Mary chooses “Currachd Ruadh” for Wedding Hat

Imagine if the Wing Centre could get away with a headline like that? No chance- in fact there is more chance of Glenurquhart getting into the Sutherland Cup final with a 6-2 away victory over Fort William than of catching your attention with a cheap headline like that. That’s just tabloid stuff!
But then the trouble is that the Shinty hasn’t been so interesting of late - two away defeats to Kingussie are nothing to write from home about. Dickson’s injury is taking longer to heal than hoped for and Paul Mac appears to have hurt himself again which is more than a shame.
If reports from the Dell are anything to go by the Glen should have done better in the first game where our Corky got on the score sheet for the Glen (though it might have given us more pleasure if it had been their Corky who had got on the score sheet-for us! )
The second game saw the return of Mr Ross and he appears to be scoring lots of goals – and there is not much to be gained by noting the fact except to express wonderment that he takes it all so seriously. It would be nice if he were to meet a nice Polish girl - Inverness is full of them- and go off to live with her in Kracow or Gdansk or somewhere else he couldn’t get an Easyjet flight home to play on the Saturday.
Then there was Fort William in the Sutherland. The Wing Centre was walking to the bank to take out money to spend at the wedding when he bumped into a member of the Great Glen Public.
“Did you see the Courier?” said the MGGP
“No” said the Wing Centre quite genuinely since getting the papers is not one of his household chores.
“Well it seems that crowd from Lochaber pulled off their biggest heist in the Glen since they carried out the Raid of Inchbrine in 1692. That time they took the cattle; this time they’ve taken the Sutherland Cup and it’s not as if we can rely on the Young Crofters from over the hill to get it back”
Now the Wing Centre was at the game and thought that Fort William won because they scored more goals in the time allowed for scoring goals though he was bemused by the fact that the Glen had a goal disallowed because of a Fort William foul. But when the MGGP brought out a Courier the Wing Centre began to get roused: the way the Courier explained it Fort William had deliberately won the toss to get a home draw. They had then arranged a first team fixture at home against their alleged enemies from up the road (“Cattle stealers all of them-they were in it together in ’92 and they are still in it”- said the MGGP) changed the game to fit in with the West Highland Ferry services, done some voodoo to bring back the walking dead into their team and thereby won.
The MGGP began to backtrack concerned at the inflamed countenance of his companion.
“Hang on, Wing Centre,” said the MGGP. “Aren’t you going a bit too far with your conspiracy theory? The next thing you’ll be telling me is that there is a guy from Ballachulish running the Camanachd Association as well”
“You’re right DP” (for it was he)” That would never happen- and they did score more goals."
For the record Calum Fraser and Dave Smart scored two nice goals which counted and Dave and Ben Hosie had balls in the net which didn’t. Star of the show was Ryan Campbell of Fort a youngster who got three goals including the penalty which came after the disallowed Glen goal. Deke and Victor got the other goals and while the Fort Wing David Walker had an excellent game, it is also clear that Drew McNeil at the back can still do the business. For the Glen Calum Smith , Calum “Jock” Fraser and Gary Smith played well - the fact was that after shading the first half they fell away in the latter stages and must be disappointed - but not as mad as the Courier implies.
The better team won on the day (through gritted teeth) but doesn’t Deke have an annoying goal celebration? He charges up the field as if he was actually being chased by Iain Macdonald - he’s lucky he wasn’t on the day if only because Iain is being careful not to tire himself out this week since he is getting married.
That is of course the big Shinty story in the Glen this week - Iain Macdonald is tying the knot with Siobhan and the” D” wishes them all the very best on the big day and for the future.
Of course the talk in the Glen has been about dresses and hair do’s and fascinators and of course hats. The mother of the groom Mary Macdonald, our own Shinty Club secretary for many years, no doubt has already got her headgear organised. But just in case, the fashion advice from the Wing Centre is to try the Currachd Ruadh - those who have read the late Prof Peter English’s book on Glen shinty will know it is the ancient headgear associated with Glen Shinty. It is therefore traditional, historical and – on the right head - chic too. See for yourself.





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Bruising Encounter at Blairbeg - Ooh Ya Bute-y!

Glenurquhart 1 Bute 1
This match was no classic but an action packed if somewhat dour encounter played in hot conditions with the Blairbeg surface providing some unforgiving bounces. On reflection from the Glen point of view it was a home point lost but at 4 o’clock on Saturday, the main feelings were not only of frustration but of relief. Clearly, the Glen were lucky to have come away with a point at all given the form that Bute keeper Kevin Queen displayed on the occasions he was put under pressure.
It could all have been so different if the early Glen attacks had had managed to hit the target but strikes from Neale Reid and Billy Urquhart sailed wide while it was Glen keeper Stuart Mackintosh at the other end who had to be on his toes as Bute’s Robert Walker forced him to make a good save after hitting his shot on target.
Glen had an excellent opportunity in 23 minutes when a free hit was awarded after a trip on Billy Urquhart as he was about to break through on goal. From the set play at the edge of the D, Andrew Corrigan slipped the ball to Neale Reid but his drive was palmed away by the Bute keeper who was looking lively between the sticks.
The bulk of the possession went to the Glen in the first half although there were occasions when the strength of Hector Whitelaw up front allowed Bute to hold on to possession in attacking areas though when push came to shove, as with Hector it usually does, John Barr was on hand to clear the ball up front. The Glen front four played some superb interlinked shinty and one move in 42 minutes was top drawer in all but the final delivery. Andrew Macdonald drove the ball forward from defence to Eddie Tembo who flicked it through first time to Neil Reid who cut it back, also first time to Andrew Corrigan. Corrigan drew the defenders wide and knocked the ball in to Billy Urquhart but his shot, taken perhaps a tad too quickly, flew past the post and the chance was lost. The first half ended with a note of warning to the Glen however, as Bute winger John McCallum found himself in enough space to have a dig at goal but fortunately his drive was too high to pose a serious threat.
The early part of the second half saw Bute move more on to the offensive but again the story was one of defences on top and it looked as if matters were going to carry on in this vein until the 61st minute when a flare up in the middle of the park saw Bute’s David Whitelaw and Glen centre Lewis Maclennan both dismissed - Whitelaw for a foul and Maclennan for retaliation.
From the foul the reorganised Glen went on the attack but once again goalie Kevin Queen stepped in to make a good save from Billy Urquhart. Then at the other end the unthinkable happened : Bute worked a ball across to Hector Whitelaw who received it with his back to goal just outside the D, but such is the big man’s strength and determination that he managed to half turn and his strike went home to put the visitors into an unexpected lead. The goal lifted Bute’s spirits and shortly afterwards it took good work by Stuart Mackintosh to deny Stuart Strathie a second Bute goal.
The Glen however gradually came back and, though it looked for a while as if Bute’s last ditch defensive tactics were going to deny them justice, finally Calum Miller managed to get enough on a through ball from Andrew Corrigan to level the match. The Glen pressed on in an attempt to get a winner and some neat last minute play set up Eddie Tembo but his rocket strike from 15 yards was tipped over the bar by Queen. It proved to be the last significant action of the match.
Frustrating then and it is clear that the absence of David Maclennan in the midfield was a factor in the game as has been for some time the absence of Arran Macdonald and Paul Mackintosh whohave been injured. Today also the absence of Ben Hosie, carrying injury but also pressed in as sub for the Heroes at Fort William, was also perhaps a factor in the result.
The Heroes also drew but given they were venturing into enemy territory minus Iain Macdonald and Donald Fraser the result was much more acceptable. Indeed it gives them a real chance of fighting for honours by the end of the season
A tricky period now comes up what with holidays, seasonal work and the possibility of gaps in the programme – hard to believe that there are only 6 league games left for the top side.
Photos from this match were hard to come by but perhaps the mood is summed up by this snap of the squad showing their best side as they trudge in to the pavilion after the match. The other- a snap of the bruise caused to a faithful spectator by the Bute full back who hammered the ball into the crowd after the whistle had blown in an attempt to delay a Glen free hit. Careful guys, it might have been a bairn.



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