Being a supporter of Hibernian Football Club always requires a great deal of patience and tolerance. No sooner had we gubbed the Huns in the CIS Cup semi-final than we found ourselves being installed as firm favourites for a Cup Final against a team we had not beaten all season. It’s become a bit of a cliché but there was a certain inevitability about how the CIS Cup Final panned out. We took 37,000 fans whilst Livingston were reduced to hawking round free tickets to schools in West Lothian. Of course, as many have said, Cup Finals are not won on the numbers who fill the seats but what happens on the park. Much has been written elsewhere in this issue about the tactics and performance on the park.

For many, me included, the CIS Cup Final was Bobby Williamson’s last chance. That he left Hibs was perhaps not so surprising if one believes just a fraction of the rumours that have been bandied around. That he left to go to a club on the brink of success and a club that is, arguably, a bigger club than Hibernian came as a major surprise. Again, much is written in the coming pages about Bobby Williamson and his contribution to Hibs over the last couple of years. As this issue goes to press, we still await news on who our new Manager. Rod Petrie has many faults but he is right to be cautious and not rush an announcement. Let’s just pray that the next appointment is the right one. We Hibs fans deserve better than what we have been given the last few years.

This is the final Mass Hibsteria of the season. Our Co-editor, Ali Tait, has now emigrated to the United States and he goes with our thanks and best wishes. Ali will be much missed. As always we have struggled against deadlines but we have maintained sales at around the 500-600 mark. To survive however, we need new writers (see advert elsewhere in the issue). In the meantime, thanks for reading and enjoy the fanzine!