Hibs to take Scottish Cup on tour to 114 destinations

Hibernian make their way from the Royal Mile in an open top bus to Leith Links to parade the Scottish Cup. Picture; Greg Macvean

But now, thanks to a new initiative by the club, an estimated 30,000 people will have the chance to get up close and personal with the trophy.

The “Persevered Scottish Cup Trophy Tour” kicks off at Hermitage Park Primary in Leith on Monday before embarking on a four-month-long journey which will see it travel to 114 primary schools, businesses, universities, youth organisations and supporters clubs.

The Lothians, Fife, Falkirk and the Borders will be visited by the cup and club staff, who will tell the story of the dramatic cup victory, before it returns to Easter Road in December.

Hibs supporters club, Sunnyside, Trustee's Crawford Corrigan, James Murray, Bill Douglas and Colin Rich. Picture; Ian Georgeson

The Hibernian Supporters Association is hosting a party before the tour begins at its club in Sunnyside tomorrow from noon to 4pm.

Several of the tour dates will also be attended by members of the Hibs squad, who will participate in question and answer sessions about the historic day, as well as signing autographs.

Hibs beat Rangers in dramatic fashion to lift the cup in May, with captain David Gray heading home the winner in injury time as his side battled back from 2-1 down with ten minutes to play.

A spokesman for the Easter Road club said: “We are very excited for the launch of the Persevered Scottish Cup Tour.

“The win has brought joy to so many supporters, and we are looking forward to taking the trophy around Edinburgh and the surrounding areas.

“Sunday’s event will be a great celebration ahead of the official launch on Monday – we hope to see everyone enjoying the day at the Hibs Club.

The tour is being held under the banner of “Persevere”, the motto of Leith, and aims to teach children never to give up regardless of what difficulties or challenges they face.

More than 40,000 wristbands bearing the motto will be distributed along with T-shirts and flyers, while the club will also launch a new Hibs Kids “starter pack” offering the opportunity to become a member and attend a match for as little as £1.

Crawford Corrigan, chairman of the Hibernian Supporters Association, said he was looking forward to the tour and hopes it will inspire future fans of the club.

“We are extremely proud to back this campaign and help support the efforts to attract the next generation of Hibernian supporters,” he said.

“Fans of the club have  waited a long time to see us finally lift the Scottish Cup again and we can’t wait to take it on the road.

“Our branches have supported the club through the decades and we want to give something back to the communities around Scotland that support the club and make sure that more and more children grow up in the green and white of Hibernian.”