Skye Camanachd - Camanachd Cup Winners 1990 – Part 5. | |
02 June 2010 2 June 1990 Camanachd Cup Final Skye Camanachd 4 Newtonmore 1 Skye Camanachd received countless “Good Luck” messages from local and national businesses, local politicians and celebrities such as the band Run Rig ahead of the 83rd Camanachd Cup final. For the first and only time, the West Highland Free Press issued an apology for being unable to maintain their fine tradition of fair and impartial comment on this occasion! The paper even introduced their famous cartoon by Chris Tyler headed, “Will the last person to leave Skye please switch off the lights.” Pre-match interest included television interviews in Portree involving the Cowie brothers Ross and Willie, Willie MacRae and Andy MacLean. This might have been Skye’s first appearance in the final but their opponents Newtonmore were making their 47th appearance shinty’s premier event. Newtonmore legends Hugh Chisholm in goal and full forward David “Tarzan” Ritchie had 12 winners’ medals each! However Skye’s league performances during the season were such that many viewed them as favourites. The Skye supporters bus, organised as ever by Finlay MacLean, set off from Skeabost at 9.30am, no doubt making a couple of stops for refreshments en route! Newtonmore’s route to the final started of with a 3-2 win in Glasgow against Mid Argyll. They followed this up with a 4-1 home victory over Caberfeidh. They just edged out Oban Celtic in the semi final in a 7 goal thriller – after initially taking a 4 goal lead - to set up a place in the final against Skye Camanachd. Grampian Television covered the match and showed highlights at 5pm on the Sunday. BBC Radio Scotland covered the match live with commentary from the legendary Alasdair Alexander and match summariser Hugh Dan MacLennan. The final was set for An Aird, Fort William. Admission was £2.50 with £1.00 for senior citizens and 50p for children. The Lochaber High School Pipe Band played for the crowd, estimated in excess of 6,000, in the lead up to the 3pm throw up. The Skye Camanachd line up; John MacKenzie Duncan MacDougall Ewen MacKinnon Donnie MacDonald Willie MacRae Alasdair MacDonald Caley MacLean (captain) Andy MacLean Willie Cowie Peter Gordon John MacRae Calum Murchison Substitutes John Finlayson Willie MacKinnon David Pringle John Angus Gillies Team Manager – Ross Cowie Trainer – Gerry Ackroyd The Newtonmore line up; Hugh Chisholm Angus MacRae Evan Cheyne Paul John MacKintosh John Russell Richard Ralph Jeffrey Kirk Hamish Robertson Norman MacArthur Neil Ross Peter Ross David Ritchie Substitutes Mark Hay Alistair MacLeod Michael Macguire Sandy Seller (captain) Team Manager – John MacKenzie The match referee was John Henderson, accompanied by goal judges Duffy Flanagan and Bobby MacLeod. Skye were first to threaten. Newtonmore’s Paul John MacKintosh fouled Willie Cowie on the touchline. Cowie found John MacRae with the resultant free hit but he was flagged offside. Peter Gordon was starting to have an influence on the match and there were concerns on the Skye bench when he twisted his knee and lay on the ground in agony. His final seemed over. It later transpired that Gordon’s knee cap had twisted out of place. However once it was popped back into place, Gordon was on his feet and ready to carry on and to make his usual telling contribution to the Skye effort. After 15 minutes, Willie MacRae played a ball out of defence to Andy MacLean who in turn found Willie Cowie. Cowie’s rasping shot was just inches over the crossbar. Skye were not having it all their own way though and a move involving Norman MacArthur, Tarzan Ritchie, the 45 year old veteran playing in his 18th Camanachd Cup Final, and Neil Ross saw the ball fizz dangerously across the Skye goal. Calum Murchison tested Hugh Chisholm in the Newtonmore goal when he collected a delightful reverse pass from Gordon to fire on target. Chisholm blocked the shot but the ball fell to the lurking Cowie who found John MacRae who knocked the ball into the net. However the Skye supporters’ cheers were short lived as referee Henderson ruled out the effort for offside. Murchison again brought out a brilliant Chisholm save when he was on the end of a flowing move involving Willie MacRae, and Peter Gordon. It was then Bodach MacKenzie’s turn to star in goal when he saved well from a Peter Ross free hit. With 21 minutes on the clock, Skye made their pressure count. Calum Murchison sent a flick across goal and John MacRae beat Chisholm to the ball before knocking it goalwards. The ball came back of the post and MacRae reacted quicker than full back Angus MacRae to the tap the ball into the net and send the majority of the An Aird crowd wild with delight. Chisholm again had to save well from Peter Gordon as Skye looked to increase their lead. Peter Ross and Neil Ross both went close for Newtonmore as play raged from end to end. Peter Gordon set a 30 yard shot over the bar and Calum Murchison shot just past the post. Norman MacArthur went close twice for Newtonmore and whilst it wasn’t Skye’s best first half performance of the season, it looked as if they were going to get to the interval ahead. Then Newtonmore struck. MacArthur’s shot was saved by Bodach MacKenzie but MacArthur was first to the rebound and he swept the ball into the net to level the final. Douglas MacKinnon’s excellent “Home” series for television followed Skye on their trip to the final. He had access to the changing rooms at half time and his recording of events gave an interesting insight into how the second half would develop. Skye manager Ross Cowie demanded more of his players and he reminded them that the hopes of an island rested on their shoulders in the final 45 minutes. Skye started the second half in determined fashion with captain Caley MacLean dominating the centre line, with able assistance from wing centres Alasdair “Stenscholl” MacDonald and Andy MacLean. Skye regained their lead in 52 minutes when a 25 yard rocket shot from Peter Gordon was well saved by Chisholm but Willie Cowie was on hand to despatch the rebound into the Newtonmore net. Newtonmore, perhaps sensing that the final was starting to slip away, came back at Skye and MacKenzie saved well from Ritchie. Then MacArthur spurned a great chance when he shot wildly past. Willie MacKinnon replaced Peter Gordon on the hour mark. Gordon had performed well but was clearly hampered by his earlier injury. A less determined player would have left the field much earlier but Gordon could take great satisfaction from his performance. Bodach MacKenzie was the coolest man at An Aird when he blocked a MacArthur effort with his feet and flicked the ball for a corner as the whole Newtonmore forward line rushed in on him. Newtonmore forced two corners in succession but the Skye defence, marshalled by uncompromising full back Duncan MacDougall, were in no mood to let the Badenoch giants back into the game. Along-side him the half back partnership of Ewen MacKinnon and Donnie “Digg” MacDonald optimised the youth and experience in the Skye ranks. At 18 years of age, MacKinnon was the youngest player on the park but his speed and tenacity won the day against more experienced opponents. At 33, MacDonald displayed the experience gained representing Skye Camanachd since the 1970s. He was to retire from shinty after the final and he was determined to ensure that he went out on a high. Skye went back on the offensive and Willie MacKinnon was on the end of a flowing move but his shot whistled just past the post. In 69 minutes, Skye put daylight between themselves and ‘More. John MacRae sent a great pass to Murchison and whilst Chisholm saved his effort, MacKinnon and MacRae followed in on the loose ball and MacRae rounded the keeper to tap the ball into the net for his second and Skye’s third goal of the afternoon. The crowd sensed that Skye had one hand on the trophy and their hopes and aspirations were confirmed 3 minutes later with one of the great Camanachd Cup Final goals. Caley MacLean played a ball forward from midfield which found Willie Cowie 25 yards out with his back to goal. In one movement, Cowie lifted the ball in the air, swivelled and smashed the ball just as it was about to hit the ground, past Chisholm and into the net. It was a goal that had the whole crowd on their feet as excited television and radio commentators described it to the nation. Skye had won the Camanachd Cup and everyone at An Aird knew it. There was still time for Murchison to again test Chisholm but he was not to score the goal that his performance deserved. Cowie had the ball in the net again when he beat Chisholm to a ball in the air and knocked the ball over the line. However he was denied his hat-trick when the gaol was disallowed by referee Henderson who said Cowie had fouled the keeper. The decision seemed unfair. Manager Cowie brought on John “Slippy” Finlayson at wing centre in place of Andy MacLean. Murchison and MacRae both went close again before the end but as the final whistle blew; it was the Skye supporters who ran onto the field to congratulate their heroes. The Albert Smith medal for man of the match went to Skye Camanachd buckshee back Willie MacRae who put in a faultless performance. His speed and energy throughout the game gave Skye the platform to mount attack after attack on the Newtonmore goal. There had probably never been more popular winners of shinty’s greatest prize and this was confirmed in the many, many notes of congratulations received by the club in the weeks that followed. Even the Newtonmore President, the late Sandy Russell, whose son John was one of More’s top performers, wrote the West Highland Free Press to congratulate the Islanders. A touch of class from one of shinty’s most influential figures. Skye were 2 years short of their centenary celebrations but nothing was going to match how this victory was celebrated. The huge crowd generated the finals greatest receipts – around £7,200 - for many years. In comparison Skye’s turnover for the season increased by over £4,000 to £18,408 demonstrating the price of success. The club received significant financial input from long term sponsors Portree Building and Contracting Services (PBCS), as well as over £4,000 from various donations after the match. However where the crowd at the final might have been expected, the crowd that congregated in the Square in Portree to welcome their heroes had never been seen before or since. There was an optimistic expectation that the team might arrive home around 10.30 but – in the days prior to mobile phones and text messages – a couple of calls along the way indicated that their arrival time would be somewhat later. A less dedicated support would have headed home, but such was the pride in their team that the Skye fans grew and grew in numbers until in excess of 2,000 people – including a minister’s wife – waited until around 2am for the home-coming. The team were cheered of the bus as they took it in turns to lift the famous trophy. It’s fair to say that the celebrations didn’t just go long into the night but long into the following week! |