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The above photograph appeared in the Inverness Courier on 4th Nov 03 within an article by Tom Fraser titled "Hair losing tale of Boleskine Shinty". The writer wrongly assumed, that it was a Boleskine team of the late forties and writes at length, on the age of some of the older players, when the players were ten years younger than he assumed .
After the formal dissolution of the Boleskine club in Oct 1934, Stratherrick did nor reform as a club till late in 1936 for the 36-37 season, as far as known they did not enter for the Macgillivray league only played in the Sutherland and Strathdearn Cups. One can only assume that the older players played for other clubs whilst Stratherrick were in abeyance .
We can concur that in late 36, the Stratherrick club were re-constituted under the Presidency of W J Cameron of Flichity and most likely the secretary and treasurer was Father Thain, as no minute books survive from either the Stratherrick or Strath's Athletic clubs.
The inclusion of Father Thain in the photo may have confused the dating of the team, as it was generally accepted, that he was only involved in shinty after the Strath's Athletic were formed in 1947. Father Thain who is believed to have came from Huntly to the district in 1930 approx, was involved with various sporting activities and at one time was secretary of seven local clubs including Shinty, Badminton, Rifle and Nursing Association . On a personal sporting note, Father Thain was part of the Stratherrick Badminton club which won the County Club Cup in 1939, also in this team was Ian Bethune featured above.
Stratherrick did not enter the Macgillivray Senior league in the 1936-37 season but entered the Junior competitions that was open to them the Sutherland and Strathdearn cups.
In the Sutherland Cup Stratherrick met Inverness second team at the Bught park in the first round on 23rd Jan 1937. Inverness won by four goals to two, Willie Cooper scored for Stratherrick in the first minute, only for Inverness to equalize shortly afterwards. Duncan Tait scored to put Stratherrick ahead again, but Inverness squared the match before half time. In the second half Inverness scored twice more to progress into the district final, the Stratherrick team was, Tim Pow, Dan Matheson, Kenny & Jock Macpherson, Angie Fraser, Peter Gow, Dave Sutherland, James Grant, Duncan Fraser, Duncan Tait, Jock Macgruer and Willie Cooper.
In the Strathdearn cup Stratherrick beat Strathdearn in the first round , in the district final on 14th Feb 1937 at the Factory field Foyers, the visitors Inverness second team, were defeated by three goals to two ,
Inverness
opened the scoring in 7 min, then Stratherrick scored twice in 12
& 20 min to lead by two goals to one , but by half time Inverness had equalized
. After the break Stratherrick went ahead again and that concluded the
scoring in the match, with Stratherrick Dan Matheson missing a penalty, that
would have given an easier passage in the later stages of the game .
Roddy Macintosh scored all three goals for Stratherrick with a more
experienced line up that read
:-
Bob Macdonald (goals) Duncan Fraser (Balochan), Jock Cameron (Glebe)
Kenny Macpherson, Jock Macpherson, Angus Macpherson, David Sutherland, Jock Kennedy (Capt), Duncan Tait, Anga Fraser, Dan Matheson, Roddy
Macintosh.
The return of their senior players Jock Kennedy, Jock Cameron, Bob Macdonald, Duncan Fraser, Angus Macpherson, Roddy Macintosh, no doubt helped in defeat an good Inverness second team, that went on to reach the extra semi final stage of the Sutherland Cup that year.
The final venue for the Strathdearn Cup, was the Bught Park Inverness on the 14th April 1937, Stratherrick opponents were a strong young Lochcarron team who had narrowly lost by one goal, in the semi final of the Sutherland cup the previous year. Lochcarron started the better of the two teams and it was soon apparent that they were better trained, scored in six minutes and in thirty five minutes had secured their second goal . Stratherrick rallied after this and held their own, but lacked cohesion up front, just prior to half time Lochcarron scored a third goal to finish the game as a contest. In the second period Stratherrick played better, but lacked any cutting edge up front, whilst Lochcarron were always dangerous on the break, the game ended with no further scoring and Lochcarron lifting their first trophy out with the Lochalsh area by three goals to nil . Stratherrick's lack of match fitness showed, as they had not played a game since winning the semi final two months previously. The players that contested the final were :- Ian Bethune (goals) Duncan Fraser (Balochan), Jock Cameron (Glebe) Kenny Macpherson, Jock Macpherson, Jim Stewart, David Sutherland, Jock Kennedy (Capt), Duncan Tait, Anga Fraser, Bob Macdonald, Roddy Macintosh.
This season there seems to have been co-operation between the Foyers and Stratherrick players, compared to most periods when there was intense rivalry, because both Jock Kennedy and Angus Macpherson played for Foyers in the Macgillivray League. Jim Stewart a Foyers player played in the league for Foyers but turned out for Stratherrick in the final, was he coerced being a grand son of the old Stratherrick player Tommy Fraser (Lochbran) .
Sadly three of the players involved in the Strathdearn Cup matches were killed in the second World War Jim Stewart, Anga Fraser & Angus Macpherson. Whilst Kenny Macpherson, Duncan Tait and Willie Cooper were prisoners of war during the conflict.
Jock Kennedy, Duncan Fraser, Roddy Macintosh & Jock Cameron turned out in the league for Straths Athletic in their first season 1947-48 after the war . Ian Bethune who had played for Boleskine during the 1932-33 season, was the son of the noted local referee Dan Bethune (Corriegarth) .
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