Call it a write off!
End of poor season just round the corner for Murray...

It started off so well for Hibs captain Ian Murray - a late win against Dundee United on the opening day of the season before captaining his side to victory over Hearts in the opening derby despite only having ten men for the last hour.  Having seen many of his team-mates fall out of he squad due to injury, Murray became a victim of this season's 'curse' too after going into hospital for what should have been a fairly routine hernia operation.  However, a second hernia followed and a cyst on his knee have conspired to keep the former Scotland Under 21 captain out for the whole of 2004 leaving him disappointed in the season that is, for him, thankfully about to close.

"Obviously I was disappointed I couldn't play in some of the big games like the Cup Final, and disappointed in the way it finished in the end.  Also the manager leaving as well, not making the top six again..."  Once again, Hibs pushed up until the last minute to get into the top six in the post-split SPL, falling at almost the final hurdle for the second year in a row, a fact acknowledged by the 23 year old as he spoke to the club's official radio station, RadioHibs earlier this week.  "It's just a fine line again - it could have been so different but it's not. We'll just have to look forward to next season."  With some of the club's top young stars agreeing contracts a couple of months ago and Grant Brebner signing up this week, there perhaps is some hope for the new season although Murray knows that after the summer, it will be make or break for him.  "Next season I'm going into the last year of my contract, I can write off this season so the next will be a big season for me."

Murray - looking forward to getting back to scenes like these  (sns)

There were some thoughts that Murray could be back in action for tomorrow's game against Livingston at Almondvale but with the midfielder still receiving injections in his knee, there is no chance of him appearing in the 16 that will be kitted out for the game.  Indeed, Murray himself was also sceptical about his chances of making the first round of the Intertoto Cup in July but he'll certainly be trying to get his fitness together in an effort to get back playing as soon as possible.  "I'll certainly come in a bit earlier than the rest of them.  I'll probably come in with the physio and do a bit but no matter how much you do, pre-season's always hard.  You can never prepare for it until you start it!"

With the trip to either Lithuania or Estonia just a matter of weeks away, Murray has mixed feelings on the trip but he's in no doubt that Hibs will benefit from this sort of pre-season campaign as opposed to the normal 'offering'.  "It'll be good, it depends on how far we get, or not!  I went to Lithuania last year with Scotland and it's not nice a nice place but if we can progress there's a chance we could come up against some good opposition."  Murray continued, "As long as we get a couple of games, it's better than going down to, and no disrespect to them, Gretna, Queen of the South and these teams.  It's better to play against European teams."  It will certainly be better for the fans although the trip to the away leg of Hibs first involvement in the tournament will no doubt be less well travelled than some of the 'adventures' of the past.

RadioHibs will be holding a Stand Up And Be Counted special from 10am tomorrow morning on the back of yesterday's announcement on Season ticket prices and the much vaunted membership schemes.  The club's Director of Marketing and Communications, Colin McNeill and members of some of the committee's involved in putting together the packages announced will be in the studio to answer points raised on Hibs.net's Stand Up And Be Counted messageboard and throughout the show.