Aberdeen Football Club made their eSports debut with a FIFA tournament at Pittodrie – and our reporter Ryan Duff was there to take part and hear about the Dons’ future plans in gaming.
eSports are competitive video game tournaments or competitions, and have been growing in popularity in recent years.
They made their Commonwealth Games debut earlier in 2022, with real-world sports teams from the English Premier League to Formula 1 also having eSports sides who represent them.
The Reds – the first Scottish Premiership team to put on such an event – hosted their Richard Donald Stand Lounge simulated football battle royale on Friday in collaboration with gaming event experts Belong group.
Ben Galloway won the inaugural Aberdeen gaming event after a tense penalty shoot-out.
🎮 Congratulations to Ben Galloway who emerged victorious in a tense penalty shoot-out in the final, to win our first ever esports event.
👏🏽 Thank you to all of our participants at Pittodrie this evening. #StandFree | #AFCesports pic.twitter.com/fIHr9cO9ll
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) September 16, 2022
Competitors had the opportunity to win a range of prizes from cash to the chance to take on a Dons first-team player at FIFA, while there were also a plethora of retro games for spectators to have a go on while waiting for their friends and family to compete.
During the event, Aberdeen commercial director Rob Wicks shared his enthusiasm for eSports and how he only sees them becoming a bigger part of the wider sporting landscape.
He sees the club becoming the face of competitive gaming in the north-east, and – in the video above – revealed the Reds could look to employ a full-time gamer to represent Aberdeen in eSports competitions, while they are also exploring the possibility of having a dedicated gaming space as part of the club’s proposed new stadium.
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