It’s Bannon’s belief that the bragging rights will be staying at Tynecastle
Eamonn Bannon probably knows more about bragging rights in the Edinburgh derby than anyone else.
The former Scotland winger had two spells for Hearts and one with Hibs over the course of his long playing career.
He made eight appearances for Hearts in their record 22-game unbeaten run in the capital clash, that began at the end of the 1980s and went on through the early part of the next decade.
Conversely, in his first stint with the Tynecastle club, he was part of a team that could not buy a win against their rivals in the second half of the 1970s.
So he can understand the excitement surrounding the top-of-the-table clash between the sides a week today, and warns there is the potential for a lot of pain for one set of players.
“It is a great one for the city,” said Bannon, as he looked ahead to the Gorgie showdown.
“Having Hearts back in the top league after their season in the Championship is a boost on its own.
“But to have the derby at a time when both teams are flying high adds a lot of spice to it.
“They are both unbeaten, so I guess there is an obvious argument for it ending in a draw.
“The way it is set up, though, if there is a clear winner then you are going to get some very happy players on one side of the pitch, and some miserable ones on the other.”
Edinburgh-born, Bannon counts himself as blessed to have been part of the Hearts team that ruled the city longer than any other.
“Aye, they were very enjoyable times,” said the 63-year-old.
“People speak about the derby being a fixture in which form is not as important as in any other match.
“I think the simple fact was that we had a better team than Hibs did back then.
“If you look at the players who played the most games – John Robertson, Craig Levein, Gary Mackay, John Colquhoun and Henry Smith – you can see they were all top quality.
“As I remember, John, Craig and Gary played in the vast majority of the matches throughout the run, too, so there was a consistency of selection.
“With those guys around, you would go into the matches confident that Hibs would not be winning it.
“You build up momentum, and then they start thinking: ‘How are we ever going to end this?’.
“Of course, the opposite was true the first time around. Then we were the ones who were always trailing away unhappy.”
Bannon was at Tynecastle to see Hearts draw against Aberdeen, and he suspects they might just have enough next Sunday to pick up all three points.
“It is a tough one because Hibs look good going forward,” he continued.
“Martin Boyle is playing really well just now. He looks like he is full of confidence, and I like Kevin Nisbet, who is a dangerous player.
“The flip side, though, is that Craig Gordon seems to be relishing his return to the top flight, so you would not be sure of them getting the ball past him.
“Goalkeepers are a bit like fine wine, in that they get better with age, and at 38, Craig looks as good as he ever has.
“If he plays the way he did against Dundee United at Tannadice last week, then he could be the difference between the sides.
“My one worry about Hearts is that I am not sure where they are going to get the goals.
“Liam Boyce scored from the spot last week, and he runs into the right places. But I have not really seen enough of him to rate him yet.
“Although they’re not always the best games in terms of the actual football played, it shouldn’t matter too much.
“The circumstances, and the fact the fans are back, should make it an occasion to relish.”