For Gordon Carter, growing Huntly commercially is crucial as they bid to continue improving on the pitch.
In the last two seasons, the Black and Golds have finished seventh and eighth – the first time they’ve record consecutive top half finishes in the Breedon Highland League since 2008.
Christie Park chairman Carter believes bringing in more revenue from sponsorship and other commercial activities has made a big difference in helping the Strathbogie side become more competitive.
Off the pitch improvement
Looking ahead to the new campaign, Carter wants Huntly to continue progressing. He says the club being on a sound financial footing is vital as they look to improve the team.
Carter said: “We’ve done well recently, with our fundraising activities we’ve been able to bring in more revenue as a club than we have before.
“Existing sponsors committing to the club and new sponsors coming on board has allowed us to be more competitive. We’ve been in the top half of the league in the last two seasons where we haven’t been for a number of years.
“Alongside that we’ve been able to ensure the business is safe and that we don’t get ourselves into debt.
“To get into the top six in the league is something we’d love to do. It’s very tricky to achieve, but it won’t be for lack of effort on our part.
“Our focus is to try to improve season upon season – the extra sponsorship and funding we’re trying to generate is key to helping us do that.
“If we want to keep progressing the club and to try to win things, we also need to try to bring in more investment that we haven’t previously had access to.
“We’ve got several people involved in the commercial side of the club who have contacts in business that we as a club wouldn’t have. That reach and networking can help attract new levels of sponsorship to the club.”
Backers have made big difference
A welcome boost for Huntly this summer was striking a three-year deal with sponsors Safelift, which will see Christie Park renamed Safelift Christie Park.
Carter added: “Safelift were a huge sponsor of Huntly for a long time.
“They stopped for a period of time.
“But they have been back involved for three years now. Peter Innes has been absolutely crucial post-Covid in helping us survive initially, and then matching the ambition of our management teams in terms of bringing in players to make us competitive.
“The deal to make them stadium sponsors just adds to that.
“Alex Hayes at Caledonian Logistics has been phenomenally supportive of Huntly over the last 10 years as both a supporter and a businessman.
“He’s been instrumental in the rebirth of the club getting back into the top half of the table.
“Denholm Environmental have come on board, and Brian Ritchie and Colin Morrison there been really good.
“Colin Fraser has become part of our commercial team, and his contacts and networking will expand a lot of what we can do in terms of fundraising events and selling tables.
“Michael Shand at Stopsave has supported us for many years as well and the support of all these people is hugely appreciated.
“There are several individuals that, without their support, the picture would be very different and we’d be struggling the way we were a number of years ago.”
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