A new Hibernian supporters football team is set to kick off their season as Lee Johnson takes the reigns of his first matches in charge of the men’s team at Easter Road.
Hibernifan FC were born over the summer, providing likeminded Hibs fans with the opportunity to take to the pitch throughout the season before heading to watch the Hibees on a Saturday afternoon.
At the heart of the newly formed Hibernifan team is Ryan Church-Michael, who was inspired by the teams created at other clubs and felt there was a space for Hibs to be represented in the Internet Football Association league which already contains sides from Hearts, Motherwell and Livingston amongst others.
Ryan said: “I was made aware of the supporters’ league from a friend who played for Dunfermline, I helped them out one week when they needed an extra player. I thought being able to represent your team in a fans league was a really cool idea and Hibs didn’t have one so that’s how it all started.
“I organise the fixtures with the other managers and manage the team as well as play, my assistant Shaun will look after the social media pages and also be there on matchdays to manage whilst I play.”
With many local leagues playing on a Saturday afternoon, it can be difficult to combine a love for playing the game with a passion for following a professional team. The IFA is made up of groups of fans who are committed to doing both, and therefore provides an excellent opportunity for supporters to come together on and off the pitch.
“The IFA is a supporters’ league, so all teams are made up of fans who support a club – they tend to wear either their club’s kits or shirts inspired by the club colours. If Hibs are playing away to Livingston we’ll play Livi GS – the club’s supporters team – on the Saturday morning before going to see the first team at 3pm.
“Games will be as regular as we can organise them, not every club has a supporters’ team but there are sides from outside the Premiership so we’ll look to arrange our league matches against the likes of Airdrie and Dumbarton when Hibs are playing a Premiership team who don’t have anyone in the supporters’ league.”
With logistics meaning it could be difficult for supporters to play their matches before making their way to Easter Road, the IFA have rules in place to ensure fans who want to watch the first team after the full-time whistle blows in their own matches can do so.
Ryan explained: “There’s a rule in place for the league where you need to finish your match at least 90 minutes before the first team kick off so there’s enough time to attend the matches – normally we will play early on a Saturday morning.”
With physical and mental benefits involved in playing competitive football, Ryan is hopeful the creation of Hibernifan FC will allow supporters with a shared interest to come together, make new friends and represent the club they all love.
“The potential benefits of taking part are massive, we’ll all be turning up for the same reasons; we love football and we love Hibs so there’s already a connection straight away.
“We want any Hibs fan to feel welcome and to come and join us.”
Hibernifan FC are on the lookout for new players who are ready to commit for the new season. The team will play all home matches in Edinburgh, with venues to be confirmed, and there will be no expectation to take part in training sessions throughout the week.
The 2021/22 IFA league standings can be viewed by clicking here.
Supporters who are interested in joining the new fans’ team should get in touch with Ryan or Shaun via Twitter (@HibernifanFC) for further information.
Everyone at The East Stand wishes the new team the very best of luck for the upcoming season!
The East Stand 