Is Jambo Chris Hoy taunting Hibs fans with ‘5-1’ gesture?

It’s a straightforward photo of Sir Chris Hoy celebrating his record-breaking medal haul at the Olympic Games.

Taken at Edinburgh’s Sky Ride on his first return to the Capital since the Games, the image shows a smiling Hoy holding up six fingers to the camera – one for every medal he won.

But Hearts fans are claiming there is another reason for the grin on the 34-year-old Olympic legend’s face - and he is in fact paying tribute to the team’s 5-1 win Scottish Cup final win. The image has appeared on several football forums, including Jambos Kickback which proclaims “Sir Chris knows the score”.

It is the latest in a long line of photographs which Jambos have used to mock their Easter Road rivals. A Facebook page has even been set up dedicated to, “1-5 pictures – from home and around the world’, and one Facebook user responded to the latest picture saying: “This is the best one yet!!! Legend!”

Sir Chris is a Hearts fan who received a card from the Tynecastle side wishing him luck before the London Games. Included with the card was a DVD of the Jambos’ Scottish Cup final demolition of Hibs.

Derek Watson, chairman of the Hearts Supporters Trust, said: “I think it’s just a harmless bit of fun.

“There are lots of pictures that have been taken and posted on Jambos Kickback over the past four or five months and many of them are quite amusing. I know Chris is a Hearts fan so maybe he didn’t need any encouragement.

“But there’s a few celebrities who look as if they have been set up to do it when they were around for the Festival.”

Also on the Facebook page are pictures of celebrities allegedly making the “1-5” salute – including Noel Gallagher, Smiths’ legend Johnny Marr, Billy Connelly and even The Stig.

Although some have been shamelessly taken out of context, others appear to show celebrities who have been duped in to performing the gesture. Others show bar staff in foreign holiday destinations, revellers and hen parties getting in on the act.

The gesture hit the headlines in August after a special constable was seen apparently giving a “5-1” salute to fans during the Edinburgh derby. The officer was pictured making the hand gesture, a reminder of the scoreline in May. He has since been suspended pending an investigation.

Mike Riley, chairman of the Hibs Supporters Association, said: “Chris Hoy is a Hearts supporter, so what can you do about it.

“But on the other hand, he did win six medals so maybe that’s what the picture was about. We’ve got our Andy Murray so he might do something like that for us one day.”

A spokesman for Sir Chris said he was unavailable for comment.