Taking Stock: Hibs take tax song to Heart(s)

TS KNOWS how deep football rivalries run and how seriously fans take their team’s affairs.

Even with that in mind, TS found it very difficult to suppress a chuckle when it heard about an incident at Hibernian FC’s Easter Road over the weekend.

In reference to the financial plight of bitter rivals Heart of Midlothian – which found itself on the wrong end of a winding-up order and facing a £450,000 tax bill – stadium announcer and DJ Willie Docherty took it upon himself to gleefully play Beatles’ number Taxman.

Hearts now have until 3 December to meet its tax obligation.

Unfortunately for Docherty, the club’s top brass couldn’t Let it Be and duly cut the song off part-way through and ended his contract after it emerged he had wilfully ignored specific instructions.

“[T]he club has specific guidelines in place and before each match detailed briefings take place. These reflect the values and behaviours the club and its supporters believe Hibernian FC should stand for,” read a club statement.

“[T]he action has been taken because the individual chose to wilfully disregard specific instructions given in the pre-match briefing which itself was consistent with guidance given during the week in the run-up to the match at Easter Road Stadium on Sunday, which was broadcast live on television.”

Oops.

If that wasn’t touchy enough, TS was noticed fans had created a “#JusticeForWillieDocherty” hashtag on Twitter and a Facebook campaign called Bring Back Willie Docherty.

TS wonders whether it would get away with playing Pink Floyd’s Money at next week’s British Accountancy Awards.

Image credit: Jaguar PS / Shutterstock