Aberdeen University goalkeeper Scott Moffat – who used to play for Beauly – is the latest player to step into our Shinty Spotlight.
The 42-year-old competes for the Mowi North Division Two side, whose home game this Saturday against Lochaber has been postponed due to the visitors being unable to field a team.
What is your earliest shinty memory?
When I was at Beauly Primary, perhaps P4 or P5, the headmaster called me aside and asked me whether I knew the rules of shinty. I said “no” and he said “you’ll soon learn the rules as you go.”
Next thing I knew I was on the bus to Kingussie, so I didn’t have much of a say in it. However, growing up in Beauly, once you start, it is in you to play shinty.
Who was your senior debut against and can you recall the result?
I think my first senior match was for Beauly against Lochcarron and I got injured in that game, but I can’t recall the result.
What is your best moment in the sport so far?
The year after we got promoted from North Division Two to North Division One, I became manager, a position I held for four years.
In my first season as manager, in a new division, no one gave us any hope of doing anything, but we ran Newtonmore incredibly close.
In fact, it came down to the last day of the season when I think they beat us 7-0, but having the squad we had and pushing Newtonmore all the way has been my fondest memory. For our first year in that league, it was pretty good going.
And the worst?
The following season, we lost a lot of players. In Aberdeen, once the oil takes a bit of a hit, you get people leaving and for two years thereafter, we went from having a really strong squad to a player pool where we struggled to get 10 or 11 players on the park every week.
In management, you can be flying and have a good crop of players and then – just through circumstances which are no one’s fault – players leave.
Because shinty is not one of the main sports in Aberdeen, it’s hard to bring new players through.
You can push teams to within one win of the league title, then the next season, you lose players, so the worst part of the sport is when you’re struggling to get a team together for a Saturday.
What is the worst injury you have suffered in shinty?
I was playing away to Lochaber and I was just running in and went in for a 50/50 challenge.
It was shoulder-to-shoulder and, for some reason, it led to a bad groin injury there and then.
Let’s just say I was heading towards playing in goals at that stage in my career and that was the moment which more or less cemented my move to between the posts.
Who is the joker in your team?
There are a few contenders – but I’d opt for Willie Hunter, although he has mellowed a bit over the last couple of years!
What is your favourite away ground and why?Â
I always get slated for this, but I used to like Kincraig. It was old-school and the grass was quite long. I also liked Kinlochshiel’s old pitch, but for current venues I’d say Caberfeidh’s Castle Leod.
Who is the rival player you would love to have in your team and why?
We had Gregor Cushnie with us for a while. He travelled the length and breadth of the country when he stayed at Lochcarron. He’s back at Lochcarron and we’d love to have him back, because he’s just a phenomenal player.
In terms of players who have not already played for us, I’d say Nick Dalgety from Glengarry. He’s incredibly difficult to mark and, no matter who we put on him, he always causes havoc.
What is the favourite goal scored by you or a team-mate?Â
The best goal scored I can remember is not about the actual goal, but what it meant. It was when we played Kinlochshiel away, the year we came second in the league.
We were really struggling to get players that day. I think just before we left Aberdeen we had 10 players. We managed to rope someone in and then Astie Cameron (from the Camanachd Association) got them registered, in the end we started and finished with 11 players.
Kinlochshiel is always a tough place to travel but made that bit harder with only having 11 players. I’m not sure many people gave us much of a chance.
I think the score ended up either 3-2 or 4-3 to Aberdeen. So, while I can’t remember the goal – or who scored it – it was crucial.
Had we lost or drawn, we would have been out of the title race, so it was our favourite goal as it kept us right up there.
Describe shinty in three words?
Inclusive, fast and community-centred.
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