Bid to heal fans split over venue
MARK BONTHRONE

SUPPORTERS' groups were today working to unite Hearts and Hibs fans over the venue of the impending all-Edinburgh Scottish Cup semi-final.

The Capital clubs were paired together in the final four of the tournament for the first time since 1901 last night with the match due to be played on either April 1 or 2 at Hampden Park in Glasgow.

But a growing number of Jambos want to see the clash switched to the home of Scottish Rugby while Hibees fear switching to Murrayfield would mean giving away a vital advantage, given Hearts' familiarity with the surroundings.

The Gorgie club have staged UEFA Cup games there in the past and were also on the verge of decamping to the stadium for good before Vladimir Romanov stepped in.

The Hearts Supporters' Trust met last night and received "100 per cent support" from their members for their proposal to move the tie and Hibs fans' groups were due to be contacted today with a view to teaming up and putting pressure on the SFA.

And Derek Watson, Chairman of the Hearts Supporters' Trust, is hopeful that common sense will prevail. "I really hope that the SFA listens to what the fans want and make the sensible decision and move the game to Hampden. It's just common sense," he said. "I've had the chance to speak to quite a lot of Hearts fans already because we had a meeting of the Trust last night and they were 100 per cent in support of the game being moved to Edinburgh.

"There appear to be so many benefits to the supporters of both clubs if the game is held in Edinburgh that I hope the SFA make the right decision.

"We haven't had time to consult any Hibs supporters yet but that is something we will be doing and hopefully they share the same view as us and we can push together for this match to be played at Murrayfield. If both groups of supporters join up then our voices will be much louder and harder to ignore."

However, Frank Dougan, treasurer of Hibs Supporters' Association, revealed he would prefer to see the clash played at Hampden Park, although he was quick to stress this was a personal view and he had yet to speak to other Association members.

"I think the game should be played at Hampden," he said.

"It's where finals and semi-finals have always been played and there's bit of tradition associated with it that I would like to see kept. The players dream about playing finals at Hampden and they shouldn't be denied that opportunity."

The SFA's preferred option for semi-finals and finals has always been the national stadium although matches have been switched from there in the past, usually when there are fears that the teams involved won't sell enough tickets.

The beaks at the SFA have always steadfastly knocked back calls for games to be held at the home of Scottish Rugby although Hearts and Hibs have never met in such a high-profile clash in recent times. And Watson believes that if the SFA look through the pros and cons of both stadia there is only one decision that they can come to.

"There are a number of things in Murrayfield's favour not just the fact it's actually in the city where most of the fans come from," he said. "It's bigger than Hampden so around 16,000 more fans would get to see the match and surely, given the teams rarely meet in such an advanced stage of the competition, this should be a priority.

"I've also read and heard that the SFA would be looking for compensation of some kind if the game didn't go ahead at Hampden but with the sale of these extra 16,000 or so tickets that could be easily covered. Environmentally you wouldn't have people having to make the 50-mile odd trip to Glasgow while there is also the cost aspect for the supporters.

"Cup final tickets aren't going to be cheap and if you consider it will cost about £10 to get a train or a bus through there you are talking about a lot of needlessly wasted money when we have the facilities to stage the game right here.

"Regardless of who wins the game that would give the supporters that do get a final to look forward to money to put towards it.

"There are so many factors it's hard to see how the SFA could decide on anything other than Hampden although they don't always make the decisions you would expect."

It's also thought there would be logistical problems with moving more than 50,000 fans from Edinburgh to Glasgow at the one time.

And Watson is keen to ensure that supporters' safety is top of the agenda.

"The trouble aspect isn't something I would like to dwell on but if you have two such large groups of fans going through to Glasgow on the same day you are going to run the risk of trouble," he admitted. "It would be very difficult to segregate fans on trains while it's highly doubtful you could hire enough buses as it's hard enough when there's just one team.

"Because of the safety aspect I have to say I would be reluctant to take my daughter, who comes to almost every match with me, through to the game and that would be a shame for her. And I'm sure there will be a lot of parents in my situation who will feel the same.

"Having the game in Edinburgh would make it far easier to be policed and that is another key aspect that I hope the SFA will take into account when they make their decision.

"I'm sure that Strathclyde's finest aren't overly keen on having 50,000 Hearts and Hibs fans descending on the city.

"We have a state of the art stadium in Edinburgh and for an occasion like this it should be utilised. I think it would be more of a family day at Murrayfield and I've no doubt that Hearts and Hibs would sell it out as they've both received great backing from their fans this year so far.

"If people campaign for the game to be played at Murrayfield then surely the SFA have to listen?"

However, whether Hearts fans can rely on the support of their city rivals remains to be seen.

One factor sure to bother Hibees' is the fact Hearts have used Murrayfield in the past, using the stadium for their UEFA Cup games.

Frank Dougan added: "I've heard all the concerns about safety but there are ways these things can be managed and I don't see there being too much of a problem. The only real problem I can see is the availability of buses to get through there but if that means people going on trains, cars, or even the night before then so be it. I think making the trip to Glasgow just adds to the sense of occasion and I wouldn't like to see that taken away. I haven't spoken to the association members yet but my view is that the match should be played at Hampden. I'll need to meet with the members though."

But plans for a move to Murrayfield have found favour on popular supporters' website Hibs.net, where an online petition aimed at getting the game moved to has been set up.

Taken from the Scotsman