The player of the match in this season’s Highland Industrial Supplies Sutherland Cup final will be awarded a new trophy.
Shinty historian and commentator Dr Hugh Dan MacLennan has donated the trophy, which the winning player will keep in their possession until the next final, similar to many of the other player of the match awards throughout shinty such as the Albert Smith Medal.
This year’s Sutherland Cup final, which will take place on September 9 at Blaribeg Park, Drumnadrochit, is the 100th anniversary final.
Dr MacLennan said: “I have always felt that the man of the match in the Sutherland final should get an award and to retain this trophy for a year, complete with the enhanced base and silver bands added by Roddie MacLennan of Aird Artisans in Inverness, seems to be a fitting way to mark the Sutherland centenary and my own retirement year.”
Sir William Sutherland, who donated the Sutherland Cup and indeed the new man of the match trophy that Dr MacLennan has acquired, was a Scottish civil servant, Liberal Party politician and colliery owner. He was closely associated with Prime Minister David Lloyd George and was a minister in the post-war coalition government.
Dr MacLennan purchased the trophy 10 years ago for nearly £100.
He said: “I held onto it looking for a use and decided the 100th anniversary of the main trophy would be a good point to re-introduce it to shinty.
“It was advertised as a shinty trophy for shinty introduced in 1905.
“The silver hallmark is confirmed as London 1905 but there are no references to be found so far for when it might have been played for.
“However, there are press reports in 1921 and 1922 of Sir William Sutherland attending events in Argyll and presenting a shinty trophy.
“Not the main trophy either I would say.
“So, this could either be the Argyll one or there may even be a third Sutherland Cup.”