Ardnamurchan full forward Herbie Patterson shares his highs and lows within shinty, with it all beginning for him in the West Highlands.
The 19-year-old, whose club have just finished second behind Bute in South Division 2, is waiting to find out whether they can step up a level.
What is your earliest shinty memory?
I moved back to the Highlands from Cumbria when I was in primary three and I remember going to indoor tournaments at the Nevis Centre in Fort William.
I recall playing with the plastic sticks and, straight away, the head teacher Lyndsay Bradley, who is a coach now, got me into it. That was my first taste of shinty.
Who was the senior debut against and what was the result?
That was some day! It was in South Division Two against Glenorchy, away at Dalmally. The weather was awful and the pitch had puddles everywhere. I think we lost 5-0 and I don’t know how they managed to score so many goals, because the pitch was that bad.
To make matters worse, the referee called the game off with maybe five minutes or so left because the hailstones came down. It was torrential. It was so funny and I’ll remember that one forever.
What is your best moment in shinty so far?
As a whole, this season, playing for Ardnamurchan, has been amazing. I’ve got to play in the team with my dad (Simon), who is 48 and plays in goals, and my brother (Freddie) plays full centre. It has been brilliant all season, going to games with them.
As a group, we have grown as players. We only started a few years ago, so to come second in the league has been amazing. I’m really proud to have been part of it.
And the worst?
This season, we were in the lead and on track to win (in the league) and had Bute seconds home and away. We lost back-to-back games against them (7-2 and 5-3).
That was tough to take, but they were a better team – they deserved it. At least we managed to score a few goals against them, but those were not the results we wanted.
What is the worst injury you have suffered?
I was playing in the inter-district under-17s and, before this moment, I’d never worn a ‘ball-guard’.
It was one of those situations where the ball struck me and I actually had to go to A&E. We won’t go into too many more details about that one!
Who is the joker in the team?
The whole group at Ardnamurchan is so funny and all the boys would fancy themselves to be named as the joker.
For me though, I’d say Jacob Green has plenty of little jokes and witty comments in the changing rooms which make me chuckle all the time.
What is your favourite away ground?
Against Oban Celtic secconds, we usually play them at Ganavan, but this year we got to play them at Mossfield Park. It was unbelievable and I managed to grab two goals, which was lovely.
It’s always great playing Oban Celtic. We’ve developed a little rivalry and the boys are always up for it.
Who is the rival player you would have loved in your team and why?
Jamie Forgrieve from Oban Celtic this season has been relentless. He’s very skilful and is one of the bravest players I’ve met. He was flying into challenges.
I was playing half forward that day and ended up marking him when we lost to them. I had a tough time.
Then I got to play alongside him recently in the south under-21s against the north under-21s and he was brilliant.
What is the favourite goal scored by you or a team-mate?
When I played for the south under-21s this year in a 3-1 win, I managed to get our third goal. I worked myself some space around the D and got a strike away to the bottom left-hand corner. What an experience in what was probably the biggest game I’d played in.
Describe the sport in three words?
Quick, aggressive and passionate.
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