Newtonmore will begin the new Mowi Premiership season without three experienced stars whose futures are in doubt.
Evan Menzies, Jamie Robinson and Andy Mackintosh, who all played in The Eilean club’s 2019 Camanachd Cup triumph, have not joined in pre-season training.
“These lads have given no indication that they will play this season”, said co-manager Norman MacArthur. “It’s disappointing as they have been excellent servants, but they have work and family commitments.
“But we’re focusing on the players we have, who are working extremely hard.”
Menzies was the winning Camanachd Cup captain in 2019, following his father Willie who had the same role in 1986. Evan scored two goals against Oban in the final to win the Albert Smith Memorial Medal.
Midfield powerhouse Jamie Robinson, who scored a 30-yarder in that final three years ago, was the winning captain in 2013, scoring against Kyles Athletic and winning the Albert Smith Memorial Medal.
Wing-back Andy Mackintosh won the Albert Smith Memorial Medal in the 2016 final against Oban.
Newtonmore hope to finally see some action on Saturday when they are due to face Caberfeidh at Strathpeffer.
Premiership champions Kingussie also aim to come out of cold storage against Fort William at An Aird.
“We badly need a game”, said manager John Gibson, “and it can be switched to Kingussie if necessary.
“Lee Riddoch, who has been our second team full-back for the past two years, has shaped well in training and he’ll get the opportunity to show what he can do at senior level.”
Skye, who showed up well in last weekend’s win at Glen Urquhart, face Kilmallie at Portree for the Thomas Ferguson Memorial Trophy.
Kilmallie manager Martin Stewart reveals that Calum MacDougall, recuperating from cruciate ligament surgery, is unlikely to play before June.
Meanwhile, Kinlochshiel play their first game under new skipper Ally Nixon when they face Inverness at Bught Park.
Oban Celtic are at home to Glasgow Mid Argyll, but Oban Camanachd’s visit to Inveraray has been postponed due to Storm Dudley. Oban will instead have a first team v second team session on an all-weather surface.
Kyles Athletic’s home game with Bute has also been postponed.
Kingussie set for ‘important’ new facility
Kingussie’s Market Stance sports field could be a new floodlit shinty and football arena within the next six months.
The project has received a £50,000 grant from Highland Council via the Scottish Government’s Place Based Investment Programme – and Russell Jones, president of Kingussie Shinty Club, revealed: “We’re hopeful this will help kick-start further imminent funding to take us up to £200,000.
“The aim is to be able to erect ball-stop fencing and floodlights in June and July, giving East Badenoch a long overdue new community sports facility.
“The Market Stance pitch has been in disrepair and unused for a decade, but last year we undertook ground works, including tree removal, to level the pitch.”
Jones added: “The enclosed and floodlit field will be used by Kingussie High School, Kingussie FC, our five shinty teams and the Badenoch Ladies shinty team, so it will be an important new facility for the area.
“This grant gets us going and we are in the process of awaiting the outcome of other grant applications we’ve submitted and which are due for decision in the coming months.”
The Market Stance, which is adjacent to the shinty club’s The Dell pitch – which will house this year’s Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final – was gifted to the Kingussie community in 1947 by Lord Burton’s Dochfour Estates.
