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.

On January 1, 1878, Queen Victoria was approaching 41 years on the throne.
Winston Churchill celebrated his third birthday a month before, and four months earlier Crazy Horse, the famous Lakota Sioux chief and victor at the Little Bighorn, died from bayonet wounds after resisting US imprisonment.

The rail line from Glasgow to the wilds of Argyll had just reached Dalmally - Oban wouldn't be connected for another two years - while much of Scotland was in mourning after 207 miners died in the Blantyre mining disaster a couple of months earlier.
In Scottish sport, Vale of Leven had won football's Scottish Cup the previous year  - and would go on to complete a hat-trick of cup wins over the next two seasons.

Vale of Leven, this remarkable sports club, was situated in an industrial area bordering the Highlands - a magnet for people needing work from the impoverished west and north. The Vale flourished as people from all areas descended on the area between Loch Lomond and the Clyde. People brought their traditions with them, and one of those traditions was shinty.

As neighbouring club Renton and Vale of Leven dominated the fledgling Scottish football competitions, the Vale also played a mighty role in the early days of organised shinty.

A remarkable shinty match took place in the middle of this purple patch for the Vale of Leven.

The 1878 New Year shinty match near Inveraray Castle - perhaps at the Winterton - was for the 'shinty championships of Scotland'. And local side Inveraray were taking on the Vale.

Shintyfan's archives hold a match report from this title decider, transcribed from an unknown publication (perhaps the Oban Times or Glasgow Herald), and we're grateful to the reporter for this invaluable record of a past era.

Remember that shinty's oldest competition - the Glasgow Celtic Society Cup - would not come into formal existence for another year or more after the match described below.

Match report

Inveraray v Vale of Leven

An important shinty match was played at Inveraray on New Year's Day (1878) for the shinty championship of Scotland, the contestants being teams of fifteen from the Inveraray and Vale of Leven clubs respectively.
Additional significance was given to the contest from the fact that Inveraray had challenged the Vale, which had been in existence as a club for twenty-two years and had never once been defeated.
Conclusions had been tried between them at Govan in February last, when Inveraray was defeated by 4 goals to 1.
The Vale representatives arrived at Inveraray on Monday afternoon, and at twelve o'clock on New Year's Day the meet took place in the spacious park to the south of Inveraray Castle, when the following teams faced each other:


Inveraray
Henry M Smith (chief forward), Peter Munro, Donald MacPherson, Charles Guthrie, Daniel MacVicar, John Clark, Archibald Munro, Donald Luke, Duncan Campbell, Angus Munro, John MacPherson, Alex McNab, John Campbell,Donald Watt and John Henderson (goal).

Vale of Leven
J Hutchison, J Baxter, D Fletcher, A Adams, M McOmish (forward), Lindsay, Hugh Stewart, MacFarlane, Wm Campbell, J Lindsay, Chas Lunton, Jas MacKechnie, J McLean, J McGowan, Robert Kilpatrick (goal).

Mr John MacArthur of Barbreck, president of the Inveraray club, acted as referee, with Mr John Campbell as umpire for Inveraray and Mr Alexander Bryan for the Vale. The ground, which was in excellent order, had adequate space and a large number of spectators girdled the circumference. There was at first a pretty stiff breeze blowing up the course from south to north.
The Vale won the toss for direction at the first start, and the ball was thrown up in the midfield by the referee at five minutes past twelve o'clock. Immediately the ball was sent towards the Inveraray goal, when Guthrie sent it clear through with a long stroke, and thus the first goal was scored for Inveraray in half a minute. After this unexpected opening, goal after goal was won by Inveraray in rapid succession, amid deafening chorus from all around.
The average time for each goal ran to five minutes during the hour and a half the play was kept up. When half time was called Inveraray had scored six goals to nothing.
The ball was then changed from the hard one regularly used by the Argyllshire men to one of softer material. The result, however, continued the same till the ninth goal, when Lunton scored one for the Vale. After this Inveraray got another three goals, with one man short. Archibald Munro, one of their team, having been disabled. 
When full time was called, Inveraray had scored twelve goals to the Vale's one.