The reserve team currently plays in South Division One under the name Lochside Rovers.
History
Established in Oban, Argyll in 1889, the club has always enjoyed competition against its great local rival, Oban Celtic.
Past successes included winning the Camanachd Cup (Scottish Cup) in 1933. The score was Oban Camanachd 3, Newtonmore 2, at Keppoch, Lochaber, after a drawn game, 1–1, at Corpach, Fort William. They won the Cup again in 1938: Oban Camanachd 4, Inverness 2. at Oban.
The final of the Macauley Cup is played in Oban every year. The club has won it five times: 1952, 1954, 1957, 1993 and 1995.
The Celtic Society Cup is where Oban Camanachd have enjoyed the most success. It is the oldest competition in the sport: it was first played in 1879. It is one of the five trophies considered to be part of the Grand Slam in the sport of shinty. The club's most recent success was in 2005: they6 beat cup holders Inveraray 2–1 in the semi-final at Ballachullish. In the final Oban Camanachd beat Bute by 7–4. The club's other successes in the competition were in 1889, 1900, 1904, 1911, 1937, 1938, 1947, 1973, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2018, 2019 and 2024
The Club have enjoyed regular success in the regional and national leagues and cups. Possibly the best Camanachd team was the 1970–80s team with quality players, including such internationalists[clarification needed] as Ian "Swally" MacIntyre, Bobby Galbraith, Dougie Macintyre, Neil MacDougal, Nigel Evans, Fraser Inglis and Chukie Clark, and were widely expected to lift the Camanachd Cup, but Kyles Athletic beat them four times. Chukie Clark was attacked and bitten by a dog during a game at Strachur. This Camanachd side failed to live up to their true potential and the club went through a lean patch until Chukie Clark restructured the second team, Lochside Rovers, producing quality players for the senior team like Nonnie MacInnes, Ally MacInnes, Andrew Inglis and Damian Laird.
Oban Camanachd have won the Camanachd Cup on several occasions, most recently with victory over Kingussie in the 1996 final. Nonnie Macinnes was captain on the day, but the game was most notable for the performance of Gordon MacIntyre, who had made a miraculous recovery from the loss of an eye that year to score the winning goal.
Recent years
The club is proactive in trying to maintain shinty as the main sport in Oban. In 2008 the club made attempts to alter the structure of youth shinty to allow their youths to compete against 'North' teams. This was turned down at the Camanachd AssociationAGM, but in late October 2008 secretary Daniel MacIntyre made his fears known to the press, saying that "If we get Camanachd Association support, in the next three to five years we could potentially grow into a club with three senior teams. If we don't, in the next three to five years we will be a one-team club".[1]
In 2009, Lochside Rovers won South Division One, defeating several first teams. Their reserve status meant that they could not be promoted to the Premier Division, where Oban Camanachd firsts play. This caused confusion regarding the ramifications for promotion and relegation to and from the Premier League. Glasgow Mid-Argyll were awarded the South's place in the Premier Division.
In 2010, the club president Nigel Evans slammed Argyll and Bute Council for their "unacceptable" increases in facility hire costs.[2] The club again started to hit the headlines in late 2010 as relegation to South Division One loomed, meaning a double relegation, as Lochside Rovers would then need to be relegated to South Division Two. Daniel Macintyre slammed the level of play in this league, painting a bleak picture for his own club.[3]
Salvation from relegation came on the last day of the 2010 season when a 2–1 win over Bute saw the island team relegated instead.[4]
Again in 2011, Oban were involved in the relegation battle and yet again the status of Lochside Rovers, despite another successful season which included the Bullough Cup, was uncertain due to the implications of the first team's relegation. This was confirmed on 19 November 2011 when Oban won their last game against Kilmallie but not by the required number of goals to overhaul Inveraray.[5] Oban had been ever present in the Premier Division since its creation.[5]
The club bounced back to the Premier at the first attempt in 2012. They also were runners-up in the Macaulay Cup.[6] However the club's stay in the Premier League was short-lived, and their 9th-placed finish in 2013 resulted in them competing in National Division One in 2014. They again bounced back at the first opportunity and finished a much improved sixth in the Premier in 2015 alongside a Celtic Society Cup Final appearance where they lost a tight game to Kyles Athletic.
The club reached the Camanachd Cup final in 2016 and 2019, but were defeated on both occasions by Newtonmore.
The club's most recent successes have been winning the Celtic Society Cup in 2018 and 2019 and runners-up in 2020. In 2019 they also finished 2nd in the Premier League, runners-up in the Macaulay Cup and runners-up in the Camanachd Cup.
Lochside Rovers won the Bullough Cup 2018, 2019 and runners-up in 2020. They also had national success winning the Sutherland Cup 2017 and 2019.
Season by Season record
*2010-present only *2012: National League not reinstated until 2014. Relegation to South Div 1
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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Kilmory Camanachd is a shinty club from Lochgilphead, Argyll, Scotland. The club was founded in 1977 in its present form. The club plays in South Division One and has a reserve side in the Bullough cup. The club is associated with Dunadd camanachd
Taynuilt Shinty Club is a shinty team based in Taynuilt, Scotland. The club has existed in several different forms most recently in junior form but has reformed and won South Division Two in 2009.
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.
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)
The Sir William Sutherland Cup, more commonly known simply as the Sutherland Cup, is a trophy in the sport of shinty. It is the national cup competition for junior sides, the equivalent of the Camanachd Cup for those sides in lower league competition. The current (2024) holders are Kingussie 2nd team, the "junior" level reserves of the successful "senior" club.
The Balliemore Cup is a knock-out cup in the sport of shinty. It is the Intermediate Championship run under the auspices of the Camanachd Association and only first teams competing in the National, North Division One and South Division One are eligible for entry.
The Glasgow Celtic Society Cup, known for sponsorship reasons as the Scottish Sea Farms Celtic Society Cup since 2018, is a knock-out cup competition in the sport of shinty. Entry is open to all senior teams from the South District playing in the Premier Division and South Division One. It is the oldest competition in the sport, first being played for in 1879. It is one of the five trophies considered to be part of the Grand Slam in the sport of shinty.
The Bullough Cup is a knock-out competition in the sport of shinty.
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.
The Shinty league system is a series of interconnected leagues for shinty in Scotland. It is administered by the Camanachd Association.
The South Division One is the third tier of the Shinty league system. League champions are awarded the Dunn Cup and play-off against the North Division One champions for promotion to the National Division.
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.
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