Football: Slow death of the supporters' bus..

HEARTS and Hibs fans fear the day of the traditional supporters' bus is all but over with dwindling numbers travelling to away matches.

For years, Capital fans have journeyed the length and breadth of the country – and beyond – to follow their teams by coach, enjoying the company of fellow supporters and striking lifelong friendships.

But now fewer and fewer are doing so, sparking concerns that supporters' buses could simply disappear with fans citing steep ticket prices, televised matches and sub-standard football.

And, today, Hearts historian David Speed even went as far as to question whether some supporters' clubs will survive.

Away attendances across the country have fallen quite dramatically this season as admission costs remain high and the overall quality of the product low.

Crowds at Tynecastle and Easter Road remain strong – Hearts' average of more than 14,000 is the third best in Scotland by some distance, while Hibs' sits above 12,400.

However, a reduction in the number of travelling fans is impacting on supporters' clubs. Many are now merging for away matches to fill their coaches.

Hearts took around 900 fans to Fir Park last weekend but Speed said:

"The supporters' clubs are very much struggling. I didn't see more than half-a-dozen Hearts buses on Saturday.

"Supporters' clubs are having to amalgamate their trips and share buses. Some aren't running any more, some only run mini buses to cut costs.

"People just don't fancy away games as much now and supporters' clubs are struggling to survive.

"I know Danderhall sometimes share with Prestonpans. Portobello does the same. The supporters' clubs are definitely feeling the pinch and are struggling to get people to fill their buses. Amalgamation is the only way they can actually afford it. I'd love to say it was just down to money but there are other issues here."

And Speed's fears were reflected by Brian Gallacher, convener of the Linlithgow and District Hibs supporters' bus. Predicting most fans' buses will "go to the wall" over the next couple of years, he said: "We are finding it harder.

"Every match is an away game for us but whereas we would previously automatically run a bus when Hibs are going to places such as Aberdeen we have to ask how many intend to go before deciding whether or not we'll hire a coach.

"People simply cannot afford it, they are having to tighten their belts. Ticket prices keep going up, there's live football on television and, to be honest, the standard of football in general isn't great."

While cost is a major problem, with 25 being a standard adult admission price for SPL stadiums, Speed acknowledged several other contributing factors.

"When it costs you so much you need some kind of excitement and the SPL doesn't have that," he said.

"In the last few years I would say Hearts have lost a third of our away support due to cost. But the hard core of 1,000 is now dwindling away because there isn't enough excitement going to away games.

"I spent 50 at Motherwell on Saturday, that was myself and my youngest daughter. It was 28 for both of us to get in at the parent/child gate. I bought a burger and some chocolate, then a programme and travel so the whole day totalled about 50. I can afford that but it's not in everybody's budget.

"If truth be told, if you weigh up 50 against the kind of flat season we're having, it's difficult.You have to ask yourself if it is value for money, and on Saturday it wasn't.

"Another thing is you need to keep going earlier and earlier to get parked at grounds. I have friends who stopped going to see Rangers because they didn't want to spend two hours getting to Ibrox and two hours back. The attraction of the event isn't enough.

"If you slash 5 off an away match ticket, I don't think you would boost the crowd that much. When you get up on a Saturday morning you aren't really that excited. You often have a long journey, the hassle of parking, the team isn't playing that well, then there's the cost and it's going to take a while to get home. The overall package of going to an away game is an awful lot of hassle. Then if the game is live on TV you can forget it.

"Away games at Ibrox and Celtic Park is a real hassle. Parkhead especially.

"You get grief from the stewards all day. Rangers is a bit better but Ibrox is a really expensive day out.

"You can park in the street if you wish and put up with all the sinister looking dudes around there offering to watch your car. Or you can park right across the road from the ground at a cost of 7.

"I don't take my daughters to these games because it would only take a wee flashpoint outside for there to be a riot.

"Year after year, season after season, Rangers and Celtic dominating the league is grinding people down. Grinding results out is okay for hardcore fans. As long as Hearts win I don't worry, but a lot of people like to be entertained a bit more."

Football clubs around the country have suffered during the recent economic crisis with away ends becoming less and less populated. Aberdeen only had 250 supportters at Hamilton the other week there. I can remember when they used to vie with Hearts for the biggest travelling support outwith the Old Firm," said Speed.

"Poor Jim Jefferies has just come in and nobody blames him at all. We are trying to get excited about finishing in the top six. I mean, in all seriousness, where has this come from?"

Even although Hibs have enjoyed third place in the SPL table for much of the season, the convenor of one Capital-based bus, who didn't want to be named, admitted it had been "a struggle" to fill the coach for away matches.

He said: "Even although Rangers and Celtic are romping the league again I don't think they are particularly good either, people have been put off paying good money to see poor football.

"We try to keep travel costs reasonable, charging a flat rate of 10 even to Glasgow or Aberdeen but, in the current economic climate, people are having to cut their cloth accordingly – don't forget ticket prices, buying something to eat, a match day programme and so on – and are perhaps deciding to save their money by only going to home games."

Paradoxically, though, plans for three Hibs buses to amalgamate and run just two buses to Tuesday night's Active Nation Scottish Cup quarter-final replay against Ross County at Dingwall have had to be scrapped with the demand such that the Edinburgh, Carlton and Leith branches each putting on a bus.