The much respected John MacKenzie from Newtonmore was elected Camanachd Association Chieftain at a well-attended annual general meeting in the Muthu West End Hotel, Fort William on Friday 29 November 2019.
John MacKenzie is a Past President of the Camanachd Association and has served the game, man and boy, in many capacities.
Richard Gall from Fort William is the new Camanachd Association Vice-Chieftain, edging out David MacMaster from Caberfeidh in a vote to take over from Alex Macnaughton.
Roddie MacCuish from Oban was amongst three additions to the Camanachd Association Board, with Ross Brown and Burton Morrison also installed, whilst Youth Director Willie MacDonald from Fort William was re-elected for a second term.
There were 25 Members present with 8 proxies making a voting strength of 33.
President’s Report
In his second annual report as President, Keith Loades said 2019 will be remembered as the first time in history that the Camanachd Cup Final had to be abandoned as torrential rain led to the pitch becoming waterlogged, leaving referee Robert Baxter with no option than to call the game off.
Loades said this was one of several matches affected by adverse weather but acknowledged that there were other factors which caused difficulty for the Competition committee and changes may have to be considered if we are to avoid some clubs experiencing lengthy periods without a match next season.
Loades thanked the CEO Derek Keir and the Association’s staff and directors for their contribution to the sport of shinty, not forgetting the large number of people who give freely their time to serve on various sub committees.
There were thanks for Jock Turner, an ever-present at Board meetings, who stood down after 12 years as Chieftain. Departing Vice-Chieftain Alex Macnaughton was also praised for his contribution.
Finance Director Daniel Palombo and fellow Board member Wendy Chamberlain both stood down with Loades again paying tribute. He said: “The fact that the finances of the CA are in a good place is due, in part, to the expert guidance we have had from Daniel Palombo our Finance Director. Daniel, unfortunately, has to stand down after six years as a Board member. However we are pleased that he will remain on the Finance committee. Similarly, we are greatly disappointed to be losing Wendy Chamberlain. Wendy has made a valuable contribution but regrettably, due to other demanding interests, has advised us that she cannot continue. We will not lose touch with Wendy and thank her for her offer of continued support when needed.”
Sportscotland, shinty’s sponsors and all clubs and the volunteers were recognised and there was special mention for the work undertaken by the Shinty Memories committee of David MacMaster, John MacKenzie, Donnie Grant and Hugh Dan MacLennan, which Keith Loades has now joined, as well as the other volunteers who organise groups across the shinty playing areas to raise the spirits of those suffering from dementia.
CEO Report
Chief Executive Officer Derek Keir’s highlights for the year included: the launch of Steven MacKenzie’s Surviving & Thriving; 125 Years of the Camanachd Association, 36 clubs becoming accredited, 25 club action plans put in place, two Schools of Shinty established and talks of a further two coming on board, Shinty Ambassadors and the National Disability Festival, Club Culture Workshops whilst Membership increased to 3,448 from 2,750 in 2014.
Finance
There was positive news on the financial front as the meeting reflected on the 2018 accounts which showed a £15,687 increase in turnover and a surplus for the year of £21,456, increasing the Associations reserves to £129,502 at 31 December 2018.
Grant funding decreased by £9,598 and sportscotland continued to be the largest contributor, committing to a further four-year funding package through to 2022. However, local authority-based grants were again reduced due to the continued general squeeze on budgets. Sponsorship income increased by £18,660, largely attributable to the income from new sponsors and increased membership of the Business Club.
Mowi were again shinty’s principal sponsors in 2018, as they have been since 1988. This 30-year sponsorship is one of the longest recorded in Scottish sport.
Total expenditure in 2018 was £576,145, an increase of £22,178 on the previous year. Key areas of expenditure remain: Competitions, Development, Wages and Office Expenses.
Competition costs increased by £12,655 in 2018 and this was mainly due to hosting the international in Inverness.
Membership numbers increased slightly from 3,354 in 2017 to 3,448 in 2018, with a small increase in associated income.
The Association confirmed they expect to break-even in 2019 which will maintain current reserves.
Competitions
There were 639 senior fixtures scheduled in 2019 compared to 655 the previous year and 689 in 2017. However 21 fixtures were unfulfilled due to team raising difficulties, down from 29 in 2018 and 39 a year earlier, with 99 fixtures postponed and rescheduled compared to 92 in 2018.
Of the 99 postponed fixtures, 63 were due to unplayable fields, 13 were due to bereavement whilst a further 13 were walk-overs.
Participation in the senior leagues dropped to 52 teams from 53 in 2018; a result of Lochaber not fielding a second team and Strachur not entering a team whilst Ardnamurchan re-joined the leagues after a few seasons in abeyance.
There were a total 1,267 shinty fixtures over all competitions.
Match Officials
The recruitment, retention and development of match officials at senior level remains a critical issue for shinty and is identified as a priority concern in the Strategic Plans for Shinty.
Although some progress has been made, the Association recognised that the situation remains highly fragile and requires the proactive support of all member clubs to help increase and develop the number of officials regularly active within the game.
A total 36 referees were allocated to senior games during 2019, down from 39 in 2018. Only 25 referees were available on a regular basis throughout the season, down by two from 2018.
There were 3 referees who previously officiated in 2018 but did not participate in 2019 due to injury for work or family commitments. Two new referees were introduced at senior level during 2019.
The grading of referees in 2019 was as follows: 15 Grade One, 12 Grade Two and 6 Grade Three.
The Youth / University / WCA Referee course, which was introduced by the Development Team in 2016 to encourage people to become involved in refereeing, continues to engaging participants. So far, 74 people have completed the course in 2019 to add to the 161 who took part during the previous three years.
This is a key focus in the strategic plan for shinty and something the Association aim to encourage for all new officials, starting their journey as a referee or goal judge. One official progressed from youth games to senior games this year and 4 others are considering completing the Senior Foundation Course in 2020.
Four Area Workshops for match officials & assessors were delivered during 2019.
Facilities
The improvements witnessed at Kinlochshiel (new senior pitch), Fort William (new youth pitch) and Newtonmore (new second pitch) in 2019 continue to be encouraging.
The Camanachd Association was instrumental in the formation of a Bught Park user group in 2019 to encourage the improvement and development of the Bught Park facilities. The Group secured funding support from Highland Council and Highlands & Islands Enterprise for a feasibility study which is now underway.
The Camanachd Association has also been represented by Euan McMurdo at meetings to discuss Mossfield Stadium in Oban. The Association said that at the latest meeting in October, it was decided to form a steering group to form short, medium and long term aspirations and actions.
Communications
It was recognised that positive media coverage gives shinty a key platform for promotion and marketing of the sport, reaching large audiences and engaging both current and new supporters.
The Camanachd Association has, this year, hired a Marketing & Communications graduate to work with this specific remit. Positive media coverage provides shinty with a fantastic platform for promoting the sport to a wider audience.
BBC Scotland and BBC Alba extended their excellent television coverage whilst the Association also acknowledged that shinty benefits from excellent national and local printed media reporting from newspapers including The Oban Times which is a reflection of the important role shinty plays in the life of communities across Scotland.
Norman Strachan’s team also helped raise the game’s profile, filming a number of matches throughout the year for the Association’s YouTube channel.
The power of social media gives the Camanachd Association the ability to instantly provide news and updates to its members. It has become the main source of information for younger generations, providing the Association with an opportunity to interact with its members in real-time.
Byelaw Proposals
There was approval for a proposal put before members that all players in the adult game must be aged 16 years, although clubs can field a player under this age on completion of a parent / guardian form. However the minimum age for participation in the adult game was set at 13 years.
A proposal moving towards the mandatory introduction of the wearing of helmets didn’t receive the required support although several clubs are expected to introduce their own measures.
It was confirmed a free-hit for a “kick” should not be awarded where the ball plays the player.
It had been proposed that each member club must provide the name of a registered and qualified goal judge each season but this matter will be referred to the Camanachd Association Board.
The wording on some other bye-laws was tidied up.