John Fraser, 1936 – 2025
Hibernian FC is saddened to announce the passing of former player and coach John Fraser, aged 88.
A Hall of Fame member, Edinburgh-born Fraser was a lifelong Hibee who made 275 appearances in green and white between 1954 and 1965.
He would go on to spend over a decade at the Club as a coach, working under legendary managers including Hibs icon Eddie Turnbull.
An outside right as a player, Fraser would come into the team at Easter Road in the late 1950s following in the footsteps of one of his heroes in Gordon Smith, a member of the Famous Five and one of the Club’s greatest ever players.
Fraser represented Hibs in the 1958 Scottish Cup Final and was also part of famous European victories over Real Madrid and Barcelona.
After his playing career ended, Fraser worked with the Hibs Reserve Team and later took up a coaching position under managers Bob Shankly, Willie MacFarlane and Turnbull.
His time as coach in the 1970s helped to form one of the Club’s most successful and well-remembered sides: Turnbull’s Tornadoes.
For his services to Hibernian FC, Fraser was inducted into the Hibs Hall of Fame in 2012.
Remembering Fraser, Pat Stanton commented: “John was a great help to me when I came through at Hibs and a terrific mentor.
“He lived not too far from me and would pick me up in his car in a morning to go to Easter Road for training.
“We roomed together on tours to North America. He was a really good player who would help me through games.
“As you were about to make a mistake, he stopped you. He would say: ‘don’t dive in, stay on your feet. You’re no good on the grass.’”
“He could have played anywhere on the pitch and against Real Madrid, he had no problem dealing with Francisco Gento, who was a terrific player.”
Everyone at Hibernian FC sends their condolences to John’s friends and family at this extremely sad time.
Fly high, John Fraser.