Hibs set up Middlesbrough friendly for World Cup break as club makes 'festival of football' plans

Hibs will take on Middlesbrough at Easter Road in a friendly match during the World Cup break – 24 hours before the women’s team do battle with Hearts for the Capital Cup.

The English Championship side will journey to Edinburgh on Saturday November 26 – the same day Martin Boyle’s Australia take on Tunisia in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – for a 1pm kick-off.

Hibs are hopeful that supporters will make their way to the stadium’s hospitality lounges for 10am to watch Boyle and the Socceroos in action before taking in the game against Boro.

Tickets for the game will cost just £5 for season-ticket holders and concessions, while general admission prices have been set at £10. Children under the age of 13 go free with a paying adult.

The following day Hibs Women take on their Hearts counterparts, with the two teams competing for the inaugural Capital Cup trophy.

Tickets are free of charge for the SWPL1 game with Hibs hoping to break their own attendance record of 5,512.

Hibs chief executive Ben Kensell said: “We’re delighted to have organised a festival of football at Easter Road at the end of November.

“The back-to-back games perfectly tie the men and women together and will highlight the real appetite for football in Edinburgh.

Hibs' senior men will take on Middlesbrough 24 hours before Hibs Women meet Hearts in the Capital Cup in November

“As a football club, we’re constantly trying to be innovative and do things differently and hopefully for our supporters this double header should provide something for everyone. It’s also important that we recognise the fantastic support that our season ticket-holders provide us year on year, so we wanted to keep the cost as low as £5 for them to attend.

“I would like to thank Middlesbrough for making the trip up and I can’t wait to see supporters inside Easter Road on both days supporting the men and women teams.

"We have fantastic fans and hopefully it will be a well-supported and record breaking weekend for the Club come Sunday evening.”

Hibs faced Middlesbrough twice in pre-season friendlies in the 2000s; Ross Campbell scoring a late winner in a 1-0 win in the summer of 2007 and Steven Fletcher netting a double in a 3-2 defeat the following year against a Boro side managed by current England boss Gareth Southgate.