Lochaber Camanachd is a shinty

Shinty

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, being once competitively played on a widespread basis in England and other areas in the...

 club based in Spean Bridge

Spean Bridge

Spean Bridge is a village, in the Highland region of Scotland.The village takes its name from the Highbridge over the River Spean on General Wade's military road between Fort William and Fort Augustus, and not from Telford's bridge of 1819 which carries the A82 over the river at the heart of the...

, Lochaber

Lochaber

District of Lochaber 1975 to 1996Highland council area shown as one of the council areas of ScotlandLochaber is one of the 16 ward management areas of the Highland Council of Scotland and one of eight former local government districts of the two-tier Highland region...

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

. The club has a senior team in North Division One, relegated from the Premier Division in 2009 and a reserve team in North Division Three. There is also a ladies team.

History

The club was formed in 1946 from Brae Lochaber (formed 1887) and Spean Bridge (formed 1894). The constituent clubs then split between 1949 and 1958 before amalgamating again in 1958. These two clubs were very prominent in the first days of organised shinty.http://lochabercamanachd.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=1

The club has become a force in shinty in recent years, knocking out Kingussie from the Camanachd Cup

Camanachd Cup

The Camanachd Association Challenge Cup AKA the Camanachd Cup or Scottish Cup is the premier prize in the sport of shinty...

quarter finals in 2004 and gaining promotion to the Premier Division the same year. However, its stay was short-lived and they were relegated in 2005 to North Division One. However, the club made another quick return to the Premier in 2007 after winning Division One. The second team also won North Division Three in 2006. The club flirted with relegation in 2008 but the club survived under manager Michael Delaney. Ally Ferguson was appointed to the position of coach in December 2008.

Ferguson presided over the relegation of the club in December 2009 after the club was overhauled by both Inveraray and Bute.http://sport.scotsman.com/other-sports/Shinty-Barry-Martin-looks-to.5908131.jp Lochaber's record of success in the Premier Division meant that they were considered the most likely winners of the North Division One in 2010.
Ferguson resigned along with his assistant Jason Latto in May 2010, leaving Lochaber with a management crisis after a steady start to the season.http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/Shinty-Ally-Ferguson-calls-time.6283045.jp He was replaced by Michael Delaney, his immediate predecessor, in an attempt to stop Lochaber's season turning to crisis.http://www.lochaber-news.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/5115/Delaney_steps_into_hot-seat.html

Delaney's efforts ensured that Lochaber was always in the running for promotion but was pipped by Kilmallie for the league title on the last day of the season.http://www.lochaber-news.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/5536/Champs_set_for_Premier_impact.html

Spean Bridge regularly plays host to the Marine Harvest Festival of Shinty with the showpiece game between North District and South District.

External links

• Lochaber @ shinty.com
• Lochaber Camanachd's Website
• Ferguson Appointed