Memory Lane - 2000 / 2001 Shinty Season Part 6/20 | |
26 December 2015 As Skye Camanachd look forward to their first season in shinty’s top division since 2002, let’s look back to the 2000 / 01 season, Skye’s first year in the national top tier. The Islanders only spell in the National Premier Division came when they won promotion from the National League Division 1 after a final-day win over Lochcarron at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree at the end of the 1999 / 2000 season. Skye joined Fort William, Glenorchy, Kilmallie, Kingussie, Kyles Athletic Newtonmore and Oban Camanachd in an eight team top flight in hope of winning the championship but with a definite aim of avoiding finishing bottom of the table which would mean relegation. Skye took a break from league action as the MacTavish Cup took centre stage. However the draw could hardly have been more unkind to them as they came out of the hat against Kingussie at the Dell.
Saturday 23 September 2000 Tulloch MacTavish Cup Kingussie 11 Skye Camanachd 0 Skye Camanachd’s participation in the Tulloch MacTavish Cup came to an abrupt end when they lost 11-0 to Kingussie at the Dell. An under-strength Skye squad had no answer to a rampant Kingussie side who were on the top of their game. Skye headed home determined to put in a better performance when the teams met in the league at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree just a week later. It was little consolation for Skye that Kingussie would go on to win the Tulloch MacTavish Cup, their twelfth success in the past fourteen years in this all-North tournament. Kingussie faced Kilmallie at the Bught Park in the final and they recovered from the early loss of captain David Borthwick through injury to run out 7-2 winners. Kilmallie had led twice in the final through Trevor Jackson and Scott Rodger. But first Ally Borthwick and then Ronald Ross pegged them back. Indeed Ross went on to grab a first half hat-trick – with all three goals coming in a spectacular six minute burst - to make it 4-2 at the break. A Kevin Thain goal, a second from Ally Borthwick and a fourth from Ronald Ross added to Kingussie’s tally in the second half. Tulloch Director George Fraser, who graced the Newtonmore shirt for so many years, presented the MacTavish Cup to Kingussie captain David Borthwick. |