Premier league shinty could be round the corner for Perth-based Tayforth, one of shinty's newest clubs, who face one of the biggest games in their history today when they tackle Ballachulish at the South Inch. The two clubs are level on points going into their final match and the winners will go through to the play-off for a place in the premier league.
Success has not been far away at the end of this sporting season in Perth, a testament to the Fair City's sporting credentials and the lust for battle, evidenced since the most famous stramash of all on the Banks of the Tay in 1396. Immortalised in Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe, goodness only knows what the warriors of the Middle Ages would have made of today's events, on a pitch where the good ladies of Perth have been known to stroll across the middle of the shinty field claiming a right of way.
The current Tayforth side are organising a special evening in September to celebrate their first quarter of a century. Formed in 1973, the club moulded together the shinty and hurling backgrounds of key figures such as Barry Nesbitt and Father Eugene O'Sullivan, now based in Dundee. There has always been a strong Irish presence in the shape of John Joe Moran, the late and great Rory O'More who did so much for the club in its early days, and Morris Lyons.
Chairman Hugh MacMaster, who has seen Tayforth go through all sorts of trials and tribulations in its short history, will miss today's finale, golfing in Portugal. He is planning the September event. He said: ''Few people gave us much chance of survival. We had some great times in the late seventies and beyond, but the highlight has to be winning the Aviemore indoor tournament in 1990. In 1980-81 we clinched the Division II championship and remained in Division I for 10 consecutive seasons. We won the Mod Cup twice, all great events and they should be marked at this stage. A place in the premier league would be the icing on the cake and the start of the next stage of Tayforth's development.''
Former Kilmallie player MacMaster has been one of the key figures to have joined the club while staying in places as far apart as Perth, Edinburgh, Livingston and the south-east. Derek MacGillivray is another who watched the recent Balliemore Cup final against his own home club, Caberfeidh, with understandable mixed feelings. Cabers won that one, although Tayforth could and should have walked away with their first major outdoor title.
With 90% of the country's population no more than 90 minutes away, Tayforth are ideally placed to take their development a stage further. They have always exhibited a modern approach to the game, running their own tournament from the idyllic South Inch, producing their own club programme and now in joint association with other sporting organisations, part of the thriving Perth City Sport and Leisure Club. MacMaster said: ''We have been extremely fortunate in Perth to have an understanding council now headed by a Provost who can safely say he is a shinty man. When Tayforth have Premier League status and bid for a Camanachd Cup final here in Perth, we are sure that we will have the backing of Provost John Culliven. No Roy Bridge man could turn down the chance to bring the final back to Perth.''
Strange as it may seem to some, Perth has been a Camanachd Cup final venue before, most notably in 1899, when the Ballachulish versus Kingussie tie produced the earliest known photographs of action at a final. Ballachulish ironically provide today's opposition for key figures like goalkeeper Garry Gilfillan, an outstanding servant to the club over the last 11 years and veteran Alister Henderson who has swung a stick longer than he will care to remember.
Kilmallie are their likely opponents in the play-off, if they can secure the points they need in today's game at Caberfeidh, or the two more they have in hand. Premier League status and the possibility of a final at Perth would give the troops gathering at the Caledonian Hotel on the first Saturday in September something to shout about as they reminisce over their beer and the stovies which were once the staple diet of post- match festivities in Perth.
MacMaster says they all hope that the first Saturday in September could be notable for a lot of reasons. ''First and foremost it is a celebration but just imagine if we had our first Premier League shinty match here that day and we had someone like the reigning champions visiting. If we make it into the top grade, we would hope the association would accommodate us, because we are perfectly serious. We aim to be in the big time and stay there. We have under-achieved for too long.''
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article