It has been a busy week for Hibernian, with a lot of press noise from Hands on Hibs , One-time Hibs suitor, David Low, Hibs Supporter's Association Chairman, Mike Reilly, and BuyHibs, raising objections to the share issue put forward by Hibs, being met head on by Hibs Chief Exec, Leeann Dempster and with Hibs publishing details of their interest-free mortgage arrangement.
It has been a case of claim, and counter-claim. Most of it - in my opinion - fairly ill-informed, ill-judged, and more than a little irresponsible. Hibs have come through some very tough times over the last few years. It hasn't been a fun time to be a Hibernian soldier for a long time now. Poor football, poor results, and a support disenfranchised with the football club, and more specifically, Chairman Rod Petrie. who, to many, embodies the failure that led to the club suffering the embarrassment of dropping into Scottish Football's second tier. It has been a widely-held view that Mr Petrie's time at the club has long since run out, and I agree with that. Change is needed.
However, change has happened. Dempster's arrival, Butcher's departure, the overhaul of the football set-up at the club have all started in the short time since Leeann Dempster got her feet under the desk at Easter Road. These changes are starting to show results on the pitch, Hibs having picked up more points than Rangers and Hearts over their respective last six games, and at the time of writing Hibernian are Edinburgh's only unbeaten side in 2015, following Falkirk's impressive win at Tynecastle on Saturday.
Things have been looking up at Easter Road for some time now. The football is no longer turgid, the kick-the-ball-the-way-you're-facing style that Terry Butcher had the team playing has been replaced with an attacking, passing game with Stubbs' style clear to see coming to life on the pitch. Results, too, have picked up, with Hibs putting impressive runs together over the last few months.
I am of the opinion that we will shortly hear of Rod Petrie's plans to leave the football club, and I hope when that happens that the support can move on together.
As things stand, there is a split forming in the support. A very vocal minority are threatening to damage what is a very positive step for the club towards supporter ownership. Hands on Hibs have made all manner of allegations, and being given plenty air-time in the press to get their views over. Their objection appears to be that they don't think Sir Tom Farmer or Rod Petrie should benefit from the share issue. I wholeheartedly agree with that, so when I read that the re-arranged debt would be repaid interest-free, and that every penny raised from the share issue would go to the football club for 'sporting ambition', and that no share money would go to existing shareholders, I found it very hard to pick holes in the proposal.
In fact, I posted this response to Hands On Hibs and BuyHibs last week, and have yet to see a constructive response to counter the points raised. Hands On Hibs are pushing a very aggressive and in some instances, a mildly threatening manner. They have made a number of claims and have produced very little to back those claims up (Hibs planning on separating the stadium and training ground from the football club, being one of those claims).
I know that the people behind Hands On Hibs are hardcore Hibs fans, people who go home and away, and like the rest of us they want what's best for the club. I can understand that, and I can understand that they don't like the current regime. However, I can't understand their tactics and their position on the share issue. Perhaps if they came out with whatever evidence they have to give credibility to their allegations then people would take notice, as it is, they come over like noisy kids, with fewer and fewer people taking them seriously as time goes by. Especially with Hibs having a real change in tact with how they respond to the noise. In days gone by, the claims would have gone unanswered, but Hibs have hit back all guns blazing, and that's refreshing to see. Changed days indeed.
Meanwhile, Hibs capped a good week with a fine win in Dumfries, seeing off Queen of the South 0-2 with second half goals from Dylan McGeouch (or MaGoosh if you're commentating on Sky Sports!) and Scott Robertson. Hibs had struggled against the Doonhammers this season, and so to get a win against a team who are rivals for a play-off spot was especially rewarding and illustrates the improvements Hibs have made over the last few months. With the Cowdenbeath v Rangers game being postponed, and Hearts finally losing a league game, it was important that Hibs capitalised and gained/made up ground on the teams around them. Well done to Falkirk as well, for finally ending Hearts' fantastic run.
Finally, I was saddened to hear of former Hibs chairman Douglas Cromb's passing last week. My thoughts go to all at Hibernian, and to Mr Crombs' family.
Monday, 26 January 2015
Tuesday, 20 January 2015
High Five for the Hibees
It would be fair to say that there are only a few times that I've watched Hibs put five goals past anyone, and so I feel like I have a bit of a brass neck for not being completely satisfied after Hibs' 5-0 win over Cowdenbeath on Saturday.
Hibs started the game well, and created a number of chances before Paul Hanlon flicked the ball into the top corner of the Blue Brazil's net after just nine minutes. I'd said to my son, Joshua, a few moments earlier that Hibs looked in the mood, and that if the players kept up the momentum we could be in for a huge score (I jokingly predicted a goal every ten minutes), so when Hanlon's tidy finish put Hibs one up both Josh and I lifted our expectations and looked forward to more goals.
Hibs passed up more opportunities before Jason Cummings finished a fine move involving McGeouch and Allan, poking the ball home from Allan's low cross with the game in the 25th minute. So far, so good.
The game then fell into something of a lull, it was evident that Cowdenbeath were largely impotent, and they had no real designs on attacking Hibs, and on the odd occasion when they did break forward, Hanlon and Fontaine proved effective barriers - so much so that Cowdenbeath failed to muster a solitary shot on target in the whole match.
Hibs were able to treat the match almost as a training game. It was as though it was too easy for the players, as ridiculous as that may sound. I have heard interviewed managers speaking to the press about 'game management' (Aberdeen's Derek McInnes and Alan Stubbs have used the phrase -or similar - in recent radio interviews following matches.) and I'm not sure if Hibs, having thrown away a 3-1 lead the weekend before against Falkirk, just decided to 'manage the game' and not give Cowdenbeath any encouragement, or if the players just realised that they weren't going to have to break sweat to win the game, but for the latter part of the first half and the first half hour of the second, the game was notable only for it's lack of incident. Hibs' play lacked the zip and zest that they'd shown against Rangers and Hearts in previous matches. Passes were considered rather than instinctive, runs were controlled rather than lung-bursting, and tackles were few and far between.
It was strange, admittedly, to see Hibs so utterly dominant in the game. I can't remember too many matches where I've seen players able to stroll through a game in the manner that they did, and I suppose that a huge amount of credit must be given to Alan Stubbs and his coaching team that they have taken the side that was such a shambles last season and turned them into a team that could probably have lost a couple of players and still strolled the match, albeit against a lower standard of opponent than they faced last season.
Stubbs' side also deserve credit for apparently learning the lessons from dropping points against Falkirk. And so I feel like I'm being really harsh on the side for complaining about being bored while we were 2-0 up (and I did complain, as did Josh, at the game). However, I have to be honest - I was bored, there's no escaping that fact. Does that make me a bad person? Was I being unrealistic in my expectations for the game (a goal every ten minutes is definitely unrealistic but I was joking with that prediction!) and am I being hugely unfair for voicing that opinion?
I think Stubbs could also see that the players were cruising, and he took the opportunity to rest Scott Allan - a good decision, as the lack of challenge appeared to have a detrimental effect on Allan's game, with many passes missing their mark and the influence Allan was having on the match being overshadowed by that of the more industrious trio of McGeouch, Robertson, and Craig.
Allan was replaced by Jordon Forster, the young defender making his return after a fairly lengthy absence from injury and an operation. The swap of a defender for a midfielder allowed Stubbs to change the shape and formation of the team, moving to a 3-5-2 with Lewis Stevenson and Callum Booth adopting wing-back positions for the latter stages of the match.
Scott Robertson lifted the game with a fine solo goal, a nudge in the back giving him the momentum to burst past the the Cowdenbeath defence and slip a fine shot across the keeper and into the net with a finish reminiscent of his goal against Rangers.
The change in formation brought about a fine end to the game, as did the introduction of Sam Stanton and Danny Handling, who combined to set up Hibs' fourth goal as Stanton played an inspired pass across the box to find Booth charging in at the back post to side-foot the ball home.
The biggest cheer of the afternoon belonged to Lewis Stevenson, his long range effort rounding off the scoring with virtually the last kick of the ball.
The scoreline finally reflected Hibs' dominance in the match, and it was no more than Hibs deserved overall. I do firmly believe that if Hibs had played at the speed and intensity that they can do when they're at the top of their game, that they could have run up a huge scoreline, and this is maybe why, despite the impressive and deserved winning margin, I left the game ever-so-slightly disappointed.
Still, I'd take a disappointing 5-0 win any day of the week!
Couple of points to finish off on, firstly I need to make a correction to my last blog (as pointed out by Falkirk's Assistant Manager, James McDonaugh) - I credited Jason Cummings with a hat-trick against Falkirk, Jason only scored twice, Hibs second goal coming courtesy of a Falkirk defender rather than the King of Zing.
Secondly, Hibs launched their share issue plans recently, with Sir Tom Farmer making arrangements to half the debt, and offering up £2.5m worth of shares to give the supporters the opportunity to own 51% of the football club, either through buying shares directly, or by going through the newly formed Hibernian Supporters Limited. The £2.5m will not go into the pockets of the existing shareholders but will instead go to fund 'sporting ambition'. So it has been disappointing to read that Hands on Hibs - a supporter's group who have already been very vocal and very wrong with some spurious claims - labelling the initiative as a 'shake-down' and claiming it's designed to line the pockets of Sir Tom Farmer and Rod Petrie.
Looking at it at a base level, Hibs have a debt that needs to be repaid, this is not a shake-down, it's basic economics. Hibs will have plans to repay that debt regardless of what money is taken in, be that from season ticket sales, sponsorship, prize money, maybe even a cup run.
However Hibs generate the income, a fixed amount will be required to repay debt. The potential £2.5m income from the share issue means that there will be more money left over after that debt is repaid in order for Alan Stubbs to strengthen his side.
That seems fairly straightforward to me, maybe I'm naive but I can't see what Sir Tom Farmer stands to gain from an arrangement where he has arranged half the debt to be wiped out, and his own shareholding massively diluted without him receiving a penny from the shares.
I think it's a disgrace and distasteful that Hands on Hibs have seen fit to make those accusations against the very person that stepped up to save Hibs in our darkest hour in the early 90's, and I only hope that the vast majority of Hibs fans are sensible enough to see the ridiculous claims for what they are.
Hibs started the game well, and created a number of chances before Paul Hanlon flicked the ball into the top corner of the Blue Brazil's net after just nine minutes. I'd said to my son, Joshua, a few moments earlier that Hibs looked in the mood, and that if the players kept up the momentum we could be in for a huge score (I jokingly predicted a goal every ten minutes), so when Hanlon's tidy finish put Hibs one up both Josh and I lifted our expectations and looked forward to more goals.
Hibs passed up more opportunities before Jason Cummings finished a fine move involving McGeouch and Allan, poking the ball home from Allan's low cross with the game in the 25th minute. So far, so good.
The game then fell into something of a lull, it was evident that Cowdenbeath were largely impotent, and they had no real designs on attacking Hibs, and on the odd occasion when they did break forward, Hanlon and Fontaine proved effective barriers - so much so that Cowdenbeath failed to muster a solitary shot on target in the whole match.
Hibs were able to treat the match almost as a training game. It was as though it was too easy for the players, as ridiculous as that may sound. I have heard interviewed managers speaking to the press about 'game management' (Aberdeen's Derek McInnes and Alan Stubbs have used the phrase -or similar - in recent radio interviews following matches.) and I'm not sure if Hibs, having thrown away a 3-1 lead the weekend before against Falkirk, just decided to 'manage the game' and not give Cowdenbeath any encouragement, or if the players just realised that they weren't going to have to break sweat to win the game, but for the latter part of the first half and the first half hour of the second, the game was notable only for it's lack of incident. Hibs' play lacked the zip and zest that they'd shown against Rangers and Hearts in previous matches. Passes were considered rather than instinctive, runs were controlled rather than lung-bursting, and tackles were few and far between.
It was strange, admittedly, to see Hibs so utterly dominant in the game. I can't remember too many matches where I've seen players able to stroll through a game in the manner that they did, and I suppose that a huge amount of credit must be given to Alan Stubbs and his coaching team that they have taken the side that was such a shambles last season and turned them into a team that could probably have lost a couple of players and still strolled the match, albeit against a lower standard of opponent than they faced last season.
Stubbs' side also deserve credit for apparently learning the lessons from dropping points against Falkirk. And so I feel like I'm being really harsh on the side for complaining about being bored while we were 2-0 up (and I did complain, as did Josh, at the game). However, I have to be honest - I was bored, there's no escaping that fact. Does that make me a bad person? Was I being unrealistic in my expectations for the game (a goal every ten minutes is definitely unrealistic but I was joking with that prediction!) and am I being hugely unfair for voicing that opinion?
I think Stubbs could also see that the players were cruising, and he took the opportunity to rest Scott Allan - a good decision, as the lack of challenge appeared to have a detrimental effect on Allan's game, with many passes missing their mark and the influence Allan was having on the match being overshadowed by that of the more industrious trio of McGeouch, Robertson, and Craig.
Allan was replaced by Jordon Forster, the young defender making his return after a fairly lengthy absence from injury and an operation. The swap of a defender for a midfielder allowed Stubbs to change the shape and formation of the team, moving to a 3-5-2 with Lewis Stevenson and Callum Booth adopting wing-back positions for the latter stages of the match.
Scott Robertson lifted the game with a fine solo goal, a nudge in the back giving him the momentum to burst past the the Cowdenbeath defence and slip a fine shot across the keeper and into the net with a finish reminiscent of his goal against Rangers.
The change in formation brought about a fine end to the game, as did the introduction of Sam Stanton and Danny Handling, who combined to set up Hibs' fourth goal as Stanton played an inspired pass across the box to find Booth charging in at the back post to side-foot the ball home.
The biggest cheer of the afternoon belonged to Lewis Stevenson, his long range effort rounding off the scoring with virtually the last kick of the ball.
The scoreline finally reflected Hibs' dominance in the match, and it was no more than Hibs deserved overall. I do firmly believe that if Hibs had played at the speed and intensity that they can do when they're at the top of their game, that they could have run up a huge scoreline, and this is maybe why, despite the impressive and deserved winning margin, I left the game ever-so-slightly disappointed.
Still, I'd take a disappointing 5-0 win any day of the week!
Couple of points to finish off on, firstly I need to make a correction to my last blog (as pointed out by Falkirk's Assistant Manager, James McDonaugh) - I credited Jason Cummings with a hat-trick against Falkirk, Jason only scored twice, Hibs second goal coming courtesy of a Falkirk defender rather than the King of Zing.
Secondly, Hibs launched their share issue plans recently, with Sir Tom Farmer making arrangements to half the debt, and offering up £2.5m worth of shares to give the supporters the opportunity to own 51% of the football club, either through buying shares directly, or by going through the newly formed Hibernian Supporters Limited. The £2.5m will not go into the pockets of the existing shareholders but will instead go to fund 'sporting ambition'. So it has been disappointing to read that Hands on Hibs - a supporter's group who have already been very vocal and very wrong with some spurious claims - labelling the initiative as a 'shake-down' and claiming it's designed to line the pockets of Sir Tom Farmer and Rod Petrie.
Looking at it at a base level, Hibs have a debt that needs to be repaid, this is not a shake-down, it's basic economics. Hibs will have plans to repay that debt regardless of what money is taken in, be that from season ticket sales, sponsorship, prize money, maybe even a cup run.
However Hibs generate the income, a fixed amount will be required to repay debt. The potential £2.5m income from the share issue means that there will be more money left over after that debt is repaid in order for Alan Stubbs to strengthen his side.
That seems fairly straightforward to me, maybe I'm naive but I can't see what Sir Tom Farmer stands to gain from an arrangement where he has arranged half the debt to be wiped out, and his own shareholding massively diluted without him receiving a penny from the shares.
I think it's a disgrace and distasteful that Hands on Hibs have seen fit to make those accusations against the very person that stepped up to save Hibs in our darkest hour in the early 90's, and I only hope that the vast majority of Hibs fans are sensible enough to see the ridiculous claims for what they are.
Wednesday, 14 January 2015
Bogey Teams Make a Point
The last blog I wrote followed a terrific (and it was terrific) Hibs win over Rangers, where Hibernian managed to whittle down the lead that Glasgow's newest team had over them to just four points.
Hibs were about to face the runaway league leaders in the New Year's derby and I - like most of the support - was looking forward to the game and the opportunity to claw that points deficit back a little more.
Between that game and now, Hibs faced Falkirk at Easter Road, having suffered two defeats to the Bairns already this season, Falkirk were fast becoming something of a bogey team for Hibs, and so Hibs would be hoping to put a bit of distance between themselves and Falkirk.
As things stand today, Hearts' lead over Hibs extends to the point where Hibs need significantly more than snookers to have any hope of finishing the season as champions, and Rangers have pushed on to take the gap between them and their Leith counterparts to eight points.
So, let's have a look at what happened, starting with the derby. It would be fair to say that for one reason or another, Hearts have definitely become a bona-fide bogey team to Hibs. For Hibs fans, Hearts represent the last team that we would want to hold a jinx over us. You really have to be unlucky to have your city rivals as your bogey-team.
There are a number of reasons for that, in recent history it's because Hearts spent significantly more than Hibs on their team, and derbies generally went with form. Last season, with Hearts in the doldrums and having a horrendous time of things, Hibs mustered only one victory against them, Liam Craig's penalty winning the New Year fixture at Easter Road, giving Hibs fans a lingering memory of what joy is possible from watching football as the rest of the season descended into disaster under Terry Butcher.
Hearts have carried a huge amount of favour over the last couple of seasons, Hibs having two perfectly legitimate goals chalked off in absurd refereeing decisions, but this blog isn't to highlight injustices or complaints about referees, and it's only fair to acknowledge that while big decisions like those played a part, so too did very lacklustre and abject Hibs performances.
When I was starting to attend Hibs games, Hearts went on a run where Hibs failed to beat them in twenty-two matches. The manager at the time, Alex Miller, appeared to have no idea on how to halt that record and derby days became depressingly predictable.
To this day, no matter how well Hibs are doing, I watch a derby waiting for the moment where Hibs contrive to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory (or at least, snatch a draw). Meanwhile, Hearts are able to approach derbies knowing that no matter how bad things are, something will likely go their way.
There have been some exceptions, but they are few and far between. I know that back in the day, there was a period where Hearts couldn't buy a win against Hibs so it hasn't always been the case that Hearts have been a bogey-team, and I can only hope that now we're operating on a much more level financial playing field, with Hearts finally having to live within their means, that there will be more balance in the results between the teams.
That was the case at Tynecastle, Hibs were desperately unlucky not to take all three points in the previous derby at Easter Road, and showed that they were more than a match for the league leaders, and again Hibs put in an impressive performance with most neutral observers noting that Hearts could have had no arguments had Hibs won the match, instead of having to settle for a point.
Hibs took an early lead, a sublime cross from Scott Allan found Jason Cummings and his close range shot flew past Alexander in the Hearts goal. It capped a period of fairly sustained pressure from Hibs, with the visitors putting pressure on the hosts from the outset.
Cummings had a golden opportunity to put Hibs two goals ahead shortly afterwards, sending a free header just wide with the goal at his mercy. Hibs were to rue that miss, with Hearts getting an unlikely goal shortly afterwards.
The second half was a more even affair, with Hibs finishing the stronger of the two sides but unable to get a winning goal.
The result left Alan Stubbs frustrated as again, Hibs had somehow not got the win that their performance had probably deserved. This is a trait that Hibs have displayed throughout the season and can account for a large number of the points between them and the two sides above them. Hearts have played well in the vast majority of their games, and won most of them. Where they've not played well they've managed to take something from the games - and that's why they sit deservedly at the top of the table. Rangers, for their part, have been less impressive and seem to be stumbling from result to result, but those results tend to be wins, and for all that you couldn't pay me to go and watch them, I'd happily see Hibs take that winning habit from them.
Hibs have lost games we have dominated, and also lost the games we deserved to take nothing from. On Saturday, against Falkirk, Hibs should have won. Having started brightly, Hibs took the lead when Jason Cummings' shot was fumbled by Jamie MacDonald in the Falkirk goal. It's ironic that MacDonald was generally excellent when he featured against Hibs in derbies while he was with Hearts, and yet he looked suspect throughout the game on Saturday.
Falkirk took advantage of some seriously sloppy defending from Hibs to draw level, and only a very late flag from the Referee's Assistant (probably the latest offside decision I've ever seen given - but credit to the Assistant, she got it right) saved Hibs from falling behind in the match.
Hibs seemed to take heed of the warning and stormed into a 3-1 lead, with Jason Cummings completing a first half hat-trick (as predicted, again, by @Lmc2105 Lee McLennan - two hat trick predictions coming through this season!). Hibs started the second half brightly with new loan signing Martin Boyle first missing what was essentially an open goal, then having the ball inexplicably nicked from his toes as he was about to shoot by team-mate Scott Allan. Had either chance gone in, the game would have likely been out of reach for Falkirk.
Instead, the Bairns were lifted by the let-off, and they capitalised on some horrendous defending from Hibs to bring the scores back level. Hibs were not able to pull in front again, and a match that was there to be won ended with Hibs falling further behind the sides above them.
Alan Stubbs' post-match interview reflected a manager who was evidently frustrated and angered at his team's inability to win matches, and as pleased as he must have been with their recent performances, his criticisms of the side were entirely justified.
Hibs' right-back, David Gray, had been missing for this game in order to get a groin operation. Hibs definitely missed him, and it will be interesting to see if Alan Stubbs makes signing a right-back a priority while the transfer window is open this month. If he doesn't. there is much work to do to bring balance to a back four that comprised of four left-footed players, with Calum Booth playing out of position on the right side of the defence. Under pressure, the defence did not look comfortable at all. For all that Paul Hanlon and Liam Fontaine have been excellent this season, they looked disjointed and nervous without the steadying presence of Gray.
Mark Oxley in goal did little to help, the conditions causing all sorts of problems for the keeper who has just extended his stay at Easter Road until the end of the season. It was an uncharacteristically poor performance from Oxley, and one would hope that it was a one off that could be attributed to the horrendous weather.
And so Hibs look forward to Cowdenbeath visiting Easter Road on Saturday. It's an opportunity to get some points back on at least one of the two teams above them, with Rangers hosting Hearts on Friday evening. I'd love to say that I was confident that Hibs will do that, but Hibs just haven't got that winning habit just yet.
As for laying some of the bogey-sides to rest, Hibs get another shot at both Falkirk and Hearts before the season's out, so here's hoping that Hibs develop the knack of winning games they deserve to win between now and then.
Hibs were about to face the runaway league leaders in the New Year's derby and I - like most of the support - was looking forward to the game and the opportunity to claw that points deficit back a little more.
Between that game and now, Hibs faced Falkirk at Easter Road, having suffered two defeats to the Bairns already this season, Falkirk were fast becoming something of a bogey team for Hibs, and so Hibs would be hoping to put a bit of distance between themselves and Falkirk.
As things stand today, Hearts' lead over Hibs extends to the point where Hibs need significantly more than snookers to have any hope of finishing the season as champions, and Rangers have pushed on to take the gap between them and their Leith counterparts to eight points.
So, let's have a look at what happened, starting with the derby. It would be fair to say that for one reason or another, Hearts have definitely become a bona-fide bogey team to Hibs. For Hibs fans, Hearts represent the last team that we would want to hold a jinx over us. You really have to be unlucky to have your city rivals as your bogey-team.
There are a number of reasons for that, in recent history it's because Hearts spent significantly more than Hibs on their team, and derbies generally went with form. Last season, with Hearts in the doldrums and having a horrendous time of things, Hibs mustered only one victory against them, Liam Craig's penalty winning the New Year fixture at Easter Road, giving Hibs fans a lingering memory of what joy is possible from watching football as the rest of the season descended into disaster under Terry Butcher.
Hearts have carried a huge amount of favour over the last couple of seasons, Hibs having two perfectly legitimate goals chalked off in absurd refereeing decisions, but this blog isn't to highlight injustices or complaints about referees, and it's only fair to acknowledge that while big decisions like those played a part, so too did very lacklustre and abject Hibs performances.
When I was starting to attend Hibs games, Hearts went on a run where Hibs failed to beat them in twenty-two matches. The manager at the time, Alex Miller, appeared to have no idea on how to halt that record and derby days became depressingly predictable.
To this day, no matter how well Hibs are doing, I watch a derby waiting for the moment where Hibs contrive to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory (or at least, snatch a draw). Meanwhile, Hearts are able to approach derbies knowing that no matter how bad things are, something will likely go their way.
There have been some exceptions, but they are few and far between. I know that back in the day, there was a period where Hearts couldn't buy a win against Hibs so it hasn't always been the case that Hearts have been a bogey-team, and I can only hope that now we're operating on a much more level financial playing field, with Hearts finally having to live within their means, that there will be more balance in the results between the teams.
That was the case at Tynecastle, Hibs were desperately unlucky not to take all three points in the previous derby at Easter Road, and showed that they were more than a match for the league leaders, and again Hibs put in an impressive performance with most neutral observers noting that Hearts could have had no arguments had Hibs won the match, instead of having to settle for a point.
Hibs took an early lead, a sublime cross from Scott Allan found Jason Cummings and his close range shot flew past Alexander in the Hearts goal. It capped a period of fairly sustained pressure from Hibs, with the visitors putting pressure on the hosts from the outset.
Cummings had a golden opportunity to put Hibs two goals ahead shortly afterwards, sending a free header just wide with the goal at his mercy. Hibs were to rue that miss, with Hearts getting an unlikely goal shortly afterwards.
The second half was a more even affair, with Hibs finishing the stronger of the two sides but unable to get a winning goal.
The result left Alan Stubbs frustrated as again, Hibs had somehow not got the win that their performance had probably deserved. This is a trait that Hibs have displayed throughout the season and can account for a large number of the points between them and the two sides above them. Hearts have played well in the vast majority of their games, and won most of them. Where they've not played well they've managed to take something from the games - and that's why they sit deservedly at the top of the table. Rangers, for their part, have been less impressive and seem to be stumbling from result to result, but those results tend to be wins, and for all that you couldn't pay me to go and watch them, I'd happily see Hibs take that winning habit from them.
Hibs have lost games we have dominated, and also lost the games we deserved to take nothing from. On Saturday, against Falkirk, Hibs should have won. Having started brightly, Hibs took the lead when Jason Cummings' shot was fumbled by Jamie MacDonald in the Falkirk goal. It's ironic that MacDonald was generally excellent when he featured against Hibs in derbies while he was with Hearts, and yet he looked suspect throughout the game on Saturday.
Falkirk took advantage of some seriously sloppy defending from Hibs to draw level, and only a very late flag from the Referee's Assistant (probably the latest offside decision I've ever seen given - but credit to the Assistant, she got it right) saved Hibs from falling behind in the match.
Hibs seemed to take heed of the warning and stormed into a 3-1 lead, with Jason Cummings completing a first half hat-trick (as predicted, again, by @Lmc2105 Lee McLennan - two hat trick predictions coming through this season!). Hibs started the second half brightly with new loan signing Martin Boyle first missing what was essentially an open goal, then having the ball inexplicably nicked from his toes as he was about to shoot by team-mate Scott Allan. Had either chance gone in, the game would have likely been out of reach for Falkirk.
Instead, the Bairns were lifted by the let-off, and they capitalised on some horrendous defending from Hibs to bring the scores back level. Hibs were not able to pull in front again, and a match that was there to be won ended with Hibs falling further behind the sides above them.
Alan Stubbs' post-match interview reflected a manager who was evidently frustrated and angered at his team's inability to win matches, and as pleased as he must have been with their recent performances, his criticisms of the side were entirely justified.
Hibs' right-back, David Gray, had been missing for this game in order to get a groin operation. Hibs definitely missed him, and it will be interesting to see if Alan Stubbs makes signing a right-back a priority while the transfer window is open this month. If he doesn't. there is much work to do to bring balance to a back four that comprised of four left-footed players, with Calum Booth playing out of position on the right side of the defence. Under pressure, the defence did not look comfortable at all. For all that Paul Hanlon and Liam Fontaine have been excellent this season, they looked disjointed and nervous without the steadying presence of Gray.
Mark Oxley in goal did little to help, the conditions causing all sorts of problems for the keeper who has just extended his stay at Easter Road until the end of the season. It was an uncharacteristically poor performance from Oxley, and one would hope that it was a one off that could be attributed to the horrendous weather.
And so Hibs look forward to Cowdenbeath visiting Easter Road on Saturday. It's an opportunity to get some points back on at least one of the two teams above them, with Rangers hosting Hearts on Friday evening. I'd love to say that I was confident that Hibs will do that, but Hibs just haven't got that winning habit just yet.
As for laying some of the bogey-sides to rest, Hibs get another shot at both Falkirk and Hearts before the season's out, so here's hoping that Hibs develop the knack of winning games they deserve to win between now and then.
Sunday, 28 December 2014
Laying Down a Marker (or four...)
Hibs opened the season with a narrow defeat at Ibrox, losing 2-1 after extra-time to Rangers in the Petrofac Training Cup, having seen Danny Handling red carded for a relatively innocuous challenge in the second half.
The performance, though, was reason for the Hibs support to be optimistic about the season facing them. Hibs played attractive football, with players working hard for each other and competing with the early-season title-favourites on their own patch. Things were looking good for Hibs after the shambolic end to the previous season.
That proved to be something of a false dawn, however. Hibs stumbled through the first quarter of the season, struggling to adjust to the challenges of Championship sides intent on 'parking the bus' in matches. There were still signs that things would come good, but it was very much a case of two steps forward, one step back in the first round of fixtures. Meanwhile, Hearts and Rangers picked up points week on week, so much so that Hibs went into the post-Christmas fixture against Rangers seven points behind the Ibrox side, and a huge nineteen points behind their Edinburgh rivals.
The second quarter of the season has been much more promising for Hibs, with their only points being dropped in draws against leaders Hearts, play-off hopefuls Queen of the South, and a defeat away to Falkirk (who were on an impressive run of victories themselves.).
Hibs' pattern of play has been more evident in each game as the season progressed, helped in no small part by the improvement of Scott Allan has his fitness has improved, as well as a return to form for the much maligned Liam Craig and Scott Robertson, the three playing key roles in a midfield that has dominated the majority of matches they've played in over the last few games.
So that takes us to Saturday's match against Rangers. It's fair to say that Rangers arrived at Easter Road in some amount of turmoil. Mike Ashley's bid to increase his control of the club had been rejected earlier in the week, and the bizarre situation regarding Ally McCoist's resignation had been resolved by the Ibrox board putting McCoist on gardening leave through to the end of his £750k-a-year contract. Kenny McDowell was promoted into McCoist's role, and he named an unchanged side from the one that McCoist sent out to record a 2-0 win over troubled Livingston the week before.
However, turmoil or not, Rangers arrived able to field a team assembled on a budget several times higher than that of Hibs, and on paper at least, able to compete comfortably with any other Championship side.
Hibs, for their part, were also able to put out the same side that had comfortably seen off Alloa in their last match.
What followed was one of the most complete performances I can recall seeing from a Hibs side. From start to finish the Hibs side out-thought, out-fought, and out-played a Rangers side who appeared unable to comprehend what was happening to them.
The impeccable Scott Allan set the tone early in the match, brushing Ian Black aside as Black challenged for the ball, leaving the Rangers man on his backside as Allan strode forward confidently. It wasn't the last time that sight would be seen over the course of the match. The frustration became so great for Black that his own management team felt it necessary to replace Black after half an hour or so, Black having picked up a yellow card for a cynical foul on Allan as the Hibs midfielder breezed past him yet again. It was a challenge that many would argue was worse than that which saw a red-card flashed at Danny Handling in the Petrofac Training Cup match at the start of the season.
Black had been lucky that the referee had shown a high degree of leniency towards him following a couple of earlier fouls he had committed, that luck leaving the Rangers bench with the luxury of replacing him, rather than seeing him sent off. Black's exit was met with great delight from all four stands, the Rangers fans seemingly just as happy to be shot of him as the Hibs fans were to see that the occasion (and Scott Allan) had been too much for the former-Hearts man.
David Gray put Hibs in front, a good move finished with a sensational shot into the top corner of the goal from the edge of the box. From the back of the West Stand, I had a fantastic view of the shot flying in, it was the sort of shot that you knew was a goal from the moment it left Gray's boot.
Hibs grew in confidence and had Rangers chasing shadows, unable to cope with the passing, movement, and work-rate of their opponents. Hibs had dominated teams like this already this season, but they could hardly have expected to be quite so comfortable against a team seven points ahead of them in the league.
That comfort increased when Jason Cummings bundled the ball over the line for Hibs' second goal. When I say he bundled it over the line, it perhaps gives the impression that the goal was fairly unimpressive, however that couldn't be further from the truth. The goal stemmed from some sublime play from Hibs down the right hand side, with Gray, Malonga, and Allan linking well before the latter picked out Liam Craig's deep run with an inch-perfect cross. Craig knocked the ball back over the head of Simonsen in the Rangers goal, leaving Cummings with the simplest of tap-ins to complete a fantastic move.
Hibs saw out the first half in complete control, intent on keeping Rangers at arm's length. Hibs were completely dominant by this stage, and the frustration was starting to show in the body language of the Rangers players, and with some supporters who were already heading for the exits.
Rangers brought on all-time SPL top-scorer Kris Boyd for the second half as they sought to get back into the game. Rangers clearly felt that the way back was to try and rattle Hibs, literally. Boyd's first involvement was to commit three consecutive fouls. I don't know if my memory's playing tricks on me, but I'm sure in the opening minutes of the second half, Boyd had more touches of Hibs players than he had of the ball, it certainly seemed that way!.
Rangers snapped into tackles and challenges, with the referee happy to turn a blind eye to many of the more robust encounters. Hibs, for their part, kept their cool - remonstrating at times with the referee but focussing on not getting caught up in anything that might see them booked or sent off.
As the clock ticked down, Rangers' optimism dwindled - taking their enthusiasm and effort with it. Whether they sensed that they couldn't get back into the game or just gave up chasing spaces, they were soon punished with another Hibs goal right out of the top drawer.
Scott Robertson won the ball at the half-way line and fed Scott Allan. Allan strode forward at the Rangers defence, before slipping a perfect pass to Robertson, who had continued his run into the box. So good was the pass from Allan, that it left the Rangers defender Foster on his backside and Robertson with only Simonsen to beat. Robertson duly obliged with a cool shot across goal to give Hibs a three goal lead, and kill off any hopes Rangers had of getting something from the game.
As much as Hibs were dominating, it was impressive to see that they stayed completely professional and focused on doing their jobs, and this couldn't have been demonstrated better than when Liam Fontaine thwarted a rare Rangers attack with a goal-line clearance before throwing himself at the loose ball to ensure Hibs kept a clean sheet.
Danny Handling had a chance to get a fourth goal, however he placed his shot inches wide with the goal at his mercy. Liam Craig, however, wasn't so wasteful when presented with another perfect pass from Scott Allan, Craig met the ball with his weaker right foot, and directed a low volley into the bottom corner to send three sides of Easter Road into ecstasy.
It was no more than Hibs deserved, the score-line reflecting an utterly dominant performance from Allan Stubbs' side.
From front to back, Hibs were terrific. I struggle to recall a match where Hibs have been so comfortable, so dominant, and so ruthless against a side who we should really have no right to compete with, given the respective budgets. The CIS cup final where we beat Kilmarnock 5-1 was comparable, and I'd say that as good as this match was, we weren't quite as dominant as we were the night we put six past Hearts at Easter Road, however you'd struggle to point out where Hibs could improve on Saturday's performance.
The Sky Sports pundits (and their BBC radio colleagues) were purring over Scott Allan's contribution in their analysis after the game, and as much as Allan deserves the praise (I've gone on record already to say that he's by far and away the best player in the Championship), I felt they could just as easily singled out Liam Craig, Scott Robertson, David Gray, Paul Hanlon, Liam Fontain, Lewis Stevenson, Dominque Malonga , Mark Oxley, or Jason Cummings.
There wasn't a bad performance in that Hibs side, and that showing will definitely have given Hearts Head Coach Robbie Nielson food for thought ahead of this weekend's derby. The Tynecastle outfit will definitely go into the game as strong favourites, however Hibs have put down a marker to say that they're not here to make up the numbers. Hearts got out of jail in the last derby and will be approaching this weekend's derby with more caution than any other fixture so far this season.
I'm not one for making bold derby predictions, it will be a tight affair and at the risk of using an age-old cliché, it really could go either way. Hibs though, have nothing to fear. It is hard to think about how any side at our level could cope with what Rangers faced on Saturday.
Wednesday, 17 December 2014
Boo When You're Winning.
It's early Saturday evening with the clock approaching ten to five. Hibs are two nothing up against Alloa at Easter Road, and a section (albeit a small section) of the support are booing. The target of their ire appears to be Liam Craig - a player still trying to win over a support that saw him as a very culpable figure in our relegation last season. Why are they booing Craig? Well, he's passing the ball back, keeping possession and seeing out the game.
I had changed seats for this game, moving from my seat for the last few years in the West Lower stand, to the second highest row in the West Upper. The boos came from a few guys to our left, and thankfully they were shouted down by some more reasonable supporters, but the whole episode made me question just what exactly is it the Hibs fans want from their team?
If I think back a few weeks to the last derby, Hibs had played very well, keeping the league leaders at arm's length for more or less the whole match. It had been a dominant derby performance, not really in keeping with Hibs' standard in this fixture over recent years. We didn't keep the ball at the end, and dropped two points courtesy of a long range shot from the Hearts centre-half.
Alloa themselves had shown that they were capable of turning around a two goal deficit in the closing stages of a match by beating The Rangers in the Petrofac Training Cup a couple of weeks prior to this fixture, so to my mind there was very good reason to see out the game by keeping the ball away from the Alloa players. If they don't have the ball, they can't score.
Hibs are playing a possession game this season. Alloa barely threatened the whole game, and it has been a similar story for most of Hibs' home games this season where a cursory glance at the stats would show possession, chances, corners, etc all heavily weighted in Hibs' favour.
We've seen how exciting this can be, the good derby performance and the 3-3 draw against Dundee United showcasing the tactic at its best. However, it would be fair to say that against teams that will let you have the ball, and who aren't interested in committing men forward to attack, then the possession approach proves more methodical and plodding than fluid and thrilling.
The win against Alloa could not be described as exciting, though it was effective. Hibs chalked up their first home win in three months - an astonishing statistic given the level that we are competing at this season. Alloa, for their part, looked terrible. There is an argument that suggests that Alloa looked so terrible because Hibs were so effective in the way that they kept the ball. I think that there is merit in that perspective and I'll explain why.
Hibs never seemed to get out of second gear in the game. The players looked like they cruised it, when Alloa cleared it was invariably a Hibs player that collected the ball and started another attack. We used the wings, we played through the middle, we had players switching positions and dragging markers about. Hibs controlled everything about the match, including the pace. One of the arguments put forward by a boo-er was that there was no need to keep the ball at the end of the match as Alloa had never looked like scoring. There was a very good reason for that -they never looked like scoring because we kept the ball.
We could have scored more goals, however I think the vocal minority would have reacted the same way had we been closing the game out at 4-0 up, rather than 2-0. I think that booing reaction, that impatience, is borne from our terrible home form over the last couple of years. Booing has almost become a default position for some fans, like they've forgotten how to appreciate the team. It seems that with some fans even when the team wins, the team can't win.
Coming out the game I was content that we'd won. I was disappointed that the game hadn't been more exciting but I'd take a comfortable two nil win any day of the week. I was satisfied and I felt there were real signs in the match that Stubbs' influence is definitely starting to tell on the players. Hibs no longer look like a forlorn rudderless outfit. The players played to a coherent system, knew their roles, and in Scott Allan we had a player willing to try something out of the ordinary to create chances.
That bravery to try something has led to some criticism, but from my point of view I'd much rather have someone try something fantastic and get it wrong now and again, than have someone stick with the safe, mundane option for fear of making a mistake. The problem we have with a support that boos at the first opportunity, is it's much easier for a brave player to stop making brave choices and take the easy option than it is for them to persevere and put up with the stick.
The support have to recognise the part they play in impacting individual players, and the team overall. Recognising when we've done well and applauding a win is right and justified. Booing a team for doing the sensible (if uninspiring) thing in the closing minutes is just ridiculous. We all want to see Hibs rattle seven goals past teams, but the reality of where we are just now is that scenario is unrealistic. The team has to prioritise wins first, style second. We are chasing the leaders, three points are all that matters for the time being.
Stubbs has had one transfer window to rebuild a team that was decimated morale-wise and numerically. He took on the role from a standing start and we are at a very early stage in that rebuilding process. The football club is going through root and branch change and the rewards of these changes won't be reaped immediately. We approach the January transfer window knowing that Stubbs has an eye on improving the squad for that final push.
The manager and the players need the support onside for the run in to the play-offs. Promotion is still well within our own hands and if the fans can learn to love the team again then we have a great chance of going up. We might even be able to sing when we're winning!
p.s. A small mention (and thanks) to Lee McLennan for sharing my blog via Twitter, but also for calling Malonga's hat-trick against Dumbarton the night before it happened, just a shame you never stuck a couple of quid on it, Lee! I had planned on doing a Malonga-based blog on the back of it but didn't manage to get the time to do it.
I had changed seats for this game, moving from my seat for the last few years in the West Lower stand, to the second highest row in the West Upper. The boos came from a few guys to our left, and thankfully they were shouted down by some more reasonable supporters, but the whole episode made me question just what exactly is it the Hibs fans want from their team?
If I think back a few weeks to the last derby, Hibs had played very well, keeping the league leaders at arm's length for more or less the whole match. It had been a dominant derby performance, not really in keeping with Hibs' standard in this fixture over recent years. We didn't keep the ball at the end, and dropped two points courtesy of a long range shot from the Hearts centre-half.
Alloa themselves had shown that they were capable of turning around a two goal deficit in the closing stages of a match by beating The Rangers in the Petrofac Training Cup a couple of weeks prior to this fixture, so to my mind there was very good reason to see out the game by keeping the ball away from the Alloa players. If they don't have the ball, they can't score.
Hibs are playing a possession game this season. Alloa barely threatened the whole game, and it has been a similar story for most of Hibs' home games this season where a cursory glance at the stats would show possession, chances, corners, etc all heavily weighted in Hibs' favour.
We've seen how exciting this can be, the good derby performance and the 3-3 draw against Dundee United showcasing the tactic at its best. However, it would be fair to say that against teams that will let you have the ball, and who aren't interested in committing men forward to attack, then the possession approach proves more methodical and plodding than fluid and thrilling.
The win against Alloa could not be described as exciting, though it was effective. Hibs chalked up their first home win in three months - an astonishing statistic given the level that we are competing at this season. Alloa, for their part, looked terrible. There is an argument that suggests that Alloa looked so terrible because Hibs were so effective in the way that they kept the ball. I think that there is merit in that perspective and I'll explain why.
Hibs never seemed to get out of second gear in the game. The players looked like they cruised it, when Alloa cleared it was invariably a Hibs player that collected the ball and started another attack. We used the wings, we played through the middle, we had players switching positions and dragging markers about. Hibs controlled everything about the match, including the pace. One of the arguments put forward by a boo-er was that there was no need to keep the ball at the end of the match as Alloa had never looked like scoring. There was a very good reason for that -they never looked like scoring because we kept the ball.
We could have scored more goals, however I think the vocal minority would have reacted the same way had we been closing the game out at 4-0 up, rather than 2-0. I think that booing reaction, that impatience, is borne from our terrible home form over the last couple of years. Booing has almost become a default position for some fans, like they've forgotten how to appreciate the team. It seems that with some fans even when the team wins, the team can't win.
Coming out the game I was content that we'd won. I was disappointed that the game hadn't been more exciting but I'd take a comfortable two nil win any day of the week. I was satisfied and I felt there were real signs in the match that Stubbs' influence is definitely starting to tell on the players. Hibs no longer look like a forlorn rudderless outfit. The players played to a coherent system, knew their roles, and in Scott Allan we had a player willing to try something out of the ordinary to create chances.
That bravery to try something has led to some criticism, but from my point of view I'd much rather have someone try something fantastic and get it wrong now and again, than have someone stick with the safe, mundane option for fear of making a mistake. The problem we have with a support that boos at the first opportunity, is it's much easier for a brave player to stop making brave choices and take the easy option than it is for them to persevere and put up with the stick.
The support have to recognise the part they play in impacting individual players, and the team overall. Recognising when we've done well and applauding a win is right and justified. Booing a team for doing the sensible (if uninspiring) thing in the closing minutes is just ridiculous. We all want to see Hibs rattle seven goals past teams, but the reality of where we are just now is that scenario is unrealistic. The team has to prioritise wins first, style second. We are chasing the leaders, three points are all that matters for the time being.
Stubbs has had one transfer window to rebuild a team that was decimated morale-wise and numerically. He took on the role from a standing start and we are at a very early stage in that rebuilding process. The football club is going through root and branch change and the rewards of these changes won't be reaped immediately. We approach the January transfer window knowing that Stubbs has an eye on improving the squad for that final push.
The manager and the players need the support onside for the run in to the play-offs. Promotion is still well within our own hands and if the fans can learn to love the team again then we have a great chance of going up. We might even be able to sing when we're winning!
p.s. A small mention (and thanks) to Lee McLennan for sharing my blog via Twitter, but also for calling Malonga's hat-trick against Dumbarton the night before it happened, just a shame you never stuck a couple of quid on it, Lee! I had planned on doing a Malonga-based blog on the back of it but didn't manage to get the time to do it.
Friday, 21 November 2014
Do I really want to own Hibs?
Ok, so the post title is perhaps a little misleading, but it does lead me nicely into this blog, where I'll be taking a look at the BuyHibs group's proposal to, well, buy Hibs.
At the start of last week, BuyHibs emerged as a potential vehicle for Hibernian fans to crowd-fund the purchase of Hibernian Football Club from Sir Tom Farmer and take it into the hands of the support.
Fronted by (Sir) Pat Stanton (by some distance the greatest living Hibernian), along with former player Paul Kane, the group of business-folks put forward a proposal that would see Hibs fans contribute voluntary monthly payments to pay for the club and ultimately increase the spend afforded to the manager for players.
Previously, Paul Kane had fronted Forever Hibernian, whose mandate was to remove Rod Petrie from his position at the club, the general consensus amongst the vast majority of the support being that Mr Petrie's time is well and truly up. 'Kano' got as far as a meeting with the board and had his request for Petrie's exit knocked back, and my feeling is he was told to come back with a better offer. That better offer, it seems, is BuyHibs.
Positioning themselves as the credible alternative to the certain doom that would undoubtedly hit the club if Petrie remains anywhere near the vicinity of Easter Road, BuyHibs have certainly got the Hibs fans talking, however from what I can make out, very few people are taking them as seriously as they'd like. I would like to take them seriously, however I think their launch has had some fundamental flaws.
For a start, I have reservations about the timing of the launch. At a time when the football club is absolutely crying out for stability and unity, the BuyHibs campaign really couldn't have landed at a less opportune moment. In fact, a supporter survey that was conducted prior to the launch indicated that fan ownership was some way down the list of priorities for the Hibs fans - well behind getting a winning team on the pitch.
On the subject of the survey, BuyHibs have scored an own goal. There were in fact two surveys put out for completion, one sanctioned by Hibs themselves to see the appetite for fan ownership and different ownership models, and one that was positioned as an independent survey. However, it transpires the independent survey wasn't that independent at all, but rather was released by a BuyHibs member.
This apparent lack of transparency does nothing to build trust in BuyHibs, and when I reflect on the wording on the questions it seems clear to me that the questions were loaded to get the responses that BuyHibs wanted. Rather than having a neutral and inquisitive survey to gauge opinion and appetite for fan ownership, it was simply designed to get responses that supported the view that people wanted fan ownership. Even then, the responses weren't exactly overwhelmingly in support of that model.
The next issue I have is that there appears to be a sense that Sir Tom Farmer should simply hand the club over, either for nothing or for next to nothing. There has been talk of debt forgiveness or arrangements to be made with the banks to clear or substantially reduce the debt. At the same time, there is mention in BuyHibs' mandate that they will cap dividends at 10%, so my take on that is they think Sir Tom Farmer should take the hit, while the new guys get their money back. It doesn't sit right with me.
A Q&A produced on www.hibs.net sought to clear up the dividend issue but only succeeded in clouding it further, this isn't about a return on investment but instead a vehicle to attract a lender as it would ensure some return on the loan at a rate in line with business lending rates. That was the explanation, at least. To me what they are referring to is interest repayments, not a dividend.
There is also a chronic lack of detail into what the club would look like after the handover. Where are the projections and plans? How many people need to pledge how much money to make this work? What's the back-up plan if the pledges dry up post-purchase when we've committed to spending them already - this would be the case if, as they plan, the pledges were to form part of the manager's budget. If the pledges dropped and Hibs have committed that money as salary to players, or transfer fees, what happens then?
I also believe that Hibs have an excellent Chief Exec at the club already, in Leeann Dempster. She has restructured the club and put in place foundations that will hopefully address many of the failings of Petrie's time in charge. Hibs look as if they have the right people in the right places at the moment, and BuyHibs are not clear on what would happen with those people and those places should their purchase be successful.
The Hibs board also extended an invitation to sit down with BuyHibs and talk over the proposal, an invitation that was publicly declined by BuyHibs, who are holding out for a sit-down with Sir Tom Farmer instead. From the outside looking in, it seems a bizarre decision to refuse to meet the current board, and I can't help but think it makes any purchase less likely, rather than more.
I'm also concerned that despite dressing it up as fan ownership, because of the practicalities involved in getting everyone who 'owns' the club to agree on decisions on how to run the club etc, to your average 'pledger' they would see very little in the way of a benefit or difference to the current set-up. In fact, it'd be really similar just a lot more expensive. My season ticket at Easter Road is already amongst the most expensive in Scotland, so do I really need to be shelling out half of that again with no real gain?
So far, so critical. There are however some positives about the proposal. For a start, I give credit to these guys for doing something. Fan ownership is not an unattractive proposition, and having seen the early success of a similar scheme at Hearts, there are signs that it could work.
Getting the club back into the hands of the community is another big plus in principle, however in practise is it necessary? I don't think it's really important so long as it is part of the community, and an integral part at that. Hibernian can play a prominent role in that respect regardless of the ownership model.
I can't imagine the uptake on the pledges would be high, at a guess I doubt they'll have reached a thousand yet. It is early days though, and I'd hope that BuyHibs revise their plans and come back with a better proposition as time goes by, perhaps keeping their powder dry until the fate of the team has been decided this season would be a better idea. Certainly, if we're stuck in the Championship for another season the clamour for change at Board and Owner level amongst the support will be huge, and people's appetite for supporter ownership might just be at the right level to generate some real movement towards the BuyHibs model.
I'll hold off for the time being. I am still very cynical and dubious about it at this stage, however I wouldn't dismiss the idea in principle and I genuinely hope a serious and credible alternative to the current set-up emerges from all of this.
You can read more about BuyHibs at their website : http://www.buyhibs.org/
At the start of last week, BuyHibs emerged as a potential vehicle for Hibernian fans to crowd-fund the purchase of Hibernian Football Club from Sir Tom Farmer and take it into the hands of the support.
Fronted by (Sir) Pat Stanton (by some distance the greatest living Hibernian), along with former player Paul Kane, the group of business-folks put forward a proposal that would see Hibs fans contribute voluntary monthly payments to pay for the club and ultimately increase the spend afforded to the manager for players.
Previously, Paul Kane had fronted Forever Hibernian, whose mandate was to remove Rod Petrie from his position at the club, the general consensus amongst the vast majority of the support being that Mr Petrie's time is well and truly up. 'Kano' got as far as a meeting with the board and had his request for Petrie's exit knocked back, and my feeling is he was told to come back with a better offer. That better offer, it seems, is BuyHibs.
Positioning themselves as the credible alternative to the certain doom that would undoubtedly hit the club if Petrie remains anywhere near the vicinity of Easter Road, BuyHibs have certainly got the Hibs fans talking, however from what I can make out, very few people are taking them as seriously as they'd like. I would like to take them seriously, however I think their launch has had some fundamental flaws.
For a start, I have reservations about the timing of the launch. At a time when the football club is absolutely crying out for stability and unity, the BuyHibs campaign really couldn't have landed at a less opportune moment. In fact, a supporter survey that was conducted prior to the launch indicated that fan ownership was some way down the list of priorities for the Hibs fans - well behind getting a winning team on the pitch.
On the subject of the survey, BuyHibs have scored an own goal. There were in fact two surveys put out for completion, one sanctioned by Hibs themselves to see the appetite for fan ownership and different ownership models, and one that was positioned as an independent survey. However, it transpires the independent survey wasn't that independent at all, but rather was released by a BuyHibs member.
This apparent lack of transparency does nothing to build trust in BuyHibs, and when I reflect on the wording on the questions it seems clear to me that the questions were loaded to get the responses that BuyHibs wanted. Rather than having a neutral and inquisitive survey to gauge opinion and appetite for fan ownership, it was simply designed to get responses that supported the view that people wanted fan ownership. Even then, the responses weren't exactly overwhelmingly in support of that model.
The next issue I have is that there appears to be a sense that Sir Tom Farmer should simply hand the club over, either for nothing or for next to nothing. There has been talk of debt forgiveness or arrangements to be made with the banks to clear or substantially reduce the debt. At the same time, there is mention in BuyHibs' mandate that they will cap dividends at 10%, so my take on that is they think Sir Tom Farmer should take the hit, while the new guys get their money back. It doesn't sit right with me.
A Q&A produced on www.hibs.net sought to clear up the dividend issue but only succeeded in clouding it further, this isn't about a return on investment but instead a vehicle to attract a lender as it would ensure some return on the loan at a rate in line with business lending rates. That was the explanation, at least. To me what they are referring to is interest repayments, not a dividend.
There is also a chronic lack of detail into what the club would look like after the handover. Where are the projections and plans? How many people need to pledge how much money to make this work? What's the back-up plan if the pledges dry up post-purchase when we've committed to spending them already - this would be the case if, as they plan, the pledges were to form part of the manager's budget. If the pledges dropped and Hibs have committed that money as salary to players, or transfer fees, what happens then?
I also believe that Hibs have an excellent Chief Exec at the club already, in Leeann Dempster. She has restructured the club and put in place foundations that will hopefully address many of the failings of Petrie's time in charge. Hibs look as if they have the right people in the right places at the moment, and BuyHibs are not clear on what would happen with those people and those places should their purchase be successful.
The Hibs board also extended an invitation to sit down with BuyHibs and talk over the proposal, an invitation that was publicly declined by BuyHibs, who are holding out for a sit-down with Sir Tom Farmer instead. From the outside looking in, it seems a bizarre decision to refuse to meet the current board, and I can't help but think it makes any purchase less likely, rather than more.
I'm also concerned that despite dressing it up as fan ownership, because of the practicalities involved in getting everyone who 'owns' the club to agree on decisions on how to run the club etc, to your average 'pledger' they would see very little in the way of a benefit or difference to the current set-up. In fact, it'd be really similar just a lot more expensive. My season ticket at Easter Road is already amongst the most expensive in Scotland, so do I really need to be shelling out half of that again with no real gain?
So far, so critical. There are however some positives about the proposal. For a start, I give credit to these guys for doing something. Fan ownership is not an unattractive proposition, and having seen the early success of a similar scheme at Hearts, there are signs that it could work.
Getting the club back into the hands of the community is another big plus in principle, however in practise is it necessary? I don't think it's really important so long as it is part of the community, and an integral part at that. Hibernian can play a prominent role in that respect regardless of the ownership model.
I can't imagine the uptake on the pledges would be high, at a guess I doubt they'll have reached a thousand yet. It is early days though, and I'd hope that BuyHibs revise their plans and come back with a better proposition as time goes by, perhaps keeping their powder dry until the fate of the team has been decided this season would be a better idea. Certainly, if we're stuck in the Championship for another season the clamour for change at Board and Owner level amongst the support will be huge, and people's appetite for supporter ownership might just be at the right level to generate some real movement towards the BuyHibs model.
I'll hold off for the time being. I am still very cynical and dubious about it at this stage, however I wouldn't dismiss the idea in principle and I genuinely hope a serious and credible alternative to the current set-up emerges from all of this.
You can read more about BuyHibs at their website : http://www.buyhibs.org/
Thursday, 6 November 2014
Keeping Out of Date With Music
Earlier this week I was nominated by my good 'pel' Stevie Lewis to list my top ten albums of all time on Facebook. Usually I don't tend to join in with the nomination stuff, I've ignored this request before -shamefully, when my Dad nominated me for something similar, and I dodged the ice bucket challenge when the whole world and its auntie were drenching themselves.
I've purposefully not listed my favourite books, tv shows, films, places, whatever. It's not that I think I'm above all that stuff, it's just never really floated my boat.
However, I knew Stevie would be interested to see what I'd listed, so I took a few moments and started listing the albums that meant the most to me (the list is below, along with a little detail as to why I chose those particular albums, if you're interested).
It was only after compiling that top ten that it really hit home how out of touch with music I've become. The newest band/artist on the list is Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds and to be honest, given the length of time he's been around the charts, I've a bit of a nerve classing Noel Gallagher as 'new'.
After that, the next most recent was Kasabian - again, we're hardly talking about the cutting edge of niche music discovery here.
I have to say that I was a little embarrassed by that. Maybe more than a little. My family is pretty musical, my parents are both musical (check out www.tomfoolerymusic.com or www.tomfairnie.com), my cousins Paul and Alan were both in a band in days gone by - Alan posts his own blog, the excellent http://listeningisnotenough.blogspot.co.uk/ , and so to have that in the background and publish a list that was just so, well, dated, was a bit of a kick in the baws to any shred of credibility my musical tastes may have been hanging on to.
I'm not quite sure how this has happened, I suppose the obvious connection was that getting married and having kids probably sapped a lot of the time available to listen to music to a hefty degree. It certainly sapped the money for doing it. I couldn't ever have seen a time when music wasn't important to me when I was in my late teens and early twenties, but looking through my iTunes library (the CD's are long since gone) you could almost date stamp the time music stopped being essential to me.
Britpop (and to a lesser extent the baggy indie scene that preceded it) was my musical prime time. I still love that era to this day and probably can't lay enough significance to its influence in shaping the person that I am today. I found new friends, girlfriends, nightclubs - not necessarily in that order, either. Britpop resonated with where I was. Oasis, Blur, Pulp, James, Supergrass, and so on... they were important -no, essential, when I was finding my identity. They got me through great times and terrible times, break-ups and make-ups, ecstatic highs and crashing come-downs..
So where did it all go wrong, or has it gone wrong at all? Is music still as important as a middle-aged father of three, with a 3 bedroomed end terrace in suburban Fife as it was when I was a young upstart with no ties and the world at my feet? Do bands even write songs that have any relevance to me these days? I can't imagine Noel Gallagher writing Rock 'N' Roll Star for people like me now. Middle Management Guy doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?
Should I be being hard on myself for not knowing the latest bands? Am I missing out on something spectacular? Is there a scene waiting for me and Mrs F that we just need to track down?
I don't know. I do know there is some music that is kicking about that I like. My old workmate Craig Anderson has tipped me off on a couple of bands that I really enjoy - Chvrches and The XX, but as far as I can tell, they've been about a bit as well.
I hit 37 this Sunday, and was gifted tickets to Belle and Sebastian's show in Glasgow next May. I love that band, and because they're still kicking about writing and playing their twee music I maybe don't have that urgency to go and find something different or new (or even vaguely similar and new, which is, I suppose, how lots of people find lots of bands). Maybe if they were to pack it all in, and if Blur did it, and James did it, and Radiohead, then I'd have to come out of my musical cocoon and listen to something new.
I suppose the other thing that causes some reluctance on my part to find new music is when I do chance upon new tunes on the radio, a lot of it is, well, shite. Is that just my age? Probably.
I don't think I'd cope if I never had the bands that I grew up with and love. I'd definitely miss my favourite albums, so maybe I've got the balance that I need, and when my kids are playing the music that is important to them when they're the age that I was when I found the music that was/is important to me, then I'll hear something in it that will make me want to explore it further.
And if you have any recommendations, I'd love to hear them.
Here's my top 10:
I've purposefully not listed my favourite books, tv shows, films, places, whatever. It's not that I think I'm above all that stuff, it's just never really floated my boat.
However, I knew Stevie would be interested to see what I'd listed, so I took a few moments and started listing the albums that meant the most to me (the list is below, along with a little detail as to why I chose those particular albums, if you're interested).
It was only after compiling that top ten that it really hit home how out of touch with music I've become. The newest band/artist on the list is Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds and to be honest, given the length of time he's been around the charts, I've a bit of a nerve classing Noel Gallagher as 'new'.
After that, the next most recent was Kasabian - again, we're hardly talking about the cutting edge of niche music discovery here.
I have to say that I was a little embarrassed by that. Maybe more than a little. My family is pretty musical, my parents are both musical (check out www.tomfoolerymusic.com or www.tomfairnie.com), my cousins Paul and Alan were both in a band in days gone by - Alan posts his own blog, the excellent http://listeningisnotenough.blogspot.co.uk/ , and so to have that in the background and publish a list that was just so, well, dated, was a bit of a kick in the baws to any shred of credibility my musical tastes may have been hanging on to.
I'm not quite sure how this has happened, I suppose the obvious connection was that getting married and having kids probably sapped a lot of the time available to listen to music to a hefty degree. It certainly sapped the money for doing it. I couldn't ever have seen a time when music wasn't important to me when I was in my late teens and early twenties, but looking through my iTunes library (the CD's are long since gone) you could almost date stamp the time music stopped being essential to me.
Britpop (and to a lesser extent the baggy indie scene that preceded it) was my musical prime time. I still love that era to this day and probably can't lay enough significance to its influence in shaping the person that I am today. I found new friends, girlfriends, nightclubs - not necessarily in that order, either. Britpop resonated with where I was. Oasis, Blur, Pulp, James, Supergrass, and so on... they were important -no, essential, when I was finding my identity. They got me through great times and terrible times, break-ups and make-ups, ecstatic highs and crashing come-downs..
So where did it all go wrong, or has it gone wrong at all? Is music still as important as a middle-aged father of three, with a 3 bedroomed end terrace in suburban Fife as it was when I was a young upstart with no ties and the world at my feet? Do bands even write songs that have any relevance to me these days? I can't imagine Noel Gallagher writing Rock 'N' Roll Star for people like me now. Middle Management Guy doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?
Should I be being hard on myself for not knowing the latest bands? Am I missing out on something spectacular? Is there a scene waiting for me and Mrs F that we just need to track down?
I don't know. I do know there is some music that is kicking about that I like. My old workmate Craig Anderson has tipped me off on a couple of bands that I really enjoy - Chvrches and The XX, but as far as I can tell, they've been about a bit as well.
I hit 37 this Sunday, and was gifted tickets to Belle and Sebastian's show in Glasgow next May. I love that band, and because they're still kicking about writing and playing their twee music I maybe don't have that urgency to go and find something different or new (or even vaguely similar and new, which is, I suppose, how lots of people find lots of bands). Maybe if they were to pack it all in, and if Blur did it, and James did it, and Radiohead, then I'd have to come out of my musical cocoon and listen to something new.
I suppose the other thing that causes some reluctance on my part to find new music is when I do chance upon new tunes on the radio, a lot of it is, well, shite. Is that just my age? Probably.
I don't think I'd cope if I never had the bands that I grew up with and love. I'd definitely miss my favourite albums, so maybe I've got the balance that I need, and when my kids are playing the music that is important to them when they're the age that I was when I found the music that was/is important to me, then I'll hear something in it that will make me want to explore it further.
And if you have any recommendations, I'd love to hear them.
Here's my top 10:
- Definitely Maybe - Oasis. This album just encapsulated how I felt about life when it came out. I adored Liam Gallagher back then, which is absurd considering how much of a bell-end he is now. It had everything, swagger, attitude, optimism. Mostly optimism. I heard this and felt I could do anything, and that's an unbelievable feeling.
- The Boy With the Arab Strap - Belle and Sebastian. This is the first Belle and Sebastian album I owned, and I still love it to this day. It's a perfectly whimsical album and probably the polar opposite of Definitely Maybe in terms of style, swagger and optimism. It's inward and reflective, observational, charming, cruel and witty, and just a beautiful, beautiful album. Belle and Sebastian aren't everyone's cup of tea (she would admit to me), but I would urge you to sit down and listen to this on a Sunday morning with an open mind. You'll thank me for it.
- Kasabian - Kasabian My best friend Craig Robertson bought this album for me and from the first play it was a favourite. For a debut album it's incredible. A confident swirling sound with anthemic songs that just demanded to be played over and over and over. On the very rare occasions that I find myself in the house alone, this gets played, loudly.
- OK Computer - Radiohead I could have picked any number of Radiohead albums, but for me OK Computer is Radiohead at their very best. At times sneering, at times beautiful, this album just does it for me. Paranoid Android is up there with my favourite songs and it's not even the best song on the album. And their Stephen Hawkings styled Fitter Happier remains one of the few songs I can keep in tune with. Love it.
- Play - Moby Moby is one of the best live acts I've seen, and Play is his best album in my opinion. If I remember correctly, Play was the first album to have every song on it commissioned for adverts. That put a lot of people off it, but it didn't matter to me. I love the depth of the music,it's probably the most uplifting album I've heard, and I will take with me to my grave one moment I had standing in an ecstacy-fuelled euphoria in a Perthsire field, listening to Moby play My Weakness, certain that it was just me and him and the music and nothing else mattered.
- Surrender - Chemical Brothers There are few albums that kick off with the energy of Surrender, the quickening build up of Music:Response crashes into life with beeps and beats, setting the tone for the rest of the alum. Their collaborations on the album (the best, in my opinion being Let Forever Be with Noel Gallagher) reflect their importance to music at that time. Hey Boy, Hey Girl is terrific, my personal favourite however is The Sunshine Underground which just builds slowly and whimsically into something special.
- Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds it's fair to say that I hadn't enjoyed an Oasis album since What's The Story, Morning Glory, and so Noel Gallagher's solo project was a real surprise. I thought that Beady Eye - formed by the rest of Oasis that weren't Noel - were pretty ordinary and very uninspiring, so when I heard that Noel was bringing out an album, I wasn't holding out much hope for anything special. Thankfully, Noel hit a real return to form, it's like he held back any decent tunes from the last fifteen years to keep for himself. AKA What a Life and If I Had a Gun are two very different but terrific songs from the album.
- Tellin' Stories - The Charlatans I remember seeing The Charlatans at T in the Park when I reckon Tim Burgess was one of the few folk in a hundred mile radius who was significantly more drunk than me. Regardless, they were outstanding, and few bands will top How High or One to Another as examples of indie/baggy at its best.
- Seven - James This was (I think) the first album I bought. I remember listening to it on my record player in the days before CD. The track Bring a Gun had a jump in it, so there was a point where I would have to get up and change the speed setting until the needle skipped past the problematic part (after the lyric you have pushed me through too many windows and too many doors - it's ingrained in my memory now!). James were my band, they still are my band. They were the first band that I really loved. I can remember staying up late in my bed trying to catch tv appearances when they were on. They were the first band that I was desperate to hear more from, or even just to hear what I'd already heard. Sound is probably my all time favourite song, for reasons I probably can't explain without sounding like a bit of a tool, but there's just something about the way Tim Booth's high pitched "whoooooo" through the chorus takes you from the slightly sinister low - almost whispered- build up, to somewhere distant and peaceful. Throw in the lamenting trumpet that accompanies it, and it just does it for me. A fantastic album.
- Parklife - Blur I'm not even sure if this is my favourite Blur album, but it holds an incredibly special place in my heart. Blur kicked off Britpop, and Parklife led the way. I know a lot of people loved it for the way that it was quintessentially British, but Blur's depiction of Essex-esque life didn't really mean that much to me. What did matter was the catchy pop-riffs, the style and again that sense of optimism that emanated from start to finish.
* That was the list that as originally published, on reflection, I'd probably have The Stone Roses by The Stone Roses in there, though not sure which album it would replace so it'd go in as a something-and-a-half, because I feel the albums already there all should be in a top 10.
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