'˜Why the Evening News is reporting on Tommy Robinson and Hearts'

Some people will question why we put an attention-seeking shyster like Tommy Robinson on our front page today.

Tommy Robinson's instagram post

Why give a platform to a man who peddles hate and thrives on publicity? It is a fair question.

If we felt that ignoring him meant that Robinson - a convicted criminal with no connection to our city or Heart of Midlothian - would go away, then you would never hear his name or see his picture in our pages. But that is simply not the case.

Robinson has more than 100,000 followers on Instagram including a very small, but vocal element among the Hearts support. The sad truth is that he has no trouble in this social media age spreading his rotten creed and many are willing to listen. Simply ignore it, and experience suggests the far right quietly builds support.

Heart of Midlothian is a proud club with a great history in which hate has no part. The club has been a shining light across the UK and abroad for the way in which its fans have saved it from oblivion and are together building a brighter future.

It has had more than its share of hangers on over the years desperate to bask in its reflected glory. There is no place at Hearts for a hate-monger like this. And everyone who loves the club needs to be ready to say so.