Eight teams, sixty four shinty players, several coaches, a number of referees, two of the best medics, two generous sponsors and some excellent cooks were amongst the contributors to another successful John MacKinnon Memorial Shinty Sixes at the Portree High School astro pitch on Saturday 7 January 2017.
John MacKinnon
John MacKinnon was a regular at Skye Camanachd games both at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree and on the mainland.
His son Ewen MacKinnon was the youngest member of the Skye Camanachd side which won the 1990 Camanachd Cup when they beat Newtonmore 4-1 in the final at An Aird, Fort William.
The family connection continues with John’s grandson Iain Nicolson playing for Skye after a spell with Lovat.
John MacKinnon’s firm Skye Transport was a well-established haulage business which provided much needed local employment. It is now part of the Ferguson Transport Group. John was also a generous sponsor of Skye Camanachd and was always on hand to provide advice on many matters.
John’s contribution was recognised when he was made a Skye Camanachd Vice-President and his tragic passing on Thursday 22 December 2011, following an accident at work, left a void at the Island club.
Event Details
The John MacKinnon Memorial Shinty Sixes is an invitational tournament and each squad must include an over 45 player, an U17 player and a ladies player in their squad.
There is a Shield for the winners, medals for the winners and runners up, as well as awards for:
- Overall Player of the Tournament
- Ladies Player of the Tournament
- Over 45 Player of the Tournament
- U17 Player of the Tournament.
The teams played a round-robin set of fixtures with the top four sides qualifying for the semi-final stage.
The league games lasted seven minutes and the semi-finals and final for ten minutes. The league games were played straight through whilst the semi-finals and finals saw a change of ends at half time.
The nominated ladies player in each team had to play full game and the nominated over 45 player had to play for at least half of each match.
An additional bonus point was on offer for each goal scored by the nominated ladies player or the over 45 player.
The nominated U17 players were asked to wear white helmets.
Goals could only be scored inside the opposition half.
If teams were level on points at the end of the league games, the final positions were decided on goal difference. If teams were equal on goal difference, then the team scoring most goals would go through to the semi-final stage.
If teams were level after full time in the semi-final and final, there would be a period of five minutes extra-time. If teams were still level, there will be a penalty shoot-out with each team taking three penalties by three nominated penalty takers - one of whom must be a lady and one an over 45 and one an U17.
This was the fourth year of the tournament six Skye teams and sides from Kinlochshiel and Lochcarron lined up for the 10am start.
Douglas MacDougall was the event organiser.
John MacKinnon Memorial Shinty Sixes - League Matches
Carranachs 1 Bayer Neverlosen 0
Lochcarron side Carranachs, led by David MacCuish and Douglas MacKenzie, won their opening fixture over largely South Skye based Bayer Neverlosen side who were led by brothers Ally “Spod” MacLeod and Iain “Spod” MacLeod. Liam Arnott scored the goal that made the difference.
Golden Oldies 0 North End 1
Holders the Golden Oldies didn’t get off to the best of starts. With John “Slippy” Finlayson and Peter Gordon providing instruction from the touchline, they lost 1-0 to Ally “Digg” MacDonald’s North End side who also had Donnie “Digg” MacDonald assisting from the sidelines. North End would go on to have a good day and Ally “Cleodi” MacLeod got their goal in this one but the North Enders also benefited from some great goalkeeping from Ally “Mhor” Morrison (Struan).
Witness the Fitness 1 Squatty Potties 1
There was a share of the points between David Grant’s Witness the Fitness and Davie Pringle’s Squatty Potties outfit. James Pringle for the Squatties and Jordan Murchison for Witness the Fitness scored the goals.
‘Shiel 0 Storr Troopers 3
Caley Maclean and Willie Cowie led the Storr Troopers to a 3-0 victory over a young Jordan Fraser led ‘Shiel squad. Neil MacVicar, Abby MacLean and Will Cowie got the goals with Abby MacLean’s effort earning the team a bonus point.
Storr Troopers 1 Squatty Potties 0
The Storr Troopers made it two wins out of two as a well-engineered Neil MacVicar strike from the left gave them a 1-0 win over the Squatty Potties.
Bayer Neverlosen 1 ‘Shiel 1
Bayer Neverlosen and ‘Shiel both notched their first points in a 1-1 draw. Danny Morrison and Jordan Fraser got the goals.
Witness the Fitness 1 Golden Oldies 2
A John Gillies double got the Golden Oldies on track, edging out Witness the Fitness for whom Connor Gilpin was on target.
Carranachs 1 North End 2
Liam Arnott scored again for the Carranachs but a Ross Gordon brace gave North End another win. The Carranachs lost Matthew Young with a knock to the knee which later required stitches.
Carranachs 0 ‘Shiel 1
The derby meeting between the Carranachs and ‘Shiel was settled by another Jordan Fraser goal.
North End 0 Witness the Fitness 1
The meeting between North End and Witness the Fitness looked as if it would be a tale of two keepers as Ally “Mhor” Morrison (Struan) and David Grant both pulled off some terrific saves. However the deadlock was broken by Connor Gilpin and his well-struck shot gave Witness the Fitness all three points.
Storr Troopers 2 Bayer Neverlosen 0
Willie Cowie displayed some great skills throughout the tournament and he was on target in this one, with his goal earning a bonus point. Neil MacVicar also scored to give the Storr Troopers a 2-0 win.
Squatty Potties 0 Golden Oldies 2
John Gillies gave the Golden Oldies an early 1-0 lead against the Squatty Potties. There were a number of humourous moments during the day but this game provided one of the best. Golden Oldies boss John “Slippy” Finlayson decided it was time to make a substitute appearance and he called out to John Gillies, “John, you come off; I fancy a run out.” Young John’s response drew laughter from the touchline as he replied, “Are you sure, we’re only 1-0 up?” Slippy can rightly point out that his team doubled their lead following his introduction when William MacKinnon made it 2-0.
Witness the Fitness 1 Carranachs 0
Witness the Fitness clocked up another win, this time against the Carranachs, with Jordan Murchison getting the only goal of the game.
‘Shiel 1 Squatty Potties 0
‘Shiel edged out the Squatty Potties 1-0 with Jordan Fraser once again their marksman.
North End 0 Storr Troopers 1
The Storr Troopers made it four wins out of four as a Willie Cowie goal gave them a 1-0 victory, and another bonus point, against North End in a close match.
Golden Oldies 1 Bayer Neverlosen 0
Another single goal game saw a John Gillies goal give the Golden Oldies the edge against Bayer Neverlosen.
Carranachs 0 Storr Troopers 0
The Carranachs became the first team to take a point off the Storr Troopers with their match ending in a goalless draw.
Witness the Fitness 1 ‘Shiel 1
The match between Witness the Fitness and ‘Shiel ended in a 1-1 draw. A goal from Jordan Murchison and a fourth goal of the day from Jordan Fraser meant a share of the points.
‘Shiel 0 Golden Oldies 0
‘Shiel and the Golden Oldies both drew a blank as their match finished goalless.
North End 1 Bayer Neverlosen 1
A blistering shot from Bayer Neverlosen’s Ryan Morrison, which beat his Dad Ally Morrison in the North End goal, wasn’t enough to give his side victory as Ally “Cleodi” MacLeod scored to earn North End a draw.
Squatty Potties 1 Carranachs 0
Squatty Potties recorded their first win of the tournament when they beat the Carranachs 1-0 courtesy of an Ian MacPherson goal.
Storr Troopers 3 Golden Oldies 0
One of the more eagerly anticipated games of the competition was the meeting between the Storr Troopers and the Golden Oldies. In the end, the Storr Troopers collected six points thanks to a 3-0 win with the goals coming from Willie Cowie and an Abby MacLean brace; all goals earning bonus points.
Bayer Neverlosen 1 Witness the Fitness 2
A neat goal from Iain “Spod” MacLeod was cancelled out by efforts from Connor Gilpin and Iain Murray as Witness the Fitness continued their strong finish with a 2-1 win over Bayer Neverlosen.
‘Shiel 0 North End 3
Two goals from Ross Gordon and a bonus earning Joan Nicolson goal gave the North End a 3-0 victory over ‘Shiel.
Carranachs 0 Golden Oldies 1
A smart finish from Iain Nicolson was enough to give the Golden Oldies a 1-0 win over the Carranachs in the holders’ final match of the league games.
Squatty Potties 1 Bayer Neverlosen 0
The Squatty Potties won again as James Pringle found the back of the net to beat Bayer Neverlosen 1-0.
North End 1 Squatty Potties 0
North End made sure of a second placed finish in the league when an Ally “Cleodi” MacLeod goal gave then a 1-0 win over the Squatty Potties.
Storr Troopers 1 Witness the Fitness 1
League Leaders Storr Troopers and Witness the Fitness both won through to the semi finals following their 1-1 draw. Willie Cowie (another bonus point) and Kieran Roberts got the goals.
Final League Placings
Storr Troopers finished top of the league which gave them a semi final meeting with fourth placed Witness the Fitness. North End were second so they faced third placed Golden Oldies.
John MacKinnon Memorial Shinty Sixes - Semi Finals
North End 0 Golden Oldies 2
Holders the Golden Oldies beat North End 2-0 in their semi-final but they didn’t have it all their way as it took a superb first half goal-line clearance from defender Caitlin MacLean to keep them on level terms. After the break, John Gillies burst forward to set up Iain Nicolson for the opener whilst, from the restart, Ewen MacKinnon found John Gillies who made it 2-0 to send the Golden Oldies through to the final.
Storr Troopers 2 Witness the Fitness 0
The Storr Troopers took an early two-goal lead in their semi final tie against Witness the Fitness side. A turn and shot from Willie Cowie, his fifth strike of the day, put the Storr Troopers ahead whilst Abby MacLean added a second shortly after to seal the 2-0 win.
John MacKinnon Memorial Shinty Sixes - Grand Final
Storr Troopers 1 Golden Oldies 2
The final was a tense affair with no goals in the first half with Storr Troopers keeper Murphy Henderson saving well from Iain Nicolson whilst Iain Nicolson and Willie Cowie both later went close with fierce shots. The nearest we came to a first half goal was a deflected Will Cowie shot which was well saved with his hand by Golden Oldies keeper James “Chips” Munro. A turn and shot from John Gillies, his sixth goal of the afternoon, put the Golden Oldies ahead but there was an immediate response from the Storr Troopers as the ball was knocked down into the path of Abby McLean who fired the ball into the back of the net to make it 1-1 with what was her fifth goal of the competition. The winning goal came when John Gillies played the ball to Ewen MacKinnon who sprayed a pass to his son William MacKinnon and he thumped the ball home and it was fitting that John MacKinnon’s grandson would net the winner. The winning margin could have been greater had Neil MacVicar not done well to clear another William MacKinnon effort off the goal line. The final was refereed by Donnie Martin and Robbie Gordon who both officiated for a half each.
John MacKinnon Memorial Shinty Sixes Teams:
Bayer Neverlosen from: Davie Pringle, Katherine Dibble, James Morrison, Iain “Spod” MacLeod, Ally “Spod” MacLeod, Danny Morrison, Ryan Morrison, Jamie Gillies
Carranachs from: Calum “Colombo” Nicolson, Laura MacKay, Liam Arnott, Douglas MacKenzie, David MacCuish, Sean MacCuish, Matthew Young, Sam Stubbs
Golden Oldies from: John “Slippy” Finlayson, Caitlin MacLean, William MacKinnon, James “Chips” Munro, iain Nicolson, John Gillies, Keith MacKenzie, Ewen “Crossal” MacKinnon
North End from: Ally “Mhor” Morrison (Struan), Joan Nicolson, Ross Gordon, Ally “Digg” MacDonald, DJ Gilpin, Ally “Cleodi” MacLeod, Kenny MacLeod, David MacInnes
‘Shiel from; John Matheson, Emily Gordon, Finlay MacRae, Jordan Fraser, Morgan Fraser, Duncan Matheson, Cameron Jones, Raymond Gillies
Squatty Potties from: Davie Pringle, Holly MacLean, Martin Pringle, Angie “Borve” MacDonald, James Pringle, Calum Robertson, Ian Macpherson, Ross MacKinnon
Storr Troopers from: Willie Cowie, Abby MacLean, Murphy Henderson, Allan “Goa” MacLeod, Neil MacVicar, Will Cowie, John MacLean, Caley MacLean
Witness the Fitness from: Ally Grant, Nicola MacSween, Connor Gilpin, Iain Murray, Jordan Murchison, Stewart Grant, Kieran Roberts, David Grant
Player of the Tournament Awards
The John MacKinnon Memorial Shinty Sixes trophy presentation took place at the Skye Camanachd Clubhouse afterwards whilst the player of the tournament awards were voted on by the competing clubs.
The U17 player of the tournament was given to William MacKinnon who plays shinty for Inverness and who played really well throughout the competition.
Abby MacLean notched a number of the Storr Troopers’ goals and she picked up the ladies player of the tournament.
North End goalie Ally “Mhor” Morrison from Struan made a number of superb saves during the tournament and he collected the over 45s player of the tournament for the second year in a row.
There were several contenders for the overall player of the tournament and another goalie came out on top as Skye’s U14 goalie Murphy Henderson picked up the prize.
Rules of Play
The 2016 MacKinnon Sixes will start at 10am and all teams should be ready to start by then.
- Teams should report to the shed at the south end of the astro pitch next to the High School for registration.
- Teams should consist of a squad of eight players and must include a lady, an U17, an over 45 not currently playing league shinty, a maximum of two first team players and three others.
- All league games will last for a single period of 7 minutes.
- Three points are awarded for a win and one for a draw.
- A team will be awarded an extra point for any game in which the lady scores so even in defeat, the team will be awarded a point if a lady scores.
- A team will be awarded an extra point for any game in which the over 45 scores so even in defeat, the team will be awarded a point if the over 45 scores.
- The additional points only apply to league games and not the semi-final or final.
- Players are offside if they are within 5 yards of the goal before receiving the ball.
- Referees will decide whether a player is offside.
- Rolling substitutes will be in use.
- The over 45 must play half the game.
- The lady must play the entire game.
- Leagues will be decided on the most points won.
- If teams are level on points, the outcome will be decided on goal difference.
- If teams are level on goal difference, the team scoring the most goals will be the winner.
- Semi-finals will last 10 minutes with a change of ends after 5 minutes.
- If teams are level at full-time, a period of 5 minutes of extra-time will be played. If the teams are still level after this, there will be a penalty shoot-out with 3 penalties taken by a nominated lady, a veteran over 45 and an U17.
- Trainers or moulded studs only must be worn on the astro turf. No blades/bars or metal studs can be worn.
- The changing rooms and showers at Portree High School are available to be used and teams are responsible for safely securing any valuables. The changing rooms will be sign posted.
- Medical staff will be present on the day but teams are advised to ensure they have a first-aider in their team.
- All teams will be asked to nominate a Player of the Tournament, a Ladies Player of the Tournament, an U17 Player of the Tournament and an over 45 Player of the Tournament ahead of the prize giving in the Skye Camanachd Clubhouse.
- Soup and sandwiches will be provided in the Skye Camanachd Clubhouse after the tournament.
- There will be no yellow or red cards shown but the match referee may ask a player to leave the field of play (and be replaced) if they are showing an over aggressive or unsporting approach to what should be a fun game.
- The referee’s decision is final.
- By participating in this competition, all teams agree to abide by the rules of play.
- Team managers may be asked to help with refereeing.
We hope everyone had a great day out whether playing, officiating or spectating at the 2016 John MacKinnon Memorial Shinty Sixes.
Skye Camanachd would like to thank everyone who contributed to making this another successful event.
The tournament was once again sponsored by M2 Motors, Portree and Highland Industrial Supplies, Inverness.
(The picture of 2016 John MacKinnon Memorial Shinty Sixes Winners Golden Oldies comes courtesy of Moreen Pringle)