In just about any previous season (with the exception of 2000-01 Sauzee/Latapy/6-2 ya bass season) in recent years, I would probably be grateful for a drought on Hibs information, but this season seems so different. There seems to be a higher level of confidence on the MHHM.com message board, and Hibs fans have a spring in their step again. Even the defeat from them on Sunday doesn’t seem to have dented it too much. Trust me to emigrate at a time like this!

However, all is not lost. This fanzine has always been critical of the club when it has to be, but I would always like to think that when they get something right, we praise them. Such is the case with the “Famous Five” Club. For an entirely reasonable outlay, members get to watch TV highlights on their PC from all the games. It has really helped me keep connected with the club, and has helped me introduce the glorious Hibees to friends here.

DC United – Leon’s new team

It’s just about the only way to do this. There is only one pub in Atlanta which shows Scottish football, a really dodgy Irish boozer called Fado, that has a $20 cover charge for the games, and only shows games involving the weegie bigot scum teams. We had thought about going to watch the Hibs v Celtic game, but the idea of being surrounded by already pished pasty-faced weegie trash and wannabe-Irish Americans at 9.00 on a Sunday morning left me less than thrilled. Obviously, with hindsight, I wish we had gone. Oh well. Maybe next time.

Although Scottish football is in very short supply here, there is plenty of other football to keep me happy. As a moving present, my wife got me Fox Sports World, a cable channel that is all but dedicated to the beautiful game. For only $5 a month, I can watch live English, French, German, Argentine and Brazilian football. It has helped my wife turn into a football addict. Well, the seeds were already sown when she visited Easter Road with me last January, but now she’s totally hooked. Obviously, she’s now a Hibee through and through, but sadly has chosen Man U as her English team. I tried really hard to get her to support Brentford, but to no avail…..

The biggest surprise I got watching FSW was the day after the great Gordon Smith died. The American presenter of their Sports Report news show gave a very well informed obituary, mentioning that he had been a member of “Hibs Famous Five, possibly the greatest forward line in British football history”. I was very impressed.

They do get it quite spectacularly wrong a sometimes though. During the summer, the “Champions World Series” took place in America, with the games between some of Europe’s biggest teams live on Fox.  There was one trailer that I found really funny: 

“(dramatic American accent) tomorrow – live on Fox Sports World, English giants Manchester United take on the current IRISH champions – Celtic!”

I bet that gave any soapdodgers watching a wee warm rosy glow.

Real Irishman tussles with wannabe

Football is becoming far more popular over here. People are a lot more knowledgeable than we usually give them credit for, and their own league, the MLS, is starting to take off. I was very dismissive of it at first, but now that I watch a lot of MLS games, I’d say the standard isn’t that far behind (if not, in some cases, ahead of) that of the SPL. I have chosen DC United as my team, for the simple reason that they are the closest one to where I live. They are a mere 9 hours car journey away.  They also have the youngest player to have made a professional debut. Freddie Adu. He was 14 at the time, and has only recently turned 15. Watch out for him. Within the next three years, he’ll be at one of the top European teams.

So, dear friends and comrades, here ends Leon Cropley’s first letter from America. Next time you’re at Easter Road, give the boys a shout for me. I may be stuck with tiny images of highlights in the middle of a computer screen 5000 miles away, but I’m there in spirit! Go Hibs!!! Eh…I mean ‘mon the Cabbage!!!!