Stunshine on Leith
Hibs make amends after two brothers are hit in the face by wayward strikes
Two brothers ended up in hospital after both were hit in the face by wayward balls fired by different Hibs players during a pre- match warm-up.
Fans Aiden and Abi Brown were in the stands watching their favourite players before their game against Livingston when they got injured.
Abi, five, was struck in the face by winger Daryl Horgan.
As he was being treated by paramedics, his older brother Aiden, seven, was hit by striker Lewis Allan.
The shocked p layers apologised to the siblings.
Horgan turned up at their home after the match to gift them his signed Hibs top.
Two days later, the pair were invited to the club’s training ground where they were given a tour and met manager Neil Lennon.
The boys’ mum, Diane Wal lace, 45, of Dalkeith, Midlothian, praised the club’s reaction to the incident on December 22 and said it hasn’t put the family off attending games.
She said: “I don’t know what the chances were of both of them being hit with balls at the same game but everyone at Hibs did all they could to make sure the boys were all right.
“Daryl Horgan belted a ball which struck Abi in the face. He immediately came over and apologised.
“My partner Liam was taking Abi to be checked out at the first aid station in the stadium when he heard someone calling his name. He turned around and my brother was carrying Aiden, who had bbeen hit by a ball struck by Lewis Allan. “My brother said the noise of the impact was so loud, he thought the ball had struck one of the plastic seats” Diane Dia added: “Aiden wasn’t feeling feelin great and one of his eyes wasn’t wasn opening properly where it was bruised but Abi was more upset upse he was missing the football.” Hibernian Hi said: “We like to think thin our players hit the target more mor often than not, but it’s good to hhear Aiden and Abi are still in one piece and enjoyed their visit to the Hibernian Training Centre.”