Kyles Athletic

Last updated
Kyles Athletic
Kylesathletic.jpg
Full nameKyles Athletic Shinty Club
Gaelic nameComann Camanachd Caolas Bhòdaich
NicknameKyles
Founded1896
GroundThe Playing Field, Tighnabruaich
ManagerRobert Baxter
League Marine Harvest Premiership
20184th
Reserve ManagerFraser Williamson
League South Division One
20181st
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
Home
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
Away

Kyles Athletic Shinty Club is a shinty team from Tighnabruaich, Argyll, Scotland. It is one of the sport's most illustrious names, presently playing in the Marine Harvest Premiership with their second team is playing in South Division one.

Contents

In 2012 they won the Camanachd Cup for the first time since 1994, defeating local rivals Inveraray in the final.

History

The club was founded in 1896 as Kyles Athletic Football and Shinty Club, the same year as the first Camanachd Cup, which Kyles have gone on to win more times than any other club apart from the Badenoch giants, Newtonmore, sharing the second place spot with Kingussie, 21 times in all. They have also won the Celtic Society Cup 29 times and the MacAulay Cup a further 10 times. They won the Grand Slam in 1966. (At that point consisting of the Camanachd, MacAulay, Celtic Society and Dunn Senior League.)

Kyles play in royal blue shirts with white shorts and red stockings as their first set of jerseys were presented by Rangers FC. [1]

Kyles won the Grand Slam in 1966, the only time the club has done so, winning the Dunn League. Until the formation of the National Premier League, Kyles were the dominant side in South shinty, having won the inaugural amalgamated South league in 1974–75 and then winning every league from 1977 to 1988.

A great constant since the late 1970s has been Kenny MacDonald who is still who is still helping manage the first team today. He has played for Scotland and also won the Albert Smith Medal. He was also part of the Kyles team which won the Macaulay Cup alongside his son Roddy. [2]

In the early 2000s they enjoyed a yo-yo existence in the National Leagues and whilst still a match for anyone in remote Tighnabruaich, they struggled to regain their prime position in South shinty until the next decade.

They faced Lochcarron in the play-off for entry into the Premier League in 2006. They lost 2–1 in a close game at The Eilan, Newtonmore, consigning the club to another year outside the top flight.

Return to the Top

On 7 September 2007, Kyles defeated Ballachulish 2–0 away from home to gain promotion back to the top flight.

In 2008, the club played well and stayed in the Premier Division.

In 2009, the club came to international attention when two of their players were diagnosed with swine flu. This resulted in Kyles' fixtures being postponed. [3] The club also made it to the final of the Camanachd Cup after an extra-time replay of a match against Kingussie which they won 4–3. The original game was called off with Kingussie leading 4–1 with 30 minutes left. Kyles went on to lose the final 4–3 in Oban to Fort William despite coming back from 3–0 down to draw 3–3 before the decisive Fort William goal. [4]

Kyles controversially refused to travel to Beauly on 28 November 2009, when bad weather had rendered their park unplayable and no alternative ground could be found for what would have been a title decider for opponents Kingussie. [5] This refusal led to Kyles being docked 2 points, this was appealed and led to Kyles leapfrogging Glenurquhart into 4th place in the 2009 standings. [6]

Kyles started the 2011 season with 5 straight wins, including two important victories away to Inveraray and Fort William. [7] This has raised hopes in Tighnabruaich of a maiden Premier Division title. Kyles went unbeaten for the whole season, winning the MacAulay Cup and the Glasgow Celtic Society Cups. Their only defeats were to Inveraray in the Camanachd Cup and heartbreakingly to Newtonmore in a winner takes all game for the Premier Division at Dunoon Stadium, due to Tighnabruaich being unsuitable. [8] Even more heartbreaking was the manner in which they lost, requiring only a point to make realistically sure of a maiden title, they succumbed to a last minute goal from Danny MacRae.

2012 would see Kyle beaten to the league again by Newtomnmore but this disappointment paled into insignificance with the victory of the team in the Camanachd Cup final in Oban, defeating Inveraray 6–5, in a classic final.

In 2013, Kyle relinquished the Camanachd Cup to Newtonmore 3–0. Kyles had beaten 'More previously in the MacAulay Cup Final and also won the Celtic Society Cup. The second team also won South Division Two.

In the 2015 season, Kyles lifted the Celtic Society Cup for the third year in a row.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shinty</span> Team sport with ball and sticks

Shinty is a team game played with sticks and a ball. Shinty is now played mainly in the Scottish Highlands and amongst Highland migrants to the big cities of Scotland, but it was formerly more widespread in Scotland, and was even played in northern England into the second half of the 20th century and other areas in the world where Scottish Highlanders migrated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camanachd Association</span>

The Camanachd Association is the world governing body of the Scottish sport of shinty. The body is based in Inverness, Highland, and is in charge of the rules of the game. Its main competitions are the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup and the Mowi Premiership and the Mowi Valerie Fraser Camanachd Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oban Camanachd</span>

Oban Camanachd are a shinty team based in Oban, Argyll and Bute, Scotland who currently play in the MOWI Premiership. One of the oldest Camanachd clubs they were founded in 1889.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingussie Camanachd</span>

Kingussie Camanachd is a shinty team from Kingussie, Scotland and according to the Guinness Book of Records 2005, is world sport's most successful sporting team of all time, winning 20 consecutive leagues and going 4 years unbeaten at one stage in the early 1990s. The club are current holders of the Camanachd Cup, the MacAulay Cup and the MacTavish Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newtonmore Camanachd Club</span>

Newtonmore Camanachd Club is a shinty club from Newtonmore, Badenoch, Scotland. It is historically the most successful side in the history of Shinty, having won the Camanachd Cup a record 34 times. They won the Marine Harvest Premier Division seven years in a row beginning in 2010.

The Camanachd Association Challenge Cup known as the Camanachd Cup is the premier competition in the sport of shinty. It is one of the five trophies considered to be part of the Grand Slam in the sport of shinty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenurquhart Shinty Club</span>

Glenurquhart Shinty Club is a shinty team which plays in Drumnadrochit on the banks of Loch Ness, Scotland. It draws its players from the part of the Great Glen which encompasses Drumnadrochit, Lewiston and Glenurquhart. The club has been existence since 1885. They won their first senior trophy, the MacAulay Cup in 2012. After 2013 and 2014 saw them lose two successive MacTavish Cups, they are currently the holders as of 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inverness Shinty Club</span>

Inverness Shinty Club is a shinty club from Inverness, Scotland. The first team competes in North Division One and the second team in North Division Three. Founded in 1887 as Inverness Town and County Shinty Club to distinguish from other clubs in Inverness such as Clachnacuddin, Inverness moved to the Bught Park in 1934. Inverness won the Camanachd Cup in 1952. The club struggles to compete for players with the wide proliferation of football clubs in Inverness, in particular Inverness Caledonian Thistle but still manages to put out two teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lovat Shinty Club</span>

Lovat Shinty Club is a shinty club from Kiltarlity, Inverness-shire, Scotland. The club was formed in 1888 and has a healthy rivalry with near neighbours Beauly. The club takes its name from the area within which it plays in and shared this name with the late Second World War hero, Lord Lovat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort William Shinty Club</span>

Fort William Shinty Club is a shinty club from Fort William, Lochaber, Scotland. The club has two sides in the Shinty league system, a first team which was relegated from the Premiership in 2013 and a reserve side in North Division Two. The first team were Camanachd Cup holders four times in succession, between 2007 and 2010, but were knocked out in the second round in 2011. The club also has a vibrant youth system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinlochshiel</span>

Kinlochshiel Shinty Club is a shinty club based in RearaigBalmacara, near Kyle of Lochalsh, Lochalsh, Scotland. The club has two sides, a senior team which competes in the Mowi Premiership and a reserve team in North Division One.

Taynuilt Shinty Club is a shinty team based in Taynuilt, Scotland. The club has existed in several different forms most recently in junior form but has reformed and won South Division Two in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macaulay Cup</span>

The Macaulay Association Camanachd Cup is a trophy in the Scottish sport of shinty. It is competed for by the eight highest-placed league teams from the north and south areas of Scotland at the end of the previous season. The first winner of the cup, in 1947, was Newtonmore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mod Cup</span>

The Mod Cup, also known as the Aviemore Cup1995 - Royal National Mòd Programmes and fringe events > Royal National Mòd Programmes > [Mod / Mòd Naìseanta Rìoghail - An Comunn Gaidhealach - National Library of Scotland] is a trophy in the sport of shinty first competed for in 1969, traditionally played for by the two teams who are based closest to the host venue of the Royal National Mod. The current holders are Aberdour.(2022)

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sir William Sutherland Cup</span>

The Sir William Sutherland Cup, more commonly known simply as the Sutherland Cup, is a trophy in the sport of shinty. It is the national cup competition for junior sides, the equivalent of the Camanachd Cup for those sides in lower league competition. The current (2022) holders are Newtonmore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balliemore Cup</span>

The Balliemore Cup is a knock-out cup in the sport of shinty. It is the Intermediate Championship run under the auspices of the Camanachd Association and only first teams competing in the National, North Division One and South Division One are eligible for entry.

The Bullough Cup is a knock-out competition in the sport of shinty.

The Premier Division is the premier division in shinty. Based in Scotland and formed in 1996, the league is the top tier of the Shinty league system. Set-up in order to create a Scotland-wide league for the first time, it constitutes as one of the five trophies considered to be part of the Grand Slam of shinty.

Norman "Brick" MacArthur is a retired shinty player and current president of Newtonmore Camanachd Club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Smith Medal</span>

The Albert Smith Memorial Medal is the award given to the Man of the Match in the final of the Camanachd Cup, the blue riband trophy of the sport of shinty. It has been presented every year since 1972 by the Smith family of Fort William in honour of Albert Smith Sr. The widow of his only son, John Victor Smith, currently presents the medal. Albert Sr.'s grandson, Victor Smith is a former player for Fort William Shinty Club but never won the medal despite featuring as a key player in several Fort William wins. Victor Smith currently coaches Fort William Shinty Club along with his cousin Adi Robertson. Victor's son, John Victor Smith, plays full forward for the Fort.

References

  1. ↑ Douglas Lowe (2004-06-26). "A hundred years of shinty solitude Southern game celebrates its close family connections at landmark final". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
  2. ↑ "Shinty: Elated Kyles Athletic offer glimpse of things to come with cup triumph over Oban – Sport – Scotsman.com". Sport.scotsman.com. 2011-06-26. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
  3. ↑ "Article - The bug that's given wings to Kyles men". Press and Journal. 2009-06-22. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
  4. ↑ "BBC SPORT | Other sport... | Fort William win Camanachd Cup". BBC News. 2009-09-19. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
  5. ↑ "Article - Kyles refuse to hit the road if bad weather kicks in again". Press and Journal. 2009-11-20. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
  6. ↑ http://www.highland-news.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/6985/Cups_up_for_grabs_in_season_warm-ups.html%5B%5D
  7. ↑ "Kyles remain at the top of Scottish Hydro Premier Division « Shinty". Shinty.com. 2011-04-12. Archived from the original on 2012-03-13. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
  8. ↑ Bannerman, Charles (2011-11-19). "BBC Sport - Shinty: Title win for Newtonmore completes double". BBC News. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.