Retro Hibernian Shirt – Edinburgh's Green and White Legends

Hibernian's story begins not on a pitch but in a community hall, rooted in the Irish immigrant experience of Victorian Edinburgh. Founded in 1875 by Canon Edward Hannan, the club quickly established itself as a force in early Scottish football, winning the Scottish Cup in 1887 and again in 1902, before the game entered its modern era. The club's Easter Road home has been their fortress since 1893, one of Scottish football's most atmospheric grounds nestled in the heart of Leith.

The 1940s and early 1950s represent Hibernian's greatest era. The legendary Famous Five forward line – Gordon Smith, Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly, Eddie Turnbull, and Willie Ormond – terrorised every defence in Britain. This quintet powered Hibs to three Scottish League Championships in five seasons (1947–48, 1950–51, 1951–52) and were so admired that their fame spread across Europe. Gordon Smith, in particular, was considered one of the finest wingers of his generation anywhere in the world.

In 1955, Hibs made history by becoming the first British club to enter the newly formed European Cup. They reached the semi-finals, losing narrowly to future champions Stade de Reims in a tie that captivated football fans across the continent. It was a landmark moment that predated Celtic's Lisbon Lions triumph by over a decade.

The Edinburgh Derby against Heart of Midlothian is one of Scottish football's fiercest rivalries. The two clubs have shared countless dramatic encounters – few more painful for Hibs fans than the 1986 Scottish Cup Final defeat to Aberdeen, or more joyous than Derby victories at Tynecastle. The rivalry runs deep, dividing families and defining the city's football identity.

Perhaps no moment in Hibernian history eclipses May 21, 2016, when Alan Stubbs' side defeated Rangers 3–2 in the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden, ending a wait of 114 years since their last victory in the competition. Scenes of euphoria at full time became iconic images of Scottish football, a release of generations of frustration finally, gloriously resolved. It was a triumph that encapsulated everything about Hibs – resilient, dramatic, and deeply felt.

Hibernian's roll call of legends begins inevitably with the Famous Five. Gordon Smith – elegant, devastating, and for many the greatest player in Scottish football history who never won a full league title with a glamour club – spent the best years of his career at Easter Road. Lawrie Reilly, nicknamed 'Last Minute Reilly' for his habit of scoring crucial late goals for both club and country, was a centre-forward of the highest quality. Eddie Turnbull later returned to manage the club, building another outstanding team in the early 1970s known as 'Turnbull's Tornadoes.'

Pat Stanton is regarded as one of Hibs' greatest captains – a composed, intelligent midfielder who led by example through the 1960s and 1970s and became an emblematic figure for supporters of a certain generation. Joe Baker, who burst onto the scene as a teenager in the late 1950s, was an explosive centre-forward who attracted the attention of the biggest clubs in England and Italy before his time at Easter Road ended too soon.

The 1990s and 2000s brought fresh talent. Russell Latapy, the mercurial Trinidad and Tobago playmaker, enchanted Easter Road with his technical brilliance. Scott Brown – later to become Celtic and Scotland captain – developed at Hibs before his big-money move. Derek Riordan and Garry O'Connor represented the last generation of home-grown Hibs stars to genuinely capture the imagination. John Collins made his name at Hibs before signing for Celtic and later AS Monaco, representing one of many players whose careers were launched on Easter Road's famous slope.

The Hibernian retro shirt is built around one of football's most distinctive colour combinations: emerald green with white sleeves, echoing the Irish heritage of the club's founders. This design – sometimes compared to Arsenal's famous red and white but unmistakably its own thing in green – has remained the spiritual home kit throughout most of Hibs' history, though the specifics have shifted delightfully decade by decade.

The late 1970s and 1980s kits are particularly prized by collectors – a period when Admiral, Umbro and later Bukta produced bold, stripe-heavy designs that captured the era perfectly. The early 1990s saw Hibs adopt some of the more adventurous cuts and shadow patterns of that decade, including kits with subtle geometric detailing across the green fabric that now look wonderfully of their time.

The mid-1990s kits – coinciding with the club's renaissance under various managers – featured cleaner designs and began carrying shirt sponsors, grounding them firmly in the modern era while retaining that classic green and white palette. Away kits in yellow and white from various periods are also highly collectible. The 2016 Scottish Cup-winning kit carries enormous sentimental value, representing one of the club's greatest achievements, and a retro Hibernian shirt from that era connects the wearer directly to Hampden history.