Glen boss salutes cup final fans
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AS the dust settles on another Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup final, shinty’s ruling body has confirmed that the Bught Park event attracted one of the biggest cup final crowds of recent years.
A precise figure is not available but best estimates by the Camanachd Association suggest that the figure is in excess of 5200, easily dwarfing attendances at other recent finals.
With Glenurquhart’s red and black colours well to the fore, defeated Glen co-manager Billy MacLean paid tribute to the club’s fans.
"They were there in huge numbers and were inspirational," he said. "We are all very disappointed that we were unable to repay their faith in us.
"The lads were pretty devastated in the dressing room afterwards and everyone was feeling empty but Dave (Menzies) and myself couldn’t have asked for more — they have been a credit to the club all season.
"If we had said at the beginning of the season that we would end up third in the Premiership and contest two major finals no-one would have believed us.
"One or two of the guys were talking of calling time on their careers on Saturday night but we have been saying that they should take the time over the close season to reflect and hopefully come back stronger than ever next season."
MacLean also paid tribute to his support team, particularly Iain MacLeod who helped to run the reserve side.
"Iain has been brilliant all season," he added. "It is a difficult job running the second 12 – the first team have first call on all the players and his co-operation on that front has been absolutely first class."
The squads have been announced for the North v South under-21 match which takes place at An Aird in Fort William tomorrow.
Lovat’s Greg Matheson hopes to lead his side to victory in a fixture that has been resurrected after an absence of several seasons.
In its previous guise as the Grampian TV Cup, the fixture was a keenly anticipated annual event but fell out of favour before being shelved.
Matheson is among four Lovat players while the Glenurquhart duo of Fraser Heath and Euan Menzies are also in the squad. Lovat’s Alan MacRae manages the North squad.
The match will be an opportunity for players to stake a claim for the under-21 shinty/hurling international at Pairc Esler, Newry, County Down on 25th October.
North under-21 squad: Callum MacDonald, Stuart Callison and Jack Dignan (Lochaber), Shane Gillies and Martin Munro (Kilmallie), Michael MacKenzie, Lewis Tawse, Graeme MacMillan and Greg Matheson (Lovat), Fraser Heath and Ewan Menzies (Glenurquhart), Blair Morrison (Caberfeidh), Michael Russell and Callum Stewart (Newtonmore), Darren Hanlon (Kingussie), Oliver MacRae, Donald Nixon and Jordan Fraser (Kinlochshiel); Arran MacPhee (Fort William). Coach: Alan MacRae (Lovat).
