Hands off Hibs was a fight worth fighting

20 years on and the Leith club is doing grand

First of all, let’s be honest, we hate The Proclaimers. We find their music highly grating and liked by people who don’t really like music. Sorry boys but the list of artists we’d rather listen to yourselves would lap around the world a few times…in fact, you’ll find Hibs winning the Scottish Cup again before you find us choosing to listen to their music.

However, what we do admire about the Proclaimers is their passion for football and this was never more apparent than their involvement during the Hands Off Hibs campaign.

It sounds ludicrous now but the action of Hearts, led by club owner Wallace Mercer, to buy Hibs and merge the clubs together was very serious. Hibs fans were concerned that the merger talk actually amounted to a takeover bid from their bitter rivals.

Passion spilled over in Edinburgh and the first Edinburgh derby of the new season had a number of unsavoury moments but the level of passion shown was probably helpful in keeping Hibs alive.
Local businessman and owner of the Kwik-Fit company Tom Farmer bought a controlling interest in the club and things have improved since then. Okay, Hibs still haven’t picked up the Scottish Cup since then but two League Cup final successes and European qualification has ensured there has been sunshine on Leith since 1990.
Some folk say that a combined Edinburgh club could put up a strong challenge to the big two in the West but football doesn’t work like that. Hibs and Hearts fans would have very little reason to band together and support a completely new club. In doing so they would be throwing away over one hundred years of history and joy and tears.

Fans of both clubs still hold out hope that they can be champions of Scotland once again and the good fight put up by the Hibees twenty years ago has helped keep this dream alive.
Would you ever back a super club in Edinburgh?

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