Hibs fans ticket
scramble
Derby tickets selling at a premium -
STUART
CROWTHER
WHILE
HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN were last
night 'ruling out' a tit-for-tat increase in ticket prices for the
Edinburgh derby a week on Saturday, nobody seemed over bothered about
pointing out to them the obvious - Hibs allocation of tickets for the game
have long-since been sold-out, with Easter Road fans frantically seeking
briefs and willing to pay over the odds for them!
A
statement from the Tynecastle club published in the Edinburgh Evening News
last night stating the obvious, that ticket prices are set at the start of
the season and would not be changed, followed appeals from some of their
own fans to increase the prices for Hibs fans to match the £24 charged by
Hibernian for the last Derby match at Easter Road. What was not
reported however was the fact that to do so, Hearts would have had to
increase prices for some of their own fans in similar seating, nor was it
made clear that it was a little late to increase prices when tickets had
been on sale for weeks and indeed the Hibernian allocation had sold out, a
situation in stark contrast to Hearts failure to move their allocation
for the Easter Road game.
While
Hearts fans claim that their 'boycott' in protest to ticket pricing at
Easter Road was the cause of the lower attendance of their support, this
is being seen in stark contrast to Easter Road fans who are seeking briefs
for the Tynecastle game, and offering to pay well in excess of the £19
asking price. The statement from Tynecastle yesterday can only be
seen as a mischievous attempt to open out a debate that the Tynecastle
club simply could not win. The statement said: "Our
prices for matches are set at the start of the season and these will not
be changed. They are set as a guarantee to both our own and visiting
supporters. Our price categories for matches are set to take into
account, essentially, the costs associated with matches. Category A
matches for example, against Rangers, Celtic and Hibernian, carry much
higher security costs for police and stewarding."
Mark Dempsie - returned to action (sns)
Hibernian
meanwhile refuse to be drawn into a war of words over ticket pricing,
confirming only that they too set prices at the start of the season that
reflect the demands of fans and requirements of the club. Unlike
their opposite numbers at Tynecastle, Hibernian fans have backed the
Easter Road Board in their attempts to keep the club on a firm financial
footing while at the same time doing everything in their power to provide
the manager with the resources required on the field. The club have
made it repeatedly clear that all income taken at the gate would be used
to fund the playing side of the Easter Road operation, and the realities
of the situation have long since been accepted by Hibs fans even during
recent months when results on the park have not matched their own ambitions.
Hibs
boss Franck Sauzee was meanwhile expressing his delight that central
defender Mark Dempsie was once again on the road to recovery.
Dempsie has struggled with injury for 2 years, making a brief come-back
last season when he was thrown into the Hibs first-team too early in a
game at East End Park. However Dempsie came through his return in
the Under-21 match against Hearts on Monday with flying colours, with
Sauzee saying: "I was delighted
for Mark because he has been out for so long. I played in the first
team with him and he was a very promising player. He had a little
problem with his calf in the game against Hearts, but that is normal after
being out for so long."
Equally delighted was assistant boss Donald Park, who has carefully
nurtured Dempsie's rise through the Easter Road youth ranks. Park
said: "I told him beforehand
just to go out and play as long as he could and he did that. The
team played far better when he was on the pitch, so that shows you how
influential he was."
Dempsie
will be hoping that his troubles are behind him and there is no doubt that
Sauzee will be hoping that the Under-21 and Under-18 international is now
well on the road to a full recovery. Park said: "There
is still a long way to go for Mark, but he is on the right track and now
deserves a bit of luck after the problems he has had."
The Hibs boss continues to take stock this week, his first full week in
charge after taking over the Easter Road job on Friday, and he will be
giving a great deal of thought to his strike-force for the visit to St
Johnstone on Saturday. Hibs look likely to start with Zitelli and
McManus up front for the first time this season, Paco Luna being suspended
and Craig Brewster out on long-term injury.
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