Hibs fans score private planes for 1800-mile Uefa Cup trip

The club has received unprecedented interest from supporters wanting to attend the clash with Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.

But when fans realised that they would have to change flights seven times to get to the far-flung part of Ukraine, a 3600-mile round trip from from Edinburgh, a Hibs-supporting travel agent stepped in to help charter direct flights to get supporters there.

Already 500 ardent fans have signed up for a place on a plane, paying 450 each for the direct service. The match will take place in the Ukrainian club's home town of Dnipropetrovsk, at the end of the month.

Kevin Thomas, of ITA Sports and Events on Queensferry Road, was determined fans would not miss out. He said: "This place is off the beaten track. Normally it would take several connections to get there so we decided it was worth getting special flights."

Mr Thomas, who is a former Hearts player but supports Hibs, said that so far he had requested two planes, but such was the level of interest that they might have to go back and forth several times.

He added he hadn't needed to do any advertising as he already had about 500 names for the 450 flight and accommodation deal, which had come through word of mouth alone.

Former Hibs midfielder Paul Kane has been taking names for the flights at his pub, the Tor, in Restalrig, a popular watering hole with supporters before and after home games.

He said: "I'm going with 20 or 30 of my pals. I passed the names to Kevin and from the interest we've had we probably could fill another plane. I think it's worth the money."

Fifty-three-year-old businessman and Hibs supporter Willie McEwan from Craigmillar is also collecting names for the trip.

He said: "We will go out on Wednesday 28 and back on Friday 30. Most going will be season-ticket holders. We were always going to charter a plane when Hibs got to Europe. I've been a fan since I was able to walk."

Treasurer of the Hibs Supporters' Association, Frank Dougan, said the team always got good numbers and that he was already taking names for a third flight. One man who should be relieved fans are going to such lengths to see their team is manager Tony Mowbray. He expressed concern in Saturday's Evening News that the logistics of getting to Dnipropetrovsk, in the east of the Ukraine, could be a problem, particularly for fans. He said: "It's not going to be easy getting there but we have to balance that against the other sides we could have drawn."

Hibs were unavailable for comment when contacted by the Evening News.