Doonies' long wait ends as breakaway
secures Men's Ba' victory
By Ross Reid
(Story dated: Monday, January 2)

The players wait for the ba' to be thrown on Broad Street. (Picture: Kenny Pirie)

Leslie Tait who threw up the Men's New Year ba'. (Picture: Kenny Pirie)

The pack heads down St Magnus Lane. (Picture: Kenny Pirie)

The ba' reaches the sea in front of the Ayre Hotel. (Picture: Kenny Pirie)

The ba' is taken round to the Kirkwall Basin by Mick Harcus and Alex Findlater (Picture: Kenny Pirie)

A sight to gladden Doonie hearts - hundreds of spectators waiting at the Kirkwall Basin for the Ba' winner to be decided. (Picture: Leonard Bain)

Alex Findlater emerges with the prized trophy. (Picture: Kenny Pirie)

The Uppies’ record, 15 match unbeaten run crumbled in Monday’s New Year Ba‚ when the Doonies snatched victory after a break outside the Royal British Legion club on Junction Road.

Three-and-a-quarter hours after the duel started, it was Alec Findlater who emerged from the Kirkwall basin clutching the ba,’ a follow-on from the Boys’ ba’ he won on Christmas Day, 1981.

However, it was in no way a one-sided contest, with the Uppies enjoying much possession, and looking favourites to win as they drove along Junction Road.

It was a more competitive Ba’ than in previous years, with the initial competition appearing even in the early stages.

Following the 1pm throw-up, the scrum, initially, stayed fairly close to the Merkat Cross before moving to either side.

After the ba’ was forced on to the wall at the Merkat Cross at 1.05pm it was the Uppies who took early control. With a stronger pack, they were able to make the first significant moves forcing the ba’ across to the Town Hall.

At 1.10pm the play was switched to the opposite side of Broad Street. It was at this point the Doonies managed to exert some pressure forcing it back in line with the Merkat Cross.

After a ten minute struggle, the first telling phase of the game happened when the Doonies managed to force the pack down St Magnus Lane.

At this point, many Uppies scrambled round to the opposite end of the lane where they applied enough pressure to keep the ba’ fairly steady.

At 1.42pm the ba’ was forced down to Toymaster, where the Doonies were gaining a slight advantage. At this stage tempers seemed to spill as a couple of scraps broke out, leaving the restless crowd calling competitors to “play the game.”

Following a drive from the pack at 2.04pm, the scrum finally emerged out on to Junction Road, where the balance of play had become neutralised.

It was the Doonies who applied most pressure on Junction Road, doing well to push the pack about ten yards forward.

Only minutes later, however, the Uppies were again controlling things as they pushed the pack back to the bottom of St Magnus Lane, and for almost 15 minutes, it was debatable who was on top, until another Uppie surge brought the scrum further up Junction Road.

At 2.32pm the Uppies started to exert even more pressure and took the upper hand.

Pushing towards the library, at 2.34pm it looked like the favourites were on their way to extending their winning streak to 16.

At 2.42pm the ba’ was continuing to travel south, finally coming to a momentary standstill outside Northvet.

As tiredness appeared to creep in, the match slowed down considerably, not enough, however, to stop the Uppies bringing it as far as the Indian Garden restaurant.

With their position starting to look increasingly precarious, the Doonies were able to fight back and stop the Uppie advance.

By 2.52pm the Uppies were able to move proceedings on to Support Training where the action stalled for a further ten minutes.

If the Doonies needed a welcome break, they couldn’t have asked for a better one than that which materialised at 2.58pm.

In a moment that signifies the unpredictability of the Ba,’ the Doonies were again in possession.

With the ba’ stuck at the computer health centre - the former J. & W. Tait petrol pumps - the Doonies were able to gain possession, and at that point George Rendall was able to climb the building and get on to the roof with the ba’. Rodney Spence was then able to pick out George on the roof as he charged into the distance.

Confusion then reigned during the following few minutes of the contest, but, five minutes later, the play was again outside Jobcentre Plus. They may have got little mileage out of their clever move, but it was a sign that it might prove to be a day belonging to the Doonies after all.

It took 15 minutes before play left the Jobcentre Plus, with the action regrouping again on Junction Road.

Again the Uppies were able to push things forward, moving to the NFUS office, but, more importantly, regaining superiority.

After moving back and forwards for ten minutes, the scrum was finally pushed to Orkney PC where it stayed for a further five.

At 3.23pm, play seemed to stop momentarily when a number of players were forced to the ground. As most resurfaced, play again resumed with the Uppies forcing things up to the British Legion Club.

The next six minutes saw an Uppie onslaught, as they managed to move towards the end of the Legion.

After moving momentarily across to the Chinese restaurant, play again resumed at the Legion, where the most decisive part of the match was about to unfold.

At 3.40pm the game was over as a contest, when the Doonies were able to make a break - probably one of the last opportunities they had to do so.

With the Doonies in possession, the ball broke back to Graeme King who managed to run through the car park at the side of the Legion.

Creating space, he was then able to find Paddy Highley, who managed to carry the ba’ to Somerville Square, where he found spectator Neil MacDonald.

With events unfolding so quickly, confusion gripped the crowd, who were probably unaware that the Doonies were well on their way to victory.

Despite rumours circulating that a car may have been used, it is believed that MacDonald was able to run the length of Great Western Road, with the ba’ before arriving at the Ayre Road.

At this point it is thought to have been passed to Norman Keldie, who was able to get the ba’ into the water in front of the Ayre Hotel. He was then followed into the sea by several other Doonies. As the contest for the winner of the ba’ started the people in the water moved gradually towards the Shapinsay slip.

The main contenders appeared to be Alec Findlater and Mick Harcus who, as more people started to join in the fight, swam with the ba’ from the Shapinsay slip, around the end of the West Pier, and into the Basin.

In a bizarre turn of events, when the two came up the steps at the lifeboat, Alec, of Carness Road, appeared to be hailed as the winner.

However, minutes later, the ba’ was again being fought for, when a large crowd of Doonies physically debated who should win, after seeming to claim that the ba’ had to touch the sea in the Basin, so the ba’ was taken back into the water at the shallowest corner of the Basin, next to the old men’s hut.

After a discussion which lasted about half an hour, it was Findlater who emerged from the basin, once again, with the ba’ in his hands.

The New Year’s Ba’ probably turned out to be the most unexpected for some time, with the Uppies looking extremely comfortable throughout, and their strength taking them up Junction Road in the same manner as the Christmas Ba’.

The Doonies, however, remained committed and got the breakthrough to win a match which probably looked beyond their grasp before play commenced.

Alec, 39, a former Boys’ Ba’ winner, said he was delighted with the victory.

He said: “I’m really pleased, I can’t really believe it. Although we haven’t won for a while, I don’t think I’m that surprised we’ve managed to do it. I think we have been getting better and it was a great effort for our lads.

“I’ve been involved in the Ba’ since I was really young, so it means a lot to me obviously, and it is a great pleasure to win it.

“I think we were able to do well throughout the match It seemed to go between both sides and we were able to break away with it up at the Legion.

“Obviously it’s great to end the Uppies’ run of victories, I think we have been unlucky a couple of times, so it’s a great day for us. We’ll be hoping for a repeat performance next Christmas.”

Graeme King, Doonie stalwart, and their last winner of the Ba’ in 1998, praised the younger members of the side.

He said: “I am absolutely delighted. I think it was well deserved, we have had a hard slog in recent times and it is a credit to the younger players.

“All the younger guys coming through have stuck by their task and I’m happy for them.

“I think the Ba’ was the real winner today, the game is the most important thing and I think it was an entertaining game which showed exactly how important it is.

“The Uppies are a young team with a lot of players aged between 25-30, of which we don’t have as many. We do have a group coming through now and they have done very well, I am absolutely delighted for them.”