Fort William full-back Johnny Forster 21, shares his key on-field moments in this week’s Shinty Spotlight.
What is your earliest shinty memory?
Being taught how to block by shinty coach John MacLeod at Inverlochy Primary.
Who was your senior debut against and can you recall the result?
That was against Inveraray, and I believe we won 3-0 to advance to the final of the 2017 Balliemore Cup (Fort beat Caberfeidh 5-4 on penalties in the final after a 4-4 draw).
What is your best moment in the sport so far?
Being part of the 2019 Fort William team going undefeated in the national league.
And the worst?
That would have to be the start of Covid in 2020 as it killed all the momentum we had gained from the previous year alongside losing some key players.
What is the worst injury you have suffered in shinty?Â
Breaking my index finger would have to be my worst injury.
Overall, I’ve been quite lucky so far.
Who is the joker in your team?
Paul Mackay is non-stop with the jokes.
What is your favourite away ground and why?Â
Mossfield Park (Oban) is my favourite pitch as it’s always in great condition and suits me well.
Who is the rival player you would love to have in your team and why?
Kale Lacey from Kilmallie is a tremendous talent and I’d love to have him in my team.
What is the favourite goal scored by you or a team-mate?Â
We were 1-0 down in the semi-final of the under-17s MacTavish Cup in 2017.
Lachie Shaw, who was quite some distance away from the goal, received the ball and turned on to his backhand to rifle a shot into the top-right corner.
This helped put us into and win the final, and was definitely my favourite goal by a team-mate.
Describe shinty in three words?
Fun, historic and unique.
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