Hibs fan left marooned after brush with Jambo paint team

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A YOUNG Hibs fan has been left seeing maroon after cheeky Hearts fans gave his new car a Gorgie paint job.

Lee Easton returned from Sunday's derby clash at Easter Road to find his Jambo-supporting pals had been hard at work on his pride and joy.

His blue Ford Fiesta, which he had been given as a present from his dad just a week before, had been painted maroon from wheel to roof, complete with a Hearts crest and phrases like "Gorgie rules".

Now Lee, who had dreamed of passing his test and driving around the city in the ten-year-old car, says he won't be seen dead in it.

Regulars at the Greenway Centre in Wester Hailes were responsible for the prank and while Lee was seething at first, he now admits he can see the funny side of it. He plans to scrap the car, unless any Hearts fans happen to like the look of it and want to buy it off him.

He said: "I was totally gutted after the game and I hadn't seen the car before I went inside the pub. I was talking to somebody about my new car and I said to them to go out and see it.

"I couldn't believe it when I saw it myself - you couldn't print my reaction.

"It was scruffy and everything, but it was my first car, and I was so proud to have it. I couldn't wait to drive it about. But when I saw what they had done to it I wanted to just drive it into the canal.

"We've actually found out since that it would have cost too much to do up anyway, so I can see the funny side of this now.

"But I have to admit though, it's actually quite a decent paint job they've done.

"I wouldn't be seen in it, but if any Hearts fans wanted to buy it from me I'd take their money. Romanov can have it for a grand."

Mr Easton, who is set to book his driving test later this week, was given the car by his dad, Scott, last week. They planned to do work on it and get it through an MOT by the time he passed the test.

The main perpetrator of the makeover was Clermiston-based window cleaner Michael Gaynor, who accomplished the paint job with a bit of help from friends Paul and George Aitken.

They are three Hearts fans that enjoy a drink with Mr Easton in the Greenway, on Harvesters Way, where the regulars are split 50/50 between Hearts and Hibs.

Mr Gaynor, 37, said: "He went off to the game in the morning so we thought we'd take our chance and spray paint it.

"We're always winding each other up about football, but nobody's ever gone this far before. It was a pretty good effort.

"He went mental when he first saw it but he's calmed down and seen the funny side now. He got it free anyway, so at least he's not lost too much money - we're not that cruel. He did say it needed a paint job so we were only helping him out."

Mr Easton's father, 42, who lives with his son at Dumbryden Gardens, Wester Hailes, said: "They asked my permission and I had found out it was going to cost £800 to get it through an MOT, so I let them. He didn't know we were going to scrap it at the time though - he wasn't happy.

"He's a huge Hibs fan - he's been a season ticket holder for years. But even he had to admit it was pretty comical."

Taken from the Scotsman