The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Monarchs seal their place at the top table
The tide has turned in Tayside hockey circles as a relatively new club has celebrated reaching Scotland’s top flight for the first time.
FMGM Monarchs Hockey Club defeated local rivals Dundee Wanderers in a thrilling Premiership playoff game to secure their seat at the top table next season.
The club – formed in 2005 – will be the city’s sole representative in the Premiership after Grove Menzieshill, as well as Wanderers, dropped out of the top league for the first time in a number of years.
Monarchs followed up their promotion by winning the National Plate for the first time when they defeated fellow Midlands club Perthshire 6-4 in the final.
And the rise of the club – an amalgamation of
all-male former pupil sides Forfar, Monifieth, Grove, Morgan and Dundee High – has been on the cards for some time according to president Craig Munro.
He explained: “We really have had a fantastic few years.
“We had experienced some poorer times in the past but that is now firmly behind us and the club is certainly flying at the moment.
“We have a real community feel with everyone buying into our vision and ethos. They all really want to be part of this big family club.
“I took over as president four years ago and faced a fairly mammoth task to turn things around but with a great committee behind me we have managed to get the club into a better place on and off the pitch.”
The club has around a
total of 50 adult members and also boasts an up-andcoming youth section with 21 regular members.
The ladies’ first team and the men’s seconds play in local Midland Leagues. The ladies team was inducted into the club in 2014 to become a joint club.
Mr Munro continued: “The ladies have also enjoyed a great season, finishing second in their outdoors league and reaching a cup final as well.
“They won their indoor league with 100% win record.
“The men’s first team have played in a variety of different league structures and in a number of different leagues but have spent most of their time in National League 3.
“In the three seasons before the coronavirus pandemic we were consistently in the top three, but prior to that we
struggled and finished in the bottom half of the league.
“We appointed a new coach in Iain Harper and this has made the difference to the team’s fortunes, along with good recruitment.”
Mr Munro, who served on the committee for nine years before becoming president, is relishing the challenge of continuing to lay the groundwork for the ambitious club.
He said: “We are looking to establish a third men’s team in the future and also a second ladies side within the next five years.
“The task facing our men’s first team next season will be massive but staying in the top flight will be the aim.
“Even if we come down we will continue to have a strong squad and challenge to return to the top flight in future years.”