Dawson will be safe pair of hands in new Kingussie coaching role
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New Kingussie second team assistant manager Craig Dawson is looking forward to the new season and the opportunity to pass on his knowledge in the game to the club’s younger generation of players.
Dawson will assist boss Iain Borthwick as the pair take over from Chris Donald and Simon Leiper who both stood down at the club’s annual general meeting at the end of November.
He said: “I’ve only played shinty sporadically over the last couple of seasons and I’ve really missed it so when Corky (Iain Borthwick) asked me if I’d help with the second team as his assistant then I was only too willing to say yes and it is great to be so involved in what is a big year for the club.
“One man just can’t do all that is involved in running a shinty team so I’ll look to help on a Saturday, help with training and generally pass on what I have learned in shinty over the years.
“I’ve only done training at primary school level before so I’m aware that this is a big step up but I’m really looking forward to it and we are all hopeful that we can have something like a normal shinty season after the last couple of years.
“Shinty needs a full season or the game will face the prospect of losing players to the sport as they will find other things to do on a Saturday. Shinty certainly can’t afford that.
“Chris Donald and Simon Leiper helped the boys massively when they were in the role and we want to carry that on. We are both excited by the challenge ahead and want to pass on whatever we can to help the boys.
“I’m not sure who will be the good cop and the bad cop: we’ll see on that one.”
Having broken into the Kingussie first team in 2002, Dawson has a vast bank of experience to call on. He has won every first and second team medal over the years with the exception of the Sutherland Cup.
Dawson said; “The closest I came was in 1999 when we lost to Newtonmore in the final at the Eilan so it is one that has always eluded me but I have been very lucky overall.”
He is second only to James Hutchison in terms of the club’s most experienced current players and was in goals for the Kingussie side which last lifted the Camanachd Cup in 2014, beating Glenurquhart 4-0 at Bught Park.
Dawson said: “We’ll have a young second team next season but I reckon pretty much everyone will be in that same boat. We’ll have a better idea on numbers over the coming weeks.”
He intends to start the season in goals which will help with the numbers and allow George Taylor Ramsay to play outfield.
“George played well when he was outfield last season and he is a grafter with all the attributes to eventually push on for a place in the Kingussie first team.”
And there are others with bright futures as Dawson explains: “Iain Fraser is a good prospect and he got a taste of first team shinty last season. Cameron Bremner has joined us from Glenurquhart.
“Cameron wrote to the club asking to join and he hasn’t missed a training session since. He had first team experience at Glenurquhart and has looked really impressive and I think it is a question of when and not if he will reach the first team.
“The first team is the most important thing and the opportunity is there for all the boys. They need to knuckle down, put the effort in and keep working hard.
“They haven’t made it if they have played for the first team once or twice: they need to put the effort in at training and practice out-with training if they want to progress.”
