Knife-edge final as memories are stirred
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
KINGUSSIE and Glenurquhart will roll back the clock on Saturday as they meet in the Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup final at Bught Park in Inverness – 26 years after they last did.
On June 4, 1988, Kingussie beat Glen 4-2 to take the silverware back to their Badenoch village for the 10th time.
In the next 18 years, Kings would go on to more than double that tally with a further 12 triumphs until their last success in 2006.
For Glen, this was their first-ever appearance in the Camanachd Cup final and with the venue being in Inverness, the Drumnadrochit club would have the majority of the support behind them hoping to see the trophy, that had basically resided in Badenoch over the last two decades, make a return to the Inverness area for the first time since Lovat lifted the trophy 35 years previously.
The way that Kings disposed of opponents on their way to the 1988 final made them strong favourites with a 7-0 first round victory over Lochcarron being followed up by a 12-1 demolition of Kilmallie.
Kings then edged it through to the last four with a 2-1 win over Lochaber before romping to an 11-0 rout over Tayforth in a mismatched semi-final.
The Kingussie forward line were also by far the most prolific in the game with four of the top six goalscorers that season wearing the red and blue hoops. Dave Anderson and Kevin Thain who topped the scoring charts had netted 48 and 38 goals respectively. The task facing Glenurquhart was awesome to say the least.
Glen began that epic journey to the Bught with a 4-1 win at Fort William followed by a 1-0 local derby win over Lovat.
The now-defunct Strathclyde Police were disposed of next by a 7-0 win before Oban Camanachd stood in the way of a place in the final.
With a clash of colours, Glen wore the strips of local rivals Strathglass to defeat Oban 1-0 to book a place in the final.
Glen were charged up and, under the late Don Cumming’s management, prepared well for the final.
When the big day came, Glen produced an excellent performance with the match being an attractive, exciting affair that entertained the large crowd from start to finish. Glen full back Ally MacKintosh picked up the Albert Smith Medal for man of the match for the superb way he harnessed Kingussie danger man Anderson.
Glen co-manager Billy MacLean played in the 1988 final and his experience of that occasion is sure to be passed on to the members of his squad, many of whom have played in two MacTavish Cup finals and a MacAulay Cup final over the last three seasons.
There are a couple of other links to the 1988 final amongst the Glen personnel, goalkeeper Stuart MacKintosh and midfielder David "Dixie" MacLennan are the sons of Ally MacKintosh and Kenny MacLennan, two of the stalwarts of the team who went down to Kingussie all those years ago.
*** For the full Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup final preview, see this week's Highland News, North Star or Lochaber News.
