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Shinty: Why Newtonmore Camanachd Club management duo Norman MacArthur and Evan Cheyne are quitting

MacArthur gave his reasons as to why Newtonmore Camanachd Club are searching for a new manager ahead of the 2025 season.

Newtonmore co-manager Norman MacArthur. Image: Neil G Paterson.
Newtonmore co-manager Norman MacArthur. Image: Neil G Paterson.

Newtonmore have started the search for a new first-team manager after the club confirmed co-managers Norman MacArthur and Evan Cheyne have made the decision to step down at the end of the 2024 shinty season.

MacArthur said: “There are a couple of reasons for taking this decision right now.

“Firstly, Evan and I we felt the time was right and this early decision gives the club time to get a new management team in place ahead of the new season.

“We could have carried on for another year, but we would just be in this same situation in 12 months’ time, so now is the perfect time to make the change and allow a new management team to come in and take things to the next level.

“Also, we feel it’s time for some younger people to get involved – we have a lot of promising players in their teens and early 20s, and we feel the club would benefit from a new voice, a younger voice, to connect with the squad going forward.

“With more and more younger players coming into the first team, the club would benefit from a younger person to take on the manager’s role.”

‘It’s something I’ll miss, but time is right’ – MacArthur

Both MacArthur and Cheyne will continue with their other volunteering roles within Newtonmore Camanachd Club, and MacArthur, who also had a stint as senior manager from midway through the 2005 season until 2012, is also Newtonmore president.

He added: “I’ve been involved managing the team for long enough, and when Evan and I started three years ago, I said I wouldn’t be down at the training for two nights a week and then attending games on a Saturday and everything that entails.

“However, I was very quickly doing just that.

“Being president, too, there can be club meetings each week, so that’s another evening, and I’ve found combining the team and president’s role more difficult this time around.

“It can be easy to take your eye of the ball, but I can now concentrate solely on the president’s role.

“We’ll now have a meeting with the boys to go over things and we already have a couple of pre-season games in the pipeline. It’s our annual general meeting on Wednesday, December 11, and we hope to be in a position to propose a new (managerial) appointment to the AGM.”

Newtonmore finished fifth in the Mowi Premiership last season, but, such was the congestion in the top half of the league, they were just a couple of points off second place Caberfeidh.

MacArthur added: “I’ve enjoyed it, and Evan would say the same. It’s something I’ll miss, but I know the time is right – just as I did when I stood down in 2012.”

‘Norman and Evan have built a resilient, strong Newtonmore squad’

Evan Cheyne, joint manager of Newtonmore. Image: Neil G Paterson.

A Newtonmore club statement read: “We would like to offer huge and sincere thanks to both Norman and Evan for all their hard work and commitment, and for their dedication to develop the team over the last three seasons.

“During their tenure, they have continued to focus on fitness and skills training, and they have built a resilient, strong squad and fostered a great team spirit.

“They have created an admirable platform for a new coaching team to take over.”

Anyone interested in being considered for the post should contact any committee member, senior player or the club through their Facebook page.

Meanwhile, Kilmory have announced that Ewan McKellar will be their new manager.

McKellar takes over from Ronnie Campbell who led the MacRae Park side to a second-place finish in Mowi South Division 1 last season.

Iomain Cholmcille, the Gaelic shinty-hurling international, will be held in the Outer Hebrides for the first time as Alba meet Ireland’s representatives Fir Uladh at Shawbost School Park on Saturday.

Sean MacLeod manages the Alba squad, who are skippered by Paddy Sinclair from Camanachd Leodhais.

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