Hibs have announced that Hibernian Women have officially moved under the football club’s ownership.
It means that executive chairman Ron Gordon has completed the acquisition of the SWPL 1 women's team, which sees the side join the Hibees' men's team, development squad, and under-18s among the core sides within the core football operation at Easter Road. With this, they have also reaffirmed their commitment to the development and progression of women’s football and are currently moving towards permanent status.
Manager Dean Gibson, alongside a number of players, have put pen-to-paper on full-time professional contracts this summer in a bid to help this aim and they will also be moving back to play home games in Edinburgh. Some of their matches had been taking place in Livingston and their new ground will be announced soon. Their first match kicks off against Celtic on August 7th 2022, and the first home game against Hamilton is a week later.
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Chief executive Ben Kensell commented: “This is a really proud day for everyone involved with Hibernian FC. Embedding the women’s team within the club has always been a key ambition of ours, so we’re delighted we’ve been able to reach that goal ahead of the 2022/23 season.
“We made huge strides last season by breaking the Scottish attendance for women’s football with over 5,500 spectators watching the Edinburgh derby and it’s been clear to see the growth the game has made over the last few years.
"We have a clear vision for Hibernian Women, and we want to build on their success to inspire a generation of young female players.
“We are also proud to see Hibernian Women return to Edinburgh, this city should always be their home. We will fully support and invest in the women’s football strategy, like we have done this season, with the ambition of eventually achieving European football and becoming a professional outfit.
“Hibernian FC is proud of being an inclusive club for all and I believe this shows real intent to put women’s football at the very heart of the club.
“We would also like to thank Hibernian Community Foundation for all the work they’ve done over the years with the Women’s Team.”
Season tickets will be available at £100, with match-by-match tickets costing £8.
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