Hearts and Hibs on course to smash another record as derby set for highest attendance yet

Hearts and Hibs are on course to play in front of a record crowd when they meet at Tynecastle Park on Sunday on SWPL duty.

More than 12,000 tickets could be shifted for a match likely to be high on drama and entertainment value as the city rivals play out the second Capital Cup match of the season, with Baillie Gifford covering the cost of briefs so they can be given away free of charge.

Hibs emerged victorious last time out when 8,066 were at Easter Road to watch the hosts prevail on penalties after a late Crystal Thomas goal cancelled out Emma Brownlie’s opener for the visitors. Just over a year ago, in September 2021, a record crowd of 5,512 watched Hibs defeat Hearts 3-0 at the same venue before 3,508 took in the next encounter at Tynecastle in December, with Hibs again running out winners by a 3-1 scoreline.

Recent matches have been more closely fought with Hearts closing the gap on Hibs and as things stand they are above them in the SWPL1 table, but only by three points and with a slender goal difference, and a big win for the visitors this weekend could see them swap places in the rankings.

Eva Olid, Georgia Timms, Katie Lockwood and Dean Gibson preview the SWPL meeting and Capital Cup clash between Hearts and Hibs at Tynecastle

Hearts head coach Eva Olid said: “Last season when we played Hibs here, we had a very young team, but I still thought we competed and played well. We are hoping to have a similar number of fans that we had at Easter Road, but last season we did not expect to get the numbers we are hoping to get on Sunday, so it is a big progression for the team and women’s football as a whole.”

Hibs head coach Gibson, who is dealing with something of an injury crisis going into the game with at least four, possibly five missing out entirely, added: “We have got a couple of players with niggles at the moment who might miss this weekend, as well as Shannon McGregor and Rachael Boyle who are out long-term. We are not 100 per cent at this stage, but I am still confident with the players we can put out on the pitch that we can get a result.”