Tom English's Hearts love in goes to new levels.

[Spike Mandela]

Tom English's Hearts love in goes to new levels. Apparently their demise is going to be the ruin of us. What a po faced misery this man is turning out to be. Having a go at Griffiths, the club, Petrie and all of us.

For once and for all Mr English WHATEVER IS HAPPENING TO YOUR BELOVED, BRAVE, FIGHTING JAMBOS WAS THEIR OWN FAULT NOBODY ELSE'S.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26858139

[Golden Bear]

Tom English's Hearts love in goes to new levels. Apparently their demise is going to be the ruin of us. What a po faced misery this man is turning out to be. Having a go at Griffiths, the club, Petrie and all of us.

For once and for all Mr English WHATEVER IS HAPPENING TO YOUR BELOVED, BRAVE, FIGHTING JAMBOS WAS THEIR OWN FAULT NOBODY ELSE'S.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26858139

Sadly the article is factually correct whether we like it or not.

[Beefster]

English isn't blaming anyone for Hearts' woes. He's saying we'll probably suffer financially from their relegation. He's right.

[tamig]

Tom English's Hearts love in goes to new levels. Apparently their demise is going to be the ruin of us. What a po faced misery this man is turning out to be. Having a go at Griffiths, the club, Petrie and all of us.

For once and for all Mr English WHATEVER IS HAPPENING TO YOUR BELOVED, BRAVE, FIGHTING JAMBOS WAS THEIR OWN FAULT NOBODY ELSE'S.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26858139

He had a go at a few of the Sportsound resident jumbos a few days ago mocking them for hanging on to 5-1. The basis being that that game and the team on the pitch that day got you to where you are now. In no way did he sound like a guy on a hertz love in.

[JeMeSouviens]

Diet armageddon - they learn nothing do they? :rolleyes:

What Hibs need to prosper is a decent Hibs side. If we could get a decent team on the park, our average home attendance back over the 10K+ it was a few years ago and the team back in the top half of the league, we'd be a hell of a lot better off than where we are now. The derby crowds he's on about will have been worth £200K-£300K at most. A couple of places up the league would bridge that gap, never mind the higher attendances a better team would attract across all our home games.

[hibsbollah]

The yams I know hate him with a passion. He called them out for sectarian bigotry a few years ago, which, of course, doesn't exist at Tynecastle if you're a yam and blind to the goings on in certain areas of the ground.

[Makaveli]

What incentive is there for a Hibs fan to renew their season ticket if there is no Edinburgh derby to look forward to?

The incentive is supporting Hibs, FFS. Seats are guaranteed anyway so it's hardly like folk have been buying STs to get into derbies. :confused:

Thousands of us paid £380 for a season ticket this year, around £325 of which was for games against teams other than Hearts. If we only cared about derbies why didn't we just walk up to those and skip it every other week?

[stevejordan]

Tom English's Hearts love in goes to new levels. Apparently their demise is going to be the ruin of us. What a po faced misery this man is turning out to be. Having a go at Griffiths, the club, Petrie and all of us.

For once and for all Mr English WHATEVER IS HAPPENING TO YOUR BELOVED, BRAVE, FIGHTING JAMBOS WAS THEIR OWN FAULT NOBODY ELSE'S.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26858139

He is right though that Petrie will need to find the cash to invest in new players serous cash that we just dont have over to you Petrie.

[Sir David Gray]

What incentive is there for a Hibs fan to renew their season ticket if there is no Edinburgh derby to look forward to?

We look forward to an Edinburgh derby? :confused:

[Saturdays Hero]

English isn't blaming anyone for Hearts' woes. He's saying we'll probably suffer financially from their relegation. He's right.

Totally....I had a conversation with Sir Tom Farmer and he said 'as a football club Hibernian wouldn't want to see Hearts relegated'

[Mark79]

I have read his last two articles on the bbc. 1 was regarding the hibs situation and the other about hearts and found his articles to be well written and no bias either way
Refreshing to read the likes to be honest as the majority of journalists in this country clearly show their colours or sensationalise any small topic.

[Spike Mandela]

English isn't blaming anyone for Hearts' woes. He's saying we'll probably suffer financially from their relegation. He's right.

The point is he constantly refocuses anything to do with Hearts on to us. How about he focuses on them missing us?

We have survived being relegated, we have survived them being relegated twice and in a different league from us for five years. We will survive it again.

We will cut our cloth to suit unlike his new media favourites who carried on spending when it was clear it was well beyond their means.

According to him we shouldn't gloat even though he acknowledges the constant gloating we get since 2012. Not just Hearts fans but all the cheesy 5-1 photos in the media and the constant mentions on the BBC.

Mr Poface reacts in horror in Leigh Griffiths singing a song in a pub. Maybe unwise for Leigh to do this but only because of the sanctimonious reaction in the media from boring git's like Englis that was assured to greet him the next day. Lighten up Mr English the only thing wrong with Leigh's song was the wording...Hearts aren't going bust...they are already are bust so he should have used past tense.

Yes we all know we have a crap team just now but we've had them before and will again. However our stadium is complete, our training centre is there and the management team is in place. When we do finally get it right things will improve.

Mr English try writing articles on Hearts and aiming your guns at those responsible and the problems they will face without us instead of turning every article about them into one having a go at us.

[Cameron1875]

That article is spot on imo.

"Manager Terry Butcher needs to perform some serious surgery to his squad in the summer. Hibs cannot carry on applying a plaster to a gaping wound in terms of the deficiencies of their dressing-room."

"They need proper investment in their squad and it's going to take money, not the kind of ducking and diving they've been doing in the transfer market for too long"

:agree:

[NeilOrrSquareBa]

Tom English is Irish, fact.
End of.

[marinello59]

Tom English's Hearts love in goes to new levels. Apparently their demise is going to be the ruin of us. What a po faced misery this man is turning out to be. Having a go at Griffiths, the club, Petrie and all of us.

For once and for all Mr English WHATEVER IS HAPPENING TO YOUR BELOVED, BRAVE, FIGHTING JAMBOS WAS THEIR OWN FAULT NOBODY ELSE'S.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26858139

That doesn't look like a Hearts love in to me. I don't agree with everything he is saying about our club but I do agree with a lot of it.

[Spike Mandela]

That doesn't look like a Hearts love in to me. I don't agree with everything he is saying about our club but I do agree with a lot of it.

It's the armageddon reporting of Sevco times..........Jambogeddon.:greengrin

[Sir David Gray]

The point is he constantly refocuses anything to do with Hearts on to us. How about he focuses on them missing us?

We have survived being relegated, we have survived them being relegated twice and in a different league from us for five years. We will survive it again.

We will cut our cloth to suit unlike his new media favourites who carried on spending when it was clear it was well beyond their means.

According to him we shouldn't gloat even though he acknowledges the constant gloating we get since 2012. Not just Hearts fans but all the cheesy 5-1 photos in the media and the constant mentions on the BBC.

Mr Poface reacts in horror in Leigh Griffiths singing a song in a pub. Maybe unwise for Leigh to do this but only because of the sanctimonious reaction in the media from boring git's like Englis that was assured to greet him the next day. Lighten up Mr English the only thing wrong with Leigh's song was the wording...Hearts aren't going bust...they are already bustt so he should have used past tense.

Yes we all know we have a crap team just now but we've had them before and will again. However our stadium is complete, our training centre is there and the management team is in place. When we do finally get it right things will improve.

Mr English try writing articles on Hearts and aiming your guns at those responsible and the problems they will face without us instead of turning every article about one having a go at us.

Yep. :agree:

Our rivals are finally getting their comeuppance after years of financial cheating and winning games (and trophies) against us because they were playing players who they realistically could not afford.

What does he expect us to do in response to this? Hold a wake?

FTH. :bye:

:singing:

Hearts are going bust
going bust
Hearts are going bust....

12342

[clerriehibs]

Sadly the article is factually correct whether we like it or not.

Is it? So it's only Hibs that need a city derby? No one else in the spfl seems to.

It's a kakky, bitter article.

homfc are dead .. move on everyone, nothing to see here.

[Hibernia&Alba]

The point is he constantly refocuses anything to do with Hearts on to us. How about he focuses on them missing us?

We have survived being relegated, we have survived them being relegated twice and in a different league from us for five years. We will survive it again.

We will cut our cloth to suit unlike his new media favourites who carried on spending when it was clear it was well beyond their means.

According to him we shouldn't gloat even though he acknowledges the constant gloating we get since 2012. Not just Hearts fans but all the cheesy 5-1 photos in the media and the constant mentions on the BBC.

Mr Poface reacts in horror in Leigh Griffiths singing a song in a pub. Maybe unwise for Leigh to do this but only because of the sanctimonious reaction in the media from boring git's like Englis that was assured to greet him the next day. Lighten up Mr English the only thing wrong with Leigh's song was the wording...Hearts aren't going bust...they are already are bust so he should have used past tense.

Yes we all know we have a crap team just now but we've had them before and will again. However our stadium is complete, our training centre is there and the management team is in place. When we do finally get it right things will improve.

Mr English try writing articles on Hearts and aiming your guns at those responsible and the problems they will face without us instead of turning every article about them into one having a go at us.

Very well said, I agree entirely. Another thing that makes my blood boil is the EEN: Yam fanzine, pure and simple. A disgrace.

[carnoustiehibee]

Aberdeen, Motherwell or dundee utd don't need a city derby or over 15k attendances to produce good teams so why will hibs suddenly collapse without hearts.

Why is Hibs that will suffer without a derby and not hearts,while also being in a league below.

Hibs are an easy target for the media because were soft as ***** from top to bottom.

[emerald green]

Why doesn't Tom English follow up his article with another one exposing what's been going on at HOMFC, for years, resulting in them being in the serious mess they now find themselves in?

[Diclonius]

We look forward to an Edinburgh derby? :confused:

We look forward to an Edinburgh derby like an addict looks forward to his quarterly hospitalisation.

[NORTHERNHIBBY]

That article is a wee bit like some of our football this season. Starts ok, then loses it's way by the middle and then doesn't deliver an end product. The direct comparison has to be our last season with no Hearts to play, in division one. Where is that in this article?

[Waxy]

Aberdeen, Motherwell or dundee utd don't need a city derby or over 15k attendances to produce good teams so why will hibs suddenly collapse without hearts.

Why is Hibs that will suffer without a derby and not hearts,while also being in a league below.

Hibs are an easy target for the media because were soft as ***** from top to bottom.same type of OTT journalism as the summer before last.Remember when the world was going to explode if the rangers didn't get to stay in the SPL.

[BarneyK]

Aberdeen, Motherwell or dundee utd don't need a city derby or over 15k attendances to produce good teams so why will hibs suddenly collapse without hearts.

Why is Hibs that will suffer without a derby and not hearts,while also being in a league below.

Hibs are an easy target for the media because were soft as ***** from top to bottom.

:agree: He falls into the trap that many of us do I suppose, one of thinking that if we chuck money at the team all will be fine. As you rightly say, there are obvious examples there of teams - Motherwell especially - who have been performing consistently to a standard we would be delighted with. At the end of the day we will always have a bigger crowd than a lot of these teams and if managed by an astute manager should always be competitive, and personally I see no point in throwing good money after bad until we sort out the core of the club.The "major surgery" we have in the close season should be about freeing up wages and picking up better options rather than paying big bucks on a chance at second place IMO. Assuming we are still in this division of course...

[Diclonius]

Aberdeen, Motherwell or dundee utd don't need a city derby or over 15k attendances to produce good teams so why will hibs suddenly collapse without hearts.

Why is Hibs that will suffer without a derby and not hearts,while also being in a league below.

Hibs are an easy target for the media because were soft as ***** from top to bottom.

Correct. However, I'm sure our board will use that as another excuse to sign bargain-bin no-mark journeymen on the last day of the transfer window, whilst all our "rivals" have shelled out for quality players weeks ago.

[Lago]

Mandela;3953764]Tom English's Hearts love in goes to new levels. Apparently their demise is going to be the ruin of us. What a po faced misery this man is turning out to be. Having a go at Griffiths, the club, Petrie and all of us.

For once and for all Mr English WHATEVER IS HAPPENING TO YOUR BELOVED, BRAVE, FIGHTING JAMBOS WAS THEIR OWN FAULT NOBODY ELSE'S.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26858139[/QUOTE]

Frankly he is spot on. Griffiths was stupid and the parallel s with Deek are ominous.

[Hibercelona]

I think Tom English is just brutally honest and accurate. He's not trying to be on anybodies side, or against anybody. He just says it how he see's it.

I can't say that there's anything he says there that strikes me as being bias in any way. Just seems like the cold harsh reality of where Scottish football is heading.

[Kato]

I think Tom English is just brutally honest and accurate.


I've not read the article but this tells me TE is talking rubbish.

[Jones28]

Tom English does not have a bias against or for Hibs or Hearts. His brutal honesty is just that, brutally honest. He talks about things happening to Hibs that some people seem to be in denial about.

[carnoustiehibee]

I think Tom English is just brutally honest and accurate. He's not trying to be on anybodies side, or against anybody. He just says it how he see's it.

I can't say that there's anything he says there that strikes me as being bias in any way. Just seems like the cold harsh reality of where Scottish football is heading.

Why not have an article about how Hearts could have followed what hibs have done off the park for the good healthy future of Scottish football. The cheating of hearts has been swept aside.

[Jones28]

Why not have an article about how Hearts could have followed what hibs have done off the park for the good healthy future of Scottish football. The cheating of hearts has been swept aside.

The article is about how hearts demise and Hibs penny pinching is going to affect Hibs in the immediate future. It's not sweeping anything aside. It's sticking to the facts and telling the truth!

[DH1875]

Don't see what the problem is. He's kinda got a point has he not.

[brog]

I believe that, certainly by Scottish standards TE is a decent journalist. This article however is somewhat unbalanced. He mentions our failure to land Rooney or Flood but doesn't mention that we spent more money on Collins than Aberdeen did on both these players combined. Now whether the money was spent wisely is of course another matter. IIRC there was also an analysis on this board previously showing our & Aberdeen's wage bill to be roughly comparable over the last 10 years. One excellent season for the Dons shouldn't hide their recent failings, we put them out the cup in the prior 2 seasons! Of course we will miss Yams for the money though this season's crowds vs them have been exceptional. With them & newco missing though we have an opportunity to make up the shortfall by finishing much higher up the league. If Tel gets it right on the park we'll do fine on the terraces.

[carnoustiehibee]

The article is about how hearts demise and Hibs penny pinching is going to affect Hibs in the immediate future. It's not sweeping anything aside. It's sticking to the facts and telling the truth!

The part about a rebuilding job for Butcher is correct but my gran coulda told me that

This is just nonsense
Hearts' pitiful plight is not good news for them. It might just prove to be a moment of pleasure ahead of some considerable pain.

"For Hibs, there's going to be no Hearts next season, as well as no Rangers. Quite what impact this is going to have on the finances of the club is a question only Petrie can answer, but you'd have to think it has the potential to be grim."

[ehf]

His concluding sentence:

Unless, that is, Petrie twitches his moustache and magics up some money to create a team that will give the supporters more to crow about than the misery of others.

That is bang on. Get a decent team on the park, playing exciting football and the fans will come back, Hearts or no Hearts. Keep playing cut-price journeymen serving up this eye-bleeding hoofball and the crowds will continue to drift away.

[Hibernia Na Eir]

English isn't blaming anyone for Hearts' woes. He's saying we'll probably suffer financially from their relegation. He's right.

Really?

Petrie wouldn't spend any more money if Barcelona were our neighbours.

So why should we fear losing 3, possibly 4 derbies per season?

It'll make very little difference.

I thought Mr English would've sussed that.

[Kato]

I believe that, certainly by Scottish standards TE is a decent journalist. This article however is somewhat unbalanced. He mentions our failure to land Rooney or Flood but doesn't mention that we spent more money on Collins than Aberdeen did on both these players combined. Now whether the money was spent wisely is of course another matter. IIRC there was also an analysis on this board previously showing our & Aberdeen's wage bill to be roughly comparable over the last 10 years. One excellent season for the Dons shouldn't hide their recent failings, we put them out the cup in the prior 2 seasons! Of course we will miss Yams for the money though this season's crowds vs them have been exceptional. With them & newco missing though we have an opportunity to make up the shortfall by finishing much higher up the league. If Tel gets it right on the park we'll do fine on the terraces.

He's a decent journalist but his chicken lickin' act never stretched to warning Hearts about their impending doom whilst following Vlad's financial model.


Still anything that contributes to goading Hibs into splashing the cash.

[jdships]

Don't regard T E as the worst Journo around by a long way.
It is his job to raise issues and" be controversial" which I feel he does rather well .
Don't see much wrong in his current article !!

[Thecat23]

Just read it and I agree with what he says. Look at Celtic now The Rangers are down in the lower leagues. As much as I can't wait for them to drop it will hurt us money wise.

If The Rangers make it back up I can handle hearts staying down or if they do go bust that's not out fault but we need to plan for the future.

[Jones28]

The part about a rebuilding job for Butcher is correct but my gran coulda told me that

This is just nonsense
Hearts' pitiful plight is not good news for them. It might just prove to be a moment of pleasure ahead of some considerable pain.

"For Hibs, there's going to be no Hearts next season, as well as no Rangers. Quite what impact this is going to have on the finances of the club is a question only Petrie can answer, but you'd have to think it has the potential to be grim."

Look at Celtic without rangers. No healthy, local competition to keeps interesting which has resulted in a half empty stadium most weeks. I think it will have an impact on us. Not as big, but definitely something.

[3pm]

It's not Hearts or Rangers that's the problem. It's the 7 years of pish that's caused numbers to drop.

[Crazyhorse]

That doesn't look like a Hearts love in to me. I don't agree with everything he is saying about our club but I do agree with a lot of it.

Ditto

[lord bunberry]

Look at Celtic without rangers. No healthy, local competition to keeps interesting which has resulted in a half empty stadium most weeks. I think it will have an impact on us. Not as big, but definitely something.

That's not a fair comparison, the rangers being relegated removed the only competition celtic had, hearts being relegated will only affect us twice a season. The 2 games we would have played hearts will be against someone else so the only difference will be whatever the shortfall is in those 2 games.

[Saorsa]

It's not Hearts or Rangers that's the problem. It's the 7 years of pish that's caused numbers to drop.correct :agree:

In 2007-08 we got 13,258 in our first hame fixture of the season against ICT, the equivalent fixture this season attracted a mere 8750. That has **** all tae dae with h****s or the stickies. That's 7 seasons of gross mismanagement that's caused that.

[number9dream]

Hibs will undoubtedly suffer financially from the absence of derby matches but we will continue to spend more than most of our rivals on players.
The problem is we've been wasting our resources paying off dud managers, bringing in new ones and consistently getting it wrong with recruitment...
G Speirs has a Hibs column in The Herald today as well - talks about Butcher being lost in a "fog of uncertainty", which is hard to argue with.
Pundits are lining up to have a pop because we are awful.
There will be yet another clear-out this summer, let's hope Butcher can find the right blend of players. January business does not inspire but the coffers were pretty much empty then.

[Sir David Gray]

correct :agree:

In 2007-08 we got 13,258 in our first hame fixture of the season against ICT, the equivalent fixture this season attracted a mere 8750. That has **** all tae dae with h****s or the stickies. That's 7 seasons of gross mismanagement that's caused that.

That's actually quite frightening when those figures are laid out in black and white.

The away support that Inverness brought this season would have been very similar to the support they brought back in 2007 so that's around 4,500 fewer Hibs fans going to the same fixture. :bitchy:

[Ozyhibby]

The article is correct but misses the main point.
Our problem is not a lack of money. No matter what happens to Hearts, we will have the third highest budget in the league. If we spend it well then our crowds will go up and Armageddon will be cancelled.

[AndyM_1875]

Don't see the issue any Hibs fan has with Tom English. He's pretty impartial when it comes to Scottish Football, he's not one of the 'succulent lamb' brigade and he didn't make an erse of himself like certain hysterical bloggers in the so called new media over the Rangers meltdown.

We will lose 2 derbies next season, that's not up for debate and the budget will be affected.
Rangers won't be in the league till August 2015 so that's 2 games that we'd bank 75k per match in tv money not including ticket sales that we won't have. The league has no sponsor, so no cash from there either. Terry Butcher has an almost unenviable job in that respect, he'll be looking to unearth a few gems probably from England and promote from the U20s as far as I can see.

[IWasThere2016]

correct :agree:

In 2007-08 we got 13,258 in our first hame fixture of the season against ICT, the equivalent fixture this season attracted a mere 8750. That has **** all tae dae with h****s or the stickies. That's 7 seasons of gross mismanagement that's caused that.

This :agree:

[lord bunberry]

Don't see the issue any Hibs fan has with Tom English. He's pretty impartial when it comes to Scottish Football, he's not one of the 'succulent lamb' brigade and he didn't make an erse of himself like certain hysterical bloggers in the so called new media over the Rangers meltdown.

We will lose 2 derbies next season, that's not up for debate and the budget will be affected.
Rangers won't be in the league till August 2015 so that's 2 games that we'd bank 75k per match in tv money not including ticket sales that we won't have. The league has no sponsor, so no cash from there either. Terry Butcher has an almost unenviable job in that respect, he'll be looking to unearth a few gems probably from England and promote from the U20s as far as I can see.
We don't get 75k for being on tv

[God Petrie]

Absolute drivel. We should be gutted because Hearts are bust but also spend money we don't have. Great logic Tam.

[Bishop Hibee]

It's not Hearts or Rangers that's the problem. It's the 7 years of pish that's caused numbers to drop.

Yup. A winning team playing attractive football would mean 11K+ crowds every week.

Why does every article at the moment about Hibs have to include Hearts and visa-versa? The media loses more from Hearts going down than we do. They'll be hating it if they have to start again as a new club in the Lowland league.

[clerriehibs]

Don't see the issue any Hibs fan has with Tom English. He's pretty impartial when it comes to Scottish Football, he's not one of the 'succulent lamb' brigade and he didn't make an erse of himself like certain hysterical bloggers in the so called new media over the Rangers meltdown.

We will lose 2 derbies next season, that's not up for debate and the budget will be affected.
Rangers won't be in the league till August 2015 so that's 2 games that we'd bank 75k per match in tv money not including ticket sales that we won't have. The league has no sponsor, so no cash from there either. Terry Butcher has an almost unenviable job in that respect, he'll be looking to unearth a few gems probably from England and promote from the U20s as far as I can see.


Why hasn't he spent time analysing and warning the cheats in the past about how they were financially a busted flush, rather than focusing on the "issue" of a player singing a very normal song along with fellow supporters?

He's an erse. Just another MSM erse.

[Paisley Hibby]

Don't see the issue any Hibs fan has with Tom English. He's pretty impartial when it comes to Scottish Football, he's not one of the 'succulent lamb' brigade and he didn't make an erse of himself like certain hysterical bloggers in the so called new media over the Rangers meltdown.

We will lose 2 derbies next season, that's not up for debate and the budget will be affected.
Rangers won't be in the league till August 2015 so that's 2 games that we'd bank 75k per match in tv money not including ticket sales that we won't have. The league has no sponsor, so no cash from there either. Terry Butcher has an almost unenviable job in that respect, he'll be looking to unearth a few gems probably from England and promote from the U20s as far as I can see.

The only thing wrong with Tom English's article is his assumption that we will not be relegated along with hearts. At the moment I wouldn't bet against us going down. Otherwise he's pretty much spot on with what he says.

[Eyrie]

Absolute drivel. We should be gutted because Hearts are bust but also spend money we don't have. Great logic Tam.

Agreed. We need to spend the money we do have better, and if there is a little less to spend because the Yams are relegated/liquidated then so be it. Having a smaller budget doesn't stop Motherwell or St Johnstone outperforming us. And to be consistent English should want Dundee and Sevco in next season's SPL to benefit Dundee United and Septic.

[Pray4Marc]

It's embarrassing, cringeworthy. Quite ironic that he never mentions any creditors that are out pocket. Just his usual guff "brave round boys scrape a point at home" **ck of ya fanny. Imagine Tom English actually reported the truth.

[Kato]

Whatever guff or good stuff he writes he's not in any way the worst. It's what him and his ilk don't write that is all wrong - e.g. no journo thought there was anything strange in this http://www.hibs.net/content.php?378-Craig-Thomson#comments_start, either that or they realise and just choose to ignore it.

[HKhibby]

The yams I know hate him with a passion. He called them out for sectarian bigotry a few years ago, which, of course, doesn't exist at Tynecastle if you're a yam and blind to the goings on in certain areas of the ground.

Totally agree with you, they are getting what they deserve now, infact Sunday's result was expected in my opinion, they are fighting for their lives just to get a result against any team...especially us! and it was at Tynecastle as well....not to mention the rubbish that Butcher has been left with us!, will we miss the revenue from the derby next season?...probably yes, but one consolation is the season after Rangers will be back in the spl (if they are not liquidated again) and i cant see Hearts coming back into the spl for a few years!...hopefully!

[AndyM_1875]

Why hasn't he spent time analysing and warning the cheats in the past about how they were financially a busted flush, rather than focusing on the "issue" of a player singing a very normal song along with fellow supporters?

He's an erse. Just another MSM erse.

Possibly because he's already documented it already in various articles such as this (http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/tom-english-hearts-and-rangers-are-no-comparison-1-2978984).

[erskine-hibby]

As far as I'm concerned he has painted a picture of only one possible scenario. He is correct about Petrie, but, and it is a big BUT, if he loosens the purse strings a bit, and we can get a decent team on the pitch, the crowds will return negating any loss of revenue from the twice a year visit from hearts.

[mjhibby]

The part about a rebuilding job for Butcher is correct but my gran coulda told me that

This is just nonsense
Hearts' pitiful plight is not good news for them. It might just prove to be a moment of pleasure ahead of some considerable pain.

"For Hibs, there's going to be no Hearts next season, as well as no Rangers. Quite what impact this is going to have on the finances of the club is a question only Petrie can answer, but you'd have to think it has the potential to be grim."

The fact that there will be no hearts and no rangers in the spfl next season affects all the other spfl teams not just hibs. While english is a good journalist when he gets on sportsound he gets sucked into peddling their agenda of loving aberdeen,feeling sorry for
hertz and criticising mouser even though hibs and aberdeen have spent similar amounts on wages in the last few seasons.Its not how much weve spent its what it was spent on.Cant listen to sportsound any more as its like a wee boys club and nothing ever gets properly discussed.

[HappyAsHellas]

Possibly because he's already documented it already in various articles such as this (http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/tom-english-hearts-and-rangers-are-no-comparison-1-2978984).

Quoting it as a "sad" story is the problem though isn't it? Shouldn't we feel sad for the poor people who have lost their life savings so Nade could drive a fancy car in Edinburgh? In the end it looks like everyone is sucking up to the poor little HMFC and their forth, upright supporters and staff. Gosh, maybe I should donate to their cause as well...............

[calmac12000]

I think Tom English is just brutally honest and accurate. He's not trying to be on anybodies side, or against anybody. He just says it how he see's it.

I can't say that there's anything he says there that strikes me as being bias in any way. Just seems like the cold harsh reality of where Scottish football is heading.

I tend to agree with you, although I do have to say that the general tone of "declinism" current in the Scottish media does make me chuclle. When will it begin to penetrate the apologists for the Huns or their wee cousins the Hertz, that their current predicament is entirely the consequence of their own actions and not in any way the result of a fiendish plot hatched in Rome. What I wonder would these various Yam friendly journos want? I suspect they want to exist in a maroon and blue La-la land where nobody apart from Catholics or any other ill defined unter menshcen ever have to deal with the consequences of their actions.:not worth

[Jones28]

That's not a fair comparison, the rangers being relegated removed the only competition celtic had, hearts being relegated will only affect us twice a season. The 2 games we would have played hearts will be against someone else so the only difference will be whatever the shortfall is in those 2 games.

That's why I said it wouldn't be as big an impact in my post?

[silverhibee]

It's not Hearts or Rangers that's the problem. It's the 7 years of pish that's caused numbers to drop.

:agree:

[Saorsa]

That's actually quite frightening when those figures are laid out in black and white.

The away support that Inverness brought this season would have been very similar to the support they brought back in 2007 so that's around 4,500 fewer Hibs fans going to the same fixture. :bitchy:You've got tae wonder how much that drop off over 7 seasons has cost. Add tae that paying for and then paying off all those dud managers.....


instead of kicking on from that 2007 cup win it's been flushed doon the ****ter by **** up, efter **** up, efter....

[JeMeSouviens]

Don't see the issue any Hibs fan has with Tom English. He's pretty impartial when it comes to Scottish Football, he's not one of the 'succulent lamb' brigade and he didn't make an erse of himself like certain hysterical bloggers in the so called new media over the Rangers meltdown.

We will lose 2 derbies next season, that's not up for debate and the budget will be affected.
Rangers won't be in the league till August 2015 so that's 2 games that we'd bank 75k per match in tv money not including ticket sales that we won't have. The league has no sponsor, so no cash from there either. Terry Butcher has an almost unenviable job in that respect, he'll be looking to unearth a few gems probably from England and promote from the U20s as far as I can see.

He most certainly did! He did several puff pieces for Whyte (no doubt fed by Media House) before things really hit the fan. One article that laid into "Surrender, No!" Johnston stays in the mind in particular. He may be adept at switching sides but if he's better than Jackson & co and the rest of the lamb munchers, then it's very marginal. For the most part he follows the PR party line like the rest of the lazy ******* in Scottish sports journalism.

I *think* he might be a bit more knowledgeable on the egg-chasing, guess that's his first love?

[Elephant Stone]

Seems pretty spot on to me, aside from the bit about Petrie. It's clearly not an issue of spending, we'll be at least the third biggest spenders in the league this season, possibly joint-second, he's backed every manager well. If Petrie thinks that a player or a club is asking for too much money then I'm willing to accept that. The financial hit of no cup finals, Cheats, or Rangers and fewer season tickets won't be insignificant and I'd rather we kept our debt at a manageable level.

[Pray4Marc]

English isn't blaming anyone for Hearts' woes. He's saying we'll probably suffer financially from their relegation. He's right.


I dont buy this. "Hibs will suffer because of Hearts being relegated" It works both ways, they wont have a Derby either and will lose out on revenue.

[Keith_M]

Hibs will have a slightly lower income if we are still in the Premier League next season and Hearts aren't, but only IF the team offers the same poor quality of entertainment they did for the last few seasons. If there is an improvement on the pitch, we could easily make up for the shortfall in difference between two home games against Hearts and two home games against Dundee/Hamilton/etc.

The season after next, The Rangers will be in the Premier League, meaning we will have only one season with a single category A game rival, then go straight back up to two. If Aberdeen continue their improvement, they will make up part of the shortfall in away fans, as they get a decent travelling support when they're doing well.

Finally, Hibs had an average attendance in the First Division of 10,433. That's with NO games against Hearts, Celtic or Rangers. We have the potential to survive quite easily without Hearts, but it's up to the players and management to provide the necessary quality on the pitch.


There will be NO Jambogeddon.

[Jones28]

I dont buy this. "Hibs will suffer because of Hearts being relegated" It works both ways, they wont have a Derby either and will lose out on revenue.

That is the least of their worries, we need every penny we can get to fund another rebuild.

[jacomo]

I have read his last two articles on the bbc. 1 was regarding the hibs situation and the other about hearts and found his articles to be well written and no bias either way
Refreshing to read the likes to be honest as the majority of journalists in this country clearly show their colours or sensationalise any small topic.

:agree:

He's one of the better journalists covering Scottish football and earned his move to the BBC. Let's not shout down Tom English for being a Jambo - ridiculous.

I have a few issues with the way he framed this piece - with a contrived reference to Leigh - because actually the story is Hibs' own failings on the park. Hearts is a side issue.

[silverhibee]

Agreed. We need to spend the money we do have better, and if there is a little less to spend because the Yams are relegated/liquidated then so be it. Having a smaller budget doesn't stop Motherwell or St Johnstone outperforming us. And to be consistent English should want Dundee and Sevco in next season's SPL to benefit Dundee United and Septic.

Am sorry bud but the club need to find more money on top of the ST monies for TB this summer, we are so far behind teams in the top six it is scary and don't forget they will be able to strengthen in the summer as well, right now we are a bottom 6 club with bottom 6 players who could easily see us fall in to the play-off's this season, it will take more than a couple of gems to get us in to the top 6 for next season.

The other problem we have is we don't even have any decent players we can sell for a profit in the summer to help boost the managers coffers for the summer spending, but if you look at every team above us that we want to compete with they all have a player in there team that can be sold for £500k or more in the summer (not to sure about Motherwell regards selling players but they have a decent team and manager and have become steady Eddies in the top 6 and will still add to there squad in the summer) which will boost there coffers for there transfer spending in the summer if they decide to sell, if not they keep there good players for the new season ahead.

So i think Tom English is correct in saying that Petrie needs to find extra money for Butcher this summer and it needs to be there pretty soon to start getting new players in for the pre-season starting in the summer, Butcher and Marsella have both hinted to fans that they have a shopping list for players they want to bring in for the new season and they want the players in early as well.

Big summer for Rod Petrie.

[Glesgahibby]

As a general observation since Romanov arrived,
media=great for Scottish football
Yams=world cup stars
Hibs fans=it will end in tears
media=hibs need to spend more money
yams=boasts of big wages and mega stadium
hibs fans=it will end in tears
media=hibs need to spend more money
yams=we owe it to ourselves,5-1,1902....
hibs fans=it will end in tears
media=clubs need to watch there finances but hmmm hibs
need to spend more money
yams=it was worth it 5-1,1902 ......
Hibs fans=it will all end in tears
media=poor wee hertz,greedy Lithuanian pensioners,open all yam love in,oh I,and hibs need to spend more money
yams=a big bad man done it and ran away like and were the famous sob,sob,sniff,sob,sniff...
hibs fans=GRFUYyYFB
I couldn't give a flying .... what Tom English,Keith Jackson,Allsbarry or even Richard Gordon think.

[PeeJay]

Don't read too much by this guy, but this article is spot on IMO, particularly the part about Hibs as a club having to invest MONEY - don't see what any of the fuss is about myself ... he's only telling it like it is (in this article anyway).

[RIP Bestie]

Whether we like it or not, Rangers demise has had an impact on the top flight. I know that who wins the league out of them or Celtic is really of no importance to us but, it does have an impact on people's perception and their desire to attend games in a league where there is no competition at the top end. In the meantime we have Celtic stockpiling cash gained from competing in the Champions League or UEFA cup year on year, without the need to spend a great deal to qualify, in comparison to previous times. There really is a feeling amongst fans of "what's the point". I know there has been that feeling for years regarding Old Firm domination, but in my opinion the lethargy has increased in the last couple of years. I agree with Tom English. I think that not Having Hearts will increase the disinterest people have in Scottish football and it will have an impact on crowds and revenue as a whole, not just the obvious loss of Derby Day crowds.
Don"t get me wrong, I think,in terms of sporting integrity, whatever happens to Hearts will be deserved as it was with Rangers. I just think that it is not healthy for a product that is already, in my opinion, slowly dying.

[GordonR]

Possibly because he's already documented it already in various articles such as this (http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/tom-english-hearts-and-rangers-are-no-comparison-1-2978984).

I imagine a whole bunch of journalists - English included - will have a 'Hearts: The Road to Relegation/Liquidation - Where did it all start to go wrong at Tynecastle?' article sitting on their hard-drives, just waiting for the proper official moment before hitting Send.

Just because they're not as utterly obsessed with the issue as some here doesn't mean the story's being ignored.

[JeMeSouviens]

Whether we like it or not, Rangers demise has had an impact on the top flight. I know that who wins the league out of them or Celtic is really of no importance to us but, it does have an impact on people's perception and their desire to attend games in a league where there is no competition at the top end. In the meantime we have Celtic stockpiling cash gained from competing in the Champions League or UEFA cup year on year, without the need to spend a great deal to qualify, in comparison to previous times. There really is a feeling amongst fans of "what's the point". I know there has been that feeling for years regarding Old Firm domination, but in my opinion the lethargy has increased in the last couple of years. I agree with Tom English. I think that not Having Hearts will increase the disinterest people have in Scottish football and it will have an impact on crowds and revenue as a whole, not just the obvious loss of Derby Day crowds.
Don"t get me wrong, I think,in terms of sporting integrity, whatever happens to Hearts will be deserved as it was with Rangers. I just think that it is not healthy for a product that is already, in my opinion, slowly dying.

Where's your evidence for this? Teams doing well are getting the same or better numbers, teams doing pish are getting less. The demise of the Mark 1 Huns has only affected Celtic's crowd to any great extent and even then, their actual ST sales have held up ok and they get a much easier run at the CL riches. So aside from their stadium being half empty most weeks, it hasn't affected them badly either.

[RIP Bestie]

Where's your evidence for this? Teams doing well are getting the same or better numbers, teams doing pish are getting less. The demise of the Mark 1 Huns has only affected Celtic's crowd to any great extent and even then, their actual ST sales have held up ok and they get a much easier run at the CL riches. So aside from their stadium being half empty most weeks, it hasn't affected them badly either.
So this isn't a problem in the grand scheme of things? I think this proves there is a problem with the product. My point is that the loss of Hearts will only have a further negative effect. Fans are staying away and there is not a lot attracting them back. Some people only bought season tickets to guarantee tickets for Tyncastle, that is a fact. I presume that people are only buying season tickets at Celtic to guarantee tickets for Champions League games and for a better chance of tickets for away games.

[soda70]

Tom English's Hearts love in goes to new levels. Apparently their demise is going to be the ruin of us. What a po faced misery this man is turning out to be. Having a go at Griffiths, the club, Petrie and all of us.

For once and for all Mr English WHATEVER IS HAPPENING TO YOUR BELOVED, BRAVE, FIGHTING JAMBOS WAS THEIR OWN FAULT NOBODY ELSE'S.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26858139

Maybe we should try and arrange a couple of "glamorous" games with the so called big team, surely something could be arranged between both clubs to have a home and away game to pull us punters in and get our Derby fix. If this is not possible what about a game against a English Premiership Club who do not feature in Europe? :flag:

[Ozyhibby]

Maybe we should try and arrange a couple of "glamorous" games with the so called big team, surely something could be arranged between both clubs to have a home and away game to pull us punters in and get our Derby fix. If this is not possible what about a game against a English Premiership Club who do not feature in Europe? :flag:

Friendly games are crap, no matter who the opposition are.

[Sanger]

Yes it the rubbish football and management that have seen our gates drop on average by 3,000 over that period . Worth £1.4 million a year. The equivalent of about 10 good player.

[AndyM_1875]

I imagine a whole bunch of journalists - English included - will have a 'Hearts: The Road to Relegation/Liquidation - Where did it all start to go wrong at Tynecastle?' article sitting on their hard-drives, just waiting for the proper official moment before hitting Send.

Just because they're not as utterly obsessed with the issue as some here doesn't mean the story's being ignored.

You could well be right.
They are the world's stupidest club and their stupidity costs us 2 home Category A fixtures next year (and for probably a longer time than that) and Rod will budget for that loss.

So if or when it goes tits up, all we can do is shrug our shoulders and say "Told you so. You brought it on yourselves."
If you want to be nice you could helpfully offer directions to Borough Brigs, Elgin or Cliftonhill, home of the Wee Rovers.:greengrin

[patlowe]

First off I think the article has a certain amount of truth in it, but as people have said here, if we spend our (probably decent) budget well in the summer and turn the team around, people will return. The Celtic comparison doesn't really apply as they have nothing left to aim for. Hibs however, have plenty to go at next season. The possibility of good football, top 6, top 4, europe, cup runs etc would all have the effect of remotivating the Hibs support, regardless of whether Hearts are in the league. I do accept that it's a shame we won't get a 20,000 crowd next season but, looking at it another way, the very fact that we had the biggest crowd at ER in decades recently shows that there is a huge latent support there just waiting for the tide to turn.

It also really gets my goat when it's suggested that Hibs' failure to compete is due to a lack of spending. We have outspent the majority of the league - spending a bit more would not have made up for poor management, a lack of coherent strategy and the general malaise surrounding the club.

And finally, I can't believe he is going around criticising the Hibs fans for having the temerity to enjoy Hearts' demise. If the situation was the other way around, they would do exactly the same, and rightly so. This is football for goodness sake, not a support group.

[blackpoolhibs]

I dont buy this. "Hibs will suffer because of Hearts being relegated" It works both ways, they wont have a Derby either and will lose out on revenue.

Exactly, and who was it that directly suffered and lost revenue because of them spending money that wasn't theirs?

[RIP Bestie]

First off I think the article has a certain amount of truth in it, but as people have said here, if we spend our (probably decent) budget well in the summer and turn the team around, people will return. The Celtic comparison doesn't really apply as they have nothing left to aim for. Hibs however, have plenty to go at next season. The possibility of good football, top 6, top 4, europe, cup runs etc would all have the effect of remotivating the Hibs support, regardless of whether Hearts are in the league. I do accept that it's a shame we won't get a 20,000 crowd next season but, looking at it another way, the very fact that we had the biggest crowd at ER in decades recently shows that there is a huge latent support there just waiting for the tide to turn.

It also really gets my goat when it's suggested that Hibs' failure to compete is due to a lack of spending. We have outspent the majority of the league - spending a bit more would not have made up for poor management, a lack of coherent strategy and the general malaise surrounding the club.

And finally, I can't believe he is going around criticising the Hibs fans for having the temerity to enjoy Hearts' demise. If the situation was the other way around, they would do exactly the same, and rightly so. This is football for goodness sake, not a support group.
I didn't read it as criticising the Hibs fans. Maybe I'm wrong.

[patlowe]

I didn't read it as criticising the Hibs fans. Maybe I'm wrong.

Sorry, I should have clarified. It's more the comments he's been making on the radio over the past week or so I'm referring to, suggesting we shouldn't be celebrating their relegation in the manner that we are. The tone of the article is in keeping with that though I have to say.

[JeMeSouviens]

So this isn't a problem in the grand scheme of things? I think this proves there is a problem with the product. My point is that the loss of Hearts will only have a further negative effect. Fans are staying away and there is not a lot attracting them back. Some people only bought season tickets to guarantee tickets for Tyncastle, that is a fact. I presume that people are only buying season tickets at Celtic to guarantee tickets for Champions League games and for a better chance of tickets for away games.

It might be a problem for Celtic but in the long run it might actually bring them back to the pack and create some competition. That's what's wrong with Scottish football btw, not the loss of the Huns, the loss of competition. The early 80s, when the Sheepies, Celtic and Arabs competed for the league and the Huns were ganting, things were far better. Hibs were rubbish then, but we still had hope we could one day compete. We've all but lost that now.

I find it scarcely believable that people bought STs to get tix at Tiny. The recent game was the first time we've sold it out at all for years. :confused:

[smurf]

We've changed managers and had huge turnover in playing personnel in the last seven years. And we've been absolutely rotten.

If the strategy of the board is to give a reduced budget to Terry Butcher this summer then next season will be more of the same.

And another manager will lose his job. More worryingly many of the supporters still bothering are in 'This is their last chance' mode. We really are on the brink as a club.

And I've no confidence that Sir Tom Farmer or Rod Petrie gets that.

[JeMeSouviens]

We've changed managers and had huge turnover in playing personnel in the last seven years. And we've been absolutely rotten.

If the strategy of the board is to give a reduced budget to Terry Butcher this summer then next season will be more of the same.

And another manager will lose his job. More worryingly many of the supporters still bothering are in 'This is their last chance' mode. We really are on the brink as a club.

And I've no confidence that Sir Tom Farmer or Rod Petrie gets that.

How can TB put together a top 4 side at ICT on less than half of what Hibs pay in wages but can't do it for us on probably double that?

I don't think there was a problem with how much we spent last year. The signing fees and wages for Robertson, Craig, Tudur Jones, Collins, KT will all have been significant. Our problem is how little return we're getting on investment. Yes, RP/STF need to pony up at least to that extent again, but TB has to have a better (any!) success rate on his signings as well.

[HappyHibby93]

Not nice reading, but unfortunately he's pretty much hit the nail on the head

[RIP Bestie]

It might be a problem for Celtic but in the long run it might actually bring them back to the pack and create some competition. That's what's wrong with Scottish football btw, not the loss of the Huns, the loss of competition. The early 80s, when the Sheepies, Celtic and Arabs competed for the league and the Huns were ganting, things were far better. Hibs were rubbish then, but we still had hope we could one day compete. We've all but lost that now.

I find it scarcely believable that people bought STs to get tix at Tiny. The recent game was the first time we've sold it out at all for years. :confused:
Forgive me but I think that's what I said. The loss of Rangers has influenced that for us all.

[carnoustiehibee]

Not nice reading, but unfortunately he's pretty much hit the nail on the head

Tom English also said on twitter that hearts fans were more rebust. Would you agree with that aswell?

[Kato]

Tom English also said on twitter that hearts fans were more rebust. Would you agree with that aswell?

If Hearts had had the same 7 years that we've had "robust" would be the last thing they were. They are living the "feel good" of recent Cup wins. How English can't see that is beyond me, but then again a remit of journalists is to be controversial rather than show any common sense.

[ancient hibee]

How can TB put together a top 4 side at ICT on less than half of what Hibs pay in wages but can't do it for us on probably double that?

I don't think there was a problem with how much we spent last year. The signing fees and wages for Robertson, Craig, Tudur Jones, Collins, KT will all have been significant. Our problem is how little return we're getting on investment. Yes, RP/STF need to pony up at least to that extent again, but TB has to have a better (any!) success rate on his signings as well.

Don't undrstand your post-Butcher had nothing to do with any of these signings so how can he be blamed for a lack of return-isn't it that the wrong players were signed?

[JeMeSouviens]

Don't undrstand your post-Butcher had nothing to do with any of these signings so how can he be blamed for a lack of return-isn't it that the wrong players were signed?

Sorry, not very clear. Not blaming Butcher, but he has to do a lot better in this summer's restructuring than Fenlon did last year.

[Phil D. Rolls]

Good article, some pitiful reactions on here.

[ancient hibee]

Sorry, not very clear. Not blaming Butcher, but he has to do a lot better in this summer's restructuring than Fenlon did last year.


Quite agree.

[God Petrie]

Truly a bizarre article. Griffiths knows what Hearts overspending has meant to Hibs therefore he will and has celebrated the end of it. To describe a Hibs supporter as not knowing the background of our club is insulting. Stick to commentating on the psyche of your own club, whoever that is, as opposed to Hibernian, Mr English.

[The Green Goblin]

Hearts shamelessly squandered millions of other people's money on players, the same players which humped us 5-1 in the cup final, you know, that game we have never heard the end of since? And now that same arrogance and overspending has come back to burn them. Since things have fallen apart for them, they have been utterly without regret or remorse for all the people, businesses and charities they have shafted for millions. It is, to the utter shame of the MSM, the one thing you just never ever hear about. I will be shedding no tears over them. I like Tom English, and I think in many respects he makes a good argument in the article, but his main argument that we shouldn't be celebrating Hearts' relegation is no different from saying we shouldn't have been happy about what happened to Rangers. Remember when some journos were arguing that everybody ought to have overlooked the matter of sporting integrity and allowed Rangers to remain in the top flight because the other teams would suffer financially as a result? Hearts are where they are because of their own recklessness and undiminished arrogance, even though it has cost them dearly. I for one am happy to see them get their just desserts and I wouldn't think differently just because it would cost Hibs money. I didn't think that way about The Rangers and it's no different here. You reap what you sew. They can take what's coming to them and sod off to another division for all I care.

[clerriehibs]

Possibly because he's already documented it already in various articles such as this (http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/tom-english-hearts-and-rangers-are-no-comparison-1-2978984).

Not sure of your position on this; if you're defending TE as having dug the dirt on homfc ... no way does that article do that. If anything, it's another defence of homfc by sticking it to yet another club.
If you're pointing out that limp-haddock attack on homfc iss the worst that TE, or any MSM journo, is willing to report on the homfc basket case, and is to the never-ending shame of Scottish MSM, then I'm wholly with you.

[Kaiser1962]

Hearts shamelessly squandered millions of other people's money on players, the same players which humped us 5-1 in the cup final, you know, that game we have never heard the end of since? And now that same arrogance and overspending has come back to burn them. Since things have fallen apart for them, they have been utterly without regret or remorse for all the people, businesses and charities they have shafted for millions. It is, to the utter shame of the MSM, the one thing you just never ever hear about. I will be shedding no tears over them. I like Tom English, and I think in many respects he makes a good argument in the article, but his main argument that we shouldn't be celebrating Hearts' relegation is no different from saying we shouldn't have been happy about what happened to Rangers. Remember when some journos were arguing that everybody ought to have overlooked the matter of sporting integrity and allowed Rangers to remain in the top flight because the other teams would suffer financially as a result? Hearts are where they are because of their own recklessness and undiminished arrogance, even though it has cost them dearly. I for one am happy to see them get their just desserts and I wouldn't think differently just because it would cost Hibs money. I didn't think that way about The Rangers and it's no different here. You reap what you sew. They can take what's coming to them and sod off to another division for all I care.

On the button. :agree:

Armageddon my arse.

[Iggy Pope]

Forgive me but I think that's what I said. The loss of Rangers has influenced that for us all.

Good grief, that's all I craved in my formative years.
Losing hearts on the other hand would have been akin to losing Pumphie Juniors.

Influence?
Like losing a sair boaby!