London Camanachd

Infobox shinty club
clubname = London


fullname = London Camanachd Club
gaelicname = Comann Camanachd Lunnainn
nickname = The Londoners
founded = 1894/1992/2004
ground = Greenford G.A.A., London
manager = ?
league = Cups Only
season = 2007
position = First Round Bullough Cup
pattern_la1=
pattern_b1=
pattern_ra1=
leftarm1=000080
body1=000080
rightarm1=000080
shorts1=cc3300
socks1=000080

London Camanachd is the only shinty club in England. They do not play league matches but do compete at present in the Bullough Cup. They have historically been attached to the South District. They went into abeyance in 1992 but were reconstituted in 2005. They played the first officially recognised Shinty match outside Scotland in 80 years on Saturday 22 July 2006 against the Highlanders.

They have a men's team and a ladies team.

Stadium

Practices are held at Regents Park but games are usually played in Scotland. The first officially recognised Shinty match outside Scotland in 80 years on Saturday 22 July 2006 against the Highlanders was played at Greenford Gaelic Athletic Association Ground.

History

The club was formed in 1894, being an amalgamation of London Northern Counties and London Scots. After a long period in abeyance it was re-formed in 1982 by Hugh O'Kane and Sean Reid, before folding again in 1992. Between 1982 and 1992 play was held at Northolt. In earlier times play was held at Wimbledon Common, Parliament Hill, Kodak Grounds (Harrow) and also at Stamford Bridge, the current ground of Chelsea F.C. [http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=17713141&method=full&siteid=66633&headline=it-s-the-theatre-of-drams--name_page.html] . Between 1873 and 1915 regular play was held on Good Friday and Boxing Day at Wimbledon. Of all the London clubs only London Camanachd continued until the 1920s and 1930s.

The only trophy won was the Skeabost Horn in 1985. Semi finals of both the Balliemore and Bullough Cups were reached in 1984-85. Nine matches were played that year, more than in any other, and the Shinty Year Book Trophy was awarded for endeavour.

The club entered for the Camanachd Cup in 1896 and scratched to Glasgow Cowal as they could not afford the trip to London. As in its early years the club had the same difficulties in raising a team and finding money to travel to Scotland, local competitions were organised for such as Mr Macleod's Cup 1882, Inverness Association Cup (a silver-mounted ram's head) 1901, The Dewar Shield 1908, Young Cup 1913, London Challenge Cup donated by the chief, Mr R.T.S. Macpherson, in 1986. The club won this trophy for four years until 1990 when Fr. Murphy's G.A.A. won it. In 1991, Brian Boru, having entered every year, won it. The club's furthest advance in the Camanachd Cup was in 1984 when it lost to Skye in the quarter final. In 1989 the club donated the London Shield for the national juvenile play-off. Kilmory, Glasgow Highland and Scottish university teams have made the long trip to win the London Cup.

In October 2004 a group of passionate individuals, originally from both sides of the border, decided to reform the club with both a women's and men's teams. They competed in the Bullough Cup, recording their first competitive win since abeyance against Aberdour.

In 2007, the club won the Inverness 6s Rosedene Shield against Boleskine Camanachd.

External links

* [http://www.londonshinty.com London Camanachd, Camanachd Lunnainn]
* [http://www.myspace.com/shintygirls London Camanachd Ladies Team]
* [http://www.shinty.com/london/Default.htm London Camanachd at shinty.com]
* [http://www.scotsinlondon.com/news/new26shinty.htm Scots in London]
* [http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article1431145.ece Shinty Played at Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/5209516.stm BBC's coverage of historic match]