Hibs Club

What Hibs Club does

The Hibs Club, formally the Hibernian FC Supporters Association, is a nonprofit supporters club for Hibernian Football Club operating from a single physical venue at 11 Sunnyside, Edinburgh (EH7 5RA). The site is the historic location of Hibernian Park, where the first women's international football match (Scotland 3-0 England) was played in 1881. Core products and services comprise the Whelahans lounge bar (renovated and rebranded in 2018, with five 65-inch televisions and member-priced draught beers from £2.40), two function rooms — the Famous Five Suite (capacity up to 200 guests) and the Pat Stanton Suite (capacity up to 120 guests) — the Charlie Murray Games Room, and a year-round programme of live entertainment including tribute acts, cabaret, and comedy shows. Technology infrastructure is non-proprietary: a WordPress website on LiteSpeed hosting, with Google Maps, YouTube embeds, Google Analytics, and Facebook/X social widgets.

The business model is multi-stream but small-scale. Revenue derives from (i) per-pint bar sales at member-discounted pricing, (ii) annual branch membership re-affiliation fees that include a £10 renewal voucher, (iii) private function hire at a flat £75 charge (£125 for 21st birthdays), (iv) ticket sales for ticketed entertainment shows (typically free to £5), and (v) sponsorship (notably Belhaven for the Whelahans renovation and Player of the Year dinner). The club supports 16+ affiliated supporter branches across Edinburgh, North East Scotland, Orkney, and Shetland and contributes £100 per month to Hibernian Supporters Ltd, a fan-owned entity holding a 14% stake in Hibernian Football Club. The primary customer segment is Hibernian FC supporters; a secondary use case is local Leith-area residents and organisations booking the function rooms for private events.

Governance is member-led through elected trustees, with Crawford Corrigan and Mike Riley identified as past chairmen and Colin Rich as Treasurer. Headcount is five employees. The club operates seven days per week (Monday–Friday 4pm–midnight, Saturday 11am–midnight, Sunday 12.30pm–11pm) and is recognised by the Scottish Football Supporters Association as 'Scotland's Best Travelling Support' (2019). Distribution is exclusively physical/direct: walk-in venue plus phone and email bookings, with no e-commerce, delivery, or digital channels beyond social media presence.

Name

Hibs Club

Legal name

Hibernian FC Supporters Association

Website

https://hibsclub.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hibs Club is a nonprofit Hibernian Football Club supporters association operating a single members' social venue at Sunnyside, Edinburgh, offering bars, function rooms, live entertainment, and a 16+ branch network across Scotland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social club / Football supporters club services

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Bars (CRANACAC), Lounge Bars & Hotel Bars (THAFAEAI)

Keywords

• Supporters social club
• Football fan membership
• Function room hire
• Live entertainment venue
• Community bar services

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Bar sales and drinks: The club operates multiple bars (including Whelahans lounge bar) serving draught beers, spirits, soft drinks, and hot beverages. Beverages include Tennent's Lager, Carling Lager, Belhaven Best, Guinness, East Coast IPA, Strongbow, Stella Artois, and a proprietary Hibs Club Lager. Prices are discounted for members.
2. Membership fees: Members pay annual re-affiliation fees to their respective branches. Renewal includes a £10 voucher benefit. Lost card replacement costs £5. Membership provides access to the club's facilities, preferential pricing, and voting rights at general meetings.
3. Private event hire: The club hires out two function rooms — The Famous Five Suite (up to 200 guests) and The Pat Stanton Suite (up to 120 guests) — for private celebrations and events. Pricing is a flat charge of £75 for standard functions or £125 for 21st birthday parties.
4. Entertainment and ticket sales: The club hosts cabaret nights, tribute acts, and live music shows. Some shows are free; others carry a ticket price (e.g., £5 per ticket). Events include tribute nights (Take That, ABBA, Elvis, Queen), comedy hypnotist shows, and seasonal entertainment.
5. Whelahans lounge bar: The renovated lounge bar (Whelahans) serves as a primary revenue driver with member-priced drinks. Members pay from £2.60 Monday–Thursday and £3 at weekends on standard draught beers, with Hibs Club Lager at £2.40 and £2.70 respectively.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Hibs Club operates a membership-based supporters social club at Sunnyside, Edinburgh, providing discounted bar service in the Whelahans Lounge Bar, live sport viewing, private function hire in the Famous Five Suite and Pat Stanton Suite, and a calendar of cabaret, tribute and comedy entertainment for Hibernian Football Club fans. Members access the venue through 16+ affiliated supporter branches and the club channels ongoing financial support to Hibernian Supporters Ltd (HSL), a fan-owned entity holding approximately 14% of Hibernian Football Club.

Product overview

Hibs Club is a social club for Hibernian Football Club supporters offering a unified hospitality and entertainment experience. The core offering centres on the Whelahans lounge bar with live sport viewing, complemented by two function venues (the Famous Five Suite and Pat Stanton Suite) for private events and entertainment. Additional services include the Charlie Murray Games Room, a membership programme with branch affiliates, annual Player of the Year awards, regular cabaret and tribute shows, and matchday hospitality. The club operates as a membership-based organisation with over 1700 members across multiple supporter branches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Whelahans: The lounge bar of The Hibs Club, renovated and rebranded in 2018 to honor the club's founding captain. Features five 65-inch televisions, additional seating, and Hibs memorabilia.

Products and services

• Whelahans Lounge Bar The club's main lounge bar offering draught beers, spirits, soft drinks, hot beverages and the proprietary Hibs Club Lager, with member-discounted pricing and live sport shown on multiple large screens.
• Private Function Hire Hire of function rooms (Famous Five Suite up to 200 guests and Pat Stanton Suite up to 120 guests) for private celebrations and events, at a flat charge of £75 standard or £125 for 21st birthday parties with no deposit required.
• Membership Programme Annual membership scheme accessed via affiliated branches, providing reduced drink prices (from £2.60 Mon–Thu / £3 Fri–Sun), a £10 renewal voucher, access to member-only facilities and voting rights at general meetings.
• Cabaret and Entertainment Shows Regular live entertainment including tribute acts (ABBA, Take That, Queen, Elvis, Rod Stewart, Beatles), comedy hypnotists, tribute bands and family shows, held most Saturday evenings with free entry or tickets priced up to £5.
• Player of the Year Awards Dinner Annual awards dinner honouring Hibernian FC players as voted by branch members, featuring Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Most Memorable Moment categories, sponsored by Belhaven and Tennent's.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,700 supporters mobilised through HSL ownership stake in Hibernian FC
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hibernian Historical TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2019The Hibernian Supporters Association collaborated with the Hibernian Historical Trust to commemorate the site where the first women's international football match (Scotland 3-0 England, 1881) was played — the site of Hibernian Park, now the location of The Hibs Club at Sunnyside. A plaque was unveiled on 3 December 2019 by Joe FitzPatrick, Scotland's Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing. Ian Young of the Hibernian Historical Trust provided historical context at the event.
• BelhavenminorOthers · 1 October 2018Belhaven (the brewery) is acknowledged as supporting the renovation of The Hibs Club's lounge bar into Whelahans. Belhaven is the sponsor of The Hibs Club's Player of the Year dinner and provides support for club events. Their draught beer Belhaven Best is available at the club.
• Hibernian Supporters Ltd (HSL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2018The Hibs Club (Hibernian Supporters Association) provides an ongoing monthly contribution of £100 to Hibernian Supporters Ltd. HSL is a fan-owned entity with over 1,700 supporters as members, owning a 14% share of Hibernian Football Club. The Hibs Club had previously backed HSL with one-off donations and made the decision to transition to ongoing monthly support. HSL director Jackie MacNamara described The Hibs Club as 'great friends of the football club.'
• Let's Work Together groupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2014The Hibs Club hosts monthly meetings of the 'Let's Work Together' group, which brings together representatives from Hibernian FC board and management, Hibernian Community Foundation, Hibernian Historical Trust, supporter branches, Hibernian Former Player's Association, Hibs Disabled Supporters' Association, Hibs fans groups, Erin Trust, Dnipro Kids Appeal, and Leith Links. The group aims to identify ways the Hibs community can work together for the good of the football club.
• Leith LinksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Hibs Club supports Leith Links — an initiative working closely with Hibernian Football Club that raises money to purchase Easter Road season tickets for distribution to children's charities and organisations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Wetherspoons: Large UK pub chain providing the dominant sporting-pub/broadcasting alternative in Edinburgh; competes for the same matchday and casual-drinks spend, though without supporter-club identity.
• Greene King: Major UK pub operator and brewer (Belhaven's parent); directly comparable bar venue model, with corporate sponsorship overlap (Belhaven is already an Hibs Club sponsor).

Direct peers

• Dundee FC Supporters Club: SPFL-tier supporters club running branded clubrooms and membership scheme; directly comparable in size, scope, and Scottish regional context to Hibs Club.
• Heart of Midlothian Supporters' Club: Direct Edinburgh rival supporters club serving Hearts FC fans from a nearby Leith-area base; competes for the same pool of Edinburgh-based football-aligned function and bar trade.
• Rangers Supporters Association: Largest direct competitor within Scottish football's membership-club category; operates an affiliated branch network and licensed club venue mirroring Hibs' model.
• Motherwell FC Supporters Club: Scottish Premiership fan organisation operating clubroom/bar facilities and a paid membership programme; same structural operating model as The Hibs Club at slightly smaller scale.
• Aberdeen FC Supporters Club: Regional SPFL counterpart supporting Aberdeen FC, with an official supporters club offering membership, bars, and events; smaller catchment but directly comparable operating model.
• Celtic Supporters Association: Official Celtic FC supporters network with branch-based membership and venue operations; comparable in scale, sponsorship architecture, and membership economics, though larger overall.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheHibsClub
• Facebookfacebook.com/182064954883
• Instagraminstagram.com/whelahans
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hibs-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hibs Club