OBAN CELTIC v NEWTONMORE - bunnets and all

Footage from the 1937 Camanachd Cup Final between Oban Celtic, in their first final, and Newtonmore, appearing in their 18th Camanachd final.

The film is supplied courtesy of the National Library of Scotland's Scottish Screen Archive.

The game featured, held at the Bught, Inverness, ended 2-2 with Celtic going on to win 2-1 in the replay at Keppoch.

Incredible footage, and can you name any of the players or spectators? Who is the dandy with the hat and brolly who can't keep out of the camera shot, and even staged a one-man pitch invasion to get his fizzog on the cinema screens of Scotland?

What a crowd there was at the Bught that day - when men were men - and even wore bunnets while playing in the Camanachd Cup Final.

See it here:

1937 Camanachd Cup Final

Fancy being a shinty correspondent?

Would you like to report on shinty?

Shintyfan is always looking for news and opinion from the shinty world.

If you want to send match reports, e-mail colin@positiveland.co.uk or phone 07866 368842.

Give us a shout.

A gem of shinty history...

Have a look at this gem of shinty history.

It comes from the the Calum Maclean Project, based at the department of Celtic and Scottish Studies, University of Edinburgh. The project centres upon the collected materials of Calum I. Maclean (1915-1960).

On July 27, 1952, Maclean recorded a short anecdote in English from Donald MacDonald, then aged 75, who stayed in Laggan, Badenoch about New Year shinty in the district.

Click here to see it.

GET YOUR YOUTH FUND BID SUBMITTED

The Scottish Hydro Youth Development Fund closes for applications on Friday February 1.

The Youth Development Fund, which was established in 2010 by the Camanachd Association in partnership with Scottish Hydro, offers a share of £5,000 to member clubs who wish to increase youth participation by providing a maximum grant award of £500 to each club.

Applications will be considered by the association's  review group and funding awards will be prioritised in support of those proposals which best meet the stated aims and criteria of the scheme. 

The application form can be downloaded from here.

The scheme guidelines can be found by clicking here.

COULD SHINTY SHINE AT COWAL GAMES?

Cowal Highland Gathering is, we hear, about to lose its status as one of the major pipe band championships after this August's event.
But there is no room for tears, and the organisers will even now be looking for a replacement with the punch and vitality such that the major championships are hardly missed.

How about shinty?

Valerie Fraser Cup Final - photos

Just to keep us going through the pre-season cold, here are a few photos from the women's finals day back in September. Photos from the Marine Harvest Challenge Cup Final have been published earlier on Shintyfan - but these photos are from the Big One. The Valerie Fraser is the female equivalent of the Camanachd Cup, and what a contest this was in the hills of Cowal.
All photos are copyright.

Valerie Fraser Cup Final - Aberdour v Glengarry

 

A few shinty photos - Marine Harvest final

In response to a number of requests to Shintyfan, we publish a selection of photos from the Marine Harvest Challenge Cup during ladies shinty finals day at Strachur in September last year.

Lochaber v Strathglass

CAN'T WAIT...CAN YOU?

The Camanachd Association has released the dates for key finals and milestones in this year's shinty calendar. 

And if you're like me, the old butterflies are starting already. 

2012 MacTavish finalists - Lochaber and Newtonmore

The league season gets underway on March 5. 

The final of the cup championship for north clubs, the MacTavish, will be played on June 15.


The south equivalent and daddy of them all -  the AJG Parcels Celtic Cup Final - and shinty's oldest competition, will hold its final tie a fortnight later on June 29.

Taynuilt and Inveraray, Celtic Cup 2012 finalists

For first division clubs, its the Balliemore, and the final will be held on July 13.


The distinguished Sir William Sutherland Cup is contested nation-wide between lower division teams and has a proud history. The Sutherland Cup Final will be played on July 27.


Into August, it's the Artemis MacAulay Cup  Final, always played in Oban and contested between the respective winners of a south and north split draw. The MacAulay final is due to be held on August 17.


The north and south junior cup finals - the Strathearn and Bullough Cups respectively - will each be held on August 31.

A week later, on September 7, its the Big Day for women's shinty - Finals day, featuring the Marine Harvest Challenge Cup followed by the big one, the Valerie Fraser Camanachd Cup Final.

Shinty's most coveted prize

The biggest date in the shinty calendar falls on September 14, when the Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup Final is held at An Aird, Fort William.

After all that excitement, its on to the madness of the autumn shinty/hurling internationals. The dates for the 2013 Marine Harvest Shinty/Hurling international series between Scotland and Ireland are: October 20 at Croke Park, Dublin and October 26 at Bught Park, Inverness.

Phew...

SHINTY PRE-SEASON FRIENDLIES TO ENJOY

A friendly encounter

The new shinty season is just around the corner, so what friendly matches are lined up?
Give your supporters a chance to come along and size up the team before hostilities get under way in March.

So far (and it would be worth checking with the clubs first), I can see provisional friendlies as follows:

Friendlies (contact clubs for details)

Feb 9
- Newtonmore 2nds v Strathspey Camanachd
- Inveraray v Strachur

Feb 16
- Strathspey v Kingussie 2nds
- Kilmallie v Kinlochshiel

Feb 23
- Boleskine v Strathspey


Advertise your own friendlies on Shintyfan

THREE-HOUR BATTLE FOR A GALLON OF WHISKY

Following on from the theme of New Year shinty matches, as per our story posted last week Victorian New Year shinty showdown, dating from 1878 -  the Herald newspaper seems to have found similarly fascinating tales of ne'erday camanachd in the glens within its own archives.
The Herald's article from Saturday January 5 (reproduced courtesy of the Herald's managing editor) dates from 1863, and tells of a 20-a-side match in Glendaruel, nestled in the Cowal hills of Argyll.

Lochaber lifting the cup

Shintyfan has posted footage from the Women's Camanachd Association finals day at Strachur on September 8, 2012.

Victorian New Year shinty showdown

New Year shinty matches are a tradition going back into the mists of time.
But, exactly 135 years ago, one new year match had a particular significance as the sport slowly began to become organised at a regional level.