Shinty pupils gear up for next game

A few pre-season beat the elements, new shinty season over a week away.

Kinlochshiel 2 Inverness 1

friendlies with the now just

Oban Celtic 0 Glasgow Mid Argyll 3

With several teams still idle, Oban Celtic and Glasgow Mid Argyll (GMA) bucked the trend, each playing their second pre-season friendly at Mossfield, Oban.

The hosts were missing Lewis Mcphee, Neil Carmichael, Peter Currie, George MacMillan and new signing Jordan Kerr for this clash, whilst GMA travelled north without Ewen Fraser and Jonnie MacAskill.

The visitors went ahead midway through the first half when Jamie McFadyen shot from 25 yards out.

Both sides were forced into first half changes. A groin problem ended the afternoon for Oban Celtic’s Andy MacDonald, with Michael MacKinnon taking over.

GMA’s Calum McLay, who missed all of last season, broke a finger in an accidental clash and Celtic’s Craig MacMillan was withdrawn on the halfhour prompting an Oban Celtic reshuffle which saw Scott Dempster drop back into defence.

GMA doubled their lead around 20 minutes into the second half when they worked the ball down the right before crossing with John Sweeney’s 20-yard shot on the angle beating the goalie.

Garry Luke added a third on 73 minutes. The Oban Celtic second team were to face the Lochaber second team but that game was called off with Ganavan waterlogged.

The Kinlochshiel and Inverness first and second teams were to meet at the Bught Park, but a pitch inspection led to the clubs’ senior sides meeting at Kinlochshiel’s former pitch at Kirkton.

This was a terrific encounter on a soft pitch. Kinlochshiel fielded a strong side but were missing Conor Cormack, John MacRae and the injured Paul MacRae.

Former Ballachulish and Skye player Dougie Rankin was in goal for Inverness in his first game back following a heart scare and he turned in a manof-the-match performance.

Jordan Fraser gave Kinlochshiel the lead in the first half and they had the chance to add a second when referee Neillie ‘Ach’ MacRae awarded them a penalty. Ali Nixon hit the spot well enough, but Dougie Rankin saved well above his head. The keeper couldn’t get the ball away

Members of the Bun-Sgoil Ghaidhlig Loch Abar Primary 3/4 shinty team will be lighting up the park on their next outing thanks to new strips generously donated by Fort Williambased DMD construction. The new kit was handed over last week by DMD part owner Ewan Donelly, who also coaches the p1-3s.

though and Duncan Matheson nipped in to bundle it over the line.

Finlay Calder Inverness.

Aberdour P Glengarry P

The

Thomas scored

Strachur-Dunoon 3 Uddingston 0 Inveraray P Oban Camanachd P Skye Camanachd P Kilmallie P

for

Strachur-Dunoon made their first appearance, beating another new side, Uddingston, 3-0 at the grammar school.

Cameron Middleton, Craig Torlay and Fergus Irvine were the goal scorers.

Bad weather made it clear earlier in the week that Inveraray’s meeting with Oban Camanachd at the Winterton could not go ahead.

Glengarry’s trip to Fife to play National Division side Aberdour was called off 24 hours ahead of throw-up as a result of bad weather.

The Aberdour second team’s Saturday game with their Bute counterparts was also off as was their encounter with Uddingston on the Sunday.

Ferguson

Memorial Cup match between Skye Camanachd and Kilmallie in Portree was called off, as was the second team meeting between the sides at Canal Parks.

Kingussie P Fort William P

Kingussie and Fort William were disappointed when Market Stance and An Aird were both deemed unplayable which meant the reserve team meeting between the clubs was also called off.

Newtonmore P Caberfeidh P

Newtonmore suffered their fourth postponement of the pre-season when their match with Caberfeidh at the Eilan was called off. The second team friendly between the sides at Strathpeffer also fell foul of the weather.

Bute P Kyles Athletic P

Bute’s derby with Kyles Athletic was another weather-related early week call off.

Kyles latest

Athletic became the shinty club to have a defibrillator fitted at their clubhouse. It was fitted by Gavin Kerr and is available to the community and visitors.

Skye Camanachd held its annual general meeting at its clubhouse in Portree. Vice chairman Thomas Wilson led the meeting, assuming the role of interim chairman until a replacement for outgoing chairwoman Fiona Cruickshank is found.

Club stalwart Donnie Martin is Skye Camanachd’s new chieftain, taking over from Andy MacPherson. This is a three-year appointment.

Treasurer Ceitidh Douglas reported an encouraging financial position despite the effects of covid over the last two seasons during which Vattenfall remained as main sponsors. There was concern at the increased cost of camans, with some costing £79. Increasing wood prices are a major contributory factor.

Kenny Macleod continues as first team manager for the Ferguson Transport &

Shipping Balliemore Cup winners, whilst Ally MacDonald replaces Allan MacLeod as second team boss. John Angus MacInnes continues with the women’s team and Allan MacLeod takes on an important role as the club’s youth sides look to recover from the disruption caused by covid.

Davie Pringle and Kenny Macleod are to re-join the Skye Camanachd Board with Archie Rhodes and Jenna Beaton coming on as new board members.

Former secretary Archie MacDonald, Bernisdale, and former player Richard Stoddart have been added to the list of honorary vice presidents.

Col Glen held a pre-season training session with a difference when they travelled to the east coast for an intense fitness workout on Tyningham Beach near Dunbar.

The training was led by ex-marine Ryan Logan, a friend and colleague of Col Glen player Hamish Harrison.

The session lasted two hours with activities including sand dune hill sprints and swimming in the North Sea in between exercises.

After the players were put through their paces, they stayed overnight at the Dolphin Inn, Dunbar, with the trip funded from money raised from sponsored running challenges before Christmas.

They thank everyone contributed.

This was a first for the club and sets them up nicely for the remainder of the pre-season and their opening Mowi South Division 1 fixture at home to Bute. who

The Camanachd Association has launched an appeal for new shinty referees.

Experienced referees Ross Brown, Andy MacLean and Archie Ritchie may not be available this season, whilst Neil MacDonald is switching from refereeing to being the new assistant manager Aberdour second team.

The number of referees was already lower than the association would like and it is looking to recruit more referees ahead of the new campaign.

A shinty referee receives a match fee and mileage allowance, the option of matches allocated on a local basis, an allocation of matches to fit in with referee availability and the knowledge they are giving back to Scotland’s most historic sport.

As a first step towards getting involved, new referees are required to attend a free Foundation Refereeing Course.

Anyone interested in becoming a shinty referee should call Astie Cameron on 01463 715931/07912 731295 or email astie.cameron@shinty.com of the

Clubs have one final chance to get a game played ahead of the start of the new shinty season on Saturday March 5.

Oban Camanachd hope to welcome Fort William to Mossfield.

This will be a second friendly game for Gareth Evans and his Oban Camanachd squad.

Fort William co-managers Victor Smith and Adam Robertson have seen two meetings with Newtonmore and one with Kingussie fall to the weather.

Oban Celtic are send their second team to Ardnamurchan, whilst Glengarry head for Braeview Park to play Beauly.

The Beauly second team are away to Caberfeidh.

Kilmallie and Lochaber meet and the Lochaber seconds welcome Lochcarron.

There is sure to be a big crowd for a west coast derby in Portree where Skye and Kinlochshiel contest the George Michie Memorial Cup. Kinlochshiel’s second team are off to Boleskine.

Alan MacRae’s Glasgow Mid Argyll hope to play their third pre-season friendly at Kingussie.