4th or a Hearts 1985/86 Season?

[King Cosell]

Would you rather finish 4th with 60 pts or have the season Hearts had in 1985/86 where we're top of the league for months and blow it on the final day. Dreamland, electric atmosphere at ER, then devastation. Bear in mind, finishing 2nd means 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League with guaranteed Europa League group stage if we lose.

[Since90+2]

Would you rather finish 4th with 60 pts or have the season Hearts had in 1985/86 where we're top of the league for months and blow it on the final day. Dreamland, electric atmosphere at ER, then devastation. Bear in mind, finishing 2nd means 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League with guaranteed Europa League group stage if we lose.

2nd, obviously. Guaranteed Europa League group stage football would bring in about 6 or 7 million quid.

[Pretty Boy]

2nd all day, every day even with the heartbreaking scenario.

Winding Hearts fans up about 1986 is fun because we all know the range of emotions they went through. To be 10 minutes away from winning the league is all but an impossibility in Scotland nowadays, to be in with a chance on the final day would be amazing. Even if it ended the same way I'd still rather that than looking on enviously from 4th whilst Hearts or Aberdeen had a crack.

[Frazerbob]

:hmmm:

[BoomtownHibees]

2nd or 4th? Tough choice

[Just_Jimmy]

All I ever asked for was for hibs to still be in the game with 10 mins left in the Scottish Cup final. Until 2016 we'd always been beaten by that stage.

Look what happened

In this scenario we know how it'll play out but imagine how you'd feel going into that final weekend? It would also be a bigger achievement now, even to blow it, than it was for them back then.

We'd follow it up with the title the next season anyway so it's fine.

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[Since452]

Would 2nd not get us Champions League group stage?

[Sir David Gray]

Would 2nd not get us Champions League group stage?

No, 3rd qualifying round.

[King Cosell]

Would 2nd not get us Champions League group stage?

No, Rangers in the 3rd Q round.

[AngloHibs]

Who wouldn't want the chance to blow the title on the final day?

I kind of understand where the OP is coming from, but it's a strange question.

[ian cruise]

I was reading this thinking "2nd and almost winning the title, why would anyone chose differently?" however seeing how we've reacted to not winning finals last few seasons rather than thinking it's a great achievement to get to a final, maybe it's not as daft a question as it first seems.

Similarly a lot of people seemed upset Hearts might have won the Scottish Cup on the 21st May this year so maybe there are some who would rather be 4th and always have 86 as an opportunity to laugh at Hearts than have Hibs be that close to winning the league?

I want Hibs to be a successful as possible every season, if that means second and missing out on the last day, I'd much rather than over 4th. I'd get over the disappointment of not winning the league and enjoy what a team who almost won the league would do in Europe the next season.

[blackpoolhibs]

FFS can you imagine the carnage on here wanting LJ sacked for bottling the league, and how he couldnt win the big games. :wink:

[ian cruise]

FFS can you imagine the carnage on here wanting LJ sacked for bottling the league, and how he couldnt win the big games. :wink:

Exactly!

[Springbank]

Montrose are my 'second team' ever since that hilarious Jambo implosion of 1986

They were pumped in THREE competitions in consecutive games that summer

Albert Kidd gave Levein & Medals Mackay the bums rush at Dens in the League

Then Walter Kidd disgraced himself & his club by being the first dirty player red carded in a Scottish Cup Final as Aberdeen strolled past Hearts

Then the first game of the following season saw the mighty Montrose pap the Gorgie losers out the League Cup, at Tynecastle.

The Big Team crowd was an impressive 7028 that night

2-0 to the Gable Endies

Mercer "raging" at his players afterwards

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/past-times/2465086/tynecastle-86-hearts-record-was-left-in-tatters-after-famous-montrose-cup-win/

[SideBurns]

If the question was 'would you rather finish 2nd or 4th' it wouldn't be asked in the first place. But the choice is between finishing 4th, and the exact same circumstances of the Jambos finishing 2nd in '86. Maybe you had to have been around at the time to appreciate the enormity of it - they hadn't lost for 31 games and only had to hold on for another 7 minutes or so to be crowned Champions. It's not like losing a cup final when there's a reasonable chance another opportunity will arise in the near future.

I wouldn't want to experience that heartache for Hibs, or the inevitable celebrations which would break out in Gorgie, so I'll take 4th over that situation!!

[Steve20]

I was reading this thinking "2nd and almost winning the title, why would anyone chose differently?" however seeing how we've reacted to not winning finals last few seasons rather than thinking it's a great achievement to get to a final, maybe it's not as daft a question as it first seems.

Similarly a lot of people seemed upset Hearts might have won the Scottish Cup on the 21st May this year so maybe there are some who would rather be 4th and always have 86 as an opportunity to laugh at Hearts than have Hibs be that close to winning the league?

I want Hibs to be a successful as possible every season, if that means second and missing out on the last day, I'd much rather than over 4th. I'd get over the disappointment of not winning the league and enjoy what a team who almost won the league would do in Europe the next season.

There’s a difference between being top until the last game over a season, than getting through four matches and then losing. Getting to a final in a cup is a success if you win it. There’s no great achievement losing to St Johnstone.

[Smartie]

Clearly I’m in the minority but having been scarred by so much Hampden misery and the like over the years, I think I’d settle for 4th.

Which would still be decent compared to most seasons following Hibs.

[Killiehibbie]

I want us to win the league and will take being in with a chance going into the last game.

[SideBurns]

Me too Killie Hibbie. The excitement of waking up in the morning and knowing we've a chance would be amazing.

However...

The specific question relates to Hearts '86 situation. I was playing fitba for the boys club that day, our first 11 weakened as the Jambos (all good players) had been excused so they could go to Dens to see Hearts win the league. It was accepted that was the inevitable outcome. Hearts could lose the game and still be Champions; the required turnaround in goals from Celtic at Paisley seemed unlikely, and in fact in fitba terms miraculous.

It was a moment in history, incomparable with anything else (maybe Hibbies who remember Killie winning in the 60s on goal average would argue with that).

[Killiehibbie]

If that's how it ended up I'd be gutted but I'd still want to be in with a chance instead of giving up before the season has even started.

[Keith_M]

Can we just compromise a bit and finish 3rd?

[Phil MaGlass]

Were goin to finish third, easy third.

[erin go bragh]

Akin to asking if you would rather pump Susan Boyle or Beyoncé

[blackpoolhibs]

Akin to asking if you would rather pump Susan Boyle or Beyoncé

Whats wrong with Beyonce?

[SHODAN]

The Hertz won three out of four against us that season. Aye, I'll take it nae bother.

[Paul1642]

2nd place…. What a disaster

[SideBurns]

The Hertz won three out of four against us that season. Aye, I'll take it nae bother.

If they'd won four out of four they'd have been Champions. As my uncle pointed out to a Jambo in Mathers Bar who was trying to use their derby record as consolation for their disastrous end to the season...

[Keith_M]

Akin to asking if you would rather pump Susan Boyle or Beyoncé


Been there, done that.

[Killiehibbie]

Been there, done that.

Susan speaks very highly of you