The Hibernian Historic Trust is planning to host an open evening at Easter Road Stadium to thank the Hibs’ fans who donated money to enable the charity to purchase medals won by the late Lawrie Reilly.
The medals which date from the club’s last top-flight title wins in 1951 and 1952, will be displayed alongside other artefacts from Reilly’s decorated career including match worn Hibernian and Scotland strips and his boots.
The nine carat gold medals, originally valued at between £1,000 and £2,000, eventually sold for £12,000 after a flurry of offers from anonymous bidders at the Thomson Roddick auction in Edinburgh on Thursday 22 August 2019.
Club historian and trust curator Tom Wright said: “The final price was more than we were expecting, but it was worth it in the end.
“We knew going in that the valuation was always likely to be much lower than the actual price, but we never expected it to go that high but I am delighted that the medals will return ‘home’ to Easter Road and I’d like to thank everyone who donated to the cause.”
The centre-forward, who died in 2013 aged 84, scored 238 goals in 333 games for Hibs and won 38 caps for his country, netting 22 times.
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.
