‘The Famous Five’ – Hibs legendary front line of the 1940s and 1950s – have all been remembered with the creation of five incredible bronze sculptures.
Last night Thursday 8 August 2024 the Club and the Hibs Historical Trust honoured the legacy of Gordon Smith, Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly, Eddie Turnbull and Willie Ormond at a special event inside the Chairman’s Club.
Relatives, representatives, families and friends of the legends were in attendance to unveil the five bronze busts, designed by Lancashire sculptor Stephanie Jane-Matthews.
The event was organised in cohesion with the Hibernian Historical Trust.
The creation of the busts was spearheaded by the late Stephen Dunn, a former Hibs board member who poured time and passion into the project.
Sadly, Stephen passed away in September 2023 before the completion of the busts.
His daughter, Lauren, carried on her father’s work, while also contributing to the working group behind the North Stand renovation.
Club Ambassador Pat Stanton was also there alongside members of the Hibernian Historical Trust, the Hearts Heritage, and several Hibernian FC Board members past and present in attendance.
The incredible sculptures will be housed in the reception of the Famous Five Stand and will be in position for supporters to view ahead of Hibs first home game of the 2024/25 William Hill Premiership against Celtic.
The Famous Five helped Hibs to three league titles in five years between 1948 and 1952. Each player scored over 100 goals for the Club, and as a collective they netted 1074 goals.
The iconic front-line left a lasting legacy on both Hibernian FC and on Scottish Football as a whole – with all five players being inducted into the Hibs Hall of Fame and the Scottish Football Hall of Fame.
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.
