Patter Fenlon I get Tynecastle pelters but Jambos aren’t funny

He loves the stadium. Its supporters hate him.

In the SPL’s tightest ground there’s no hiding place. Hibs gaffer Fenlon knows he’ll be called all sorts in today’s lunchtime Edinburgh derby.

He’s just hoping the punters’ patter will be a little more original than usual.

He said: “I like it at Tynecastle. I’d been there for a few games as a spectator and I’ve been there a few times as a manager now.

“It is intimidating and I get plenty of nice things said about me! It’s something I enjoy.

“Nobody has ever said anything funny, although I guess it depends on what you consider funny.

“I wouldn’t say I’ve much of a relationship with the Hearts fans, but it’s the kind of ground you like.

“They try to make it as hostile as possible and you need the guts and quality to make it a bit quieter.

“It’s a venue you can enjoy immensely as a player and a manager but you need to try to block out a lot.”

With just two weeks until the Scottish Cup Final, Fenlon does not want to see any of his players going through the motions.

He added: “You learn a lot from your players in these surroundings, particularly the younger ones.

“We have a few who have not sampled it.

“They have maybe played there when the place is empty in Under-20 games but it will be very different to go when it’s full and rocking.

“It’s a learning curve and I will naturally be looking to see how they handle it.

“It’s a real chance for players to step up to the mark ahead of the Cup Final.”

Today’s clash is live on TV but Fenlon can’t offer any guarantees it will be easier on the eye than recent capital derby snooze-fests.

He said: “There’s not been a lot between the teams. I said at the start of the season we had to make the games more competitive than they have been in the past few seasons.

“And we’ve definitely don’t that.

“Now we need to do it over a period of time and, who knows, maybe a bit of football will break out!”

Fenlon will be forced to play a waiting game with their on-loan talisman Leigh Griffiths.

The on-form front man travelled down to Wolves on Thursday for discussions over his long-term future.

Fenlon and Griffiths are keen to strike a deal that would keep him in Leith beyond the summer.

He added: “Leigh has said he would like to stay but that is out of our hands.

“He was down there on Thursday but I’ve not asked him about it because we have a massive game coming up and he certainly knows where we stand.

“We’d love him to stay but, if he doesn’t, we’ll have to look at replacing him, as difficult as that would be.

“If you’re looking at it from the outside, he has scored a hell of a lot of goals here.

“Wolves’ new manager could come in and like Leigh and want him to stay. Or he could come in and decide he wants something else.

“We’ll have tosee.”