Why are you a Hibs fan?
My Grandad grew up watching the Famous Five and used to tell me loads of stories about Hibs, so becoming a Hibs fan was the only logical choice. He used to tell me about the Famous Five, winning the title, and the stories about the golden age of Hibs, all of that made me fall in love with Hibs as a club.
You spend a lot of time volunteering and helping out the Club, why do you do that?
My Grandad inspired me to do it, he was always a really helpful person, he always did this kind of thing for Hibs, and would always do stuff for people. I thought if I can give back to the Club that’s done a lot for me, then that would be brilliant. Hibs has been more than a football club for me. When I’ve been at my darkest mentally, the Club has been there for me.
By helping the Community Foundation, supporting the Women’s Team, helping to sell HQ, and volunteering around Easter Road, I’m giving something back to the Club that’s helped me. It also allows me to help people that need support and people that may be less fortunate than myself. I wanted to help the Community Foundation and the Club to make a difference, whether that be through foodbanks, bucket collections, or anything I can do to help. I’ve also learned a lot of valuable skills and met a lot of people along the way.
When you say the Club has done a lot for you, what do you mean?
Just before lockdown, I made a lot of silly decisions in life, felt like I was at rock bottom and was running my life into the ground. I had the opportunity to join the Changing Room programme through the Community Foundation. It’s a fantastic programme and for the first time in my life, it allowed me to confront the issues that I had. It was huge for me. I was able to talk through the problems I had and the reasons I became depressed for the first time. It was life-changing.
Being approached by Charlie and Calvin to be part of the Strong Opinion podcast was huge for me too. It felt really good to have people that genuinely wanted to be my pal instead of wanting something from me. Matty from Longbangers and the guys from the Heidbangers chat helped too. The way that the Hibs Family has supported me has been amazing.
The Women’s Team has been brilliant too. We talk about Hibs Class and the Hibs family, and they optimise that. When I was feeling down, Lewis Stevenson sent me a video and that really picked me up.
There have been so many people within the Club, within the Women’s Team, and within the Community Foundation that have supported me. That’s why I think Hibs is more than just a football club.
Where did your support for the Women’s Team come from?
I got into Women’s football after watching Scotland qualify for the World Cup in France. I knew of Hibs Women and saw they were playing in the Champions League, so I went to see European football at Easter Road. They lost to Slavia Prague, but seeing that at Easter Road, the spirit and the determination of the girls, and the quality of football, I was hooked. There was a real family atmosphere too. From that point, I went to more and more games, and started interviewing players. That helped me figure out I wanted to go into Sports Journalism, and from then on, I now try and watch them every week. It’s a privilege to have this relationship with the team and the players; they’re all fantastic. It’s great to feel part of that community.
What was your first Hibs game?
I can’t quite remember the year, but we were beaten by Rangers. It wasn’t a good start!
What’s your all-time favourite Hibs match?
For the Men’s Team, it’s got to be the 2016 Scottish Cup Final, I know it’s cliché, but it has to be. For the Women’s Team, it’s when we beat Hearts at Tynecastle and the iconic moment of Siobhan Hunter sliding over to the Hearts fans and shushing them.
Who’s your favourite Hibs player?
My favourite Hibs player is Derek Riordan. He was at his very best when I started watching and he was the first player I remember really liking. He had some really iconic moments.
For the Women’s Team, it’s got to be Siobhan Hunter. She’s Hibs through and through, gives everything for the Club, and has been amazing with me (Sorry Joelle!).
What does Hibs mean to you?
In a word, everything. It’s more than a club, it’s a family, it’s a community. I’m always proud to be a Hibs fan. The Club means everything to me.