When shinty's greatest rivals did the unthinkable

John Mackenzie of Newtonmore and Kingussie's James Hutchison in action during the 2011 Camanachd Cup Final, the previous occasion the sides clashed in the final

Two of Scotland's strongest shinty communities - Kingussie and Newtonmore - are separated by a mere three miles.

This weekend, the greatest rivals in the men's game will face off in the Camanachd Cup Final at Bught Park in Inverness.

But almost 100 years ago, Badenoch's shinty giants felt forced into doing something that would be unthinkable today.

Kingussie and Newtonmore are behind the greatest rivalry in the men's game

Kingussie and Newtonmore famously never tire of winning.

Between them the clubs have lifted the Camanachd Cup on 60 occasions.

The coveted trophy will return to Badenoch once more with the near neighbours set to meet in Saturday's final.

But in the past, it was a very different story.

The 1920s had seen an unprecedented era of success for teams from Argyll.

The Camanachd Cup had gone to Kyles Athletic in 1920, 1922 and 1924, to Furnace in 1923, and to Inveraray in 1925 and 1926.

The Badenoch clubs, raised on a diet of success, quickly became restless.

There were further concerns of players leaving the area and fans losing interest.

A radical plan emerged.

The Kingussie team of 1928, featuring a number of players from Newtonmore

The success of Argyll teams such as Inveraray in the 1920s prompted Newtonmore and Kingussie to take drastic action

The local press reported that "a most sensible proposal" had been made for one Badenoch team to be formed to break Argyll's dominance.

Kingussie historian John Robertson said: "The idea of an amalgamation was twofold.

"There was a shortage of players, mainly on the Kingussie side, but also the teams in Badenoch were very keen to try and get the Camanachd Cup back.

"The idea was to revive shinty and get back to the highest level".

An advert for the 1927 Camanachd Cup Final between the combined Badenoch team, playing under the banner of Newtonmore and Kyles Athletic

After lively meetings in both towns, where arguments were made for and against the proposal, a deal was struck to field a combined senior side.

The team would play under the Newtonmore banner in 1927 and Kingussie in 1928.

Unsurprisingly, the communities were far from unanimous in their support.

Mr Robertson said: "It was very controversial.

"The players themselves were very defensive of it and thought it was worth a try.

"They were pretending it was going to make shinty stronger in Badenoch.

"The supporters and spectators were totally against it".

The amalgamation provoked strong feelings beyond Badenoch as well.

A letter to the Inverness Courier claimed Newtonmore and Kingussie were "not prepared to take the lean years with the fat ones", as other clubs in less populated areas had done.

It went on: "They seem to prefer dishonour to defeat".

Further correspondence saw a dire warning about "the beginning of the end of shinty as we have known it".

But there was no going back and the combined side made an early impression by claiming the MacTavish Cup against Stratherrick - though grumbles about the new team continued in the press.

Undeterred, the Badenoch team focused on the prize it really wanted - the Camanachd Cup.

Playing as Newtonmore, it took on Kyles Athletic but was defeated 2-1. The cup was staying in Argyll.

The final also highlighted the depth of ill-feeling over the combined team.

Presenting the trophy, the Camanachd Association president said Kyles had faced the pick of Badenoch.

He said: "By the defeat of that team one of the best strokes had been done for shinty".

The Kyles chieftain went further, claiming that "in the interests of shinty it was good that they had smashed the combination from Badenoch".

The Newtonmore team who won the Camanachd Cup and MacTavish Cup in 1929 after de-coupling from their old rivals

The fortunes of the uneasy alliance did not improve in the second season.

Now playing as Kingussie, it failed to defend the MacTavish Cup and were shocked 1-0 by Boleskine in the Camanachd Cup.

Far from conquering the giants of Argyll, the Badenoch outfit had been vanquished by a side from an area which had never previously reached the Camanachd final.

The days of the combined Badenoch team were over.

Back under their own steam, Newtonmore immediately regained the Camanachd Cup in 1929 and embarked on a new era of success.

While Kingussie had to endure a lengthy spell in the doldrums, never again did it consider joining forces with its old foes.

'So controversial'

Almost a century on, some Badenoch folk still have not quite forgiven their predecessors.

"How they ever thought it was going to work I just don't know," said Mr Robertson.

"It was so controversial, it was always going to run into problems and animosity".

As such, any "problems and animosity" that might emerge at Bught Park on Saturday will come from two quite distinct Badenoch camps.

Just the way they like it.

Mr Robertson said: "If you lose that hunger to beat your neighbours your standards drop.

"You need that rivalry to beat each other and it lifts you right up towards the top of the sport.

"Local rivalries are what drives shinty."