Memory Lane – George Michie | |
28 September 2016 Skye Camanachd lost one of their most precious talents on Monday 9 November 1981 when the body of their first team captain and half back George Michie was discovered near his home in Skeabost. He was aged just 20 years old. George had been missing since the Saturday evening. He played a friendly football match in Portree earlier that day and he was one of the island’s top footballers. In fact he captained a Rangers Boys Club side as a youngster when he lived in Glasgow. However it was at shinty that benefited when George’s family moved to Skye. He broke into the Skye Camanachd first team as a 16 year old and scored the winning goal for the side as they clinched the MacGillivray League Division 3 championship in April 1977 with a 3-2 win over Kincraig. His goal came well into extra time – the 90 minutes had the sides’ level at two each - and it was an unstoppable 35 yard drive which flew into the top left hand corner of the net. It was a goal fitting enough to win any competition against a big powerful Kincraig side! Speaking in the West Highland Free Press on 13 November 1981, the late DR MacDonald, who managed the 1977 league winning side and who gave George his debut in the Skye team said, “George was the sort of bloke who would shine at any sport. He was a very gifted athlete with all the qualities of a true sportsman. What impressed me about his shinty was his tremendous reflexes. He had a great game sense and positional sense – he was always in position before the ball arrived and he was a great distributor of the ball. Another thing was his great determination on the field of play. But in spite of being a hard man – not a dirty player – on the field, he was the gentlest of blokes off the field. George scored the winning goal for us in the MacGillivray League Division 3 game against Kincraig in 1977, and he played in the first team from then on. He was one of the best players. His death is a great lost to shinty” George’s Skye Camanachd team mate Ally “Mhor” Morrison, who was Skye Camanachd manager when the club won the 2008 Balliemore Cup, recalls travelling to Perth as a senior Portree High School pupil for a sixes shinty competition. “It was a really good team at that time with Iain “Dowel” MacLeod in goal and Davie MacLeod, Willie Cowie, Donnie Murchison, John MacDonald, Dander MacDonald, George and me in the side. There were various skills stations throughout the day at the event. There were penalty hits, keepy-upy, longest hit outs and shys for distance. George won most of the competitions but the funniest was the shys for distance event. George waited until the judge’s back was turned and threw the ball and volleyed it for miles into the distance. The judge could not believe how far the “shy” had travelled and needless to say, George won the shy competition. He would have won it anyway” says Ally. “His shys travelled a massive distance.” For the record, the team went on to win the competition, beating Plockton 2-0 in the final. It was perhaps fitting that in George’s final game for Skye Camanachd; he captained the side against the legendary Newtonmore on 31 October 1981. Skye lost the game 6-2 and their scorers that day were Alasdair Morrison and Duncan MacDougall. Skye keeper Iain “Dowel” MacLeod missed the match through injury but his replacement Calum “Colombo” Nicolson put in a man of the match performance. Following George’s passing; Skye Camanachd cancelled their Annual Sale of Work and Annual Dinner Dance which were due to be held later the same week. The club also cancelled their North Division 2 match with Aberdeen University in Portree and their North Division 3 trip to Drumnadrochit to face Glenurquhart – both on Saturday 14 November 1981. Skye Camanachd’s took the field once again on 21 November 1981 as they faced Strathglass at Cannich for the first time without their captain. It was perhaps no surprise that they lost the match 4-2 thus losing their 100% record to date in the league. There was a minute’s silence before the game in George’s honour. Skye Camanachd tried three different right wing backs during the match in an attempt to replace George. Skye Camanachd first team manager John Angus Morrison played Iain “Staffin” MacDonald, John “Bodach” MacKenzie and Willie MacRae in the position at different times as the team struggled to come to terms with their loss on the field. With 11 minutes played, Alasdair MacKinnon and Willie Cowie linked up well to set up Alasdair Morrison to score the opening goal. Billy Bolton equalised for Strathglass following an inevitable mix up in the Skye defence and the teams remained level at half time. George Fraser gave Strathglass a 2-1 lead into the second half but 3 minutes later, Strathglass keeper Dave MacKintosh saved from Alasdair Morrison and Duncan MacDougall – who had come on as a substitute for Kenny “Keyman” MacKinnon – scored from the rebound. George Fraser then scored his second and Strath’s third as he gave Skye keeper Calum “Colombo” Nicolson no chance with a fierce drive. Minutes later, Duncan MacDougall took a pass from Alasdair Morrison and hit what looked to be the equaliser. However referee Ron Mullican disallowed the goal for offside after consultation with the Strathglass goal judge. Skye’s Willie Cowie was booked for dissent following the decision. In 67 minutes, Bruce Douglas made it 4-2 and clinched the win for Strathglass following another mix up in the Skye defence. Skye were understandably not at their best but keeper Calum “Colombo” Nicolson and Donnie “Digg” MacDonald and Willie MacRae were amongst their better performers. However Skye Camanachd recovered and this was to be the only league match they lost that season. They eventually clinched the North Division 2 title in April 1982 when they beat nearest challengers Lochaber 3-2 at Spean Bridge. It was fitting that the cup was presented to new Skye Camanachd captain, the late Peter Murchison – George’s cousin. It was a dramatic match in which Skye only needed to draw to win the title. However Skye were trailing 2-1 with only minutes remaining when Duncan Martin sent a rocket shot into the top right corner of the net. John “Bodach” MacKenzie sealed the win in injury time. There was also a minutes silence before the football match on Skye between Bernisdale and Portree following George’s passing as football also mourned its loss. George could have gone on to achieve it all in the game of shinty. He was only 20 years old when he passed away and he already had a 1977 McGillivray League Division 3 title and a 1979 Sutherland Cup medal to his name. He would have been 29 years old and in his prime when Skye Camanachd won the Camanachd Cup in 1990. He would undoubtedly have played his part in that success and who knows what the club could have achieved throughout the 1980s with his presence. There were a few semi-final defeats during that time where George could have made such a difference. When Skye Camanachd manager Ross Cowie was interviewed on television immediately following his side’s 1990 Camanachd Cup success, his thoughts turned to his friend and former team mate. He too recognised the contribution that George could have made to shinty on Skye but for his untimely passing. It was decided to play an annual football match in George’s honour which usually involved one or both the side’s he played for – Bernisdale and Portree Utd. Teams such as Ross County have competed for this trophy in the past. Now, 35 years later, George’s friends and former shinty and football team mates still ensure that his memory is remembered through this event and this will be the case for many, many years to come. More recently the George Michie Memorial Cup has been contested on the shinty field with Skye Camanachd beating Glenurquhart 4-2 to first win the trophy in 2011. First half strikes from Glen MacKintosh and John MacKenzie and two late Danny MacRae goals gave Newtonmore a 4-0 win the 2012 match The Orion Group Premiership champions and Co-operative MacTavish Cup holders travelled to Pairc nan Laoch, Portree a year later to defend the trophy and they did this with a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Danny MacRae and Steven MacDonald. The 2014 event was originally scheduled for February but the wet weather prevented the game taking place. Skye welcomed local rivals Kinlochshiel to contest the trophy in November and two goals from Keith MacRae and a John MacRae hat-trick meant ‘Shiel were 5-0 winners. Lovat also provide top class opposition in 2015 but this time Skye won on penalties after goals from Greg Matheson and Kenny Campbell resulted in a 1-1 draw. Skye Camanachd and Kingussie will double up their Marine Harvest Premiership encounter to contest the 2016 George Michie Memorial Cup at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree on Saturday 1 October 2016. |