Hearts and Hibs teams aiming to raise £10,000

It started off as a kickabout among fans in the name of rival allegiance and, largely thanks to one man, has grown to become a five-figure charity fundraiser played out on the hallowed turf of Tynecastle and Easter Road.

Next month sees fans of Hibs and Hearts contest the fifth Rivals4Charity benefit match at the famous Gorgie venue, but the fun begins ten days from now with a derby-themed dinner with guest speakers including Pat Stanton.

Scott Moncrieff, a 37-year-old IT expert, is the man behind it all, working tirelessly to ensure the smooth running of events and encouraging local businesses and organisations to make generous donations of sponsorship, items for auction, and other provisions such as the use of Hearts' home ground.

This year, he hopes to generate 10,000 from the proceeds of event ticket sales and an auction and raffle, with the final sum to be shared among three local charities: Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre (Lothian), Asthma UK, and Radio Forth's Cash for Kids campaign.

"Initially, it was just a challenge match between two supporters' message board websites, Jambos Kickback and Hibs.net, at Saughton Enclosure," recalls Moncrieff. "Then, the organiser had the idea to ask Hearts if they would allow the use of Tynecastle, fully expecting not to be successful - but they agreed on the provision that it was done for charity. The person organising, Steve Jones, was unable to carry on with it, and I felt it would be a shame if such a good idea was lost."

Moncrieff played in goal for his beloved Hearts in that inaugural meeting and helped his side to their only victory in the duel so far, before Hibs fans triumphed in the following three clashes. With the most recent meeting of the fans taking place in 2009, due to the unavailability of either Capital football grounds last year, the supporters will have little derby form to build on but plenty of anticipation as the fixture nears.

"The last game was almost two years ago, so everyone's really looking forward to it," says Moncrieff. "That fact we have missed a year has given people added appetite.

"I've played in two of the years - the first and third - and it was fantastic. The team has breakfast together at a hotel, gets a coach to the stadium, you see you shirt hanging up in the dressing room, go out onto the pitch, and get your photo taken."

When all the pre-match rituals are out the way, observers of past matches - crowds have ranged from 500-800 in recent meetings - have been pleased with the standard and commitment on show by two teams made up mainly of amateur players.

"We have a lot of comments from supporters expecting to see people kicking lumps out of each other but who have been surprised by the very high standard of play," added Moncrieff. "The reason I think our standard is higher is because the guys train with each other, they build a team mentality and friendships. That helps on the day when you are battling for each other, and it gives the game a competitive edge."

The Hibs team is coached by Bobby Collins and has trained once a week since the beginning of December, contesting a number of friendly matches since then against local amateur teams. In the maroon corner, it is a Hearts team led by Tollcross Thistle manager Alan Mackay who will be looking to stop the green machine in its tracks and deny their opponents the satisfaction of four-in-a-row.

Despite its charitable status, the fixture loses no sense of the traditional cross-city rivalry. "When it comes to organising it, I'm neutral, but when the match comes around, it's all about your team winning," says Moncrieff.

Edinburgh firm IME Property Group (www.ime.co.uk) is the main sponsor of this year's Tynecastle showpiece on Sunday, 27 March at 2.00pm. Admission prices are 5 and 3.

Well over 100 tickets have been sold for the Gentlemen's Smoker on Sunday, February 13, 3.00pm, at Bainfield Bowling Club but a limited number, priced 25, are still on sale.

Speakers at the dinner include Hibs great Pat Stanton, host Sandy Strang, and John Gahagan. Auction prizes include a round of golf with John Robertson and Jimmy Sandison or two members of the Hibs Legends team, signed Hibs and Hearts shirts, a guest appearance on Radio Forth shows hosted by Boogie and Grant Stott, English Premier League match tickets, and a pair of VIP tickets for a Hearts game. For more information, visit www.rivals4charity.co.uk or email [email protected]