Oban public Play the Game Together
More than £15,000 raised at DMI charity football event
OBAN’S sports stars united against cancer and helped to raise more than £15,000 at a charity football event.
Around 500 spectators made their way to a sun-kissed rugby club last Sunday to watch the three ‘We’ll Play This Game Together’ matches.
Local businesses and organisations donated raffle prizes in abundance, with Johnnie Walker whisky donating four rare bottles, which raised a total of £ 3,000 at auction.
The name of the event comes from We’ll Walk This Road Together – a traditional music concert that has raised more than £40,000 in three years for DMI Cancer Trust.
However, due to serious illheath, Neil ‘Nonny’ MacInnes was unable to organise his annual sell- out concert.
This led Coasters football player and referee John Scott to arrange the charity event.
With the help of Lochside Rovers manager Gareth Evans, they assembled the cupwinning Oban Camanachd team of 1996.
They reunited for the first time since winning the trophy to take on Coasters, with Coasters winning 4-2 on the day.
This game was followed by a ladies match between Saints Ladies and Oban Ladies, which saw Saints win 7-1. And the day was rounded off when a younger Camanachd squad defeated an Oban Select team 1- 0.
The money was raised for DMI Cancer Trust and will be split evenly between Cancer Research, Marie Curie and Oban Hospice.
Organiser John Scott originally wanted to raise £1,000 for each of the three charities, but has raised at least five times that amount – and counting.
John said: ‘It’s outstanding. I’m flabbergasted. For once in my life, I am speechless. You can ask my girlfriend, I’m not usually lost for words.
Thanks
‘I would like to say thanks to all the helpers. There’s a team involved behind the scenes – they put all this together and without their help we could not have done it. We will keep the charity going in some manner or means in the future.’
In order to tie in with the annual concert, a live band were on hand to entertain the 500-strong crowd.
‘Ceol an Aire have been absolutely fantastic,’ John added. ‘And Oban FM turned up with its outside broadcast unit, for which I would like to thank them.
‘It adds such an atmosphere to the place when you have live music. And, after all, the DMI is about live music.
‘The players who have taken part have been absolutely fantastic. Oban Camanachd have been a big part in this.
‘The fact that the young Camanachd team beat the Oban Select footballers rounded the day off perfectly.
‘Not to forget the girls as well – they put on a sterling effort.’
The organisers and spectators ended the evening in Coasters, where they were entertained by Crackin’ Craic.
John said: ‘That basically kept the DMI tradition going, in order to round things off with a live music event.’
It was in Coasters that the whisky auction took place. The four bottles were sold for between £650 and £900 each to make a total of £ 3,000.
The remaining £12,000 was raised through raffle tickets, donations on the day, the sale of food, courtesy of Iain Darling Butchers, and through online crowdfunding.
A signed Roger Federer tennis top, which was donated by Stuart Fraser, is still to be auctioned.
To declare your interest, or to stay up to date with future events, search DMI We’ll Play This Game Together on social media.