Hermes FC

History

The club was founded in 1968 by pupils of Robert Gordon's College, Aberdeen and joined the Aberdeenshire Amateur Football Association, playing our first game in August of that year.

The Name

One of the most common questions we are asked by visiting teams is how the name came about. Many assume it to refer to the Winged Messenger of the Gods, others that there is some link with the mighty HMS Hermes. Neither are correct. The real reason for the choice is more basic. Unable to agree, as a group, on a name and with the deadline for application looming, one member, who was casually flicking through a magazine, noted an advert for a typewriter known as a Hermes 2000. This was gratefully accepted and a club was born.

THE AMATEUR YEARS

The club spent 25 years in the Aberdeenshire Amateur Football Association, starting in Division Three. From 1968 until the late 1970s the club achieved little. Promotion to Division Two followed by relegation to Three and ultimately Four were the only points of interest. In season 1977-78 we won our first trophy - the Division Four title. This was followed in season 1978-79 with the winning of the Paterson Trophy a feat repeated in 1981-82.

The club continued to improve during the 1980s and 90s with success in the Ian Napier Shield in 1989-90, the AFC Trophy in 90-91 and the Trophies International Cup in 1992-93. Our last success in the amateur ranks was being presented with the Frank Waugh Shield as runners-up in Division One.

With our own enclosed ground, first class changing facilities and a degree of ambition it was decided that it was time to leave the amateur ranks and apply for membership of the Scottish Junior Football Association.

THE MANAGERS

It would be wrong of me to leave this era without reference to some of our managers.

Firstly Jim Wood. Jim managed us in our darkest days as we languished at the bottom of Division Four in season 1976-77. Struggling with the loss of some of our original players and finding it difficult to attract new blood, Jim's enthusiasm and drive kept us going. That we narrowly avoided relegation that year, and with it a chance we may have folded, was due to Jim and Hermes owe him a lot.

Jim returned to his committee role and handed over the reins to a new manager at the start of season 1977-78. That manager was Brian D'Arcy. Brian was nearing the end of his career in the Highland League when secretary Alex Fiddes persuaded him to lead the club forward. The new manager wasted no time in changing the mentality of the club. No longer were we a group of friends having a 'kickabout' on a Saturday. Attitudes had to change, training was made compulsory and commitment had to improve. Brian achieved this and, with the introduction of new players, Hermes swept all before them and finished in top spot after trailing by 18 points shortly after Christmas.

The following season in Division Three saw us win the Paterson Cup for the first time. Sadly Brian got a chance to return to professional football with Brechin City and we lost a great manager. Brian returned to manage the club for 2 short spells in the eighties but the success of 77-79 was not to be repeated.

The third of the managers to note was Peter Freeland. Peter started with the club as a 17 year old in the late 70's. He left to play Junior and Highland League football for a number of seasons before returning as player manager in the late 80s. Peter led the club to Division One where we stayed, regularly finishing in the top few without ever managing to win the title. Prior to season 1993-94 Peter led the move to join the North Region Junior Football Association believing that our facilities and players were good enough.

Peter's work was not limited to getting a good team onto the field, he was also a driving force behind the scenes, helping to build the changing rooms, installing the floodlight and keeping the pitch in fine condition.

THE JUNIOR YEARS

We entered the Juniors to a baptism of fire, meeting FC Stoneywood, then a giant of local junior football, in our first league cup tie. Winning 2-1 after going one down saw us imagining all sorts of future success. The reality was different and we had to settle for a fourth place finish in Division One and winning the Morrison Trophy. Not too bad for a first season perhaps.

The early promise continued in 1994-95 when we finished as champions and lost in the final of the Morrison Trophy. It was clear early on in season 95-96 that there was a gulf between the top two divisions and relegation from the Premier League after only one season was disappointing but made us determined to return at the earliest opportunity. Manager, Peter Freeland achieved this in one and we returned to the Premier League at the end of 1996-97 where we have stayed since.

Hermes enjoyed their greatest success under joint managers Steve Mearns and Neil Dawson when they became PMAC Superleague Champions in season 2011-2012 with record total of 73 points, 14 points clear of their nearest challengers.

Out of 26 league games the team won 24 with one draw and one defeat, scoring 79 goals and conceding only 16. Hermes were unbeaten at home, in the league, all season.

Czech Republic striker Marek Madle finished the season with 26 goals, winning both the Superleague Top Scorer and the Superleague Player of the Year Award whilst at the other end of the field keeper Lee Sweeney, who picked up the Green Final Junior Player of the Year Award, and his defensive partners kept 14 clean sheets, including a run of 6 league games without conceding a goal.

This league win meant that Hermes qualified for the Scottish Cup, making their first ever appearance in the National Trophy, at Lochside Park on 28 August 2012 against Deveronvale.

In March 2013 Hermes negotiated a lucrative agreement with the Uniconn Group of companies to sell the naming rights to their home ground which was renamed Uniconn Park.

For the start of season 2017-2018, the home ground reverted to its original name, Lochside Park.

Trophies Won

PMAC Group Superleague Champions: 2011-2012
North Regional Cup: 1997-98, 2003-2004
North East Division One Winners: 1994-1995
McLeman Cup: 2008-2009
North Region Grill League Cup: 2003-2004
Morrison Trophy: 1993-1994, 1996-1997

In addition Hermes have been runners-up in several cup competitions including the Jimmy Gibb Trophy, the McLeman Cup and the North Regional Cup.