Bute Withdraw From National Division | |
21 February 2017 The Camanachd Association has confirmed that Bute have withdrawn their first team from the Marine Harvest National Division and will play in Marine Harvest South Division 1 this coming season. A statement from the game’s governing body advised member clubs that a request was received from Bute Shinty Club on Saturday 11 February 2017 to withdraw their first team from the 2017 Marine Harvest National Division. Bute requested that they be allowed to join Marine Harvest South Division 1 instead and, in the process, maintain their second team in South Division 2. Bute advised that, “The players are unable to commit to our first team due to family and work commitments combined with the additional travel involved with the current National League set up. We consider that if we do take part in that league we will be unable to complete the fixture list and will have to withdraw during the season, this would be unfair on the other teams, it would also result in the loss of playing members of our club.” The Camanachd Association Executive rejected the initial letter and verbally requested the Bute Chairman meet with the club’s players and managers to determine if there was any way they could be persuaded to see the National Division through this year. The Chairman reported back that there was next to no appetite for continuing in the National and they would inevitably default, sooner rather than later. Perhaps crucially, he made a plea for continuing with two teams in some shape or form because the younger players would be the ones edged out if they were restricted to South Division 2 only. The request was further considered by the Competitions Committee and by the Board of Directors. Whilst the game’s Byelaws state that the Camanachd Association would be minded to refuse such a request, both the Competitions Committee and the relevant Board Directors have most reluctantly agreed to the request in order to sustain the participation of two teams from Bute. However Bute will be deducted 8 points when they commence in South Division 1 as the relevant Byelaw introduces at the start of the 2016 shinty season states that where the association agrees to a club’s request for their team to play in a lower league, that team will forfeit 20% of available league points. Given the short notice, the Camanachd Association do not intend to re-draw the league fixtures. Where possible, teams in the National Division scheduled to play Bute will play the team which previously had no fixture. Similarly the team in Marine Harvest South Division 1 which had no fixture will be paired with Bute. As a consequence there will be a delay in the Publication of the full 2017 Fixture List which had been due to be published on Wednesday 22 February 2017. |