Fort William Shinty Club
Encyclopedia
Fort William Shinty Club is a shinty
club from Fort William, Lochaber
, Scotland
. 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 second team and a vibrant youth system.
The club plays in the heart of the town at An Aird
which is an area often under threat from development.
in 1912. The club folded on occasion in the 1900s and 1920s and had very little success except a Camanachd Cup semi final in 1937 against Oban Celtic
and a sprinkling of junior cups. http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1915669?UserKey=
Unfortunately for the club, the rise of Fort William as a force in shinty coincided with the 20 year dominance of Kingussie. However, the club heralded its arrival as a major force by winning the Macaulay Cup in 1991 http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1915669?UserKey= and reaching the semi final of the Camanachd the same year then finally joining the ranks of clubs who have won the blue riband event in 1992, beating Kingussie 1-0 in Glasgow
thanks to Deek Cameron
's goal after only seven seconds, which still stands as the fastest goal in a final.
Fort continued to perform well and reached the final in 1994 where they lost to Kyles Athletic
. The new millennium
saw Fort William habitually come in second behind the unstoppable Kingussie team and began to be seen as the team most likely to break the Badenoch
dominance.
side 1-0 in Oban
. When the side again reached the final in 2005 against local rivals, Kilmallie
, it was seen by the wider community as case of now or never. The game, held between the two Fort William teams in the town itself, is widely regarded as the most exciting final of recent times, Fort winning with a last gasp goal to win 3-2.
Further glory was to follow the next year in 2006, when Fort William finally broke Kingussie's dominance of the league title (a World record in any sport) after a consistent level of performance throughout the year meant that Newtonmore
were pipped to the title. Kingussie did regain a modicum of revenge by defeating the Fort comprehensively in both the MacTavish Cup (The North Senior Trophy) and the final of the Camanachd Cup in Dunoon
.
on 22 June 2008. The club's reserve team also won the Strathdearn Cup in 2008 for the first time. In 2009, the club won the Camanachd Cup for a third successive year, beating Kyles Athletic
4-3 in the final at Oban
. That victory added them to the select band of clubs which have won the Camanachd Cup three times in a row, the other clubs being Kingussie, Newtonmore and Kyles Athletic.http://www.strathspey-herald.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/4666/Fort_joins_shinty_elite.html
James Clark
was the talisman for the three in a row years, his last-minute goals causing heartache for Kyles Athletic in particular in the 2009 final.
Through the successful three in a row years, the manager was club stalwart Drew MacNeil
, who was also captain in 2005 when they defeated Kilmallie. However, in controversial circumstances, MacNeil claimed he was being forced out of the club due to conflict with the club's board.http://www.lochaber-news.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/4502/Shock_shinty_war_of_words.html The club committee sacked MacNeil in late October along with his coach Graeme MacMillan due a "breakdown of relationships".http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1457016/?UserKey=
MacNeil was succeeded for the 2010 season by Peter MacIntyre, returning to the post which he had co-held with Davie Stafford when the team won the Premier League. MacIntyre made a strong start to the 2010 season with some good results despite his team not displaying the pomp of old, a 14–0 defeat of Glasgow Mid-Argyll aside. However, there was a massive shock in the MacTavish Cup
semi-final when local rivals Kilmallie
, playing in North Division One, knocked them out 4–3.http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/Shinty-Kilmallie-storm-Fort.6329795.jp However the club went on to record a fourth successive Camanachd Cup win, placing them in the same company as Newtonmore and Kingussie.
In 2011, Fort's run of nine successive Camanachd Cup Final appearances came to an end when they were defeated 8–1 by Newtonmore in the second round. The club is likely to finish the season without any silverware as they succumbed to Kingussie in the MacTavish Cup Final and are well adrift in the league. This may mark an end of an era for shinty and Fort William. Gary Innes confirmed that several older players would be stepping down at the end of the 2011 season in his BBC blog.http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/garyinnes/2011/09/kyles_march_on_as_kingussie_fl.html#more
team, Fort William F.C.
.http://www.lochaber-news.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/1889/Football_club's_shinty_hurdle.html
Despite the club's profile in the town, efforts are afoot to evict the club from its ground, An Aird, in order to build a supermarket. The local authority, Highland Council, have come under fire for their care of the park, especially after the playing surface was stripped bare by rabbits. The company behind the planned development were unequivocal in stating in April 2007 that there would be no development upon the An Aird pitch. http://www.lochaber-news.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/1022/Surprise_bid_to_block_Waterfront_deal.html. In March 2008, Highland Council again came under fire for their negligence of the An Aird surface, which may result in the loss of An Aird's prestigious status as a Camanachd Cup Final host stadium. http://www.lochaber-news.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/2276/Final_whistle_shock_at_An_Aird_.html In February 2009 the stadium was attacked by vandals
causing thousands of pounds of damage.
The club was forced to move to the Black Park in Fort William half way through in season 2011 in order for renovation work to be done on the pitch at An Aird. http://www.lochaber-news.co.uk/Sport/Shinty/Fort-boss-sign-off-in-style-7027821.htm The club's future at An Aird still remains shaky as in November 2010 further plans to develop the site were revealed by an Edinburgh based company. The relocation of the Fort to a mooted first-ever all-weather pitch within Fort William may be part of this development.http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/2024865?UserKey=
The club provides many players for the international side. Wing centre Gary Innes
is a renowned accordionist.http://www.garyinnes.com/
Shinty
Shinty is a team game played with sticks and a ball. Shinty is now played mainly in the Scottish Highlands, and amongst Highland migrants to the big cities of Scotland, but it was formerly more widespread, being once competitively played on a widespread basis in England and other areas in the...
club from Fort William, Lochaber
Lochaber
District of Lochaber 1975 to 1996Highland council area shown as one of the council areas of ScotlandLochaber is one of the 16 ward management areas of the Highland Council of Scotland and one of eight former local government districts of the two-tier Highland region...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The first team were Camanachd Cup
Camanachd Cup
The Camanachd Association Challenge Cup AKA the Camanachd Cup or Scottish Cup is the premier prize in the sport of shinty...
holders four times in succession, between 2007 and 2010 but were knocked out in the second round in 2011. The club also has a second team and a vibrant youth system.
The club plays in the heart of the town at An Aird
An Aird
An Aird is both an area of Fort William, Scotland, and also the largest dedicated shinty park in the town and is situated on the east bank of Loch Linnhe, near the centre of the town. It is located next to the Nevis Centre. An Aird regularly hosts both the Camanachd Cup Final and the Composite...
which is an area often under threat from development.
History
Fort William was officially constituted in 1893 but the club slowly emerged into the sport and only entered the Camanachd CupCamanachd Cup
The Camanachd Association Challenge Cup AKA the Camanachd Cup or Scottish Cup is the premier prize in the sport of shinty...
in 1912. The club folded on occasion in the 1900s and 1920s and had very little success except a Camanachd Cup semi final in 1937 against Oban Celtic
Oban Celtic
Oban Celtic is a shinty team from Oban, Argyll, Scotland. The club plays South Division One.-History:The Club was founded in 1927 due to a plethora of players being available who could not get a game for either the senior or the junior side of Oban Camanachd...
and a sprinkling of junior cups. http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1915669?UserKey=
Unfortunately for the club, the rise of Fort William as a force in shinty coincided with the 20 year dominance of Kingussie. However, the club heralded its arrival as a major force by winning the Macaulay Cup in 1991 http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1915669?UserKey= and reaching the semi final of the Camanachd the same year then finally joining the ranks of clubs who have won the blue riband event in 1992, beating Kingussie 1-0 in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
thanks to Deek Cameron
Deek Cameron
Derek "Deek" Cameron is a shinty referee and ex-shinty player from Fort William, Scotland. As a player for Fort William Shinty Club, he holds the record for the fastest goal scored in the Camanachd Cup final, an effort within 7 seconds in Fort's 1992 victory....
's goal after only seven seconds, which still stands as the fastest goal in a final.
Fort continued to perform well and reached the final in 1994 where they lost to Kyles Athletic
Kyles Athletic
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 Premier Division after recently being outwith the top flight of Scottish Shinty.-History:...
. The new millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
saw Fort William habitually come in second behind the unstoppable Kingussie team and began to be seen as the team most likely to break the Badenoch
Badenoch and Strathspey
Badenoch and Strathspey as a local government district 1975 to 1996Badenoch and Strathspey is a local government ward of the Highland council area and a ward management area of the Highland Council in Scotland...
dominance.
Kingussie's Dominance Broken
The Fort reappeared in the Camanachd Cup Final in 2003 but was defeated by Kingussie 6-0 on home soil. The next in 2004 then saw the Fort go down to an unfancied InverarayInveraray Shinty Club
Inveraray Shinty Club is a shinty club from Inveraray, Argyll, Scotland. It plays in the Scottish Hydro Premier Division. There is also a reserve team who plays in the South Division One as well as a Ladies team.-History:...
side 1-0 in Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
. When the side again reached the final in 2005 against local rivals, Kilmallie
Kilmallie
Kilmallie is the name of a civil parish in and around the settlement of Caol, Fort William, Scotland. It gives its name to the local shinty club, Kilmallie Shinty Club....
, it was seen by the wider community as case of now or never. The game, held between the two Fort William teams in the town itself, is widely regarded as the most exciting final of recent times, Fort winning with a last gasp goal to win 3-2.
Further glory was to follow the next year in 2006, when Fort William finally broke Kingussie's dominance of the league title (a World record in any sport) after a consistent level of performance throughout the year meant that Newtonmore
Newtonmore Camanachd Club
Newtonmore Camanachd Club is a shinty club from Newtonmore, Badenoch, Scotland and current holders of the Camanachd Cup. It is historically one of the game's most successful sides, having won the Camanachd Cup a record 29 times, most recently in 2011 and won the Marine Harvest Premier Division in...
were pipped to the title. Kingussie did regain a modicum of revenge by defeating the Fort comprehensively in both the MacTavish Cup (The North Senior Trophy) and the final of the Camanachd Cup in Dunoon
Dunoon
Dunoon is a resort town situated on the Cowal Peninsula in Argyll, Scotland. It sits on the Firth of Clyde to the south of Holy Loch and to the west of Gourock.-Waterfront:...
.
Four in a row
Fort again won the Camanachd Cup in 2007 by defeating Inveraray 3–1 in Inverness. The club got off to a shaky start in the 2008 season but won the Camanachd Cup yet again 2008, the first time that they had retained the trophy. The club created history by playing the first-ever top-flight fixture on a Sunday against Lochaber CamanachdLochaber Camanachd
Lochaber Camanachd is a shinty club based in Spean Bridge, Lochaber, Scotland. The club has a senior team in North Division One, relegated from the Premier Division in 2009 and a reserve team in North Division Three. There is also a ladies team.-History:...
on 22 June 2008. The club's reserve team also won the Strathdearn Cup in 2008 for the first time. In 2009, the club won the Camanachd Cup for a third successive year, beating Kyles Athletic
Kyles Athletic
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 Premier Division after recently being outwith the top flight of Scottish Shinty.-History:...
4-3 in the final at Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
. That victory added them to the select band of clubs which have won the Camanachd Cup three times in a row, the other clubs being Kingussie, Newtonmore and Kyles Athletic.http://www.strathspey-herald.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/4666/Fort_joins_shinty_elite.html
James Clark
James Clark (shinty)
James "Big Jim" Clark is a shinty player from Invergarry, Scotland. He gained fame from his last minute goals which secured a succession of Camanachd Cup triumphs for Fort William Shinty Club.-Playing Career:...
was the talisman for the three in a row years, his last-minute goals causing heartache for Kyles Athletic in particular in the 2009 final.
Through the successful three in a row years, the manager was club stalwart Drew MacNeil
Drew MacNeil
Drew MacNeil is a former shinty player and current manager of the Scotland national shinty team. He was appointed Glenurquhart manager in October 2011.-Biography:...
, who was also captain in 2005 when they defeated Kilmallie. However, in controversial circumstances, MacNeil claimed he was being forced out of the club due to conflict with the club's board.http://www.lochaber-news.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/4502/Shock_shinty_war_of_words.html The club committee sacked MacNeil in late October along with his coach Graeme MacMillan due a "breakdown of relationships".http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1457016/?UserKey=
MacNeil was succeeded for the 2010 season by Peter MacIntyre, returning to the post which he had co-held with Davie Stafford when the team won the Premier League. MacIntyre made a strong start to the 2010 season with some good results despite his team not displaying the pomp of old, a 14–0 defeat of Glasgow Mid-Argyll aside. However, there was a massive shock in the MacTavish Cup
MacTavish Cup
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...
semi-final when local rivals Kilmallie
Kilmallie Shinty Club
Kilmallie Shinty Club is a shinty team from Caol, Fort William, Scotland. The club's first team will play in the Scottish Hydro Premier Division in 2011 after a four year absence since relegation in 2007 and the second team plays in North Division 2. The team are also renowned for a strong youth...
, playing in North Division One, knocked them out 4–3.http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/Shinty-Kilmallie-storm-Fort.6329795.jp However the club went on to record a fourth successive Camanachd Cup win, placing them in the same company as Newtonmore and Kingussie.
In 2011, Fort's run of nine successive Camanachd Cup Final appearances came to an end when they were defeated 8–1 by Newtonmore in the second round. The club is likely to finish the season without any silverware as they succumbed to Kingussie in the MacTavish Cup Final and are well adrift in the league. This may mark an end of an era for shinty and Fort William. Gary Innes confirmed that several older players would be stepping down at the end of the 2011 season in his BBC blog.http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/garyinnes/2011/09/kyles_march_on_as_kingussie_fl.html#more
Shinty V Football
Fort William and local rivals, Kilmallie, have succeeded in making shinty the main sport of the town and their success is in comparison to the distinct lack of success enjoyed by local Highland LeagueHighland Football League
The Press & Journal Highland Football League is a league of football clubs operating not just in the Scottish Highlands, as the name may suggest, but also in the north-east lowlands...
team, Fort William F.C.
Fort William F.C.
Fort William F.C. is a senior football team from Fort William, Lochaber, Scotland. They play in the Highland Football League and have been playing at that level since joining the league in 1985.- History :-Origins and the Early Years:...
.http://www.lochaber-news.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/1889/Football_club's_shinty_hurdle.html
Despite the club's profile in the town, efforts are afoot to evict the club from its ground, An Aird, in order to build a supermarket. The local authority, Highland Council, have come under fire for their care of the park, especially after the playing surface was stripped bare by rabbits. The company behind the planned development were unequivocal in stating in April 2007 that there would be no development upon the An Aird pitch. http://www.lochaber-news.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/1022/Surprise_bid_to_block_Waterfront_deal.html. In March 2008, Highland Council again came under fire for their negligence of the An Aird surface, which may result in the loss of An Aird's prestigious status as a Camanachd Cup Final host stadium. http://www.lochaber-news.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/2276/Final_whistle_shock_at_An_Aird_.html In February 2009 the stadium was attacked by vandals
Vandals
The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century. The Vandals under king Genseric entered Africa in 429 and by 439 established a kingdom which included the Roman Africa province, besides the islands of Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearics....
causing thousands of pounds of damage.
The club was forced to move to the Black Park in Fort William half way through in season 2011 in order for renovation work to be done on the pitch at An Aird. http://www.lochaber-news.co.uk/Sport/Shinty/Fort-boss-sign-off-in-style-7027821.htm The club's future at An Aird still remains shaky as in November 2010 further plans to develop the site were revealed by an Edinburgh based company. The relocation of the Fort to a mooted first-ever all-weather pitch within Fort William may be part of this development.http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/2024865?UserKey=
The club provides many players for the international side. Wing centre Gary Innes
Gary Innes
Gary Innes is a Scottish musician, star shinty player and broadcaster from Spean Bridge, Lochaber, Scotland. He is a wizard accordion player and established Scottish shinty Internationalist...
is a renowned accordionist.http://www.garyinnes.com/