Maroon army at heart of the party on Mostar return

WAS it fate that decreed Hearts' first sojourn into Champions League football would take them to Mostar in Bosnia-Herzegovina?

It was in Mostar 18 years ago that Mike Galloway's goal helped maintain the Hearts' greatest European date.

And the 300 or so souls who travelled to Mostar for Hearts' Champions League second qualifying round second leg game in nearby Siroki Brijeg on this occasion will most definitely be hoping that there is a long way to go before the curtain comes down on this particular European run.

A 0-0 draw secured a 3-0 aggregate win for the Jambos and the old friendship between Gorgie and Mostar was rekindled with some Velez fans even going along to support Hearts.

Ermin Tiro, 36, said: "The fans of Hearts are very good fans, they are passionate about their club just like Velez fans. The supporters are very kind to us when they come here and the friendship of 18 years ago has stayed."

It seems that the feeling is mutual as far as the Hearts fans are concerned. Brett Sinclair, 38, a civil engineer from Falkirk, said that he found the warmest of welcomes wherever he went.

He said: "The locals were all unbelievably friendly towards all of us. I was out on the town with some Velez Mostar fans on Tuesday night. We were teaching them Hearts songs and they were trying to teach us some of their songs. This has been my first European trip with Hearts and the best way I could describe it is 'awesome'."

However, it wasn't just the welcome in Mostar that was warm - the weather was too.

The fans mingled in the cobbled streets soaking up the sunshine, the atmosphere and, of course, the local beer.

Watson Brown, probably the easiest man to pick out in Bosnia as he strolled around in a shocking pink suit, said: "Frankly, I had an absolutely smashing time. I have been very impressed with Mostar.

"Like a lot of the Hearts fans I have been especially impressed by the cheapness of the beer and the very beautiful ladies!"

And Glasgow Jambo Chris Rodger reckons that the trip was the best he'd ever been on.

He said: "The whole trip has been magic, it's been first class here."

Spending time in Mostar has definitely opened the eyes of a few of the travelling number who were somewhat wary when the Jambos were first paired against the Bosnian club.

There are reminders on virtually every street corner of the country's troubled past. Some of the buildings which have been bombed stand as an empty shell - a reminder of what once happened here and for many of the Hearts fans who made the trip, some of the sights they saw will never be forgotten.

Alan Meikle from Portobello said: "It's been a fascinating trip. Mostar is one of the most remarkable places that I have ever visited in my life. It is a very humbling experience to see buildings with bullet-holes in them standing alongside modern structures. The new buildings are signs of progress and they give us reason to hope that things might improve here in the future."

Of course, one of the most laborious tasks for any away fan on a trip such as this one is getting there. Unsurprisingly, Bosnia is especially difficult to get to and many fans opted to travel with Hearts on the official charter.

Despite a few minor teething problems, it seems that the package received a thumbs up.

Jack Meikle, from Mountcastle, said: "The hotel was very nice and we were all given the opportunity to see a really beautiful city that we normally would never have been able to see."

There were, of course, some fans who travelled independently. They were less impressed with the transport links in Bosnia.

Peter Fernie from Loanhead made the journey from Split to Mostar for the game. He said: "It was the journey from hell. The conditions on the bus were a complete nightmare. It was very hot, there was no toilet and the air-conditioning didn't work. It was a disaster."

Christina Sampson, 19, from Drylaw was on the same bus as Peter and she agreed that the journey had been "absolutely horrendous".

"The heat was unbearable, the sweat was literally pouring off me. The trip has been fantastic on the whole though. I suppose nightmare bus journeys and the like are part of the whole European tour experience. It's a great feeling that we've been to Mostar to support the team. There was a real party atmosphere."

The focus for the Jambos now switches to the next European adventure in just under three weeks time. As the supporters in the stadium sang triumphantly as the final whistle sounded: "We're all going to Athens".

Taken from the Scotsman