Hibs fans one week, Hearts fans the next

[joe breezy]

With all the talk of getting tickets for the opposite end it reminded me of quite a few conversations when i was younger with older gents.

Quite a few people told me about how they would go and watch Hibs one week, then the next week they would go and see Hearts. They told me this was quite common.

Does anyone have any recollections of this?

[Sammy7nil]

It is true that did happen, there was no big travelling support and a lot of folk not all just wanted to watch football.

I think most still had "their" team and they were Hibs or Hearts fans but were happy to go to both grounds.

[Geo_1875]

It was quite common up to the early 60's when working on a Saturday morning was common. Many fans couldn't get to away games so went along to see whoever was playing at home. My Grandad took me along to a couple of games at Tynie when I was about 6. A game against Clyde was one I remember. 0-0 draw and crap football. Didn't enjoy it at all. Couldn't wait for the Hibs game the next week.

[HIBERNIAN-0762]

My Dad and uncles used to do it although they were all Hibs supporters, throughout the 50s it was the norm, seems very strange now but just shows you how times change, it worked both ways as well.

[Cabbage East]

I think this happened in the 50's. Totally different culture back then, not any away support as such just a group of people going to see the football in their home town.

[Gingertosser]

I think it had more to do with the fact the pubs were shut between 3-5pm

If you went home you didn't get back out, so they would just go to the football for a couple of hours, didn't matter who was playing.

I still know one old guy who goes to watch both teams, but if pushed would tell you he's a Jambo.

[Dan Sarf]

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I think this happened in the 50's. Totally different culture back then, not any away support as such just a group of people going to see the football in their home town.

Sorry, don't agree. The pals I went with to the football were firmly Hibees but we could only see Hibs every two weeks. So we'd go to Tynecastle every other week to see the game there instead. They had some good players in those days (Jimmy Wardaugh was excellent with his head) but we were always delighted when they lost - unless it was to Rangers or Celtic who we disliked even more.

Once, I went to Tynecastle to see a Hearts pre-season friendly as I wanted to get Nat Lofthouse's autograph. The Hearts fans booed me all the way to the centre circle before the kick off (I was wearing my Hibs scarf!) When I got there with my programme to be signed, he towered over me and said, "Not now lad, I've a job to do." It was a long walk back. I've hated Bolton Wanderers ever since.

[joe breezy]

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I think it had more to do with the fact the pubs were shut between 3-5pm

If you went home you didn't get back out, so they would just go to the football for a couple of hours, didn't matter who was playing.

I still know one old guy who goes to watch both teams, but if pushed would tell you he's a Jambo.

Ha ha, love that explanation...an escape from the matriarchal missus

[Scouse Hibee]

Now you struggle to find either team at home on a Saturday at 3pm!!!!

[Phil MaGlass]

I met a few older blokes who done this over the years, now its just too expensive. Its a pity, that those fans have been priced out of the game.
Dinnae get me started on KO times.

[Niffy]

My grandad stayed at 302 Leith Walk for most of his life , and was a Jambo ... but through the 50's 60's & 70's regularly had parties after games with many of the Hibs & Hearts players, and would often watch Hibs as well as Hearts.

My dad's a Rangers fan , and me .. well a Hibby, but I'd rather see Hearts win at anything if not's not against Hibs. So I'm ALMOST like that.

[lapsedhibee]

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I think it had more to do with the fact the pubs were shut between 3-5pm

If you went home you didn't get back out, so they would just go to the football for a couple of hours, didn't matter who was playing.

I still know one old guy who goes to watch both teams, but if pushed would tell you he's a Jambo.

Think it was 2.30 that pubs stopped serving in ye olden times - can't remember how much drinking up time was allowed then, but you're right, everything dovetailed perfectly for a 3pm start at the footy.

However, there was never any need to set foot in Tynecastle except for derbies - the reserve league was played on Saturday afternoons and if the big team was playing away the wee team played at ER. Sorted.

[lapsedhibee]

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my grandad stayed at 302 leith walk for most of his life , and was a jambo ... But through the 50's 60's & 70's regularly had parties after games with many of the hibs & hearts players, and would often watch hibs as well as hearts.

My dad's a rangers fan , and me .. Well a hibby, but i'd rather see hearts win at anything if not's not against hibs. So i'm almost like that.

ltyf

[blackpoolhibs]

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Think it was 2.30 that pubs stopped serving in ye olden times - can't remember how much drinking up time was allowed then, but you're right, everything dovetailed perfectly for a 3pm start at the footy.

However, there was never any need to set foot in Tynecastle except for derbies - the reserve league was played on Saturday afternoons and if the big team was playing away the wee team played at ER. Sorted.

I remember those days well, at half time we'd get the score from the big teams away game over the tannoy. Big cheers when we were winning, and another big cheer if the yams were losing.

[Hibrandenburg]

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I remember those days well, at half time we'd get the score from the big teams away game over the tannoy. Big cheers when we were winning, and another big cheer if the yams were losing.

Used to get free entry as a ball boy. The stadium was that big and empty they used to take on about 30 of us to cover the whole ground.

Was a good opportunity to get some Autographs too.

[Smidge]

Aye, my old man used to do the same with his brother and brother-in-law. Saw some cracking games at Tynecastle over the years, though the best ones always involved Hearts losing

[--------]

It was very common. I would go to Tynie with a friend form work who came to Easter Road with me the alternate Saturdays. European matches would be big crowds, partly at least because Hearts supporters came to support us in Europe, and we went to support them. Cup replays in midweek were the same.

Bear in mind that there was almost no football on TV at that time - highlights of one game on BBC and one on STV on the Saturday evening, and highlights of one European match/replay on the Wednesday evenings when they were on, plus the Scotland-England games and a VERY occasional special like the 1960 European Cup Final.

You wanted to watch football you got off your backside and got round to the game, so people did just that.

And with unsegregated crowds, supporters tended to talk to one another much more - segregation was absolutely necessary to stop the violence and hooliganism that has entered the game big-time since the mid-70's, but it has resulted in a heightened 'them-and-us' attitude which I personally regret.

But it wasn't "Hibs fans one week, Hearts fans the next" at all. I went to see a game of football, not to support Hearts, and my mate was a Hearts fan, period.

[The Harp]

When I was a kid in the 50's, we were at ER virtually every Saturday because when the 1st team was playing away, the reserves would be playing at ER so we always went along to see them. For a short time in the 60's, as my wee pal was a Hertz fan, I went to ER one week and Tynie the next - but always cheered for the opposition when in Gorgie (one game that stands out was M'well taking 6 off them - very enjoyable). Once I turned 16 in '63, I joined the supporters club and started travelling with the St Giles branch and never looked back. From then on, my only visits to the PBS were when Hibs were there.
The football experience was very different back then with fewer alternative attractions and very little tv coverage of games - the admission price too was a lot less in relation to the cost of today's games.

[Sean1875]

One of my best mates grew up a Jambo, then when he was around 13-14 decided he hated Vlad too much to support them anymore, so he decided to support Hibs instead... even went to the 1-0 Brian Kerr derby at Tynie sitting in the Hibs end. I bought him a ticket in the East for his birthday one year. However, now thats all changed, he's got HMFC tattooed on his arm, been a season ticket holder the last few years front row of Section N and travels up and down the country watching them. As much as I do rip him about him, it must kill him inside knowing he's celebrated the 'wee team' beating them on their own patch He's actually seen Hibs win at Tynie more than me

[ScottB]

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With all the talk of getting tickets for the opposite end it reminded me of quite a few conversations when i was younger with older gents.

Quite a few people told me about how they would go and watch Hibs one week, then the next week they would go and see Hearts. They told me this was quite common.

Does anyone have any recollections of this?

My Grandad often speaks of this, he's a Hearts fan, but his mate who was a Hibby would go with him to Tynie, then they'd go to ER the next week.

He largely lost his interest in Scottish football due to being disgusted by all the petty hate that goes with it these days, and I can totally see his point.

[Andy Bee]

My grandpa,dad and uncle visited either ground on alternate weeks, they also talk of swapping ends at half time. I've often wondered how the OF coped with this, given their hatred for each others religion was going strong even then I assume, was there segregation?

[Seveno]

My Dad went to Canada as a young man but got homesick and came back. He went to ER one week and Tynecastle the next until the Famous Five came along. He became a firm Hibby then and brought up all his sons in the faith.

He passed away in 1971 and I remember quite a few tears in my eyes when we won the League Cup in 1972, wishing he was there to see it.

I'll be thinking of him on 19th May when we finally break that hoodoo.

[Septimus]

I did this for several years. Although a Hibs fan from an early age I liked watching football and had one or two Hearts supporting friends. It all seemed quite natural at the time but then we watched the pitch in these days and not the antics of the opposing crowd.

[plhibs]

I used to go to both when i was a kid back in the 50s/60s. i had an uncle played for Hearts (Bobby Kirk) and one that played for Hibs (john Young), although he didn' play as much as Kirk did i became a fervant Hibs fan to this day.

[Hamish]

Yes did this myself in the early 70's. Remember it was 20 pence entry to ER and 25 pence for Tynie.

[CropleyWasGod]

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Yes did this myself in the early 70's. Remember it was 20 pence entry to ER and 25 pence for Tynie.

Me too.

My Granda would take my cousin and I to Tynie and ER on alternate weeks.

However, there was a cost... the cousin became one of "them".

[1two]

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Yes did this myself in the early 70's. Remember it was 20 pence entry to ER and 25 pence for Tynie.

Scandalous haha

How much would that be compared to today's prices