Hibernian club ambassador Pat Stanton says he understands supporters' attempts to oust chairman Rod Petrie in the wake of their relegation to the SPFL Championship.

Like his fellow fans, the 69-year-old, who captained the team to a League Cup win in 1972, is frustrated over the club's demotion following a play-off defeat by Hamilton Academical.

Former midfielder Paul Kane is leading a campaign - Petrie Out - to drive the embattled chairman from the club and has called for a rally of supporters at 11.30am on Saturday outside Easter Road.

At around that time, Kane and fellow campaigners Kenny McLean junior - son of the former vice-chairman of the same name who spearheaded the Hands Off Hibs campaign - and Mike Riley, chairman of the Hibs Supporters' Association, are due to meet incoming chief executive Leeann Dempster.

At Friday's campaign launch McLean said that Stanton had been in touch to offer his support, and the club ambassador admits he is sympathetic towards the fans' agenda.

He said: "The supporters are just anxious about what is happening at the club, that is what has brought this to a head. I think they've been in this frame of mind for a wee while now - you go back two or three seasons when it was going the wrong way. You can understand their concerns. I think even the board at Easter Road will understand it.

"Rod recognises that change is needed, you can't just keep going the way it's been. Rod is a very astute man, he'll recognise what is going on. He will be as anxious as anybody to put it right.

"The performance of the last game of the season [against Hamilton] at Easter Road didn't leave the fans with much more option. Do they drift away into the night or do they voice their concerns? They're entitled to do that and I can understand."