Is this the best time to be a hibby?

[Hibs4185]

With the position we find ourselves, where we have a solid chance of finishing third, I’m sitting wondering if this is possibly the best position we’ve found ourselves in a number years.

Big chance to finish third which may bring European group stage football until Xmas
Turned down big money offers for Nisbet and Porteous
SJM with Aston Villa sitting 7th in EPL (Potential sell on fee)

We have the potential for millions from a European run, 2 highly prized assets with Nisbet and Porteous (Doig next) and potentially a hefty percentage of SJM fee (if he leaves)

Apart from May 2016, I can’t think of a better time to be a hibby. There is so much potential over the next few weeks. Finishing third is a big IF but our destiny is in our own hands and we have a massive opportunity to push on.

[Northernhibee]

If we were in the stands then people would be considering it a great season so far with a brilliant manager, of that I have no doubt.

[Smartie]

This season is just weird, in so many ways, but I reckon that if we get 3rd and find ourselves with a succession of European group games of one description or another next season then that might be the pinnacle of my time following Hibs, Scottish Cup aside.

[Yorkshire HFC]

No - definitely not for me.

I know this is not really what you're referring to, but my best times were:

- Age 7 - 10 - being taken to Easter Road by my dad - I remember going through the turnstiles, walking up the steps and then seeing the massive pitch, that always looked like a carpet - and even better under the floodlights. Spending half the game looking at the people in the crowd - did you hear what that guy just said dad?
- Age 14 - 18 - when I started going with my friends - getting the bus from D'mains to the ground and a bag of chips for lunch. McLeod and McNamara were the stars for me.
- Age 18 - 21 - in my 4 years in Aberdeen I saw 8 games at Pittodrie - 7 defeats and a draw to Fergusons team. I remember Durie getting sent off in one game and a massive surge in the crowd at the Beach End to clap / abuse him going down the tunnel. I also vaguely remember Aberdeen parading the Cup Winners Cup to the fans before / after one game - we must have played them in their first game after they won it - they got a good clap from the Hibs fans. If they didn't have the football scores on the news then I had to wait to see the paper the next day to find out the score!

Ofcourse there's been good times since then, but I'm much more cynical now and I can't get too high or low by a football score these days - I've not idolised a footballer since I was 18.

There was a good day in 2016 though...........

[heretoday]

I feel sorry for young folks watching Hibs now, although they seem happy enough!

Back in the sixties and seventies it was possible to see top players - even world class players - grace the turf on a regular basis. We didn't realise how lucky we were.

[lord bunberry]

If we can get the stadium full next season it will be amazing.

[Cat Stanton]

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No - definitely not for me.

I know this is not really what you're referring to, but my best times were:

- Age 7 - 10 - being taken to Easter Road by my dad - I remember going through the turnstiles, walking up the steps and then seeing the massive pitch, that always looked like a carpet - and even better under the floodlights. Spending half the game looking at the people in the crowd - did you hear what that guy just said dad?
- Age 14 - 18 - when I started going with my friends - getting the bus from D'mains to the ground and a bag of chips for lunch. McLeod and McNamara were the stars for me.
- Age 18 - 21 - in my 4 years in Aberdeen I saw 8 games at Pittodrie - 7 defeats and a draw to Fergusons team. I remember Durie getting sent off in one game and a massive surge in the crowd at the Beach End to clap / abuse him going down the tunnel. I also vaguely remember Aberdeen parading the Cup Winners Cup to the fans before / after one game - we must have played them in their first game after they won it - they got a good clap from the Hibs fans. If they didn't have the football scores on the news then I had to wait to see the paper the next day to find out the score!

Ofcourse there's been good times since then, but I'm much more cynical now and I can't get too high or low by a football score these days - I've not idolised a footballer since I was 18.

There was a good day in 2016 though...........

So.. one of your three happiest times watching Hibs was a run of seven defeats and a draw in eight games? You must definitely qualify for a hibs.net happy-clapper badge!

[Pretty Boy]

It should be a good time to be a Hibby. Everyone must see the potential to kick on in the next few years.

However I think a lot of us are feeling a bit detached because of the inability to really feel part of this season. That's not to say the club are doing anything wrong but we aren't really experiencing things as we should be. Imagine how rocking ER would have been against Aberdeen for example.

So much of where we go from here hinges on getting fans back into games. It will have a huge impact on our ST sales, it will have a huge impact on recovering lost turnover and it will have a huge impact on how engaged the fanbase as a whole feels.

[chrisski33]

For me the best time to be a Hibby was 2016 when we won the cup.

[Jones28]

With the exception of 2016 the best time to be a Hibby over the last 10/15 years was the first 20 minutes of the 5-5 game with the Hun. Knowing there was a 6 or so goal swing and watching the team show no fear, really going for it made for some of the most exciting Hibs watching ever.

[Ronniekirk]

Given our exits in the semi final of two cups I think there is pressure to now deliver third place The current team I believe would of won both those semi s if on form
With Aberdeen in a period of transition we will never have a better chance and it just might help us hang on to the squad or at least use any transfer fees to reinvest in squad European income is not something we budget for so it would also help us recover financially from a season with no fans present
Not best time but could be springboard to something


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[JohnM1875]

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With the exception of 2016 the best time to be a Hibby over the last 10/15 years was the first 20 minutes of the 5-5 game with the Hun. Knowing there was a 6 or so goal swing and watching the team show no fear, really going for it made for some of the most exciting Hibs watching ever.

I honestly can't remember being as buzzing as I was after Maclaren put us three up within 25 minutes. I genuinely thought we were going to do it. What a game of football that was!

Not long after we beat Killie 5-3 as well.

[MWHIBBIES]

I actually don't think we'll see another penny for McGinn. Well, not a significant amount anyway. Villa have no reason to sell.

[Greenio]

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I actually don't think we'll see another penny for McGinn. Well, not a significant amount anyway. Villa have no reason to sell.

Really?

If the consensus is he's one of their best players and he has another level to go to yet at least, then you'd expect there to be a time when someone comes in for him, maybe here, maybe I/s. And if that happens the Villa would be wanting the largest amount of coin they possibly can.

How do you see it playing out?

[LancsHibs]

Aston Villa are a massive club on the up, can’t see them wanting to or being bullied into selling their better players. SJM could well be there for years, his next move could well be years down the line when no longer deemed good enough by villa to a smaller PL or championship. Or maybe even back to us if we take off over the next few seasons😀

[scm70nyd1973]

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No - definitely not for me.

I know this is not really what you're referring to, but my best times were:

- Age 7 - 10 - being taken to Easter Road by my dad - I remember going through the turnstiles, walking up the steps and then seeing the massive pitch, that always looked like a carpet - and even better under the floodlights. Spending half the game looking at the people in the crowd - did you hear what that guy just said dad?
- Age 14 - 18 - when I started going with my friends - getting the bus from D'mains to the ground and a bag of chips for lunch. McLeod and McNamara were the stars for me.
- Age 18 - 21 - in my 4 years in Aberdeen I saw 8 games at Pittodrie - 7 defeats and a draw to Fergusons team. I remember Durie getting sent off in one game and a massive surge in the crowd at the Beach End to clap / abuse him going down the tunnel. I also vaguely remember Aberdeen parading the Cup Winners Cup to the fans before / after one game - we must have played them in their first game after they won it - they got a good clap from the Hibs fans. If they didn't have the football scores on the news then I had to wait to see the paper the next day to find out the score!

Ofcourse there's been good times since then, but I'm much more cynical now and I can't get too high or low by a football score these days - I've not idolised a footballer since I was 18.

There was a good day in 2016 though...........

Re’ the Durie sending off - I worked in Aberdeen at the time and worked closely with the ref who sent him off (Billy Knowles IIRC - Motor Enginerr of Royal Insurance-Dons’ fan too - nice guy). On the Friday before the game I was having a bit of banter about the game and he said he was going to send Durie off. At the game - when he did - my mates were were laughing at me going mental and shouting that I’d sort him out on Monday . He didn’t turn up for work on the Monday - can’t recall why TBH but he wasn’t sick 😡

[MWHIBBIES]

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Really?

If the consensus is he's one of their best players and he has another level to go to yet at least, then you'd expect there to be a time when someone comes in for him, maybe here, maybe I/s. And if that happens the Villa would be wanting the largest amount of coin they possibly can.

How do you see it playing out?

I just dont see someone coming in for him. Grealish and Luiz are likely to move before he would and Watkins, Konsa and Martinez have been catching more headlines than him this season.

[Keith_M]

No.

Almost any time in history where we'd be allowed to actually go to the games would be better.

[Up The Bracket]

As happy as I am with our league position, even the Butcher and Calderwood eras were better times to be Hibs fans.

Not being able to go takes 99% of the fun out of it, would happily sacrifice our league position for the ability to see friends/family at the football and to have my Saturday days out back.

Thats just me though.

[Northernhibee]

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As happy as I am with our league position, even the Butcher and Calderwood eras were better times to be Hibs fans.

Not being able to go takes 99% of the fun out of it, would happily sacrifice our league position for the ability to see friends/family at the football and to have my Saturday days out back.

Thats just me though.

I can completely understand that position - for years I've worked quite a few weekends so watching games on a live stream on a work laptop or phone hasn't been an alien experience. This doesn't feel too different for me in terms of the football and if anything, have found it more of an escape than normal and I've really enjoyed it. I do miss the feeling of walking down Easter Road, turning off and beginning to see the Famous Five stand and the 'Persevere' banner peeking through the houses very much, but the only time I've enjoyed things quite as much have been under Stubbs, Lennon's good half season and also bizarrely when Fenlon had us on a run that put us top of the league.

[Garymcl]

Not the best time but a good time to be a hibby if we get 3rd spot first time in long while already no1 team in the city would also have bragging rights for at least a season as 3rd best team in the country practical side would bring in welcome money for being 3rd a few games in Europe and would imagine with all the feel good factor in place season ticket sales would be excellent ( yet again ) ggtth

[CloudSquall]

Yep, no chance I'd have preferred watching us competing regularly against the giants of Europe 50-70 years ago, having a few points advantage over Aberdeen for 3rd in a piss poor SPFL is the pinnacle of our history

[Northernhibee]

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Yep, no chance I'd have preferred watching us competing regularly against the giants of Europe 50-70 years ago, having a few points advantage over Aberdeen for 3rd in a piss poor SPFL is the pinnacle of our history

This is going to sound like a dig no matter how I try to word it, but the whole "piss poor SPFL" thing really gets on my bongos. The reason that Scottish football is in a poor state is, outwith the two top Glasgow sides, universal. Poor management of Scottish football has seen poor TV deals, poor sponsorship deals and as such not much money going about.

Before the Scottish Cup win we regularly had four figure attendances at ER. We've achieved, we've been amibitious with signings, we've invested well, we've looked to get fans involved as much as possible and despite having the same conditions as everyone else, we've done well to grow as a club. Kilmarnock have found out this season that it doesn't take much of a dip in quality of your squad to find out how decent almost every team in the league can be on their day. So did Aberdeen getting pumped 4-1 by Ross County.

We're a good team because we're a good team, not because of what's going on around us.