The Camanachd Association will mark the beginning of 2007, Scotland's year of Highland Culture with a commemorative Old New year’s shinty match between two of the sports’ greatest rivals.

Glenurquhart and Strathglass will meet at the Bught Park in Inverness on Saturday (11am throw-up) to replay the famous match of 1887 which has been billed as “The Greatest Shinty match of all time.”

The game was played at the Bught Park, Inverness on February 13, 1887. The venue was the field that today stands between the Glenurquhart road and the Ice Rink and it measured 300 yards by 200 yards. The match was attended by a crowd estimated to be around 3,000 and soldiers and Inverness "bobbies" did duty on the line. There were 22 players on each side.

Camanachd Association President John MacKenzie, MBE, said: “The Great Game of 1887 was a key event in the history of our game in the Highlands and has a very special place in the affections of the people of Strathglass and Glenurquhart. The playing of an old New Year’s Day shinty match was one of the highlights of the social calendar throughout Scotland and it is fitting that these two great rivals will re-enact the famous game at the same venue, where we will ourselves be celebrating again later in the year. I am delighted that Highland Year of Culture organisers have recognised the social and cultural importance of shinty by offering us this platform as part of the sequence of the opening events of the year-long festival and I am sure that our two teams will put on a fitting display of our great sport.”

It was usual in the Highlands to have the principal games of shinty at New Year or Old New Year - January 1st or the 12th/13th. In these contests, often between two districts or parishes, and often play continued from the forenoon until darkness fell. “There is no event of greater importance in connection with the celebration of the advent of the New Year in the Highlands than the New year's day Shinty Match", it was claimed in 1896, in the Celtic Monthly, in an article entitled "New year's Day Shinty Match - a Time-Honoured custom".

New Year shinty matches are still a regular feature of festive celebrations everywhere. The most enduring example of the tradition is probably the Lovat Cup match, played first between Lovat and Beauly in 1904. Presented for play between the two clubs by Lord Lovat, the challenge match was originally played on Christmas Day but eventually became a New Year fixture.

Games have often been played in curious if not bizarre circumstances. In Kyleakin, for example, in the immediate post war period, the married and single men met in a challenge. A group of Masons regularly play in a match in Lochaber, although the result is always a secret. Playing shinty at New Year was also one of the cultural anchors which the Gaels took with them far and wide, to England, Australia and Canada.

Saturday’s event will be played under the watchful eye of match official Donald Fraser from Inverness and will be played to a finish with penalties used to decide the tie if it ends all square at the end of 90 minutes.

It is hoped that this year’s match, for the Iomain Callainn Highland 2007 Trophy will become an annual event. (Iomain Callainn = Old New Year’s day shinty in Gaelic).
 
For further information please contact Hugh Dan MacLennan, Communications Director (Tel: 0776 435 4021).