Huge congratulations to John Angus Gillies who has been selected to referee this year’s Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final between Kinlochshiel and Lovat at Mossfield, Oban on Saturday 18 September 2021.
John Angus first played shinty aged 10 where he was coached by the late DR MacDonald and Finlay Nicol at Portree High School. As part of a successful school team, they won all competitions; the MacPherson Cup, The Wade Cup and the MacBean Cup.
Success at U14 and U17 level followed before a 15 year old John Angus was given a debut by Skye Camanachd first team manager John Angus Morrison. It was against Newtonmore and John Angus scored twice as Skye won for the first time at the Eilan.
He went on to become part of the famous Skye Camanachd squad which won the Camanachd Cup in 1990, beating Newtonmore 4-1 in the final.
Following a long-playing career with Skye Camanachd, John Angus was encouraged to take up refereeing by Astie Cameron and hasn’t looked back since.
In his maiden year he took control of his first final – the 2009 Strathdearn Cup Final - and 12 years on he will be the man in the middle of a Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final for the first time.
John Angus has already refereed the following finals:
- Strathdearn Cup (2009)
- MacTavish Juvenile Final (2013)
- Sutherland Cup (2013)
- MacTavish Cup (2016)
- Glasgow Celtic Society Cup (2019)
He was also the 4th official at the MacTavish Final in 2015 and the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Finals in both 2017 and 2019.
In 2017, both he and his son John Gillies were given accolades by the Camanachd Association as John Angus was awarded Mowi Referee of the Year and his son John Gillies was the Mowi U17 Player of the Year.
The last time a Skye referee took charge of a Camanachd Cup Final was 107 years ago in 1914 when Archibald MacPherson, who later became a Camanachd Association Past President, took charge of Kingussie’s win over Kyles Athletic in Glasgow.
Well done Gillie!
(The photo comes courtesy of Donald Cameron)