Just a little less than two weeks until my beloved Hibs play in the final of the CIS Cup against Livingston.  We’ve sold all our allocated tickets, including our extra allocation.  And do you know what - this makes me feel both positive and proud.  Positive, because any income raised from the final itself and from the official merchandising will go towards helping my Club in some way or another; proud because we proved the doubters wrong, proud because we have sold 30,000 tickets and a pride that is yet to come when I stand amongst my fellow Hibbies in a sea of green and white in the National Stadium cheering on my team.

As usual, there are the insecure Hibbies out there who, at times like this feel the need to question what it is that makes someone a ‘true supporter’.  You know the sort; those who feel compelled to interrogate their fellow Hibbies about their ‘commitment’ to the Club.  As far as they’re concerned, commitment is measured by how many games you’ve attended (as well as, of course, how much you spend in the Club shop and how much you’re ‘in the know’).  Ironic really, that they question your attendance at games yet the implication on their part is that you shouldn’t be at the final! 

Instead of having debates regarding the definition of a ‘true supporter’, surely these people should be congratulating their fellow Hibbies for turning up to the final, on spending hundreds to go to games they can’t normally afford.  Surely they should be made as welcome as any other supporter?  Or would it be asking too much of them to allow Joe Hibby into their created pseudo-intellectual world of the Hibernian master race? 

'The Whyte and Mackay deal means we have have secured a core element of our income for the next five years.

'I am planning to spend slightly less next year than this year. If we didn't have these levels of income we would have to spenda lot less.

'Only increased attendances will help revenues grow.'