The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Reform of top league awaits shinty
Upheaval review set to proceed
Shinty's top flight is facinga major shake-up, with one option being to split the Premiership in two to have Northand South eight-club sections and the winners of each playing off for the national title.
“Nothing is sacrosanct in this review of competition structures we're undertaking ," said Camanachd Association president Archie Robertson yesterday.
“We're open to newideas from any source which can
“We'll hold . . . area roadshows to discuss key points flagged up”
help drive the game forward and we're looking for as much feedback as possible over the next four weeks to give ammunition for a working group to consider.
“After that we'll hold a series of area roadshows to discuss key points flagged up by the working group and these will indicate what is likely to command support.”
Robertson added that the North and South Premierships is a proposal aimed at cutting down travel and producing more derby games.
Another option is to keep a singlePremiership but reduce it from 10 to eight teams.
With two South teams relegated last season, the North First Division was reduced to only seven teams this season as Kinlochshiel was promoted and no North team came down.
Robertson said: “Nothing is ruled out, nothing is ruled in at this stage.
“It's all about consulting with anyone interested in the game.
“The plan is to take the agreed proposals to our AGMnext May.
“It is important that teams begin next season knowing exactly what they are playing for.
“Implementing radical change now would be unfair on clubs. Change, if agreed, will happen in 2014.”
Aquestionnaire hasbeen issued to clubs and the fate of the Premiership will be a major talking point.
Some will welcome a return to the old North and South area leagues while others will fear this would diminish the game's national dimension. Beauly ended their season with a promising display which has helped convince co-manager Stephen Maclean that they can push for a Premiership place next season.
Beauly led champions Lochaber before losing 5-3 at Braeview Park in a game in which both teams were under strength.
Maclean said: “It's been a long season and we finish it will a very different side than we started with.
“But we begin training again at the end of November and we'll train through the winter to be sure we're in good shape for the new campaign.
“We're still a work in progress but in losing to the champions we hit the post three times, missed a penalty and had a goal disallowed, so we feel unlucky.
“It will be difficult next season with Kilmallie coming down after being relegated but we feel now that, if we work hard, we can make a genuine push for promotion."
Lochaber led 2-0 through Stuart Callison and Shaun Nicholson but Martin Davidson and Barrie MacDonald made it 2-2 at half time before MacDonald put Beauly in front. But goals from Nicholson, Scott Paterson and Ben Delaney won it for the Spean Bridge side.
Under-21 cap David Maclean hit a penalty past the post for Beauly, who are delighted to have persuaded 46-yearold Roger Cormack to carry on as player-coach of their second team which won the Strathdearn Cup for the first time in 56 years.
“Roger trains extremely hard and he's as fit as a butcher's dog", said Stephen Maclean. “We're all really glad he's agreed to continue helping the young lads."
Second top Skye landed a 3-0 win over Strathglass at Portree. Naiodh MacDonald hit a first half double and Stuart Grant hit a late winner.