Kings looking forward to staging big cup final in 2022
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Kingussie are on track to host the 2022 Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final at the Dell on Saturday 17 September 2022.
Club president Russell Jones said: “We’ve extended the car park at the Dell and levelled off the grass areas that act as overspill car parking.
"This was carried out with funds received for hosting the Camanachd Cup Final and we are on track to hold it next September.
“We will also hold the Final Fling which I am pleased to say will feature Keir Gibson, Manran and Peat & Diesel who have all been re-confirmed.”
This will be the first time shinty’s blue riband event has graced the Dell since 1999 when Jimmy Gow’s Kingussie side beat Oban Camanachd 3-0 to take the trophy for the seventeenth time, completing a third successive Grand Slam season in the process.
It took a huge effort over the preceding 24 hours to get the pitch playable following recent heavy rain and, despite Oban Camanachd’s good start, the Kings were rewarded as Ronald Ross, an opportunist Ali Borthwick effort and Barrie Dallas secured the win.
Kingussie’s convincing run to that final saw them beat Kinlochshiel 9-1, Kilmallie 8-1 and Inveraray 7-1 in the semis at Ballachulish.
The first Camanachd Cup Final to be played in Kingussie was in 1904 when Kyles Athletic defeated Laggan 4-1.
Others followed as the Kings hosted finals in 1907, 1910, 1913, the 1924 replay, 1970, the drawn 1975 final, 1980, 1985 and 1999.
The 1999 success was Kingussie’s first on their home pitch.
The Kings have also been busy with the Market Stance project.
Mr Jones commented: “It’s a project that is moving along nicely. Phase one is complete which re-claimed a couple of thousand square metres of playing surface.
“The volunteer grass cutting team have kept the pitch in good order all summer and many thanks to them for that.
"The pitch will re-open to host the New Year’s Day shinty match and will be ready for pre-season training.
“Highland Council has agreed in principle to give our club a 25 year lease of the Stance and this has gone through community consultation unopposed.
"The lease should now be approved early in the New Year and we hope to move on with phase two of the project which includes floodlights and high boundary fencing.
"This is obviously dependant on successful grant applications but if we can pull it off it will be a really exciting development for the club and the whole community.”
