Hibs manager Dean Gibson is full of praise for lively atmosphere at Easter Road

811 fans showed up to the Edinburgh derby on Saturday night with their vocal atmosphere delighting Hibs boss Dean Gibson.

The crowd was significantly lower than the previous two derbies, with the game at Easter Road breaking the SWPL attendance record as 8,066 people turned up with another 7,024 going down to Tynecastle in February. The lower attendance on Saturday can be attributed to multiple factors such as fans now having to pay £10 for a ticket, the game being played on the same day the men’s teams, as well as the fixture being a late kick-off which was broadcast live on Sky Sports.

Despite the reduced numbers, fans still made their presence known as they consistently voiced their support for their team. This was much to the delight of Gibson who is aiming to send fans home happy a few more times before the end of the season.

“You are competing on a Saturday night at 19:45 with the men’s football which has historically been a busy day for the men’s game,” he told the Edinburgh Evening News. “It was a great crowd and was actually a really good atmosphere, Hearts had a signing section as well. We are getting this most weeks now at the Meadowbank Stadium, probably not as many numbers but we are getting that wee singing group that creates that atmosphere.

Fans made their voices heard at Easter Road. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group)

“The club, everyone, we are all just trying to get to the end of the season, get as many points as we can, keep the players on the pitch and enjoy the break. Until then, we have a few more hard fixtures. We want to send the fans home happy, and we almost did that on Saturday.”

Another Edinburgh Derby is scheduled to be played before the season is out. Hearts are set to host the fixture on May 10th which falls on a Wednesday. Both teams will no doubt be hoping they can attract another vocal crowd for their last derby of the season. With only two fixtures in the SWPL1 left after that game, it could be a vital game in deciding whether Hearts or Hibs finish fourth.