Oban Camanachd Explained

Clubname:Oban
Fullname:Oban Camanachd Club
Gaelicname:Comann Camanachd an Obain
Nickname:The Camancheroes
Founded:1889
Ground:Mossfield Park, Oban
Manager:Gareth Evans
League:Marine Harvest Premiership
Season:2019
Position:2nd"
Reservemanager:Iain (Scally) MacMillan
Reserveleague:South Division One
Reserveseason:2019
Reserveposition:3rd
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Oban Camanachd is a shinty team based in Oban, Argyll and Bute, Scotland who currently play in the MOWI Premiership. Founded in 1889, they are one of the oldest Camanachd clubs. The reserve team currently plays in South Division One under the name Lochside Rovers.

History

Established in Oban, Argyll in 1889, the club has always enjoyed competition against its great local rival, Oban Celtic.

Past successes included winning the Camanachd Cup (Scottish Cup) in 1933. The score was Oban Camanachd 3, Newtonmore 2, at Keppoch, Lochaber, after a drawn game, 1–1, at Corpach, Fort William. They won the Cup again in 1938: Oban Camanachd 4, Inverness 2. at Oban.

The final of the Macauley Cup is played in Oban every year. The club has won it five times: 1952, 1954, 1957, 1993 and 1995.

The Celtic Society Cup is where Oban Camanachd have enjoyed the most success. It is the oldest competition in the sport: it was first played in 1879. It is one of the five trophies considered to be part of the Grand Slam in the sport of shinty. The club's most recent success was in 2005: they6 beat cup holders Inveraray 2–1 in the semi-final at Ballachullish. In the final Oban Camanachd beat Bute by 7–4. The club's other successes in the competition were in 1889, 1900, 1904, 1911, 1937, 1938, 1947, 1973, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2018, 2019 and 2024

The Club have enjoyed regular success in the regional and national leagues and cups. Possibly the best Camanachd team was the 1970–80s team with quality players, including such internationalists as Ian "Swally" MacIntyre, Bobby Galbraith, Dougie Macintyre, Neil MacDougal, Nigel Evans, Fraser Inglis and Chukie Clark, and were widely expected to lift the Camanachd Cup, but Kyles Athletic beat them four times. Chukie Clark was attacked and bitten by a dog during a game at Strachur. This Camanachd side failed to live up to their true potential and the club went through a lean patch until Chukie Clark restructured the second team, Lochside Rovers, producing quality players for the senior team like Nonnie MacInnes, Ally MacInnes, Andrew Inglis and Damian Laird.

Oban Camanachd have won the Camanachd Cup on several occasions, most recently with victory over Kingussie in the 1996 final. Nonnie Macinnes was captain on the day, but the game was most notable for the performance of Gordon MacIntyre, who had made a miraculous recovery from the loss of an eye that year to score the winning goal.

Recent years

The club is proactive in trying to maintain shinty as the main sport in Oban. In 2008 the club made attempts to alter the structure of youth shinty to allow their youths to compete against 'North' teams. This was turned down at the Camanachd Association AGM, but in late October 2008 secretary Daniel MacIntyre made his fears known to the press, saying that "If we get Camanachd Association support, in the next three to five years we could potentially grow into a club with three senior teams. If we don't, in the next three to five years we will be a one-team club".[1]

In 2009, Lochside Rovers won South Division One, defeating several first teams. Their reserve status meant that they could not be promoted to the Premier Division, where Oban Camanachd firsts play. This caused confusion regarding the ramifications for promotion and relegation to and from the Premier League. Glasgow Mid-Argyll were awarded the South's place in the Premier Division.

In 2010, the club president Nigel Evans slammed Argyll and Bute Council for their "unacceptable" increases in facility hire costs.[2] The club again started to hit the headlines in late 2010 as relegation to South Division One loomed, meaning a double relegation, as Lochside Rovers would then need to be relegated to South Division Two. Daniel Macintyre slammed the level of play in this league, painting a bleak picture for his own club.[3]

Salvation from relegation came on the last day of the 2010 season when a 2–1 win over Bute saw the island team relegated instead.[4]

Again in 2011, Oban were involved in the relegation battle and yet again the status of Lochside Rovers, despite another successful season which included the Bullough Cup, was uncertain due to the implications of the first team's relegation. This was confirmed on 19 November 2011 when Oban won their last game against Kilmallie but not by the required number of goals to overhaul Inveraray.[5] Oban had been ever present in the Premier Division since its creation.

The club bounced back to the Premier at the first attempt in 2012. They also were runners-up in the Macaulay Cup.[6] However the club's stay in the Premier League was short-lived, and their 9th-placed finish in 2013 resulted in them competing in National Division One in 2014. They again bounced back at the first opportunity and finished a much improved sixth in the Premier in 2015 alongside a Celtic Society Cup Final appearance where they lost a tight game to Kyles Athletic.

The club reached the Camanachd Cup final in 2016 and 2019, but were defeated on both occasions by Newtonmore.

The club's most recent successes have been winning the Celtic Society Cup in 2018 and 2019 and runners-up in 2020. In 2019 they also finished 2nd in the Premier League, runners-up in the Macaulay Cup and runners-up in the Camanachd Cup.

Lochside Rovers won the Bullough Cup 2018, 2019 and runners-up in 2020. They also had national success winning the Sutherland Cup 2017 and 2019.

July 2022 saw permission given for a brand new 22,000 all-seater arena at "wee" Ganavan to be constructed, with ground due to be broken early 2023 on the provisionally titled "Camarana stadium".

Season by Season record

SeasonLeagueTierTeamsPositionCamanachd CupMacaulay CupGlasgow Celtic Society Cup
2010Premiership1108thRound 3Round 1Semi-Final
2011Premiership1109thRound 2Semi-FinalRunners-up
2012South Div 1281stRound 1Runners-upQuarter-Final
2013Premiership11010thRound 2Round 2Semi-Final
2014National Division282ndRound 1Semi-FinalSemi-Final
2015Premiership1106thRound 3n/an/a
2016Premiership1103rdRunners-upn/an/a
2017Premiership1106thSemi-FinalSemi-FinalRunners-up
2018Premiership110Round 2Semi-FinalChampions

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Oban fears for the future of shinty . Rita . Campbell . 28 October 2008 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110721145617/http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/908154?UserKey= . 21 July 2011.
  2. Web site: Oban Camanachd President Hits Out at Sports Pitch Hire Costs . 6 April 2010 . Skye Camanachd . 6 December 2015 .
  3. News: Troubled times for Oban Camanachd as relegation looms . Fraser . Mackenzie . 5 September 2010 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121005145743/http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/other-sports-news/troubled-times-for-oban-camanachd-as-relegation-looms-1.1052895 . 5 October 2012.
  4. News: Oban walking tall after great escape . 11 October 2010 . The Press and Journal . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120403034322/http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1956834/?UserKey= . 3 April 2012.
  5. Web site: Shinty: Title win for Newtonmore completes double . BBC News . Charles . Bannerman . 19 November 2011 . 6 December 2015.
  6. Web site: Shinty: Glenurquhart win macaulay Cup to end trophy drought . Charles . Bannerman . BBC News . 18 August 2012 . 6 December 2015 .