A street near Easter Road will be renamed Lawrie Reilly Place after councillors today approved plans at a meeting of the planning committee.
Council officials had previously recommended that this contravened planning rules that individuals could not be considered for street names until 10 years after their death, however councillors overwhelmingly voted to support the move.
Hibernian’s most capped player with 38 appearances for Scotland, Lawrie Reilly was the spearhead of the Famous Five forward line with 234 goals in 333 games. ‘Gie the baw tae Reilly’ was the shout from the stand as Lawrie made a specialty of scoring last minute goals, hence his nickname ‘Last Minute Reilly’
Only the Edinburgh Conservatives voted in favour of officials’ recommendations to name the new development after printer William Thyne.
Councillor Alex Lunn, a long term supporter of this proposal told the Edinburgh Reporter: “I’m absolutely delighted my fellow Councillors agreed with the people of Edinburgh to name this street after one of our favourite sons and one of Hibs and Scotland’s greatest players.
“Sadly the Tories showed how out of touch they are by voting against naming the street after Lawrie. It is no real surprise though that they would oppose honouring a part of the city’s working class heritage.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
