Some background...
On the 26th May at 3pm a green and white army of football fans from all over the world will unite as one to back their team as Hibernian take the field at Hampden Park in the Final of the 2013 Scottish Cup.
We are Hibernian FC. We are the Hibees Family.
Founded as a charity in 1875 to aid impoverished immigrants to our country, we are a club that has always held true to our roots. We pride ourselves that our colours are famous - we were first to wear the green.
We've had our share of success over the years but one trophy has long eluded us. The Scottish Cup. We last won it in 1902 - 111 years ago.
To the fans it has become our Holy Grail, the trophy we covet above all others.
On the 26th we the fans will once again stand behind our team as they attempt to bring this famous trophy - the oldest in World football - back to our home stadium of Easter Road to bask in the Sunshine on Leith.
Some people say our glory days are behind us. Some people say our team as good as died 12 months ago when we lost the previous final to our greatest rivals. Some people say that in these days of outlandish TV revenues, financial doping, billionaire owners and chequebook managers a team such as ours, living and competing within our means, has no chance of success.
We disagree.
23 years ago cynical business interests tried to kill our team. We the fans stood up to be counted - and were mocked as "tribalists" and fools for daring to resist the march of progress. Our club was brought to the very brink of extinction but a combination of fan power, a deep sense of community and a philanthropist White Knight in the shape of Sir Tom Farmer ensured that the Hibernian family lived to fight another day.
On that day 23 years ago a promise was made.
"Hibernian will never die. This old club will rise again like a great phoenix from the ashes"
Next Sunday we have a chance to fulfil that promise. We face a club with ten times our budget, ten times our profile - and one tenth our passion.
A club whose ranks are swelled by thousands of followers from all over the country who chase the easy life of constant success and easy glory. An establishment club who hold every advantage - indeed whose first act on their own founding was an attempt to strangle us in order to promote their own status.
All the odds are stacked against us, we face the league champions, we have no right to even think of success.
But we are the team that wouldn't die. We dare to dream in green.
On May 26th we hope everyone who reads this will dream with us.
Glory Glory to The Hibees.
