Stirling Camanachd is set to make its debut in Mowi South Division 2 for the 2025 season, marking an exciting new chapter for the club and for shinty in the Stirling area. This announcement comes after a whirlwind year of growth for the relatively young club, which has rapidly developed from a grassroots initiative into a competitive side ready to challenge itself in one of Scotland’s senior shinty leagues.
The journey for Stirling began just last summer when the club, initially focused on developing youth teams, managed to secure access to a pitch. “We started by planning to develop kids and U14s, but things grew quicker than expected,” said Neil Sutherland, the club’s chairman. “We ended up fielding full squads of senior players for friendlies, with a mix of experienced players and newcomers to the game. It’s been an amazing year of progress.”
The rapid rise of the club has been facilitated by strong support from Stirling Council and Club Sport Stirling, who have been instrumental in helping the team secure the pitch and essential facilities. With these foundations in place, Stirling now looks forward to working alongside local schools and community groups to continue growing the sport in Stirlingshire.
As Stirling prepares to join the Mowi Leagues, the team is brimming with excitement and anticipation. Captain Al Reed shared his enthusiasm for the upcoming season, noting how pivotal this step will be for the club’s long-term development. “The team is very excited to join the league this year,” Reed said. “This will help our development as a club and also give us the chance to play competitively. We have a great pool of players, all ready to play, and for some of our team, this will be the first time competing in the league.”
However, while the excitement for the season ahead is palpable, there’s still plenty of hard work to be done before the first competitive match. From installing goals and marking the pitch to getting kits ready and organizing pre-season training, the next few months will be crucial in preparing the team for league action. “The hard work starts now,” said Sutherland. “It’s not just about pre-season training, but making sure everything is in place for the season ahead.”
As Stirling embarks on its first season of competitive shinty, the club is calling on the support of the local community, fans, and anyone who believes in the development of the sport. “Any support would be greatly appreciated as we take this next step in our journey,” said Reed. “We’re ready to give it our all, and we look forward to seeing how far we can go in the Mowi South Division 2.”
If you are interested in playing, coaching or volunteering for Stirling then please contact stirlingcamanachd@gmail.com.