Sky Sports Cup Final to go live
20 SPORT
Easy as one, two, three
Scottish talent
angling for a win
Hibees add a trio
of fresh new faces
to their squad
By NIGEL DUNCANSTEVIE BARRETT won the Scottish
Federation of Sea Anglers (SFSA) match at
Newhaven in Edinburgh, the first of a series
of ten this year.
He totalled 754 points with 26 fish and
Zone 1 winner was Prestonpans-based
Stevie Burns with 32 fish for 710 points
while Zone 2 winner was Chris Horn from
Kirkcaldy with 32 fish for 727 points.
Barrett also landed the longest fish, a
30cm cod, and the 22 anglers who took
part landed 395 fish between them in the
four-hour event.
Eryk Janik was the top junior with 14 fish
for 313 points and the next match is at
Dundee’s Riverside Drive on April 7.
There are eight other matches and here
is a reminder of the dates: May 12, Elliot
Beach, Arbroath; June 9, Riverside Drive,
Dundee; July 14, East Fife Open; August 11,
Individual Members; August 25, Clyde and
West; September 29, Erskine; October/
November in Ayrshire with venue and date
to be confirmed; November 9/10, Iain Reid
Memorial.
The Edinburgh New Year Shore League
sponsored by The Edinburgh Angling
Centre, The Fishing Megastore and Cox and
Rawle continues and here are the dates for
your diary: Match 4: February 9, Newhaven;
Match 5, February 23, Portobello Beach
(west); Match 6, March 8, Newhaven; Match
7, February 22, Newhaven.By CALLUM NAPIER
AFTER A QUIET START to the January
transfer window, Hibs have added “three quality
players”, according to Nick Montgomery.
Much needed quality from a Hibs point of
view, the recent loss to Rangers stretched their
winless league run to four games.
The first signing of the window was Myziane
Maloida from German club Union Berlin,
a forward with a high pedigree who has been
signed for a total of 14 million euros throughout
his career.
The 24-year-old joined on loan until the end
of the season, Montgomery said: “Myziane is a
very talented young player who has undoubted
potential to play at the very highest level.
“For us to have the chance to sign a player of
this calibre in January is an opportunity we
worked hard to make happen.”
Hibs also took the opportunity to offer
former Tottenham Hotspur player, Luke Amos,
a trial period with the squad.
The 26-year-old had been without a club
since being released by QPR in June 2023 and,
after a successful trial stint, the midfielder
signed an 18-month deal to bolster Hibs’
midfield options.
Perhaps the most interesting transfer of the
three was the loan signing of AFC
Bournemouth midfielder, Emiliano Marcondes,
until the end of the season.
The 28-year-old has enjoyed a successful
career thus far, achieving promotion from the
English Championship with both Bournemouth
and Brentford.
It also indicates how the two clubs could
potentially work together in the future as
Hibs await SFA approval on Bill Foley’s
minority investment.
The Danish attacking midfielder met
Montgomery in Dubai where the squad were
holding their winter training camp, there he
was shown how he could potentially fit into the
team’s system.
Despite attracting interest from elsewhere,
the overseas meeting gave Hibs an advantage
when Marcondes chose his next club,
Montgomery said: “When you can look
someone in the eye, you can have an honest
conversation and you can create a relationship.
“I told him we could help him get back
playing competitively, and he can help us.
“He is a top quality player, and it is about
trying to win games of football.”
If Hibs are to have any hope of closing the
gap on their city rivals in third, it is crucial thenew signings can hit the ground running, if not,
the bottom six is a real possibility.
Post Rangers, Montgomery said: “We’re in a
rebuilding phase, I knew that coming into the
club, and that this January transfer window
wasn’t going to be easy.
“We’ve brought three quality players in, but
they need to get up to speed.”
Centre-back is a position that Hibs have
needed to address for some time, Montgomery
said: “We were close to a good centre-back, but
the club decided they needed to keep him.
“We’ll keep trying to look for re-
enforcements, but it’s very hard. But I know
where we’re going, and right now it’s a bit of
short-term pain.”
February brings a packed month of tough
league fixtures for Hibs, and a fifth-round
Scottish Cup away tie to Inverness
Caledonian Thistle.THE 2023/24 Sky Sports Cup Final
will be played on 24 March with a
1.30pm kick off.
The SWPL is keen to increase
attendance at their matches to allow
more people to watch. The location
has been chosen to allow fans of both
clubs the best possible opportunity of
attending the match in Edinburgh.
Tickets for the match are now on
sale through the Heart of Midlothian
ticketing website.
There will also be hospitality tickets
on sale to the public, a sign of the
growth and increasing demand to
support the women’s game.
Hospitality tickets and pricing will be
announced soon via SWPL channels.SWPL Managing Director, Fiona
McIntyre, said: “Firstly, I’d like to
congratulate both teams for reaching
the final of the Sky Sports Cup. The
match is a huge opportunity to
showcase the very best of women’s
football in Scotland and I am sure
both clubs will relish the chance to
win the first silverware of the season,
in front of a huge crowd at Tynecastle.
“We’re delighted, that despite rising
costs, our ticket prices remain the
same as last season. It’s really
important that the Sky Sports Cup is
affordable and accessible, and the
introduction of a family ticket
provides excellent value for fans, who
we hope will turn out in largenumbers in March.
“Like last year, not only will your
ticket allow you to watch some of the
best players in Scotland, there will be
lots of family-friendly activities
happening in and around the stadium
I’d encourage all fans to come along
early to sample the activities and
enjoy the pre-match atmosphere.
“We’re also really pleased that
hospitality tickets will be available to
buy for the first time ever. Given the
brilliant facilities at Tynecastle Park
and the demand we had last season,
we’re sure this will be a popular
offering to supporters who wish to
enhance the matchday experience.”
(Match is live on Sky Sports and NOW)Nicola Docherty
of Rangers
and Imogen
Longcake of
Partick ThistleMyziane
MaloidaLuke
AmosEmiliano
Marcondes