Joel Sked on Hibs v Hearts rivalry

[jacomo]

I’m all for a bit of derby rivalry. It’s one of the things that makes football so special. But this is just weird:

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/joel-sked-how-it-felt-watching-hibs-beat-rangers-2016-scottish-cup-final-lift-their-114-year-hex-2504365

1. Feeling physically anxious at the thought of your rival winning a game against someone else? Severe pre-match nerves because they might win a trophy? That’s just weird.
2. This guy works as a journalist for the EEN and regularly reports on Hibs.
3. The EEN thought this would be fun to publish... which doesn’t bother me much but does make me question their innate bias, as I can’t think of an equivalent.

[FilipinoHibs]

I’m all for a bit of derby rivalry. It’s one of the things that makes football so special. But this is just weird:

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/joel-sked-how-it-felt-watching-hibs-beat-rangers-2016-scottish-cup-final-lift-their-114-year-hex-2504365

1. Feeling physically anxious at the thought of your rival winning a game against someone else? Severe pre-match nerves because they might win a trophy? That’s just weird.
2. This guy works as a journalist for the EEN and regularly reports on Hibs.
3. The EEN thought this would be fun to publish... which doesn’t bother me much but does make me question their innate bias, as I can’t think of an equivalent.

Yes complete lack of judgement publishing the article. Undermines their "journalism" even more. I remember supporting Gretna in the final against them. But feeling physically sick, they are weird.

[jacomo]

Yes complete lack of judgement publishing the article. Undermines their "journalism" even more. I remember supporting Gretna in the final against them. But feeling physically sick, they are weird.


Of course.

I can understand Jambos supporting other teams against us (especially as diet Huns) but to be that emotionally invested in the match?

Odd, to say the least.

[Green Badger]

Is he that jambo fud who is on A View From The Terrace on BBC? The other Jambos on there seem relatively balanced and sometimes say positive things about Hibs, but this boy comes over as a total raging Duncan. Article therefore does not surprise me in the slightest. (not that I’ve bothered to read it but get the gist of it from comments above)

[Green_one]

Yes complete lack of judgement publishing the article. Undermines their "journalism" even more. I remember supporting Gretna in the final against them. But feeling physically sick, they are weird.

Just part of their usual deep unbiased football observations. And they wonder why no-one reads that rag anymore.

[Jones28]

Tbf he totally acknowledges just how pathetic he is in the article.

[matty_f]

I honestly thought the article was fine - it's what is like as a football fan when you're rivals are on the cusp of something.

When a Hearts went to St Mirren before the shut down, I was nervous for the game and desperate for Hearts to lose.

I'm sure a lot of us will be able to look back on phone messages with friends from that night and that nervousness will be reflected in the chats.

2016 ruined Hearts for a while. They never really recovered from it. It saw the resurgence in Hibs on and off the park and changed the while dynamic in the city.

Football writers who love football are better than neutrals, imho - especially if they can be balanced in their reporting.

This wasn't a reported article, it's a reflective, personal account of the game and I thought it was decent.


Mostly, of course, because there are few things better than bitter Jambo tears.

[DaveF]

Mostly, of course, because there are few things better than bitter Jambo tears.

Spot on. And you can be sure Joel shed very many of those 😁

[Pretty Boy]

I quite enjoyed the article.

He doesn't try to defend his emotions, he's acutely aware he was and is being petty and bitter. There's an element of that in all of us

The part that rings true for me is when he said he was most definitely not happy for his Hibs supporting mate. I always cringe when I read football fans saying they are 'happy for their mate' when a rival wins something. **** that, when it comes to football I want any Hearts fans I am friends with to live perennially miserable lives

[dalkeith stu]

To be fair they are going to have to fill the pages with something as there wont be any sport to report on for the next few months. Unfortunately we are going to start seeing alot more of this sh*t!!!

[BoomtownHibees]

I’m not that far off feeling the same about them tbf

[James Stephen]

Give the guy a break, its an honest account and frankly would anyone expect any different?

Its rivalry, its why fitba is brilliant and id much rather people acknowlesge it and have a laugh about the pettiness and stupidity we all feel, than be all fake chummy and po faced about it.

[chrisski33]

Nowt wrong with the article. We feel the same about wanting hearts to lose.
Dont see it as any sort of EEN bias

[JimBHibees]

I thought it was quite a good read. At least he was honest to be fair. I think there were a few of us jumping about when Celtic beat them last May.

[Tom Hart RIP]

I honestly thought the article was fine - it's what is like as a football fan when you're rivals are on the cusp of something.

When a Hearts went to St Mirren before the shut down, I was nervous for the game and desperate for Hearts to lose.

I'm sure a lot of us will be able to look back on phone messages with friends from that night and that nervousness will be reflected in the chats.

2016 ruined Hearts for a while. They never really recovered from it. It saw the resurgence in Hibs on and off the park and changed the while dynamic in the city.

Football writers who love football are better than neutrals, imho - especially if they can be balanced in their reporting.

This wasn't a reported article, it's a reflective, personal account of the game and I thought it was decent.


Mostly, of course, because there are few things better than bitter Jambo tears.

Agree. I felt similar before they won it in 98. That was the first thing I’d ever seen Hearts win in 30plus years going to games.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

I've not read it but, I wouldn't want them to win a toss of a coin unless it did us some good.

[Hiber-nation]

Give the guy a break, its an honest account and frankly would anyone expect any different?

Its rivalry, its why fitba is brilliant and id much rather people acknowlesge it and have a laugh about the pettiness and stupidity we all feel, than be all fake chummy and po faced about it.

Exactly. I locked myself in the shed after the 98 final when they beat the huns and I was 50 years old.

[hibby rae]

A lot of Hearts fans, more so than fans of any other team I've met, seem to define their support and identity more by a hatred for their main rivals than a love for their own club.

I know of one Jambo who even travelled through to Falkirk to support them against us in the play off game in 2016.

And my Jambo cousin, for every one post about Hearts on social media, three would be about Hibs.

Personally, I enjoy seeing Hearts lose, and would be delighted to see them get relegated, but I don't care that much about them. If they win a trophy, or European spot, it doesn't have any impact on my life.

It's very small time.

[jacomo]

I thought it was quite a good read. At least he was honest to be fair. I think there were a few of us jumping about when Celtic beat them last May.


Tbf he’s a decent enough writer.

I would just expect anyone involved professionally in the game - including those paid to report on it - to show a little more, er, professionalism.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy watching Hearts fail. But - win or lose - their results don’t affect me at a profound level. I find investing that level of emotion in your rival a bit odd.

[HibbiesandtheBaddies]

I honestly thought the article was fine - it's what is like as a football fan when you're rivals are on the cusp of something.

When a Hearts went to St Mirren before the shut down, I was nervous for the game and desperate for Hearts to lose.

I'm sure a lot of us will be able to look back on phone messages with friends from that night and that nervousness will be reflected in the chats.

2016 ruined Hearts for a while. They never really recovered from it. It saw the resurgence in Hibs on and off the park and changed the while dynamic in the city.

Football writers who love football are better than neutrals, imho - especially if they can be balanced in their reporting.

This wasn't a reported article, it's a reflective, personal account of the game and I thought it was decent.


Mostly, of course, because there are few things better than bitter Jambo tears.


I think the issue for them was that we won it legitimately. In my experience it's older Jambos I know who accept that 2012, and to a lesser extent 2006, came at a cost with quality players they couldn't hope to afford long term and very nearly killed their club. A kind of humility that recognises that it was great to win but it wasn't really a level playing field.

I reckon deep down Joel knew this and the thought of us winning it fair and square would mean having to face up to it. Easier for us to lose it and enjoy a lifetime of 5 - 1.

[Onion]

It was an honest admission to be fair, but utterly weird. Physically sick at seeing us win a match ? He sounds more obsessed with Hibs than most Hibs fans :greengrin

Weirdo.

[Fuzzywuzzy]

My mate, who's a Jambo, father-in-law was apoplectic that we won. He was convinced that because of the post match celebrations we should be stripped of the win, fined and suspended from all competitions. My mate thought it was a cracking game and we deserved the victory

[Man Down Under]

He was honest. Football rivalry is pathetic in the grand scheme of things, yet here we are, being petty about a rival fan being petty about his rivals.

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[mjhibby]

He said in view from the terrace last night if the season was voided would Hertz lose their two derby wins. I think their obsession with the derby makes loads feel like sked. Also Craig Fowler said without a hint of irony if d utd don't get promoted and if they get into financial difficulties due to huge spending to win the championship then it's their fault. Skeds piece and Fowlers comment sum up the jambos I'm afraid. Many are very strange folk with a few decent ones. They don't see the irony that with all the money they have wasted they are still by far the worst team in the spl and only an horrendous decision v Hamilton means they are not seven points adrift and staring at relegation. I hope we somehow finish the season and they get relegated. As tam McManus said they are using the crisis to bin players they overspent on. Disgraceful.

[tanfield]

Remember feeling physically sick when they finally won a trophy in 1998...

[SanFranHibs]

Of course.

I can understand Jambos supporting other teams against us (especially as diet Huns) but to be that emotionally invested in the match?

Odd, to say the least.

No emotions from Hibs fan in 1986.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCjEsN4E85s

[wpj]

No emotions from Hibs fan in 1986.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCjEsN4E85s

Good to watch that again

[brog]

No emotions from Hibs fan in 1986.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCjEsN4E85s

What always gets me from that video is just how exultant the Dee fans were in what was a meaningless game for them. Ach, I'm off to The Vault to reread sickback on 21/5/16!!

[Broken Gnome]

Pff, I was about boaking when they went one up in the final last year. That pettiness is more than mutual.

[weecounty hibby]

What always gets me from that video is just how exultant the Dee fans were in what was a meaningless game for them. Ach, I'm off to The Vault to reread sickback on 21/5/16!!

I might be wrong but did Dundee not need to win to qualify for Europe? They deserved to after that.

[brog]

What always gets me from that video is just how exultant the Dee fans were in what was a meaningless game for them. Ach, I'm off to The Vault to reread sickback on 21/5/16!!


I can't find the sickbag thread in The Vault. Can anyone please help direct me?

[NAE NOOKIE]

Ach ... I watched the 2013 league cup final at my mums and remember dancing around her living room as St Mirren took the lead and even worse, hiding in her kitchen to avoid the last few minutes in case the Yams got back into the game :greengrin

But if Hertz had won I doubt it would have taken me longer than half an hour to get over it ... life goes on :thumbsup:

[Centre Hawf]

I don't really mind it. I think it's a good honest piece. I think we can have a place for journo's to show their allegiance in a bit more of a fun way especially in this era of the internet, as long as they are still honest about what they're reporting on and for me a lot of the Terrace guys are honest in their assessments of players and teams.

It's when you get a few of the old school folk still hiding their allegiance's but clearly having digs through that prism that I think annoys me more.

[Shrekko]

I might be wrong but did Dundee not need to win to qualify for Europe? They deserved to after that.

Think they missed out on Europe but the game certainly wasn’t meaningless as they still had the possible chance to qualify.

[brog]

Think they missed out on Europe but the game certainly wasn’t meaningless as they still had the possible chance to qualify.

Im not sure they did, they finished 6th & could have been 5th if Rangers had lost but by full time at Dens they would have known Rangers had won. I think they were just happy to stop Hearts winning the league on their ground. Still seems a bit OTT though but v enjoyable.

[Carheenlea]

Does Joel Sked have any background in football other than as an enthusiastic fan? His style seems to be more fanzine than red-top back page, and I’ve always enjoyed his work despite his Heartsness.
Sums up a trait of close city rivalry which we all know is pathetic but will all be guilty of to perhaps varying degreees. Fans of clubs who don’t enjoy a bitter rivalry are missing out really!

[The Captain....]

A huge part of their identity was always the Cup hoodoo. Ruined many of their bitter, empty lives it certainly did..I'm sure theres a minority who are fine or tolerate it but I've personally never met one.

I dont mind the article but I often think View From The Terrace would be improved if Sked wasnt on it. Theres just something about him other than his sleekit jambo slavering that I cant 'kin stand.

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[superfurryhibby]

I quite enjoyed the article.

He doesn't try to defend his emotions, he's acutely aware he was and is being petty and bitter. There's an element of that in all of us

The part that rings true for me is when he said he was most definitely not happy for his Hibs supporting mate. I always cringe when I read football fans saying they are 'happy for their mate' when a rival wins something. **** that, when it comes to football I want any Hearts fans I am friends with to live perennially miserable lives

Funny because I sat and watched the 98 final with two Hibby pals. Bearing in mind my Leith background and several generations of Hibs support in my DNA, I found myself wanting them to win. I took pelters for it at the time and still get it tight to this day, but I thought about our social group and the one Jambo we all knew. He's one of the good guys in life and is now approaching 60. He'd followed them for years and we all love him dearly. Ah don't know why, but I just thought, I want them to win this.

To be fair, that was probably the only time in my life I've ever felt that feeling and I wisnae exactly cheering them on, but I would say this. It's only a game and it's never happened since. Can I be forgiven?:wink:

[Greenfly]

Funny because I sat and watched the 98 final with two Hibby pals. Bearing in mind my Leith background and several generations of Hibs support in my DNA, I found myself wanting them to win. I took pelters for it at the time and still get it tight to this day, but I thought about our social group and the one Jambo we all knew. He's one of the good guys in life and is now approaching 60. He'd followed them for years and we all love him dearly. Ah don't know why, but I just thought, I want them to win this.

To be fair, that was probably the only time in my life I've ever felt that feeling and I wisnae exactly cheering them on, but I would say this. It's only a game and it's never happened since. Can I be forgiven?:wink:

Did you get thirty pieces of silver?:wink:

[Perd Hapley]

Yes complete lack of judgement publishing the article. Undermines their "journalism" even more. I remember supporting Gretna in the final against them. But feeling physically sick, they are weird.

Quoting the article - 'When Alex Schalk scored that late, late winner I celebrated wildly. Not quite Alim Ozturk at Easter Road, or the 2012 final, but still in a manner which was frankly embarrassing, but one I’m still not and never will be ashamed of.'


Imagine announcing that you should be embarassed and that you're shameless in the same sentence

[Jim44]

I’m quite indifferent to Jambos spouting their nonsense, because I, like other Hibs supporters have similar sentiments about them. It’s just the privileged platform that folk like him have access to that grates a bit.

[SonOfDavidFrancey]

Not brilliantly written but can’t see why anyone would find it disturbing( Aidan Smith has written whole books dealing with these sorts of feelings.

On another tack did anyone else watch that replay of the 2016 final and find themselves getting tense?

[gillythehibby]

The Evening News must have been desperate to fill column inches with this nonsense. I'm glad he was gutted about us winning the cup tho. listen, we hate them as much as they hate us. Keeps us all right and that's a good thing.:flag:

[.Sean.]

Decent enough article. I’ve known Joel for years as we have a mutual best pal and Hearts leanings aside he’s a good guy. Nonetheless I absolutely loved the bit in the article about his lifelong Hibs supporting mate being in tears and him being absolutely seething, as I was standing beside said mate watching us lift the cup :greengrin

However I must say it’s absolutely beautiful to get an honest and first hand account of just how much our SC win hurt them. And they call us obsessed. Wait til we win it again.

[007]

Decent enough article. I’ve known Joel for years as we have a mutual best pal and Hearts leanings aside he’s a good guy. Nonetheless I absolutely loved the bit in the article about his lifelong Hibs supporting mate being in tears and him being absolutely seething, as I was standing beside said mate watching us lift the cup :greengrin

However I must say it’s absolutely beautiful to get an honest and first hand account of just how much our SC win hurt them. And they call us obsessed. Wait til we win it again.

He's given you a lot of banter ammunition with that article. It's there in black and white how much 2 up and they f***ed it up leading to us winning the cup hurt them.

Sounds like it's still hurting him quite a lot. More than 5-1 hurts us now. In fact I think most of us just laugh it off when they come out with the 5-1 chat because we know it means they're suffering about something and reaching for the comfort blanket.

[Kato]

Decent enough article. I’ve known Joel for years as we have a mutual best pal and Hearts leanings aside he’s a good guy. Nonetheless I absolutely loved the bit in the article about his lifelong Hibs supporting mate being in tears and him being absolutely seething, as I was standing beside said mate watching us lift the cup :greengrin

However I must say it’s absolutely beautiful to get an honest and first hand account of just how much our SC win hurt them. And they call us obsessed. Wait til we win it again.On the evening when Hibs beat Aberdeen to reach the 2012 Scottish Cup final I was in the company of several Hearts fans. To a man the didn't want Hearts to beat Celtic the following day as the were scared Hibs might beat them in the final. Remember this was at a time they were spending three times more than us on wages and we were poor to say the least.

I reminded each and everyone of them of that after they beat us. The 5-1 jibes were pretty hollow given they had admitted their sh@baggery that night.

I hate Hearts on a sporting level. I have pals who are Jambos but have always found their fans a bit weird in general. The fact (fact) their songbook disappeared over night when we won the cup speaks volumes s to the obsession they have with Hibs.

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[The Harp Awakes]

On the evening when Hibs beat Aberdeen to reach the 2012 Scottish Cup final I was in the company of several Hearts fans. To a man the didn't want Hearts to beat Celtic the following day as the were scared Hibs might beat them in the final. Remember this was at a time they were spending three times more than us on wages and we were poor to say the least.

I reminded each and everyone of them of that after they beat us. The 5-1 jibes were pretty hollow given they had admitted their sh@baggery that night.

I hate Hearts on a sporting level. I have pals who are Jambos but have always found there fans a bit weird in general. The fact (fact) their songbook disappeared over night when we won the cup speaks volumes s to the obsession they have with Hibs.

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Agree 100% with this and I don't think JS is different from the majority of jambos - they hate us more than they love their club.

Hearts to me, being our local rivals, are a club you always want to better. I don't like when they win and love beating them but really all I care about is Hibs. They are a bit of an irrelevance to me. Hibs should always be aiming to be in the top 3 in the league and in the semis of cup competitions. The fact we've seldom achieved this in my lifetime is due to failure of leadership, lack of ambition at the club or poor management. Over recent decades we've occasionally realised our potential under Mowbray, Mcleish and Lennon but we need to set the bar higher than Hearts if we want to move on. Let them focus on and hate us all they want.

[superfurryhibby]

Agree 100% with this and I don't think JS is different from the majority of jambos - they hate us more than they love their club.

Hearts to me, being our local rivals, are a club you always want to better. I don't like when they win and love beating them but really all I care about is Hibs. They are a bit of an irrelevance to me. Hibs should always be aiming to be in the top 3 in the league and in the semis of cup competitions. The fact we've seldom achieved this in my lifetime is due to failure of leadership, lack of ambition at the club or poor management. Over recent decades we've occasionally realised our potential under Mowbray, Mcleish and Lennon but we need to set the bar higher than Hearts if we want to move on. Let them focus on and hate us all they want.

Surely we realised our potential with !Miller, Collins and Stubbs? Apart from that, agree with all you say:aok:

[Waxy]

Nothing wrong with a rivalry. I want hearts to lose everything they have.
Get relegated down to the eos league in successive seasons.Go into admin and get liquidated.Have to sell the pbs and move into saughton enclosure whilst watch their crowds dwindle to a couple of hundred
And get largely forgotten about as the Big Hibs v Edinburgh city derby takes place.

Well i’ll settle for them having a year or three in the championship.

[FilipinoHibs]

I remember by Hibs pal and I's wives suggesting we go and see the Hearts cup parade in 1998. We said no, a pick nick up Arthur's Seat as we do for Royal weddings when we need to get away from hysteria.

[Up The Bracket]

I’m all for a bit of derby rivalry. It’s one of the things that makes football so special. But this is just weird:

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/joel-sked-how-it-felt-watching-hibs-beat-rangers-2016-scottish-cup-final-lift-their-114-year-hex-2504365

1. Feeling physically anxious at the thought of your rival winning a game against someone else? Severe pre-match nerves because they might win a trophy? That’s just weird.
2. This guy works as a journalist for the EEN and regularly reports on Hibs.
3. The EEN thought this would be fun to publish... which doesn’t bother me much but does make me question their innate bias, as I can’t think of an equivalent.

Are any of us any different when watching Hearts? Any of us who didn’t celebrate heavily when St Mirren beat them in the league cup?

Football is a rivalry, not wanting success for your rivals is fine and normal, just because he supports someone other than your own team doesn’t mean he can’t offer his opinion on Hibs.

Joel comes across as a good laugh, honest and a likeable guy despite being a Hearts fan, as does Craig Fowler, would rather have someone open about their allegiances that can laugh about things than your typical Alan Preston, Keith Jackson, Chick Young idiots we’ve been subjected to for years.

[Since452]

First result I look for is ours. Next one is theirs. The thought of them winning anything is horrific. The thought of them losing makes the world a brighter place. Nothing wrong with what he said in my opinion. I feel the same.