Awards time for shinty’s leading lights
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AS the year draws to a close, many shinty clubs have held, or are due to hold their annual general meetings with a number also announcing winners of their yearly awards.
Beauly held their annual prize-giving ceremony at the local Priory Hotel on Saturday, with former Fort William and Inverness player David Neilson picking up the DJ Fraser Trophy as the club’s player-of-the-year.
International defender Conor Cormack was the recipient of the Lymburn Tropy for players’ player-of-the-year.
The Ken Ross Trophy for second team player-of-the-year went to youngster Robbie Brindle, whilst the young player-of-the-year award went to Ewen Campbell.
On the same evening, Lochaber honoured a selection of individuals at their annual dinner dance at Fort William’s West End Hotel.
The Spean Bridge club’s player-of-the-year was a joint award to veteran campaigner Lachie Campbell and young defender Brian MacDonald.
Campbell was also presented with the supporters’ player-of-the-year accolade, whilst Ryan Toal was named second team player-of-the-year.
Inverness also announced their annual award winners. Full-back Zander Grant was a double winner, receiving the player-of-the-year and under-21 player-of-the-year awards. Josh Masson was named the city club’s reserve team player-of-the-year.
Strathglass held their AGM in Cannich on Friday and confirmed that a four-man management team comprising of David Ballharry, Brian MacKay, Donald Fraser and Matt Jones will handle team affairs and implement a development plan to pave the way forward for the North Division One club.
Prior to the Camanachd Association meeting in Fort William last Friday evening, Kingussie’s proposal for a phased compulsory wearing of helmets at senior level was withdrawn.
Legal practice Harper Macleod have endorsed the view from objectors to Kingussie’s proposal that the potential for discrimination on the grounds of age could occur if players’ ages are highlighted by the wearing or non-wearing of helmets.
Any form of discrimination in shinty is totally against Camanachd Association rules and regulations.
The resolution has therefore been removed from the agenda of the forthcoming Camanachd Association AGM.
*** Former Scotland boss Ally Ferguson has returned to the senior team managerial hot-seat at Lochaber, replacing Robert Johnstone who vacated the manager’s post after a year-and-a-half at the helm.
Ferguson has vast managerial experience having also managed Fort William and the national team in the past. He also was assistant manager to Ronald Ross in this year’s international test series against Ireland.
Over the last couple of seasons, Ferguson has been managing Lochaber’s reserve side.
Although finishing in the relegation spot in the Orion Group Premiership, Lochaber are likely to have their top-flight status preserved for next season if the proposal to restore the Premiership to a 10-team league is voted in as expected at the Camanachd Association AGM next Friday. John Fraser will replace Ferguson as the club’s second team manager.
*** This weekend, two Scottish University squads will make the trip across to Edenderry, Co Offaly, to face county selects in shinty/hurling and shinty/camogie matches on Saturday and Sunday.
Included in the 20-man selection are Fort William’s Arran MacPhee and Jamie Cruickshank, Hamish Anderson from Kingussie, Glenurquhart’s Ewan Menzies, Ben Dalgety of Lochcarron, Lochaber pair Conor and John Sweeney, Kinlochshiel’s Duncan MacRae and Beauly duo Iain Broadhead and Calum Morrison.
