Semi-final a means to an end as Hibs look back in anguish

Those supporters have not been at Hampden since melting away long before the end of last season's final, with its you-know-what score against you-know-who.

Pat Fenlon saw a half-empty stadium at tea-time last May 19. The Hearts half was still rammed with fans, celebrating and taunting him, but the barbs were meaningless compared to the pain of looking at the pitiful, deserted swathes where his own people had stood, before fleeing. There is plenty of cliched guff spoken and written about fans being "owed" something by their team but, boy, Hibs really are indebted to their supporters after subjecting them to the mother and father of all hidings in the biggest ever Edinburgh derby.

The majority of those who suffered 11 months ago have decided to voluntarily return to the scene of their assault, outnumbering Falkirk's following by four, maybe even five, to one. "It's incredible but it hasn't surprised me, not with our support," said Fenlon, the manager expected to give them something back. "It's a special cup for them even though we haven't won it for so long. They always seem to turn out for it in massive numbers. The travelling support we had at Kilmarnock in the last round was fantastic. I'm delighted by it. It's a massive incentive for the players to get through."

Fenlon has already won with Hibs at Hampden. They faced Hearts last summer, having taken care of Aberdeen in the semi-final. Their support was smaller that day, around 13,500, and the swelling of their following suggests more have been attracted by the improved chances of seeing a win. Some bookmakers have Hibs at 5/7 to beat Falkirk. The team third in the Irn-Bru First Division can be had at 5/1.

Still, this is Hibs, the Scottish Cup, and Hampden, a ground at which there have been a number of upsets recently. Ask Celtic, after their falls against Ross County, Kilmarnock and St Mirren. The combination of size, running track and distance from the stands makes Hampden like no other stadium in Scotland, and it is not to everyone's taste. "I like it," said Fenlon. "I've been there a lot, to be honest. I've been there as a supporter and on two occasions last year.

"I think it's great that the semi-finals are played there. Probably nowhere else bar the other two big Glasgow grounds [Parkhead and Ibrox] could accommodate our supporters, so it's good to be there. I think all the players are looking forward to it. It's the national stadium: if you can't get a buzz out of going to Hampden to play in the Scottish Cup semi-final I think you're in the wrong game, whether you're a player or a manager."

If Harry Potter suffered like Hibs did at the cup final that scar on his forehead would start throbbing an angry red as soon as he came anywhere near Hampden. It will be Fenlon's job to ensure his players, specifically the handful who played against Hearts and will be used again tomorrow, are not freaked by the sights and sounds of the stadium where they were mauled.

How did he intend to deal with that? "Go out and win, that's the only way to get it out your head. Go out and enjoy the occasion. We've got another opportunity to get to a final in a short space of time, which doesn't happen a lot. A lot of players don't get to one cup final in their career, never mind two. Obviously there are a few of the lads here who enjoyed the semi-final last season. It's a horrible place to lose, in a semi-final. We've got to make sure we're on the winning side again."

When Hibs won the League Cup in 2007 their supporters delivered a powerful, moving rendition of Sunshine on Leith before leaving Hampden and there were memorable scenes for them again in last season's semi-final. It surprised Fenlon, teaching him a little about his support. "It caught me on the bounce a little bit. It wasn't something I was expecting. It was enjoyable. Then you stop managing or playing you always look back and see where the good memories and the bad memories were, so I think that will be up there among the good ones."

Celtic – even with their unimpressive Hampden record – remain the elephant in the room when it comes to the last four of this Scottish Cup. They are its likely winners and the club most likely to snuff out Hibs' hopes of ending that tragicomic sequence of cup failures since 1902. Hibs' league form has collapsed, from flirting with the Clydesdale Bank Premier League leadership in mid-November to ninth at the moment. They have managed only three wins since the start of 2013. Curiously, they have still negotiated a difficult route to the semi-finals. They will face lower-league opposition for the first time, having so far taken care of Hearts, Aberdeen and Kilmarnock.

Hibs went out of the Scottish Communities League Cup to Queen of the South, from the Irn-Bru Second Division, and those battle-hardened fans will not have much sympathy for their team if they fail to take care of Falkirk. "We've got to embrace that," said Fenlon. "We've some really good players, we've got six or seven full internationals around the squad, some really good experience, and we've got to make sure we make that count. That shouldn't hinder anybody. We should enjoy that. The important thing is making sure we don't let the occasion pass us by or think we just have to turn up to win because people make us favourites. We've got to make sure the focus is on winning the game and not getting involved in anything else."

Whenever he perceived a question as being negative – how grim would the remaining post- split league games be without an impending cup final, for example – Fenlon did not want to know yesterday. "I'm just thinking positively," he said. When it comes to the cup, and going back up those Hampden steps, everyone at Hibs has their own little coping strategy.