Sunshine on Leith erupts as Hibs win Edinburgh derby at Easter Road

Scottish side Hibernian FC offered some tear-jerking post-match celebrations following a tense derby win over Hearts of Midlothian FC on Sunday.

The game culminated in a 2-1 win for the Hibbies, with centre-back Jack Iredale rifling one past Craig Gordon in the 74th minute to give his side the lead and secure his first-ever goal for the club, writes Sports News Blitz’s Sam Condy.

Following the match, an electric rendition of ‘Sunshine on Leith’ vibrated through the Edinburgh stadium for the second time in consecutive weekends, following Hibs’ victory over Celtic last Saturday.

The Proclaimers’ song, and unofficial club anthem, is only to be played at Easter Road on special occasions. These monumental back-to-back wins have put a safety net behind the club's efforts to secure a top-six spot by the split, now seven points clear of the bottom half.

The song has been tied to the football club since the 90s, though its origins in Easter Road are even more spine-tingling than a live rendition.

In the 90s Hibernian were subject to takeover rumours, with then Hearts chairman Willie Mercer looking to buy the financially-struggling club and merge the two sides into one.

Hibs fans were understandably in disdain, though the deal looked unstoppable and the club was on track to die at the hands of their biggest rivals. That was until the ‘Hands Off Hibs’ campaign.

In a last-ditch battle to save the football club, a petition quickly skyrocketed to over 200,000 signatures and a rally was organised at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall.

Here, lifelong Hibs fans The Proclaimers took to the stage. Sunshine on Leith was the highlight of their set, and as such the club anthem was born.

The Proclaimers hit is widely regarded as the ‘song that saved Hibs’, going on to win 2018’s ‘Football Anthem World Cup’, hosted by BBC Radio 6.

Special to hear it

Speaking after the match on Sunday, Jack Iredale, stressed just how incredible the song is.

"It's so special to hear it,” he said. “Some of the lads have said that they've gone quite a while without hearing that song, and then, obviously, we've managed to do it twice in a week.

"You'll never get used to something like that."

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