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What does this season hold in store for Ba' fans
The Uppies enter this year’s games wondering what happened last year? The Doonies will be in the same frame of mind. This should ensure four well- contested games with the Uppies attempting to turn the tables on the Doonies, who left last year’s play with smiles on their faces. The slice of luck that the Doonies sought appeared on New Year’s Day outside the British Legion, where a break saw the game end up in the Basin. This shock-result ended the run of 15 wins in a row, stretching back to Christmas Day, 1998. The boys’ games will, I am sure, be as unpredictable, with both sides keen to win. While both last year’s games went down, the run of play could have seen the ba’ go up just as easily. Hopefully, the boys will keep up the high standard of play seen in recent games. On the national or international front, media interest this year seems to be very quiet, with very few contacts up to the time of writing. A freelance writer, Kenneth Stephen, is hoping to have an article in the Weekend Herald. His contact will be mainly by telephone to various Ba’ enthusiasts. Norihisa Yoshida, from Nagoya, Japan, is to make his fifth visit since 1993. He is still researching the various games played throughout the British Isles. He has published several pamphlets on the various games and a range of Ba’ articles in journals. I spoke to Hugh Hornby at the Ashbourne Ball Game this year. Hugh, who is writing a book on the various ball games that are still played in Britain, was in Orkney for the New Year’s Day Ba’. His criteria is that he has to see every game being played, therefore, due to the number held at Shrovetide, it will probably be 2008 before the book comes out. Along with Peter Holme, from the National Football Museum, he was to see three games in 2006. Their comments on the Kirkwall game was that at times it was awesome and very physical. The Ashbourne contest has many similarities to Kirkwall, in numbers taking part, and the enthusiasm of the players. Andrew Spooner, who wrote an article for the Independent on Sunday, was similarly impressed by the game. One of his questions as he left Orkney was, “Could the game be played anywhere else?” He thought that if it was played in a London area, it would end up as a riot. The Ba’ players are once more indebted to Rieker who have again supplied the leather for this year’s Ba’ games. The following shops have agreed to display the ba’s:
The ba’s have again been crafted by Edgar Gibson, Sigurd Gibson and George Drever. Sigurd has provided the ba’ for the New Year’s Day boys, with elder brother Edgar the Men’s Christmas Day ba’. George starts the season with the Boys’ Christmas Day ba’ and finishes with the Men’s ba’ on New Year’s Day. Winners since Christmas Day, 2004
Stalwarts and supporters get ready to get the action under way Avril Bain, Ingashowe, Firth, will throw up the Boys’ ba’ on Christmas Day, made by George Drever. Avril, an Uppie supporter, has been an enthusiastic follower of the game for many years. She has lent vocal support to her side and photographed and videoed a substantial number of games over the years. Her grandfather, Tom Sclater, won a Men’s Ba’ on Christmas Day, 1953, and brother, Alan Craigie, was the Uppie winner on Christmas Day, 1992. Her son Danny was a Doonie winner in the Boys’ Ba’ on New Year’s Day, 2002. Evan Monkman, Avril’s partner and an Uppie winner on Christmas Day, 1990, is to donate the ba’. The Men’s ba’ on Christmas Day is to be thrown up by Alan Hutchison, Tarristry, Bellevue Park. Alan is also donating this ba’. A popular rugby and football player, Alan represented Orkney on numerous occasions in both sports. He was the Doonie choice on Christmas Day 1981, in a game that looked as though it was going up but was spirited away by the Doonies. The ba’ is on display at McEwen’s, Junction Road, very close to where Alan’s ba’ was smuggled away in 1981. New Year’s Day will see Spencer Rosie, Victoria Street, current chairman of Kirkwall Community Council, start proceedings when he throws up the Boys’ ba’. Spencer, who will also donate the ba’ had, for the Uppies, what he terms a “brief career” in the game in the 1980s. More recently, he and his fellow community council members were very supportive in assisting with the discussions over the siting of the Ba’ plaque on the Kirk Green. William Shearer’s, Victoria Street are displaying the ba’. The final game will see Mike Anderson, Fionavon, Sunnybank Road, perform the throw for the New Year’s Day Men’s Ba’. Veteran player Mike still plays a hard game for the Doonies. A member of the Ba’ committee, Mike won his ba’ on New Year’s Day, 1982, the 11th in a run of 12 ba’s in a row for the Doonies. His brother Brian was to make it a family double when he won the Men’s ba’ on Christmas Day 1984. The ba’, donated by Mike, is on display in Sclater’s Menswear, Albert Street. A look back at last season's games Christmas Day, 2005 Just after the throw, the Boys’ Ba’ swept up on to the Kirk Green and ended at the wall, next to the Christmas tree. Soon, the mass moved on down to the War Memorial, when a break by the Doonies carried the game down to the Clydesdale Bank. By 10.45am the game was again at the tourist office and moving on down to Castle Street. Uppie players suddenly found control and forced the game back to The Longship. The play then swung again, up on to the Kirk Green, where the Doonies broke out and gained ground down to Klaize. The scrum then moved down the Big Tree Lane and out towards Castle Street, where the Uppies seemed to be gaining the advantage. At Castleyards the Doonies made the decisive breaks as Marcus Guthrie, came clear and ran all the way to the Basin. Throwing the ba’ into the water, he then claimed it for himself, to the delight of the Doonie players. Christmas Day Men’s Ba’ From the start, it was obvious that the Uppies had the numerical superiority and that this would be the key factor all day. The Doonies fought valiantly on Broad Street but after the initial forays just above the Cross, the Uppies took play to Tankerness House, by 1.25pm. A few surges to and fro by the Doonies were countered and play moved towards Victoria Street. A determined hold by the Doonies saw play back down at the cathedral steps and then across to Florabunda. Suddenly the pack split, the ba’ came out and play surged down to the bottom of Tankerness Lane. Slowly the Uppies forced play along Junction Road, with only a few breaks in their dominance. The roundabout corner was negotiated leaving a straight push to the corner which was reached just before 4pm. After the usual discussion, the players awarded the ba’ to Eoin Learmonth. New Year’s Day Boys’ Ba’ The throw took play across to Orkney Television Enterprise. From there, play shifted on to the Kirk Green and then back on to Broad Street. Breaks by Uppies saw the pack reach Florabunda, followed by a Doonie move onto the Cathedral wall. As play became loose the ba’ suddenly went up Palace Road and down King Street and onwards to Bridge Street. The Uppies stopped the run at Colin Paterson’s shop, from where play moved out into the Albert Street car park. Play remained at the Albert Hotel area for some time before moving down to the Kiln Corner. Solid Uppie resistance was causing problems for the Doonies as they struggled towards the Basin. Eventually the pack went down the Corn Slip and the ba’ was deposited in the water. Several claimants entered the water after the ba’ but it was Chris Guthrie, twin brother of Marcus, the Christmas Day winner, who was awarded the ba’, to the delight of his support. New Year’s Day Men’s Ba’ The first half hour of play saw little movement as both sides sought an advantage. Slowly, play moved down St Magnus Lane, where the pressure was building up as the scrum squeezed towards Junction Road. Once out, a split in the pack saw play quickly up past the new library, finally easing at the Support Training Cafe. Here, the ba’ suddenly went up over the roof of the building and out into Tankerness Lane. The move had failed but the Doonies had some control in the middle and another smuggle was a possibility. Back on Junction Road went play and up to the Royal British Legion. The ba’ was squeezed into the Legion wall where the Doonies gained possession and quickly moved the ba’ out to the edge of the pack. Graeme King burst out and ran into the square and off-loaded the ba’ to waiting Doonies. Paddy Highley, Neil MacDonald and Shawn Tait were all involved as the ba’ was rushed to the sea. After a long, heated debate on the West Pier and in the Basin, Alex Findlater was awarded the trophy. |
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