New-look as season prepares to get underway
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THE long winter shutdown and the phoney war of pre-season is finally over. Tomorrow the 2014 shinty season finally begins.
An air of expectancy radiates from the clubs up and down the country with many dreaming that finally that elusive piece of silverware will, come the end of the season, be nestling in their trophy cabinet.
But the 2014 season looks to be quite different from any in the recent past with a new league structure in place which at best has had a lukewarm reception from many of the leading clubs.
Critics say that the revamped Premiership, reduced in number from 10 to eight, will be a brutal league, while the newly-introduced National Division is a rehash of a previously tried and failed format.
This week, however, Inverness-based company the Orion Group gave the sport a huge boost ahead of the new season with confirmation that they will continue with their sponsorship of the Premiership for the 2014 season — their third consecutive year supporting the top flight.
And last week, Marine Harvest, long term sponsor of the area leagues, confirmed their backing for the second tier of national shinty by presenting an entirely new trophy awarded to the winners of the new league.
Below the elite national leagues lie the area leagues with North Division One comprising a mixture of senior clubs and the sport’s leading reserve sides. The winner of this league will play-off against their equivalent from the south to decide promotion into the Marine Harvest National Division.
Against the background of antipathy, the Camanachd Association insist that the new structure was introduced only after a two-year consultation process with the clubs and add that an annual review process will be introduced to gauge the success or otherwise of the new set-up.
The association are pinning their hopes on the perceived benefits of the revamp with the hope that clubs promoted to the Premiership will be better prepared for the rigours of the higher league.
With fewer games being played there is also hope is that there will be room in the calendar for additional representative matches.
Despite the new set-up, many observers expect matters on the field to remain largely unchanged with Newtonmore predicted to dominate at the top level as they chase a fifth consecutive Premiership title. They were a model of consistency as they swept to the title and the Camanachd Cup in 2013.
The question of who can challenge their dominance does not have an obvious answer, although Glenurquhart and Lovat have generally played well against them only to falter against weaker opposition.
Glenurquhart start their campaign with a home match against Kinlochshiel who, like the Glen, are under new management with Colin Fraser replacing Johnstone Gill.
The Glen expect to be without injury victim Ally MacKintosh, while Andy Corrigan’s work patterns could rule him out for the early part of the season.
This is an early test for the new management duo of Dave Menzies and Billy MacLean and is exactly the kind of match that the Glen need to win to set down an early season marker.
Lovat face beaten Camanachd Cup finalists Kyles Athletic, who for the first time in over 30 years, will not have goalkeeping legend Kenny MacDonald between the sticks after he retired at the end of last season.
In other matches, Newtonmore begin the defence of the title at home to Lochaber, while Kingussie face Inveraray at the Winterton.
Beauly and Caberfeidh carry local hopes in the National Division, although the title race is widely expected to be between Fort William and Oban Camanachd — both relegated from the Premiership last season — to allow the new league to take place.
Beauly start a new era with Roger Cormack taking over the managerial reins from club legend Steve Maclean, who stood down in the close season after over 10 years in charge.
Glasgow Mid Argyll, with a promising young side, provide the opposition at Braeview, while Caberfeidh meet Oban Camanachd as manager Graeme MacGregor gets an early indication of his squad’s title credentials.
In the area leagues, Strathglass and Inverness will be among the early favourites for the title, although Skye, rejuvenated under new manager John MacLeod, could be the dark horse. Inverness entertain Newtonmore’s second team tomorrow, while Strathglass face Lovat in a local derby at Cannich.
