The chairman of Junior side Hermes wants to get “more supporters” after they dumped Buckie Thistle out of the Aberdeenshire Shield.
Dennis Ewing wants the North Region Junior side to take advantage of their stunning comeback win against the reigning Highland League champions on Wednesday night, which saw them come from 4-0 down to win 5-4.
“We haven’t really got a fanbase as such,” he told The P&J, adding: “It’s really just parents that would come if their laddies are playing for us.
“Obviously we’d like to get more supporters to come along.”
The team, which plays at Lochside Park in Bridge of Don’s Denmore Industrial Estate, “punch above our weight” according to Mr Ewing.
“We’ve got very little finances,” he adds.
With Bridge of Don’s population standing at over 23,000 – and growing – the club is hoping to attract fans to come to matches, but also get people involved directly in the running of the team.
Mr Ewing, whose partner Deborah is the club secretary, said: “We would like to get the community more involved.”
The club, which was founded in 1968, have around five people on its committee, including two who have been active since the club’s establishment.
“They came off their official duties a few years ago, but they’re still sort of involved trying to get somebody to take over some of their duties,” the chairman said.
And despite winning the North Region Juniors title in 2012 and 2015, which gained them entry into the next season’s senior Scottish Cup, they are financially “one of the poorer” sides in the league, with players only getting paid if they win.
Since Banks o’ Dee left the league to join the Highland League ahead of the 2022-23 season, Culter has dominated, having won two consecutive titles, although Hermes beat them to win the Grill League Cup last month.
Hermes looking for sponsors
As well as the Peterculter-based side, Bridge of Don Thistle and Dyce are also challengers in the 16-team league and Mr Ewing believes finances play their part in this.
“At any level, but certainly the lower level, any club that’s got money and are willing to pay players more than other teams should be winning things and that’s been the case.
“There is teams there playing weekly wages while they win, lose or draw. That’s not their fault, they’ve got big money and sponsors behind them.”
And getting more sponsors is something the Hermes chairman is hoping to gain, as the club find it “very difficult” to get them.
“We are currently looking for anybody seeking to sponsor us in various ways,” Mr Ewing said.
The club’s manager Steven Watson – who has been with Hermes since 2012 as player, coach, assistant manager and now gaffer – agrees with his chairman that they “100%” need to branch into the community.
“We’d love to see more people, because I think Bridge of Don’s the biggest suburb in Europe, so it would be great to see more local people come along to the game and that brings a better atmosphere as well,” he said.
However, Mr Watson said there are challenges to getting fans due to not being “associated with a town or village like a lot of clubs in our league”.
He added: “We are basically tucked away in an industrial site in Denmore.”
‘Here’s hoping a few more local people get behind us’
With over 500 homes being built across from Lochside Park at Cloverhill next to the A92, which will also include a new ground for Hermes’ rivals Bridge of Don Thistle, the manager hopes more kids – or “ultras” as he calls them – comes to matches.
“They stand together and they bang a drum and sing songs, and that’s something we would love down at Lochside.”
And what does Mr Watson think the midweek win against Buckie Thistle, who played Celtic in the Scottish Cup last season, will do for his side?
“By getting a win and a bit of publicity off it, here’s hoping a few more local people get behind us and come down and watch us on a Saturday afternoon.”
To get a place in the final of the Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shield, Hermes will travel to Pitmedden to take on Highland League side Formartine United.
Conversation