Newtonmore Camanachd Club

Last updated

Newtonmore
Newtonmore Camanachd Club logo.jpg
Full nameNewtonmore Camanachd Club
Gaelic nameComann Camanachd Bhaile Ur an t-Sleibh
NicknameThe 'More [1]
Founded1890
GroundEilean Bheannchair
AKA The Eilan, Newtonmore
ManagerNorman MacArthur
League Marine Harvest Premiership
20181st
Reserve ManagerPeter Ross
League North Division One
20181st
Kit left arm white hoops.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body whitehoops.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm white hoops.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
Home

Newtonmore Camanachd Club is a shinty club from Newtonmore, Badenoch, Scotland. It is historically the most successful side in the history of Shinty, having won the Camanachd Cup a record 34 times. They won the Marine Harvest Premier Division seven years in a row beginning in 2010. [2]

Contents

The reserve team currently play in North Division One.

History

Shinty has been played in the Newtonmore area for centuries, but more recently, there are records of shinty being played at the Eilan since 1877, and the club was formally constituted in 1893 and was a founding member of the Camanachd Association in 1895. One of their greatest early players was Dr. John Cattanach, the first shinty player in the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame. [3]

Since then, the club has won the Camanachd Cup 34 times – a record unmatched by any other team in the game. The club's most recent victory was in 2019. A defining moment in their history was winning a pulsating match 4–3 after extra time against Kingussie in 2011. This was their first win since 1985, signalled the end of Kingussie's dominance of the sport and helped lay the ghosts of their record loss to Kingussie in 1991.

Two of the greatest names in shinty history, goalkeeper Hugh Chisholm and David "Tarzan" Ritchie jointly hold the Newtonmore club record of twelve Camanachd Cup winners medals each. The club has also won the MacTavish Cup a record forty times, together with a string of other honours. The club won the MacTavish Cup in 2009 5–4 against Kingussie at the Bught Park, Inverness on 13 June 2009. [4] The game was broadcast live on BBC Alba. Players such as Paul MacArthur, Danny MacRae and Michael Ritchie are the sons and nephews of famous Newtonmore players and the club has a long dynastic tradition.

Many clubs throughout Scotland have long and friendly rivalries with Newtonmore – notably, Kyles Athletic who they met frequently in Camanachd Cup Finals in the 1970s. However the keenest rivalry, and certainly least friendly is with near neighbours, Kingussie. For over twenty years from the mid-1980s Kingussie dominated the sport and Newtonmore won nothing. However, from 2010 Newtonmore have won the Premier Division title and numerous cups at both first and reserve team level.

The Club field and pavilion at Eilean Bheannchair AKA The Eilan (built in 1993) are both owned by the club. In 2016 Newtonmore bought the adjacent field to the Eilan and work is underway to create a new training pitch to be called the Dr Johnny Cattanach Memorial Field.

2010s Revival

Newtonmore players in 2015 Tayforth Vs Newtonmore 9297 (16526867024).jpg
Newtonmore players in 2015

Although the club had finished second in the Premier Division in 2008, 2009 saw Newtonmore finish in the same position but edged out of the title position by Kingussie in their final match. The next few seasons promised a lot for 'More with a young squad doing well over the last few years. 2010 saw them go into the last game of the season against Fort William with the chance of winning the league by only needing to avoid defeat. [5] In the end, 'More won the league outright with a goal from Danny MacRae with 10 minutes to go. This was Newtonmore's first league title in 25 years. [2]

In 2011, Newtonmore overcame Inveraray 5–2 after extra-time to book their first Camanachd Cup final appearance since their humiliation in 1997 by Kingussie, going on to win the final at the Bught Park in Inverness 4–3 against Kingussie.

The first team also retained the Premier Division in 2011 with a last minute goal from Danny MacRae in the final match of the season in a winner takes all match against Kyles Athletic. [6] This sealed a season with both teams at the club winning their respective leagues and also a cup, the second team winning the Strathdearn Cup. [6] it was Newtonmore's first double since 1985. [7]

2012 saw Newtonmore relinquish the Camanachd Cup after defeat to Kyles in the semi-final. Their second team again romped away with the North Division Two, but were stripped of the Sutherland Cup, which they had won 5–4 against Kingussie. This was due to playing an ineligible player in both the semi and final. [8] The first team also won their third Premier Division in a row in 2012.

The Premiership title was clinched in 2013 with relative ease, but hopes of a Grand Slam were dashed by a MacTavish semi-final defeat to Glenurquhart and a disastrous MacAulay Cup final defeat to Kyles Athletic. Newtonmore did clinch the double with revenge over Kyles in the Camanachd Cup final, their second title in three years. This victory was notable as Newtonmore were only the second team, and the first since Furnace in 1929 to go through the competition without conceding a goal.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camanachd Association</span> World governing body of the Scottish sport of shinty

The Camanachd Association is the world governing body of the Scottish sport of shinty. The body is based in Inverness, Highland, and is in charge of the rules of the game. Its main competitions are the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup and the Mowi Premiership and the Mowi Valerie Fraser Camanachd Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oban Camanachd</span> Shinty team based in Oban, Argyll and Bute, Scotland

Oban Camanachd is a shinty team based in Oban, Argyll and Bute, Scotland who currently play in the MOWI Premiership. Founded in 1889, they are one of the oldest Camanachd clubs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingussie Camanachd</span>

Kingussie Camanachd is a shinty team from Kingussie, Scotland and according to the Guinness Book of Records 2005, is the world sport's most successful sporting team of all time, winning 20 consecutive leagues and going 4 years unbeaten at one stage in the early 1990s. The club is currently holder of the Camanachd Cup, the MacAulay Cup, and the MacTavish Cup.

The Camanachd Association Challenge Cup known as the Camanachd Cup is the premier competition in the sport of shinty. It is one of the five trophies considered to be part of the Grand Slam in the sport of shinty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenurquhart Shinty Club</span>

Glenurquhart Shinty Club is a shinty team which plays in Drumnadrochit on the banks of Loch Ness, Scotland. It draws its players from the part of the Great Glen which encompasses Drumnadrochit, Lewiston and Glenurquhart. The club has been existence since 1885. They won their first senior trophy, the MacAulay Cup in 2012. After 2013 and 2014 saw them lose two successive MacTavish Cups, they are currently the holders as of 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyles Athletic</span>

Kyles Athletic Shinty Club is a shinty team from Tighnabruaich, Argyll, Scotland. It is one of the sport's most illustrious names, presently playing in the Marine Harvest Premiership with their second team is playing in South Division one.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inverness Shinty Club</span>

Inverness Shinty Club is a shinty club from Inverness, Scotland. The first team competes in North Division One and the second team in North Division Three. Founded in 1887 as Inverness Town and County Shinty Club to distinguish from other clubs in Inverness such as Clachnacuddin, Inverness moved to the Bught Park in 1934. Inverness won the Camanachd Cup in 1952. The club struggles to compete for players with the wide proliferation of football clubs in Inverness, in particular Inverness Caledonian Thistle but still manages to put out two teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lovat Shinty Club</span> Shinty club from Scotland

Lovat Shinty Club is a shinty club from Kiltarlity, Inverness-shire, Scotland. The club was formed in 1888 and has a healthy rivalry with near neighbours Beauly. The club takes its name from the area within which it plays in and shared this name with the late Second World War hero, Lord Lovat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort William Shinty Club</span>

Fort William Shinty Club is a shinty club from Fort William, Lochaber, Scotland. The club has two sides in the Shinty league system, a first team which was relegated from the Premiership in 2013 and a reserve side in North Division Two. The first team were Camanachd Cup holders four times in succession, between 2007 and 2010, but were knocked out in the second round in 2011. The club also has a vibrant youth system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinlochshiel</span>

Kinlochshiel Shinty Club is a shinty club based in Rèaraig, Balmacara, near Kyle of Lochalsh, Lochalsh, Scotland. The club has two sides, a senior team which competes in the Mowi Premiership and a reserve team in North Division One.

Ronald Ross, MBE is a retired Scottish shinty player who played for Kingussie Camanachd. He is a forward, the only man to have ever scored more than 1000 goals in the sport and who has broken several other records as an individual and as part of Kingussie's record-breaking first team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macaulay Cup</span>

The Macaulay Association Camanachd Cup is a trophy in the Scottish sport of shinty. It is competed for by the eight highest-placed league teams from the north and south areas of Scotland at the end of the previous season. The first winner of the cup, in 1947, was Newtonmore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mod Cup</span>

The Mod Cup, also known as the Aviemore Cup1995 - Royal National Mòd Programmes and fringe events > Royal National Mòd Programmes > [Mod / Mòd Naìseanta Rìoghail - An Comunn Gaidhealach - National Library of Scotland] is a trophy in the sport of shinty first competed for in 1969, traditionally played for by the two teams who are based closest to the host venue of the Royal National Mod. The current holders are Aberdour.(2022)

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MacTavish Cup</span>

The MacTavish Cup is a knock-out cup competition in the sport of shinty. It is competed for by senior teams from the North of Scotland district. It is one of the five trophies considered to be part of the Grand Slam in the sport of shinty. The current holders are Newtonmore. The competition is currently sponsored by cottages.com.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valerie Fraser Trophy</span> Award for womens shinty in Scotland

The Valerie Fraser Camanachd Cup also known as the Valerie Fraser Trophy or the Women's Camanachd Cup is the premier trophy in Women's shinty and is currently sponsored by Peter Gow. It is played on a knock-out basis by the teams in the National Division 1 League and is administered by the Women's Camanachd Association. The current holders are Skye Camanachd.

The Premier Division is the premier division in shinty. Based in Scotland and formed in 1996, the league is the top tier of the Shinty league system. Set-up in order to create a Scotland-wide league for the first time, it constitutes as one of the five trophies considered to be part of the Grand Slam of shinty.

Norman "Brick" MacArthur is a retired shinty player and current president of Newtonmore Camanachd Club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Smith Medal</span>

The Albert Smith Memorial Medal is the award given to the Man of the Match in the final of the Camanachd Cup, the blue riband trophy of the sport of shinty. It has been presented every year since 1972 by the Smith family of Fort William in honour of Albert Smith Sr. The widow of his only son, John Victor Smith, currently presents the medal. Albert Sr.'s grandson, Victor Smith is a former player for Fort William Shinty Club but never won the medal despite featuring as a key player in several Fort William wins. Victor Smith currently coaches Fort William Shinty Club along with his cousin Adi Robertson. Victor's son, John Victor Smith, plays full forward for the Fort.

Daniel Pirrie MacRae better known as Danny MacRae is a retiredScottish shinty player from Newtonmore, Scotland. He plays for Newtonmore Camanachd Club. He is affectionately known in the press as "Super Dan".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's Camanachd Association Challenge Cup</span>

The Women's Camanachd Association (WCA) Challenge Cup is the second-tier trophy in women's shinty. It is currently sponsored by Mowi who have sponsored the cup since 2014. It is played on a knock-out basis by the teams in the National Division 2 Leagues and is administered by the Women's Camanachd Association. The current holders are Lovat.

References

  1. ↑ "Sport News - the Scotsman - Scottish Sport". Archived from the original on 17 June 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Scottish Hydro Premier Division « Shinty". Archived from the original on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  3. ↑ "Inductees | Scottish Sports Hall of Fame". Sshf.co.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  4. ↑ "Al's agony as Gene genius upsets Audi". Daily Record. 14 June 2009. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  5. ↑ "Sport News - the Scotsman - Scottish Sport". Archived from the original on 17 June 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  6. 1 2 "Shinty: Title win for Newtonmore completes double - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. BBC News. 19 November 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  7. ↑ "Press and Journal - Article - Heady heights for Newtonmore". www.pressandjournal.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  8. ↑ Bannerman, Charles (18 August 2012). "Shinty: Glenurquhart win macaulay Cup to end trophy drought - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.