April 2011. The first majority in a Scottish Parliament election, the Guantanamo Bay files leaks, the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton, and me, sat in the newsroom of a prominent Scottish newspaper on work experience, deeply regretting my decision to wear a suit on my first day and fervently hoping no one would ask me to do anything too scary. Fast forward a few years and I had taken on various roles in the industry - every bit the utility man – before finding a home as a sports journalist. 

I hadn’t ever set out to write about football. I loved it dearly; I played it badly, I read about it exhaustively, I thought about it incessantly, I watched it regularly. But even as I sat in the press box at Easter Road on August 1, 2020, a row of cardboard kangaroos in place of the usual supporters for the first day of the so-called Covid-19 season glaring up at me from the East Stand, I still didn’t feel like a ‘real’ football journalist.  

A few years later, things are quite different; for me, for Hibs supporters, for football fans in general. And that is where the Hibs Observer comes into play. We believe there is space alongside the other outlets and the diverse and passionate fan media to provide more quality coverage. Think long reads, deep dives into tactics and analysis in video and written form, with the aid of respected data provider StatsBomb, interviews with key figures past and present, and so much more, alongside our in-depth coverage of each and every game.  

We want to do it in an engaging and modern way, and we want you, the fans and readers, to help us shape our analysis and narrative. What should we write about? Who should we talk to? We are listening.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE HIBS OBSERVER FOR £1 HERE  

From St Mary’s Street Hall to the Meadows, Canon Hannan and Michael Whelahan to Pat Stanton, Russell Latapy, and Franck Sauzee, the Famous Five, Turnbull’s Tornadoes, the team that wouldn’t die and the Easter Road slope, class, first class, and Hibs class, the golden generation and Rob Jones leaping highest in the Hampden snow, Henderson to deliver and Time for Heroes, new ownership, Boyle’s return and Dylan Vente the Hibees’ number nine.  

Hibs fans genuinely believe their team is that little bit more special than other clubs. And at the Hibs Observer, so do we - which is why we’re focusing on quality. The content we create, the videos we record, and the articles we write are all done so with the aim of meeting the highest standards of football journalism. Our work will be interesting, innovative, and insightful. More than anything else, it will be worth paying for. 

With a new manager in the dugout, the ongoing drive to finish best of the rest, the search for an immediate return to European football, and the upcoming 150th anniversary celebrations, it should be another intriguing season in EH7 and the Hibs Observer will be there every step of the way to provide the best, and widest, range of journalism about your club, balancing passion and emotion with a measured and mature approach.  

We know taking out a subscription is a big ask, and we also know that as the new kids on the block, you won’t know what to expect from us. But we believe in what we are doing, are excited by this opportunity. We are confident that we can provide something new and fresh for Hibs fans. And we want to work with you to bring you the content you want to consume.  

We would be delighted if you chose to get involved and support us in this new project. Subscribe for as little as £1 for six months, or £12 for 12 months – and take on a key role in our journey towards creating something different, and special.