Shinty shake-up all set for green light - plus latest club snippets here...
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THE shape of all shinty leagues for the 2015 season will be agreed tomorrow night (Friday) at the Camanachd Association’s annual general meeting in Fort William.
In essence the proposal – submitted jointly by Kingussie and Newtonmore – focuses on a return to a 10-team Premiership, maintaining an eight-club National Division, with North Division One also increasing to 10 teams.
North Division Two champions Fort William, along with runners-up Lochcarron and third-placed Glengarry would make a step up to North Division One.
North Division Three would be abolished, with teams from this league joining up with the remaining five North Division Two teams to form a 10-club North Division Two.
The team finishing as National Division champions would be promoted, while the side finishing bottom of the Premiership would be relegated.
A play-off would take place between the team finishing second bottom of the Premiership and the National Division runners-up, with the winner of this one-off fixture confirming a place in the following season’s top league.
With support from Lovat, Glenurquhart, Kyles Athletic, Inveraray, Lochaber, Oban Camanachd and Fort William, the proposal is expected to be voted in.
If carried, National Division champions Fort William and runners-up Oban Camanachd would gain promotion to the Premiership, while Lochaber, who finished in bottom place in the top-flight, would retain their status. North Division One champions Skye would be joined in the National Division by Ballachulish, the team they defeated in a play-off for a place in the National Division.
The proposed makeup of the leagues is: Orion Group Premiership: Newtonmore, Lovat, Glenurquhart, Kyles Athletic, Kingussie, Inveraray, Kinlochshiel, Lochaber, Fort William and Oban Camanachd.
Marine Harvest National Division: Kilmallie, Beauly, Caberfeidh, Glasgow Mid Argyll, Glenorchy, Bute, Skye and Ballachulish
Marine Harvest North Division One: Newtonmore 2, Strathglass, Glenurquhart 2, Beauly 2, Kingussie 2, Lovat 2, Fort William 2, Inverness, Glengarry and Lochcarron.
Marine Harvest South Division One: Kyles Athletic 2, Oban Celtic, Aberdour, Lochside Rovers, Strachur, Taynuilt, Kilmory and Inveraray 2
Marine Harvest North Division Two: Lochaber 2, Kinlochshiel 2, Boleskine, Skye 2, Aberdeen University, Caberfeidh 2, Kilmallie 2, Lewis Camanachd, Strathspey Camanachd, Lochbroom and Inverness 2
Marine Harvest South Division Two: Tayforth, Glasgow Mid Argyll 2, Bute 2, Col Glen, Ballachulish 2, Glenorchy 2 and Aberdour 2
As far as cup competitions are concerned, the major change to eligibility will occur in the Balliemore Cup. The proposal is to make this competition open to all National Division teams and first-teams playing in North Division One and South Division One.
*** Glenurquhart stalwart Jim Barr, who was appointed president–elect in the summer, has been proposed to serve as president of the Camanachd Association for a three-year period from November 2014. It is expected this position will be confirmed by voting members at the meeting.
*** Kingussie confirmed their management teams for the 2015 season at their recent AGM. Having lifted the Camanachd Cup for the first time since 2006, it is no surprise that co-managers Russell Jones and Dave Anderson will continue in their roles in charge of the senior team, while Jim Gow and Ally MacLeod will take over the reins with the reserve team, replacing Michael Falconer.
*** Ally MacDonald picked up Skye’s player-of-the-year award on Saturday. Iain MacLeod was named reserve player-of-the-year, while first-team regular Will Cowie received the under-17 player-of-the-year trophy.
*** Meanwhile, a West Coast derby clash takes place this Saturday when Skye host Orion Group Premiership neighbours Kinlochshiel, with the George Michie Memorial Cup at stake. The match has a 1pm throw-up.
*** Fort William striker Arran MacPhee turned in another superb performance to help Scottish Universities to a 7-15 to 2-9 win over their Irish counterparts in the Universities Shinty-Hurling International in Clonbullogue, Co Offaly on Saturday.
Dundee University student McPhee, who was also instrumental in both Scotland’s under-21 and under-17 victories this year over Ireland, fired two of Scottish Universities’ goals, in addition to bagging six points.
*** The Wade Cup, organised by the Schools Camanachd Association, took place in Kingussie last week with the local side emerging victorious.
High schools from Lochaber, Kingussie, Glenurquhart and Portree, as well as Charleston Academy in Inverness, contested the under-16s tournament, with Kingussie and Lochaber qualifying for the final after finishing in the top two places of the round robin league.
A second half goal from Newtonmore striker Iain Robinson was enough to give Kingussie a 1-0 win in a closely-contested final.
At the end of the tournament Tommy Wade, who donated the trophy for schools competition in the 1970s, presented the cup and medals to both finalists.
