The Edinburgh Reporter February 2023

22 SPORT

The sky’s the limit

Against all the odds

Jambos are now the

league’s ‘third force’

Get a taste of

Pickleball
By JAMIE MCINTOSH

IMAGINE WINNING 5-0 against Aberdeen and
beating Hibs 3-0 home and away despite not
playing to the best of your ability.
That is what this Hearts squad have managed
to do this year. Many predicted that on the
resumption of domestic football following the
World Cup break that Hearts would kick on
following their early season problems with
European football and a ridiculously unlucky
injury list.
But surely, they did not expect them to kick on
and ultimately kick away in third place so quickly.
At the time of writing the Jambos sit seven
points clear in third place and although tough
matches against Livingston and Rangers lie just
around the corner, third place does look to be
Hearts’ to throw away.
The recent results against Hibs and Aberdeen
showed how far ahead Hearts are of their so
called ‘main challengers’ for third spot, however
despite not playing their best, they scored 11
goals and conceded none.
Having knocked their rivals out of The Scottish
Cup and being drawn against Championship
strugglers Hamilton, Hearts will fancy their
chances of another trip to Hampden and having
lost three of the last four Scottish Cup finals, who
is to say Hearts won’t go one better this year
seeing as their squad has surely improved again
in the last 12 months.
Hearts’ recent successes really hammered
home Hibs’ recent problems and much of it is
down to recruitment. At the time of writing,
Ryan Porteous’ future remains uncertain across
the city and although Hearts lost John Souttar on
a free to Rangers, Hearts chose to keep the
defender until the end of the season and he
helped Hearts consolidate third place before
turning in a man of the match performance
against Rangers in the Scottish Cup Final.
Now, Hearts have learned their lesson and
have tied down Australian defender Kye Rowles
on a new long-term contract, which basically
means, Hearts can choose what they sell him for
and when. Blackpool had a recent six-figured bid
laughed out of Tynecastle for Toby Sibbick, who
still has two-and-a-half-year’s remaining on his

Tynecastle contract and with the finances so

strong, Hearts don’t need to sell players on the

cheap, whereas in Leith, Hibs will be tempted

to cash in on Porteous for just about anything

they can get.

At Easter Road, Hearts were able to bring on

Stephen Kingsley, Stephen Humphrys, Jorge

Grant, Nathaniel Atkinson and Alan Forrest,

meanwhile new signings Orestis

Kiomourtzoglou, Garang Kuol and Yutaro Oda

were unused substitutes.

For a non-Old-Firm side, that is a seriously

strong bench. Throw in the injured Liam Boyce,

Beni Baningime, Peter Haring, Craig Gordon and

Craig Halkett and that highlights just how strong

this Hearts squad is.

In the dugout, Hearts have a manager who

absolutely adores the football club. Robbie

Neilson has had to endure a hell of amount of

stick from supporters and after being on the

wrong end of the embarrassing Scottish Cup

defeat to Brora Rangers, he has managed to put

the club right back where it belongs. In Europe.

For the Hearts fans, those trips to Zurich, Riga,

Florence and Istanbul will have created memories

they will remember forever and it would take a

brave man to bet against them not enjoying four

more European trips to kick-off the 2023/24

campaign. They will also have a far stronger

squad this time round considering their injuries

at the beginning of the season.

With the money generated from competing in

Europe, it gave Hearts the opportunity to invest

and try to kick away from the likes of Hibernian

and Aberdeen. With another Scottish Cup run

looking likely and a third placed finish even more

plausible, these really are fantastic times for

anyone to be a Jambo.

By STAFF REPORTER

EDINBURGH LEISURE is offering

Pickleball Taster sessions at four of

its venues.

Invented in the USA over 50 years ago

by a family who named it after their dog

Pickles, Pickleball is the fastest growing

sport in the world. Played on a court

very similar to badminton but with a

lower net, it is played with a ball and a

paddle, and uses racket skills from

tennis, squash, badminton and table

tennis. The rules and scoring system

mean that pickleball is very accessible

for the young and not so young, making

it a family activity for everyone to enjoy.

Led by Pickleball Scotland

ambassadors, the free adult taster

sessions will be offered at the following

venues. No need to invest in a paddle

or balls as the kit will be supplied on

the day.

WEDNESDAY, 1 FEBRUARY

7 PM – 9 PM

Ainslie Park, 92 Pilton Drive,

Edinburgh EH5 2HF

THURSDAY, 2 FEBRUARY

1 PM – 3 PM

Craiglockhart Tennis Centre,

177 Colinton Road, Edinburgh EH14 1BZ

FRIDAY, 3 FEBRUARY

1 PM – 3 PM

Drumbrae Leisure Centre,

30 Drumbrae Terrace, Edinburgh EH4 7SF

No need to invest in a paddle or balls as

the kit will be supplied on the day. To

book your free space on Edinburgh

Leisure website. Select the venue of your

choice and choose activity type ‘Social

Sport Class’ or select the Social Sports

icon on the Edinburgh Leisure App at

your chosen venue.

shorturl.at/owFPQ

Ian Jacobs