The club has invested a lot in an attempt to capitalise on the novelty of a Friday night game. Entry prices have been slashed (£10/£5) and season ticket holders were given an opportunity to introduce a friend to the delights of McCall's stars for free. No doubt a decent turnout will be hailed as a successful pointer by the promoters of the Friday kick off but the effect of a sensible pricing policy, particularly for travelling fans, cannot be underestimated.
There will be a new face to Scottish football in the away dugout when Pat Fenlon takes charge of the Leith team for the first time. He'll be hoping to have his players raise their game to provide the traditional 'first game bounce' and we'll have to be wary of that reaction. They haven't won in over a month and have taken only two points from their last five games. O'Connor's early form has dipped and he hasn't found the net since the end of September.
In contrast Motherwell are riding high. Since Hibs knocked us out of the League Cup the Steelmen have won five, drawn one and lost one. Little wonder that the bookies have Hibs at long odds, almost 4/1 at come outlets.
Keith Lasley sustained a muscle strain in his thigh against Dundee United last weekend and is likely to sit this one out. It may the opening that gives Steven Hughes his first start in claret and amber since May 2009. The manager will also have to decide which pair from Humphrey, Daley and Murphy are in the starting eleven. There were mixed verdicts about the Daley/Humphrey combination though the high winds at the last outing render any judgement harsh.
We can only hope that the elements relent enough to allow the players the confidence to show some of the entertaining football that might encourage any newcomers in the crowd to become regulars - and a 2-0 home win would do nicely!
Remember the last time Hibs visited?