Kyles Athletic
Encyclopedia
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.
, which Kyles have gone on to win more times than any other club apart from the Badenoch
giants, Newtonmore and Kingussie, 20 times in all. They have also won the Celtic Society Cup 27 times and the MacAulay Cup a further 9 times. They won the Grand Slam in 1966. (At that point consisting of the Camanachd, MacAulay, Celtic Society and Dunn Senior League.)
Kyles play in royal blue shirts with white shorts and red stockings as their first set of jerseys were presented by Rangers FC.http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/a-hundred-years-of-shinty-solitude-southern-game-celebrates-its-close-family-connections-at-landmark-final-1.82039
Until the formation of the National Premier League, Kyles were the dominant side in South shinty, having won the inaugural league in 1974-75 and then winning every league from 1977 to 1988.
A great constant since the late 1970s has been Kenny MacDonald
who is still playing for Kyles as of 2011. He has played for Scotland and also won the Albert Smith Medal
. He was also part of the Kyles team which won the Macaulay Cup
alongside his son Roddie.http://sport.scotsman.com/shinty/Shinty-Elated-Kyles-Athletic-offer.6791697.jp
They have enjoyed a yo-yo existence in the National Leagues and whilst still a match for anyone in remote Tighnabruaich, they have struggled to regain their prime position in South shinty.
They faced Lochcarron in the play-off for entry into the Premier League in 2006. They lost 2-1 in a close game at The Eilan, Newtonmore, consigning the club to another year outside the top flight.
2-0 away from home to gain promotion back to the top flight.
In 2008, the club played well and stayed in the Premier Division.
In 2009, the club came to international attention when two of their players were diagnosed with swine flu
. This resulted in Kyles' fixtures being postponed.http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1272296?UserKey= The club also made it to the final of the Camanachd Cup after an extra-time replay of a match against Kingussie which they won 4-3. The original game was called off with Kingussie leading 4-1 with 30 minutes left. Kyles went on to lose the final 4-3 in Oban
to Fort William
despite coming back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 before the decisive Fort William goal.
Kyles controversially refused to travel to Beauly
on 28 November 2009, when bad weather had rendered their park unplayable and no alternative ground could be found for what would have been a title decider for opponents Kingussie.http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1490796?UserKey= This refusal led to Kyles being docked 2 points, this was appealed and led to Kyles leapfrogging Glenurquhart into 4th place in the 2009 standings.http://www.highland-news.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/6985/Cups_up_for_grabs_in_season_warm-ups.html
The club has taken steps to developing a second park in the area for when their home ground is unplayable, this park Ardlamont, was used for the first time on 10 April 2010 for a Premier Division match with Fort William.
Kyles started the 2011 season with 5 straight wins, including two important victories away to Inveraray and Fort William.http://www.shinty.com/news/kyles-remain-at-the-top-of-scottish-hydro-premier-division/ This has raised hopes in Tighnabruaich of a maiden Premier Division title. Kyles went unbeaten for the whole season, winning the MacAulay Cup and the Glasgow Celtic Society Cups. Their only defeats were to Inveraray in the Camanachd Cup and heartbreakingly to Newtonmore in a winner takes all game for the Premier Division at Dunoon Stadium, due to Tighnabruaich being unsuitable.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/15808004.stm Even more heartbreaking was the manner in which they lost, requiring only a point to make realistically sure of a maiden title, they succumbed to a last minute goal from Danny MacRae
.
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...
team from Tighnabruaich
Tighnabruaich
Tighnabruaich is a village on the Kyles of Bute in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.Tighnabruaich is part of Argyll's Secret Coast, just an hour and a half west of Glasgow, and is nestled along the east coast of Loch Fyne and stretching into the beautiful Kyles of Bute.Tighnabruaich is popular for...
, Argyll
Argyll
Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...
, 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...
. It is one of the sport's most illustrious names, presently playing in the Premier Division
Premier Division (shinty)
The Premier Division is a league for shinty teams. It is the primary league competition in shinty and top tier of the Shinty league system. The Premier Division was formed in 1996 in order to create a Scotland-wide league set-up for the first time...
after recently being outwith the top flight of Scottish Shinty.
History
The club was founded in 1896 as Kyles Athletic Football and Shinty Club , the same year as the first Camanachd CupCamanachd Cup
The Camanachd Association Challenge Cup AKA the Camanachd Cup or Scottish Cup is the premier prize in the sport of shinty...
, which Kyles have gone on to win more times than any other club apart from 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...
giants, Newtonmore and Kingussie, 20 times in all. They have also won the Celtic Society Cup 27 times and the MacAulay Cup a further 9 times. They won the Grand Slam in 1966. (At that point consisting of the Camanachd, MacAulay, Celtic Society and Dunn Senior League.)
Kyles play in royal blue shirts with white shorts and red stockings as their first set of jerseys were presented by Rangers FC.http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/a-hundred-years-of-shinty-solitude-southern-game-celebrates-its-close-family-connections-at-landmark-final-1.82039
Until the formation of the National Premier League, Kyles were the dominant side in South shinty, having won the inaugural league in 1974-75 and then winning every league from 1977 to 1988.
A great constant since the late 1970s has been Kenny MacDonald
Kenny MacDonald (shinty player)
Kenny MacDonald is a goalkeeper in the sport of shinty. He plays for Kyles Athletic and he is noted for his longevity in the sport, having played at the top of the sport for over 30 years.-Shinty career:...
who is still playing for Kyles as of 2011. He has played for Scotland and also won the Albert Smith Medal
Albert Smith Medal
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,...
. He was also part of the Kyles team which won the Macaulay Cup
Macaulay Cup
The MacAulay Association Camanachd Cup is a trophy in the sport of shinty. It is competed for by the eight highest-placed league teams from the north and south areas at the end of the previous season. The first winner of the cup, in 1947, was Newtonmore. It will be sponsored by Artemis from the...
alongside his son Roddie.http://sport.scotsman.com/shinty/Shinty-Elated-Kyles-Athletic-offer.6791697.jp
They have enjoyed a yo-yo existence in the National Leagues and whilst still a match for anyone in remote Tighnabruaich, they have struggled to regain their prime position in South shinty.
They faced Lochcarron in the play-off for entry into the Premier League in 2006. They lost 2-1 in a close game at The Eilan, Newtonmore, consigning the club to another year outside the top flight.
Return to the Top
On 7 September 2007, Kyles defeated BallachulishBallachulish Camanachd Club
Ballachulish Camanachd Club is a shinty team from Ballachulish, Lochaber, Scotland. The club was founded in 1893 the same year as the Camanachd Association. One of the sport's most famous clubs, they won the Camanachd Cup four times before World War I...
2-0 away from home to gain promotion back to the top flight.
In 2008, the club played well and stayed in the Premier Division.
In 2009, the club came to international attention when two of their players were diagnosed with swine flu
Swine flu
Swine influenza, also called pig influenza, swine flu, hog flu and pig flu, is an infection by any one of several types of swine influenza virus. Swine influenza virus or S-OIV is any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic in pigs...
. This resulted in Kyles' fixtures being postponed.http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1272296?UserKey= The club also made it to the final of the Camanachd Cup after an extra-time replay of a match against Kingussie which they won 4-3. The original game was called off with Kingussie leading 4-1 with 30 minutes left. Kyles went on to lose the final 4-3 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...
to Fort William
Fort William Shinty Club
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...
despite coming back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 before the decisive Fort William goal.
Kyles controversially refused to travel to Beauly
Beauly
Beauly is a town of the Scottish county of Inverness-shire, on the River Beauly, 10 miles west of Inverness by the Far North railway line. Its population was 855 in 1901...
on 28 November 2009, when bad weather had rendered their park unplayable and no alternative ground could be found for what would have been a title decider for opponents Kingussie.http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1490796?UserKey= This refusal led to Kyles being docked 2 points, this was appealed and led to Kyles leapfrogging Glenurquhart into 4th place in the 2009 standings.http://www.highland-news.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/6985/Cups_up_for_grabs_in_season_warm-ups.html
The club has taken steps to developing a second park in the area for when their home ground is unplayable, this park Ardlamont, was used for the first time on 10 April 2010 for a Premier Division match with Fort William.
Kyles started the 2011 season with 5 straight wins, including two important victories away to Inveraray and Fort William.http://www.shinty.com/news/kyles-remain-at-the-top-of-scottish-hydro-premier-division/ This has raised hopes in Tighnabruaich of a maiden Premier Division title. Kyles went unbeaten for the whole season, winning the MacAulay Cup and the Glasgow Celtic Society Cups. Their only defeats were to Inveraray in the Camanachd Cup and heartbreakingly to Newtonmore in a winner takes all game for the Premier Division at Dunoon Stadium, due to Tighnabruaich being unsuitable.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/15808004.stm Even more heartbreaking was the manner in which they lost, requiring only a point to make realistically sure of a maiden title, they succumbed to a last minute goal from Danny MacRae
Danny MacRae
Daniel Pirrie MacRae better known as Danny MacRae is a Scottish shinty player from Newtonmore, Scotland. He plays for Newtonmore Camanachd Club...
.