Early 90s BBC documentary - Mercer/Hertz takeover/merger

[DavieRoy]

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It's in various parts on YT, this is part 1 ... ***** quality though

The Sky Programme was called ‘Back From The Dead’, I have it, if you need a copy. PM me.

[Jack Hackett]

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The Sky Programme was called ‘Back From The Dead’, I have it, if you need a copy. PM me.

PM you when I get home bud

[JeMeSouviens]

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I can’t help thinking that hibby6270 wrote that statement sarcastically. Living and working in Edinburgh at the time - and surrounded by quite a few hertz fans - my over-riding memory from them is one of silence and indifference. I take that as they were quite happy with the way things were panning out.

... and smirking ... and smugness.

Mercer's stated plan was for the "merged" club to be playing in Maroon at Tiny and be called Hearts. The new name/stadium stuff was a vague aspiration for the future. ****.

[Greenfly]

For Mercer it was nothing to do with merger (however misguided) and everything to do with eliminating the opposition and taking over assets - simple as that. This was from a man who understood plenty about how to make money but absolutely nothing about community, loyalty, identity and all the other social factors that self-obsessed Tories will never be capable of properly understanding. Thatcher (despite her personal contempt towards football) would have been immensely proud of him for seeing the opportunity he did and exploiting it for self-gain. That was the zeitgeist of the time and sadly can still be seen in plenty folk today. It was no small feat to stand against that mentality in the 80s and to triumph. All the odds were stacked against you and many others failed. Everyone involved in the HoH campaign should be proud of that success.

[hibby6270]

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I can’t help thinking that hibby6270 wrote that statement sarcastically. Living and working in Edinburgh at the time - and surrounded by quite a few hertz fans - my over-riding memory from them is one of silence and indifference. I take that as they were quite happy with the way things were panning out.

Maybe a slight hint of sarcasm.
My perception at the time though was that Hertz fans didn’t really want it to go ahead, although they were under the spell of WM and would have gone along with the sham because they worshipped him.

All conjecture as it turned out.

However, one aspect that makes me smile still was the proposed plans of the shared stadium as featured in the programme. Bears a striking resemblance to how ER looks today and we all know how Jambos “love” the so called Lego/breeze block (their terminology, not mine) construction that we adopted - i.e. - a stadium that will stand the test of time as opposed to what they ended up with - a pink corrugated carbuncle with no pitch view hospitality areas and nose bleed steep seating. Wonder if they’d still be as critical of the shared stadium design if it had gone ahead? Hypocrites!!

[majorhibs]

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Maybe a slight hint of sarcasm.
My perception at the time though was that Hertz fans didn’t really want it to go ahead, although they were under the spell of WM and would have gone along with the sham because they worshipped him.

All conjecture as it turned out.

However, one aspect that makes me smile still was the proposed plans of the shared stadium as featured in the programme. Bears a striking resemblance to how ER looks today and we all know how Jambos “love” the so called Lego/breeze block (their terminology, not mine) construction that we adopted - i.e. - a stadium that will stand the test of time as opposed to what they ended up with - a pink corrugated carbuncle with no pitch view hospitality areas and nose bleed steep seating. Wonder if they’d still be as critical of the shared stadium design if it had gone ahead? Hypocrites!!

Dunno what circles you were moving in at that time, where I was working & living in Edinburgh & having to endure poppy theives left right & centre, they were loving it. Someone mentioned it before, thinking about it now, that would be a not bad estimate at when they started their big team nonsense, which even after they have stiffed poppy charities & pensioners funds amongst many, still seems to exist!

[One Day]

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Yeah. Let’s not forget, that as much as we have a go at our good friends from the West of the city, a majority of Jambos were against the takeover/merger just as much as we were and made their displeasure known publicly.

I know / worked with loads and the were all happy to see us go to the wall, even guys id known all my life. A lot of anti Irish / Catholic bull resurfaced to.

[hibby6270]

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Dunno what circles you were moving in at that time, where I was working & living in Edinburgh & having to endure poppy theives left right & centre, they were loving it. Someone mentioned it before, thinking about it now, that would be a not bad estimate at when they started their big team nonsense, which even after they have stiffed poppy charities & pensioners funds amongst many, still seems to exist!

Yeah. It was myself that mentioned it. Straight from the horses mouth in the video. From about 25 minutes in, WM quotes those very words of wanting Hertz to be the “big team” (paraphrased). My take was that’s where it originates from and still persists to this day.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

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Dunno what circles you were moving in at that time, where I was working & living in Edinburgh & having to endure poppy theives left right & centre, they were loving it. Someone mentioned it before, thinking about it now, that would be a not bad estimate at when they started their big team nonsense, which even after they have stiffed poppy charities & pensioners funds amongst many, still seems to exist!

Thats my memory of it too.

[hibsbollah]

Mercers wee smirk when he describes deliberately keeping his identity from Duff until the last moment as his funny wee 'game' is a really disgusting thing, the kind of smile that turns your stomach. He really was a creature.

[proud_and_green]

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My recollection of the time is that a few high profile guys like Robbo aside the attitude of Hearts fans was somewhere between laughing at our plight and shrugging their shoulders. As I recall they had an open invitation to the Hands off Hibs rally at Easter Road and two showed up in the Dunbar end, they stood out so much I even remember Pat Stanton thanking them directly.

I for one cant remember any marked show of displeasure from the Hearts fans in any numbers whatsoever at what Mercer was doing .... perhaps folk living in Edinburgh who were closer to the action saw it differently, but so far as I'm concerned we saved ourselves and any input from Gorgie was insignificant when it came to achieving that goal.

The way that lot recall it now you would think they came riding to our rescue with Mercer as Sir Lancelot, his intervention bringing our dire situation into the light and saving us from ourselves ........... Utter revisionist made up nonsense and I for one wont add fuel to that fire by giving them as a support in general any credit whatsoever because I sincerely believe they don't deserve any.

I think this is more accurate, a number who thought it was completely out of order but the majority thought it was a bit funny although whilst laughing they would add 'oh aye but it's not right, but ****** the Hibs, eh'. The other high profile Jambo I recall at the rally was Steve Carbonic - although that may have been a political expediency.

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[givescotlandfreedom]

Just watched it there. Mercer really was a horrible slimy rat. I was only a bairn at the time of it but can appreciate the hate people still carry.

[WoreTheGreen]

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Just watched it there. Mercer really was a horrible slimy rat. I was only a bairn at the time of it but can appreciate the hate people still carry.

Stood on the old east a emotional day

[Pretty Boy]

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Stood on the old east a emotional day

I vaguely remember the day despite being very young. I'd been to a few games at ER before but that's the 1st real recollection I have of being at the ground.

Watching the documentary again it's almost possible to believe Duff as a mere puppet. As loathsome as Mercer undoubtedly is the one I would most love to boot square in the baws is David Rowland. An absolute tosser who saw Hibs as a mere commodity to be used and traded as he pleased.

[SouthsideHarp_Bhoy]

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Yeah. Let’s not forget, that as much as we have a go at our good friends from the West of the city, a majority of Jambos were against the takeover/merger just as much as we were and made their displeasure known publicly.

Not how i remember it, but i was young at the time. I just remember lots of ribbing and how they would take goram and Collins from us.