Hibs-daft Eddie May reveals he used to go to Tynecastle to watch Hearts

However, the boyhood Hibee insists he was always rooting for the opposition as him and his friends used to go to either Gorgie or Leith every week to see one of the Capital’s top flight clubs in action.

May, a former Hibs player, caretaker manager and now coach at the club, grew up supporting the green-and-white half of Edinburgh as he kicked a ball about the streets of West Pilton.

Desperate to get a glimpse of any football, him and his friends used to partake in a tradition that was much more customary back in the 1970s: go to Easter Road one week and Tynecastle the next.

“I used to go and watch Hibs one week and Hearts the next because all of our friends were either Hibs or Hearts supporters,” he told the Hibs official website.

“We used to go to all the home games – we never ever paid, we used to just sneak in all the time! It was different watching Hearts compared to Hibs and I used to quite enjoy it when Hearts got beat. Never ever did I think that one day I’d be on a field playing for the team I supported."

After a youth career spent at Hutchison Vale and Dundee United, May made the move to his beloved favourites in 1985. He would stay for four years, tallying up over 100 appearances, and achieved a life’s ambition during his stay before moving down south to join Brenftord.

“I never ever thought I’d be a professional football player, I just played for fun,” he said.

“One of my ambitions, when I went to Hibs, was to play in a derby. I was very fortunate, I was only 17 when I played in my first derby against Hearts at Tynecastle, I think we got beat but that was my first taste of it.

“It was always one of my goals to play in a winning team against Hearts and I was really pleased I did that.”

Message from the editor

Thank you for reading this article. If you haven't already, please consider supporting our sports coverage with a digital sports subscription.