- Joined
- Oct 3, 2002
In case anyone missed it, here's the text from the NI Hibs article recently printed in the new online Hibs magazine:
EVERY FAN thinks he's a die-hard and there's no doubt that most
are,
but there's one group of fans who are even more committed than most
the Hibernian fans who live outside of mainland Britain.
Never mind just jumping onto a bus
and going to Easter Road Stadium,
for these guys, trips to games have to be planned with incredible
precision.
One such set of fans are the NIHibernian the Northern Ireland
Hibernian supporters club - which has been going strong for more than
five years now.
And while for some, it might seem like a lot of effort to see a game
of football, what these fans do and the reception they get in
Edinburgh shows what makes being a Hibernian fan so special.
For the likes of Secretary of the club Conor, being in
Ireland is no excuse for not keeping up to date with all things
Hibernian.
He said: "Why do we do it? Aside from the fact that we are all
dyed-in-the-wool Hibbys, either exiled or Northern Ireland-born, a big
factor is the Hibernian family
itself.
"During recent trips to Edinburgh various members of the Hibernian
family have offered us transport from the airport, arranged
accommodation, taken us on a tour of the city, treated us like royalty
at the Hibs Club and generally shown that Hibernian FC is the greatest
'brotherhood' on earth.
"And that's not to mention the support the friendly welcome we always
get from the Easter Road ticket office and the support we are given
from the club itself.
"We also have great friends within other groups such as St. Paul's
HSC, our Dublin-based friends, the Hibeesbounce website and more.
"In fact, some of the best friends each of us have are fellow
fanatics, and it is always great to visit Edinburgh to catch up with
them."
And while the rewards make up for it,
it's not always so easy getting
there in the first place.
Conor points out the average day: "To get the first flight on a
Saturday we'll be up before 6am, flying out at 8am. That means we can
be installed on Easter Road in time for a liquid lunch!
"We always include a trip to the Club Shop and the Hibernian Club
social club as well as a few of our own favourite bars close to Easter
Road Stadium.
"Then we spend the night celebrating all things Hibby - win, lose or
draw!
Recently we have had plenty to celebrate and usually take advantage of
Edinburgh's late opening hours to do so - sometimes it is a bit of a
job locating all our members for the flight home. But we always get
every back in one piece - and will usually fly back on a Sunday and
make plans to do it all again."
It sounds like a fantastic weekend out, but surely there are problems
namely costs and partners back home?
Conor chuckles at that: "When any of our
partners met us they'll have
noticed that most of our homes are decked out in our favourite
Hibernian mementoes and pictures of our heroes - so, fortunately, they
knew from the start that they'd have to share our affections with
Turnbull, Sauzee, Mixi, Deano and Ivan!
"I think they've found that there's never been a truer phrase than
'once a Hibby, always a Hibby'!
"As for the cost, yeah, that can be an issue as there's season books
or one-off tickets as well as flights and money for other things when
in Edinburgh.
"But we've just set up a new travel fund that helps us get seats at a
low price when they first become available, so we're planning to
expand this and increase the number of games we can get across to."
And sometimes, the club comes to them because Conor and the team
believe that it's as much about being a social thing in Northern Ireland.
"We get together for Setanta games, as well as our monthly meetings
and various nights out, but we've also been honoured by the club and
some legendary players.
"One very recent, and extremely proud, moment for our supporters' club
came when we saw that we had been mentioned in Eddie Turnbull's book.
We were touched by that, and it is a real high point for our members.
"We've also been honoured to welcome a number of former players -
including our Honorary President Eddie and Lawrie Reilly - to Belfast
for our famous annual function, the last of which was our 'Famous
Fifth' anniversary celebration. To go some way to giving these great
men the tribute they deserve is a real honour for us.
"A Player of the Year presentation we made to Nick Colgan at
a
Hibeesbounce function also stands out, as Nick seemed genuinely
thrilled and took time out - not for the first time - to chat with
us."
Of course, being a Hibernian fan isn't just about watching the team,
it's also about the social conscience that comes with the team's
roots.
And while the club may be hundreds of miles away from Easter Road,
their fundraising and welcoming spirit is not.
"We can't get across to as many games as we would like, so we are
pleased to try to make our mark in other ways, such as helping the
likes of the fantastic Dnipro appeal when we can. We have also raised
funds - a total of 800 - for the Hibernian Former Players Association
as well as keeping our own travel fund topped up.
"Another very important part of what we do is making sure we put on a
welcome for any Hibernian fans visiting Belfast or Northern Ireland:
whether that means organising transport to their hotel, arranging a
night out or recommending hotels.
"We're delighted to do this, after all we get such a great welcome
every time we come to Sunny Leith."
And what's coming up for the club? Conor's not giving away too many
details but there will be a special function probably for the first
weekend in June and all he'll say at the moment is "We recommend that
Hibbys in Edinburgh watch this space as tickets for this one will sell
out fast!"
EVERY FAN thinks he's a die-hard and there's no doubt that most
are,
but there's one group of fans who are even more committed than most
the Hibernian fans who live outside of mainland Britain.
Never mind just jumping onto a bus
and going to Easter Road Stadium,
for these guys, trips to games have to be planned with incredible
precision.
One such set of fans are the NIHibernian the Northern Ireland
Hibernian supporters club - which has been going strong for more than
five years now.
And while for some, it might seem like a lot of effort to see a game
of football, what these fans do and the reception they get in
Edinburgh shows what makes being a Hibernian fan so special.
For the likes of Secretary of the club Conor, being in
Ireland is no excuse for not keeping up to date with all things
Hibernian.
He said: "Why do we do it? Aside from the fact that we are all
dyed-in-the-wool Hibbys, either exiled or Northern Ireland-born, a big
factor is the Hibernian family
itself.
"During recent trips to Edinburgh various members of the Hibernian
family have offered us transport from the airport, arranged
accommodation, taken us on a tour of the city, treated us like royalty
at the Hibs Club and generally shown that Hibernian FC is the greatest
'brotherhood' on earth.
"And that's not to mention the support the friendly welcome we always
get from the Easter Road ticket office and the support we are given
from the club itself.
"We also have great friends within other groups such as St. Paul's
HSC, our Dublin-based friends, the Hibeesbounce website and more.
"In fact, some of the best friends each of us have are fellow
fanatics, and it is always great to visit Edinburgh to catch up with
them."
And while the rewards make up for it,
it's not always so easy getting
there in the first place.
Conor points out the average day: "To get the first flight on a
Saturday we'll be up before 6am, flying out at 8am. That means we can
be installed on Easter Road in time for a liquid lunch!
"We always include a trip to the Club Shop and the Hibernian Club
social club as well as a few of our own favourite bars close to Easter
Road Stadium.
"Then we spend the night celebrating all things Hibby - win, lose or
draw!
Recently we have had plenty to celebrate and usually take advantage of
Edinburgh's late opening hours to do so - sometimes it is a bit of a
job locating all our members for the flight home. But we always get
every back in one piece - and will usually fly back on a Sunday and
make plans to do it all again."
It sounds like a fantastic weekend out, but surely there are problems
namely costs and partners back home?
Conor chuckles at that: "When any of our
partners met us they'll have
noticed that most of our homes are decked out in our favourite
Hibernian mementoes and pictures of our heroes - so, fortunately, they
knew from the start that they'd have to share our affections with
Turnbull, Sauzee, Mixi, Deano and Ivan!
"I think they've found that there's never been a truer phrase than
'once a Hibby, always a Hibby'!
"As for the cost, yeah, that can be an issue as there's season books
or one-off tickets as well as flights and money for other things when
in Edinburgh.
"But we've just set up a new travel fund that helps us get seats at a
low price when they first become available, so we're planning to
expand this and increase the number of games we can get across to."
And sometimes, the club comes to them because Conor and the team
believe that it's as much about being a social thing in Northern Ireland.
"We get together for Setanta games, as well as our monthly meetings
and various nights out, but we've also been honoured by the club and
some legendary players.
"One very recent, and extremely proud, moment for our supporters' club
came when we saw that we had been mentioned in Eddie Turnbull's book.
We were touched by that, and it is a real high point for our members.
"We've also been honoured to welcome a number of former players -
including our Honorary President Eddie and Lawrie Reilly - to Belfast
for our famous annual function, the last of which was our 'Famous
Fifth' anniversary celebration. To go some way to giving these great
men the tribute they deserve is a real honour for us.
"A Player of the Year presentation we made to Nick Colgan at
a
Hibeesbounce function also stands out, as Nick seemed genuinely
thrilled and took time out - not for the first time - to chat with
us."
Of course, being a Hibernian fan isn't just about watching the team,
it's also about the social conscience that comes with the team's
roots.
And while the club may be hundreds of miles away from Easter Road,
their fundraising and welcoming spirit is not.
"We can't get across to as many games as we would like, so we are
pleased to try to make our mark in other ways, such as helping the
likes of the fantastic Dnipro appeal when we can. We have also raised
funds - a total of 800 - for the Hibernian Former Players Association
as well as keeping our own travel fund topped up.
"Another very important part of what we do is making sure we put on a
welcome for any Hibernian fans visiting Belfast or Northern Ireland:
whether that means organising transport to their hotel, arranging a
night out or recommending hotels.
"We're delighted to do this, after all we get such a great welcome
every time we come to Sunny Leith."
And what's coming up for the club? Conor's not giving away too many
details but there will be a special function probably for the first
weekend in June and all he'll say at the moment is "We recommend that
Hibbys in Edinburgh watch this space as tickets for this one will sell
out fast!"