Junior Football Association
The Scottish Junior Football Association is an affiliated national association of the Scottish Football Association and is the governing body for the Junior grade of football in Scotland. The term "Junior" refers to the level of football played...
club Irvine Meadow
Irvine Meadow XI F.C.
Irvine Meadow XI F.C. are a Scottish junior football club, from Irvine, North Ayrshire. They are currently playing in the Stagecoach Super League Premier Division of the Scottish Junior Football Association, West Region....
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...
. Irvine's secretary Iain McQueen described the tie as the "biggest game in our history". Hibs were heavy favourites to progress, and did so after surviving a few scares. Hibs again received a favourable draw for the fifth round, being drawn at home to either neighbours Edinburgh City
Edinburgh City F.C.
Edinburgh City Football Club is a semi-professional senior Scottish football club, which plays in the East of Scotland Football League. The club is based at Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh. Edinburgh City was first formed in 1928 as an amateur club. It participated in the Scottish Football League...
or Montrose
Montrose F.C.
Montrose Football Club is a Scottish semi-professional football team, based in the town of Montrose, Angus. They are members of the Scottish Football League and currently play in the Third Division.- Early years :...
; Montrose
Montrose F.C.
Montrose Football Club is a Scottish semi-professional football team, based in the town of Montrose, Angus. They are members of the Scottish Football League and currently play in the Third Division.- Early years :...
won the tie 3–1 against Edinburgh City to set up a "lucrative visit to 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...
". At the date of the tie, there were 39 league places between the two clubs, with Hibs third 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...
and Montrose bottom of the Third Division
Scottish Football League Third Division
The Scottish Football League Third Division is the lowest division of the Scottish Football League and the fourth overall in the Scottish football league system....
. Hibs progressed to the quarter-finals after a "resounding" 5–1 win.
Hibs were given a third consecutive home draw in the quarter-final, paired with 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....
club Ross County
Ross County F.C.
Ross County Football Club are a Scottish professional football team from the town of Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty. Founded in 1929 they currently compete in the Scottish Football League First Division and play their home matches at Victoria Park. Prior to the 1994–95 season they played in the...
. The tie was the first meeting of the two clubs and Ross County's first appearance in a Scottish Cup quarter-final. Hibs were "fortunate" to remain in the cup, as Ross County forced a 2–2 draw and had chances to win the tie. The result meant that there would be a replay at Victoria Park, Dingwall
Victoria Park, Dingwall
Victoria Park is a football stadium situated in the town of Dingwall, Ross-shire, Scotland. It is the home stadium of Ross County F.C. who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. It is the most northerly ground in the Scottish Football League.There are two stands; the West ...
on 23 March. Hibs went into the replay in poor form; manager John Hughes challenged his players to handle the pressure of the situation. They were unable to do this, however, as Ross County won the replay 2–1. Hughes admitted that the team's performance over the previous month, which had also seen poor results 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...
, had not been acceptable.
Fixtures
Scottish League Cup
Having failed to qualify for EuropeanUEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
competition in the previous season, Hibernian entered the Scottish League 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...
at the second round, and were drawn to play Brechin City
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...
, who were managed
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
by former Hibs manager Jim Duffy. Hibs won the second round tie 3–0 on 26 August. In the third round, Hibs were again drawn to play at home, against SPL
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
newcomers St. Johnstone. Hibs beat St. Johnstone 3–1 after extra time in the semi-final en route to their previous competition win in 2007
Scottish League Cup 2006-07
The 2006–07 Scottish League Cup was the 61st staging of the Scotland's second most prestigious football knockout competition, also known for sponsorship reasons as the CIS Insurance Cup....
. Despite winning a league match against the same opponents on the previous Saturday, Hibs lost 3–1 to exit the competition.
Fixtures
Transfers
Hibs' first significant move in the close season was to part company with manager Mixu PaatelainenMixu 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...
, becoming the third SPL
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
club to change manager in the space of a week. 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...
manager John Hughes was immediately linked with the vacancy, and he was appointed Hibs manager 10 days later.
Paatelainen had already begun making changes to the squad for the new season before he left, by releasing Fabián Yantorno
Fabián Yantorno
Fabián Rodrigo Yantorno Blengio is a Uruguayan footballer. He plays as a midfielder for Sud América.-Career:Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Yantorno first moved to Scotland when he joined Scottish Premier League newcomers Gretna in June 2007 from Uruguayan First Division club Miramar Misiones...
, 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...
and Andrew McNeil
Andrew McNeil
Andrew "Andy" McNeil is a Scottish professional association football goalkeeper who currently plays for Livingston. McNeil was previously with Hibernian, for whom he played in the 2007 Scottish League Cup Final win...
. Grzegorz Szamotulski
Grzegorz Szamotulski
Grzegorz Szamotulski is a Polish footballer.He has had a nomadic career, playing for 11 different clubs in six different countries: Poland, Greece, Austria, Scotland, England and Israel.-Early career:...
's departure under free agency meant that Hughes needed to sign a new goalkeeper, which he addressed by signing Graham Stack. Paatelainen had also done much of the work leading to the signing of Danny Galbraith
Danny Galbraith
Daniel James "Danny" Galbraith is a Scottish professional football player who is currently playing for Scottish Premier League side Hibernian.-Manchester United:...
, which Hughes completed after he was appointed.
There were two significant departures early in the summer, with Scotland international 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....
moving to newly promoted Premier League club Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
, and club captain Rob Jones
Rob Jones (footballer born 1979)
Robert William "Rob" Jones is an English footballer who currently plays as a centre back for League One club Sheffield Wednesday....
signing for Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
. Both buying clubs broke their transfer fee record to secure their services.
Hughes went back to his former club to sign midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
s Patrick Cregg
Patrick Cregg
Patrick Cregg is an Irish footballer who plays for Bury.-Career:Cregg started his senior career at Arsenal; his first senior appearance was in a 3-1 victory against Everton in the League Cup on 9 November 2004, as an 89th minute substitute for Arturo Lupoli...
and Kevin McBride
Kevin McBride (footballer)
Kevin McBride is a Scottish football player. He currently plays for Hamilton Academical, having previously played for Celtic, Motherwell, Darlington, Falkirk, Hibernian and Raith Rovers.-Celtic:...
, with Cregg being his first signing as Hibs manager. Towards the end of the window, he signed Anthony Stokes from Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
, with the move going against a trend of SPL players moving to English clubs. Like Cregg and McBride, Stokes had previously played under Hughes' management at Falkirk.
On the first day of the January 2010 transfer window, Hibs signed goalkeeper
Goalkeeper (football)
In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
Graeme Smith on a free transfer. The club also loaned out youngsters Lee Currie and Sean Welsh to Stenhousemuir
Stenhousemuir F.C.
Stenhousemuir FC is a Scottish football club located in Stenhousemuir. The club is a member of the Scottish Football League and currently plays in the Scottish Second Division....
for a month. Towards the end of the window, Hibs signed another goalkeeper, Mark Brown, who had been released 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...
. Hibs had tried to sign Brown in the previous window, but Celtic had been demanding a transfer fee at that time. John Hughes stated that it "looks as if" the deal to sign Brown would complete Hibs' transfer activity for the season, with the club now having a "goalkeeping school" in place. Nonetheless, late on transfer deadline day, Hibs brought in Alan Gow on loan from Plymouth
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
. Gow had previously played for Hughes at 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...
, forming a forward partnership with Anthony Stokes.
Players in
| Player | From | Fee |
|---|---|---|
 Patrick CreggPatrick Cregg Patrick Cregg is an Irish footballer who plays for Bury.-Career:Cregg started his senior career at Arsenal; his first senior appearance was in a 3-1 victory against Everton in the League Cup on 9 November 2004, as an 89th minute substitute for Arturo Lupoli... |
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... |
Free |
 Danny GalbraithDanny Galbraith Daniel James "Danny" Galbraith is a Scottish professional football player who is currently playing for Scottish Premier League side Hibernian.-Manchester United:... |
Manchester United Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958... |
Free |
| Kevin McBride Kevin McBride (footballer) Kevin McBride is a Scottish football player. He currently plays for Hamilton Academical, having previously played for Celtic, Motherwell, Darlington, Falkirk, Hibernian and Raith Rovers.-Celtic:... |
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... |
Free |
| Graham Stack |
Plymouth Argyle Plymouth Argyle F.C. Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the... |
Free |
| Anthony Stokes |
Sunderland Sunderland A.F.C. Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League... |
Undisclosed |
| Liam Miller Liam Miller William Peter "Liam" Miller is an Irish footballer who plays for Perth Glory in the A-League. Miller began his career with Celtic; at an early stage after injury he was loaned to Aarhus in 2001, making 18 appearances for the Danish Superliga club. He returned to Celtic Park and broke into the... |
Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers F.C. Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years... |
Free |
| Graeme Smith |
Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.... |
Free |
| Mark 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... |
Free |
Players out
| Player | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|
 Fabián YantornoFabián Yantorno Fabián Rodrigo Yantorno Blengio is a Uruguayan footballer. He plays as a midfielder for Sud América.-Career:Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Yantorno first moved to Scotland when he joined Scottish Premier League newcomers Gretna in June 2007 from Uruguayan First Division club Miramar Misiones... |
Chester City Chester City F.C. Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the... |
Free |
 Damon GrayDamon 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... |
Berwick Rangers Berwick Rangers F.C. Berwick Rangers Football Club are a football team based in the English Border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, although they play in the Scottish Football League Third Division... |
Free |
| Andrew McNeil Andrew McNeil Andrew "Andy" McNeil is a Scottish professional association football goalkeeper who currently plays for Livingston. McNeil was previously with Hibernian, for whom he played in the 2007 Scottish League Cup Final win... |
Montrose Montrose F.C. Montrose Football Club is a Scottish semi-professional football team, based in the town of Montrose, Angus. They are members of the Scottish Football League and currently play in the Third Division.- Early years :... |
Free |
 Grzegorz SzamotulskiGrzegorz Szamotulski Grzegorz Szamotulski is a Polish footballer.He has had a nomadic career, playing for 11 different clubs in six different countries: Poland, Greece, Austria, Scotland, England and Israel.-Early career:... |
Jagiellonia Białystok | Free |
 Dénes RósaDénes Rósa Dénes Rósa is a Hungarian international footballer, who is currently playing for Hungarian First League club Ferencváros.- Playing career :... |
Ferencváros | Free |
| 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... |
Shamrock Rovers Shamrock Rovers F.C. Shamrock Rovers Football Club are a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish football history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 17 times and the FAI Cup a record 24... |
Free |
| 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.... |
Burnley Burnley F.C. Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888... |
£ Pound sterling The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence... 3M Million One million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian millione , from mille, "thousand", plus the augmentative suffix -one.In scientific notation, it is written as or just 106... + sell-on amount |
| 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... |
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 |
| Rob Jones Rob Jones (footballer born 1979) Robert William "Rob" Jones is an English footballer who currently plays as a centre back for League One club Sheffield Wednesday.... |
Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United F.C. Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One.... |
Undisclosed |
| Ross Campbell Ross Campbell Ross Campbell is a Scottish professional association football player who is currently without a club.He started his career with Scottish Premier League side Hibernian and represented Scotland at the under–20 and under–21 levels... |
Östersunds FK Östersunds FK Östersunds FK is a soccer club located in Östersund, Sweden. The club, formed 31 October 1996, is currently playing in the third highest Swedish league, Norrettan .-Background:... |
Free |
| Joe Keenan Joe Keenan (footballer) Joseph John Keenan is an English professional footballer, who plays for Victorian Premier League club South Melbourne, as a left midfielder.-Club career:Keenan started his career with Premier League club Chelsea... |
South Melbourne FC South Melbourne FC South Melbourne FC is a football club based in South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Considered the most successful association football club in Australia, they have won four national championships, a string of Victorian State League titles, and represented Oceania in the 2000 FIFA Club World... |
Free |
| David van Zanten David van Zanten David van Zanten is an Irish professional association football player who currently plays for St. Mirren. He was born in Ireland to a Dutch father and an Irish mother... |
Greenock Morton Greenock Morton F.C. Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs.... |
Free |
 Jonatan JohanssonJonatan Johansson (footballer) Jonatan Lillebror Johansson is a retired Finnish footballer. He last played for TPS in Finnish Veikkausliiga. His main position was a striker and he was a regular in the Finnish national team.- Early career :... |
St. Johnstone | Free |
Loans in
| Player | From |
|---|---|
| Alan Gow |
Plymouth Argyle Plymouth Argyle F.C. Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the... |
Loans out
| Player | To |
|---|---|
| Ewan Moyes |
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... |
| Lee Currie |
Stenhousemuir Stenhousemuir F.C. Stenhousemuir FC is a Scottish football club located in Stenhousemuir. The club is a member of the Scottish Football League and currently plays in the Scottish Second Division.... |
| Sean Welsh |
Stenhousemuir Stenhousemuir F.C. Stenhousemuir FC is a Scottish football club located in Stenhousemuir. The club is a member of the Scottish Football League and currently plays in the Scottish Second Division.... |
| Ewan Moyes |
Arbroath Arbroath F.C. Arbroath F.C. are a Scottish football club currently playing in the Scottish Second Division. They were founded in 1878 and currently play their home matches at Gayfield, Arbroath, Angus. They play in maroon strips, and are nicknamed "The Red Lichties" due to the red light that used to guide... |
| Callum Booth Callum Booth Callum Booth is a Scottish footballer who currently plays as a left back for Scottish Premier League club Hibernian. Booth, who joined Hibs aged 10, played for a Hibs youth team that won a league and cup double in 2009... |
Arbroath Arbroath F.C. Arbroath F.C. are a Scottish football club currently playing in the Scottish Second Division. They were founded in 1878 and currently play their home matches at Gayfield, Arbroath, Angus. They play in maroon strips, and are nicknamed "The Red Lichties" due to the red light that used to guide... |
| Kurtis Byrne Kurtis Byrne Kurtis Byrne is an Irish professional association football player who plays for Ross County. Byrne is the son of former Celtic player Paul Byrne.... |
Stirling Albion Stirling Albion F.C. Stirling Albion F.C. are a Scottish football club currently playing in the Scottish Second Division. The club are nicknamed The Binos . They play at Doubletree Dunblane Stadium in Stirling, on the outskirts of the city near the River Forth... |
| Thomas Flynn |
Alloa Athletic Alloa Athletic F.C. Alloa Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Alloa, Clackmannanshire. They are members of the Scottish Football League and currently play in the Third Division.... |
Player stats
During the 2009–10 season, Hibs used 25 different players in competitive games. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player. Forwards Anthony Stokes and Derek RiordanDerek Riordan
Derek George Riordan is a Scottish footballer who plays as a forward. He has been capped three times by the Scotland national football team. Riordan started his career with Hibernian in 2001 and had a brief spell on loan with Cowdenbeath in 2003...
made the most appearances, only missing one game each. Stokes played in every game after he was signed, as the opening league match was played before that date.
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