SCOTLAND'S players get back to swinging their camans on Saturday with new Camanachd Association president Jim Barr upbeat despite last- minute teething problems with the fledgling National League.
A late decision by Glenorchy to pull out of the tier just below the revamped 10-team Premiership and migrate down to the Southern Area Division 1 has left only seven clubs in the National, requiring a hasty rewrite of fixtures.
"It's better we are aware of Glenorchy's difficulties before the season starts than find out six weeks in," says Barr, whose working life as an oil engineer in the North Sea and around the world will serve him well for a trouble-shooting role at the head of the sport's governing body. "Glenorchy do not feel that all of their players have the experience required at National level and we have to respect their judgment."
This late hiccup is a disappointment to Barr for the real story should have been the addition of two sides to the Premiership to bring its number up to the 10 teams the grass roots of the sport demanded.
"All the consultations at our series of road shows have revealed that the clubs want regular high quality competitive league shinty and the reinstatement of the 10-team Premiership will bring that at the elite level."
Having overseen a three-year, six-figure sponsorship deal with fish-farming giant Marine Harvest Ltd, the president though aware of the challenges, is optimistic about the future.
"There is a demographic squeeze in certain of our traditional areas, bluntly young families are being replaced by pensioners, and that has affected certain clubs. Lochcarron and Bute have gone down to one team each this year while Lochbroom have dropped out altogether. However the town of Oban now supports a third side in Oban Lorne and working with our partners sportscotland we hope to engage a development officer for the central belt where there is growth among the youth. Indeed we are fast approaching the point when there should be another senior team in the city to complement Glasgow Mid Argyll."
In the appointment of former international boss Drew MacNeil to the manager's post at Inverness with a remit for youth development in the biggest population centre in the north, and the relocation from Manchester to the Highland capital of stick makers "Tanera" Ltd, Barr sees two further positive signs of progress.
"There was concern just before Christmas that the retirement of a master craftsman stick maker from the Manchester firm of T S Hattersley which supplied over 50% of the camans used annually was going to leave the sport in a difficult situation. However, the involvement of private finance from within the shinty community has brought the craft back north into the hands of a young man who knows the game thoroughly - and the future supply of sticks is assured."
On the field, Newtonmore with an unchanged squad look best placed to retain their Premiership title, while runners-up Lovat will miss the tactical direction of manager Allan MacRae who quit after a close season bust-up. Camanachd Cup winners Kingussie may struggle following Ronald Ross' retirement, as may newly-promoted Fort William, who will be without four senior players, including Gary Innes.
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