COMPELLING STORY OF LEWIS NEWCOMERS AS THEY EMBARK INTO SHINTY UNKNOWN
TRUSADH: LEWIS CAMANACHD – BLACK AND BLUE
BBC ALBA, Monday 7 November, 9pm
At the beginning of the 2011 shinty season, a new team was grabbing the attention of fans across the country. For the first time the Camanachd Association allowed a team from Lewis to compete in the national league on a trial period and Lewis Camanachd had to prove that they are worthy of securing a permanent place playing at this level.
In a new BBC ALBA documentary ‘Trusadh: Camanachd Leòdhais – Dubh agus Gorm / Lewis Camanachd – Black and Blue’ we follow manager Paul Duke and the team through the highs and lows of the season meeting some of the other characters associated with the team along the way.
The programme hears from player, Donald Lamont, as he anticipates the historic first game of the season (5th March), saying: “We’ve spoken a lot about this day. It’s here at last!”
In the dressing room pre-match, spirits are running high, and with the team ready to play in the league for the first time, the manager’s pep talk says it all: “We’re here, we’ve made it, enjoy it! Go out there and have some fun!”
Shinty pundit, Hugh Dan MacLennan thinks it’s the natural step for the Lewis team, saying: “It’s all very well playing in cups and friendlies, but there is nothing like playing in a league to improve your game.”
Astie Cameron of the Camanachd Association points out that there are a lot of factors to consider in assessing the situation, including travel to and from the Western Isles outlining that it’s an 18 to 20 hour day for most of the clubs and referees.
Whilst not being an area currently known for its shinty links, local historian, Malcolm MacDonald, has some fascinating insights in to the part the sport played in Lewis up until the end of the 19th century, though he does state that: “Shinty didn’t really get a mention after the Boer War.”
How will the new team fare against the league’s established teams? How will they cope with the travel? Will they manage to muster a team each week? And will they ultimately do enough to secure their position in the league and establish shinty’s place in Lewis in the future?
A final decision as to whether the team will be retained in the league will be made at the end of November 2011.
Produced by MacTV for BBC ALBA, ‘Trusadh: Lewis Camanachd – Black and Blue’, the compelling story of a young team who will stop at nothing to play the game they love, will be broadcast on Monday 7th November at 9pm.