Kinlochshiel have appointed Willie ‘Dunsie’ MacRae as their new team manager – and have recruited their former player Jonathan MacAskill from Glasgow Mid Argyll.
MacRae, a former Kinlochshiel player, has had a couple of spells of being manager of their second team and helped develop the club’s bright crop of young players who have broken through to the first team reckoning this year.
He succeeds Johnston Gill, manager of the Wester Ross side which made history last year by winning the Camanachd Cup and MacTavish Cup for the first time.
“I believe we’ve quality players who are quite capable of bringing fresh success to the club,” said MacRae.
“We didn’t win silverware this year but only finished four points behind Premiership champions Kingussie despite the team’s very disappointing start.
“Thus, the ability is there and I’m looking to provide continuity going forward. I can’t see too much change in the approach to the team, though there may well be a positional reshuffle.”
‘Doe’ MacRae has agreed to stay on as assistant manager while Duncan Macleod will be match secretary and Andrew ‘Cek’ Mackenzie steps up from being in charge of the under-14s to take first and second team training.
Willie’s backroom team will also have a family connection. Paul MacRae, of Shiel’s 2021 Camanachd Cup winning team, has been out for 18 months after cruciate ligament surgery and will take an advisory role along with Willie’s brother John.
MacRae revealed that Jonathan MacAskill, a forward or midfield player, is rejoining Shiel after winning a Celtic Society Cup winner’s medal with Mid Argyll this year.
He said: “Jonnie has secured a job at the Navy base in Kyle of Lochalsh which brings him back to our area and he is committing to playing for us.
“He’s still young but with good experience and is an excellent addition.”
MacAskill, then with Mid Argyll, was capped in the Scotland Under-21 team against Ireland in Dublin in 2019.
The new boss added: “We start training on January 18 and will play Skye at the end of January.
“Friendlies have also been fixed up against Kingussie and Inverness in February, while we’ve arranged an inter-club six a side competition for February 11.”
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