Hibs and partnerships: That meme was made for Easter Road - do you really want to date them?

Hibernian Football Club are steeped in history. They are one of the great names in Scottish, nay British, football. An institution.

Even the club motto, Persevere, speaks of dependability. In a few years they will hit 150. It may have been grim at times, but Hibs keep on keeping on. As the club’s adopted anthem goes: “While I’m worth/My room on this earth/I will be with you.” Noble sentiments.

But boy, they don’t half put it about a bit. I know George Best once played for them, but this is getting ridiculous.

What are we to make of a club that promises a strategic partner the world before leaving them with little except the memory of a budding centre half and some branded training kit?

A team only needs to go a little continental by sticking a fancy “FC” in front of their name and Hibs are sniffing about them like a collie on heat. Stenhousemuir are the latest club they've ghosted. Left on the shelf. Formed as long ago as 1884, the Warriors are 138 years old. Who’ll have them now? And what about poor old Spartans? Tossed aside by Hibs seven years ago just 18 months into a landmark collaboration to provide an “unrivalled” player development pathway.

It’s why a press release from Easter Road caught the eye last Monday morning. Hibs were announcing a media opportunity to launch a “brand new partnership” with the recently renamed League 1 club FC Edinburgh. Sounds familiar. Didn’t they announce something similar a little while back? In fact, yes, I remember writing about it.

December 2020. Deep in a bleak midwinter of Covid tests and empty stadiums, Hibs announced their “delight” at forming a strategic partnership with Stenhousemuir, “the first of its kind in Scottish professional football”.

It was hailed as innovative and