Opposition growing to league restructuring plans
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CAMANACHD Association proposals for league reorganisation, set to be introduced next season, have been thrown in doubt with several clubs supporting a move by Skye Camanachd to have them withdrawn.
Skye submitted a motion to have the matter debated at the forthcoming annual general meeting of the association, but the board of directors has refused to allow a vote on the issue.
Instead, it will allow debate at the end of the meeting for clubs to air their views on the subject.
The decision not to allow a vote to be taken has brought a strongly worded response from Premiership champions Newtonmore who have accused the board of "cack-handed intransigence" and have predicted a stormy meeting.
"As far as Newtonmore Camanachd Club is concerned the gloves are off," said Newtonmore secretary Ian Gibson, who claimed they have the support of other Premiership clubs.
"We are 100 per cent behind Skye Camanachd Club’s motion to overturn this misconceived league reconstruction and find ourselves shoulder to shoulder with our old rivals Kingussie and Kyles Athletic. The Association has totally misjudged the mood of the clubs.’’
Positions have clearly become polarised and it has emerged that Skye has garnered the necessary support to call an emergency general meeting at which the league reconstruction proposals will be debated and voted on, although a date for this has yet to be confirmed.
Tomorrow, quarter-final action in the MacTavish Cup takes centre stage with holders Newtonmore facing Badenoch rivals Kingussie. With Kingussie in a rebuilding phase, Newtonmore are favourites to make it through to the last four.
Lovat, one of three Orion Premiership teams unbeaten so far this season, also face top league opposition when they take on Lochaber at Spean Bridge.
Four draws and two wins have propelled Allan MacRae’s side to the edge of the title race, but there will be no complacency shown against the newly-promoted side, who have so far struggled to make an impact this season.
Lochaber’s promotion-winning manager Mike Delaney has stepped down leaving his assistant Calum Cameron to take charge until a permanent successor is found.
Despite this upheaval, Lovat manager MacRae will be urging his players to focus on the win and take nothing for granted.
"We are not looking beyond tomorrow’s game" he said. "Lochaber are an excellent side and we will have to be at our very best if we want to progress.
"Making it beyond the first round is more than we did last season, so we need to keep the momentum going".
MacRae is encouraged by the team’s progress and is excited by the blossoming partnership between forward duo Greg Matheson and Kevin Bartlett.
"Yes there are good signs and I think it is improving game by game," he said. "There was huge expectation on Kevin’s shoulders when he joined from Caberfeidh, but it has taken a wee while to adjust to the pace of the Premiership.
"Also we were badly hit by early season injury, but we are on track again and looking forward to making our mark in the MacTavish.
Forward Owen Ferguson, who needed multiple stitches in a mouth injury, looks to continue his recovery and should feature at some stage in the game. The winner of this tie will face either Kilmallie or Beauly in the semi-finals.
The all-North Division One clash at Canal Parks sees Beauly and Kilmallie pick up from where they left off in last Saturday’s league meeting.
Beauly snatched the points with a last-gasp winner and the Greens are braced for a backlash from Duncan Kelly’s side.
Beauly will be without the suspended Conor Cormack and manager’s Iain Morrison and Stephen MacLean are wrestling with a growing injury list.
Hand injuries have sidelined Kenny MacKenzie and Jack MacDonald and niggling problems to a group of other players will delay the announcement of the final squad until just before the start.
Glenurquhart take on old adversaries Kinlochshiel at Blairbeg as they look to secure a last four clash with either Newtonmore or Kingussie.
Striker Neale Reid is a doubt as he recovers from a facial injury, while David Girvan’s recurring knee problems will count him out.
With their strongest squad available, the Glen are a match for anyone, but they have been badly affected by injury and player availability this season. Only six of their MacAulay Cup-winning team were in last Saturday’s starting line-up ahead of the 2-0 defeat by Inveraray.
‘Shiel will look to bounce back from last Saturday’s 8-1 mauling by Newtonmore — their heaviest-ever defeat in the Premiership — but have talisman Finlay MacRae a doubt with a hamstring injury.
