Fine exhibition of winning shinty from both Glen Teams!

It’s official! The Original Glenurquhart Shinty Team have grabbed themselves two very valuable home points with a 5-2 win against Oban Camanachd. At the same time the Official Glenurquhart Shinty Team – who are in preparation for Sutherland/Strathdearn Cup finals against our Crofting Neighbours- managed to defeat Newtonmore 3-1 despite two of their main Officials turning out for the Originals so to speak.
Confusing isn’t it- but then to everybody outside of Glenurquhart, this normal situation of daily life is bound to be somewhat perplexing. It is a simple fact that everything in the Glen is divided ,and indeed judged, upon whether it is either Original or Official, though it has to be said that since the last month or so these terms have been banished from use in road signs and advertising boards . They are still however terms which come easily to the tongues of Glenners everywhere; we have an Official Garage and Original Garage; we used to have an Original school now we merely have an Official one. We have an Original up the Glen and an Official down the Glen and as for Monster exhibitions-well one cannot say too much since there is much that has been sub judice.
As for the Glen teams, Jim and Big Ron manage the Original Glenurquhart Shinty Team (est. 1884) while Hendo and Big Mike manage the Official side (est. - according to the badges- 1885)
The success of the Originals on Saturday was however long overdue and it is not since last season’s home win over Kyles that the Glen have hit the net so often in the one match. For the contest there was some movement within the side which meant that Iain Macdonald and Iain Macleod came into the defence for the afternoon allowing John Barr to move up to the centreline with Ally Mackintosh moving up to the right wing and Andy Corrigan pulled to buckshee back. Also drafted into the back line was Calum Fraser and it has to be said that in the end matters turned out fine. Respect has to be given to Oban but while Daniel and Aiden Macintyre showed plenty movement up front,if only they had been able to shoot more precisely and if Stuart Mackintosh had not pulled off a superb early stop, then matters could have turned out differently. As it was Glen supporters’ breathed a sigh of relief-or indeed it might have been a sigh of belief- when in 24 minutes Lewis Maclennan opened the Glen’s account with a truly blistering strike that no keeper could ever stop.
Ally Mackintosh on the right wing began to impose himself on the Oban wing back and in 29 minutes he slipped the ball to Eddie Tembo who smashed the ball low into the corner of the Oban net for another memorable goal. For the moment Glen had their tails up and before long Winger Neale Reid made it three with another superb finish. Latching on to a ball slipped up the wing from Dave Maclennan, Reid flicked the ball over the defender’s head before lashing the dropping ball past the advancing Oban keeper.
Glen posted a fourth goal four minutes from the half time break when good work from Reid saw the ball squared across the face of goal and John Barr was on hand to send a low controlled shot into the net from just outside the D. Some post goal euphoria and slackness in the Glen defence however saw Aidan Macintyre pull one back for Oban with a nice strike with the last hit of the first half. While the goal perhaps was no more than Oban deserved it certainly made the Glen spectators chew uneasily on their half time venison burgers.
The second half did not turn out to be quite as scary as anticipated. The Glen spent their time playing nicely and firing towards the shop with Eddie Tembo doing a power of work, getting on the ball early and using his pace and strength to frustrate defender Gareth Evans who was perhaps lucky not to be more harshly dealt with by referee John Macphee for his tackling of the Eddie from behind, though to be fair, playing behind a big physical forward is not an easy role to play.
Glen had a series of chances but were unable to convert them until Calum Fraser (moved back up front and was replaced in defence by Ally Mackintosh) finished nicely in 67 minutes when he tucked the ball comfortably home after running on to a through ball from Lewis Maclennan. Glenurquhart continued to press and both Eddie Tembo and his replacement Calum Miller had further balls in the net and there was one good shout for a penalty after the Oban keeper could have been deemed to have kicked the ball. It was however Oban who had the last word when Ian Macmillan knocked home a second goal 5 minutes from time though the gloss was taken off that by the unfortunate dismissal of Oban youngster Gary Lord for a foul on Neale Reid just before the full time whistle.
Meanwhile down in Newtonmore the Official Squad-boosted by the presence of Iain Macleod who set off for ‘More just on the final whistle- won 3-1 in a match which kept them in contention for back to back league wins in North Div 2. Scorers were Ewan Brady, Kelvin Mackenzie and Daniel Mackintosh.
What does this mean for Saturday’s Sutherland final? Not a lot really since it appears that our Crofting Neighbours have an excellent squad themselves boosted by the free scoring Mathesons who will be a serious threat.
Glen have not won this trophy since the Original side won it back in 1963 though the Wing Centre does vaguely remember a final at Dalmally in the 1980s which we did not win. Lovat have apparently lifted the trophy themselves in a more recent version of the past – and if the Glen are not on their toes then........
Of course both Official and Original squads have won League Championships in the recent past but putting on the thinking cap and trawling the recesses of memory the last cup to come Glen-wards was back at the start of the millennium- before digital cameras- when the Official team beat Fort William in the Strathdearn. Where? Farr, Farr away. That Glen team was a good one-it had to be because the Fort Youngsters went on –some of them –to win Camanachd Cups 4 times in a row. Why can’t it be like that here?
Anyway, leaving such metaphysical questions aside, the D includes some nostalgic pictures. Captain Calum Miller picks up the trophy, the team poses, Smack looks younger (compare it to his Mr Cool pose in the specks) and former boss Billy Maclean talks tactics after the game with the “youngsters”.
The top picture of course is Mr Cool himself with his new prescription sunspecs from the boy in Beauly while John and Cork warm down after the Oban match .
All the best to the Official Glen Team. Have a good day on Saturday –enjoy the Sutherland Final : it has been a long time coming.



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Heroes earn slot in Strathdearn final

There’s a lot been happening in the world of Glen shinty though you wouldn’t know it if you’ve been looking at the D recently. No reason really except perhaps that a little disappointment has set in at the perceived lack of Premier success with the top side. The presence of a functioning website has also removed some pressure.
Apart from that, truth to tell the results don’t seem that bad and any defeats in recent times can give some comfort in as much as the games have been close. A 2-1 away defeat at Newtonmore with the boys from the open moor hoping to win things, does not seem too bad.
The game at Fort William was a 3-1 but some serious players were not on the pitch- and if they had been, a result was there for the taking. It is good however to see Big Calum Miller hitting the target and if the other front guys can touch the net too then there are games to be won. Any side coming to Blairbeg hoping for an easy two points really ought to think again- and there are a number of home games which are winnable as well as a trip to Kyles which, given they edged us out by the odd goal in the first fixture and the possibility they might be haining themselves for some cup success, could be a points possibility.
The real trick will be to score some goals- and although some sides haven’t been really outscoring us- it just seems a while since we hit a goodly number in the same game.
One of the pictures included in this blog is that of the under 17s who gave a good account of themselves at the Bught on MacTavish Saturday after that fascinating match between Kilmallie and Kingussie. You have to feel sorry for Kilmallie - the Wing Centre can hardly believe he has just written that! - losing out when by any normal standards they would have thought they had done enough to win coming back like they did. But you cannot judge Ronald by normal standards though it’s comforting to see that even the great man can miss a penalty. Comforting but then on reflection you realise that the miss did not count: you just know that if it had been vital he would have netted it. Kingussie boss Stevie Borthwick won’t like to admit it but without Ron the cup would have been in Kilmallie – and the goal which did the business was number 3 because without Ronald’s ability to take the pressure and keep his nerve surrounded by infidels , then there would have been no third goal.
The temptation is also to say that without the queer rules in the Celtic, Kyles would have had that cup too but that game happened in a far away parish where they do things differently and it is perhaps not up to the Wing Centre to comment.
The under 17s struggled a little against Lochaber in the early part of the match but credit must be given to them in the second half when with some help from the wind they maintained a more consistent pattern of pressure and young Jack Hosie picked up two goals to make the final total 4-2. The Bught was as usual in fine condition though to be fair it is just a little too long for under-14s though who would ever prevent them playing on Shinty’s own “Hampden”.
Talking of which it just might be in the Camanachd Association’s interests to keep a watching brief on the park given that Inverness City FC have no home. The Wing Centre does not want to be unfair to ‘Ness City-the fact that the Town has only one good standard local team (Clach) because it allowed its Highland League clubs to disappear meant that local footballers cannot play at a high amateur standard. However, the Highland League clubs flogged off their grounds so big George could have his prawn sandwiches at Celtic Park- and it is now a bit rich for City to expect the Council to bail them out at the expense of Shinty’s northern stadium. Bluntly, City entered the juniors without meeting the rather odd criteria the juniors want- a village team like Burghead can have their own village pitch but City can’t play at Grant Street- so perhaps the honest thing for City to do should be to drop back to their previous status and concentrate on the amateurs.
Whatever, the Camanachd Association bringing as it does televised shinty to the Bught and by extension to the Town, cannot afford to be complacent on this one.
Rant over and back to the point with the news mentioned in the headline. Hendo’s band of brothers are doing well despite injuries to Iain Macleod and “Boo Boo” Fraser. They have only gone and beaten Lochaber to make it into the final of the Strathdearn for the first time since 2002. The Wing Centre went to the game and watched in horrified fascination as a 3-0 early lead was gradually whittled away by a stuffy Lochaber side until the Glenners were hanging on to victory. The Glen scorers were Ruaraidh Cameron with two neat goals and Ewan Menzies who finished off a fortunate third from some distance. The second half saw Connor Sweeney get two back and the spectators were treated to a last 25 minutes of growing alarm as the red and whites pushed to take the game into extra time and darkness. The highlight of this period was the contest between Lochaber’s Angus Morrison and the Glen’s own Iain Macdonald: a vintage tussle of good humour, wee tricks, pushes trips and fine stick work from two skilled operators who went through all of shinty’s black arts in an attempt to outdo each other. With Garry Mackintosh in the goal however there was never a chance that Lochaber were going to get the equaliser though it is easy to say that now.
Then Hendo’s crowd had another match this time in the League against Fort William and –guess what – they won. The big story of the night was that Dunc Achtuie was back in the jersey. With brother Ewan “Boo Boo” out injured and big Donald Dunain at the Highland Show, there might have been no Frasers in the Glen team for the first time in 50 years or so- but Dunc came to the rescue and what is more he enjoyed his outing which is why he gets his pic at the top of the article. Ben Hosie opened the scoring in 6 minutes and Ewan Brady doubled the advantage in 9 but then Fort’s Bobby Macmillan scored a super goal which perhaps made the guys in black and red a little nervous.
Ewan Brady hit the third however just after the interval and though Fort pushed hard and were perhaps a little too vigorous at times, Glen held on to seal the game. For the record the Wing Centre thought Kelvin Mackenzie had an excellent outing up front as did youngster Euan Lloyd at wingback. Calum Smith was his usual solid self but the tone was set by the excellent Gary Smith and of course Mr “Iron Curtain” Macdonald himself at the back. Fort had no answer to them.
Now the Heroes have the chance of the treble : a Strathdearn final, a Sutherland semi against Kyles at home-(ridiculous really: it should be on a neutral pitch) and the League looks do-able for the second year in a row.
Interesting times indeed!



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