Clachnacuddin

Prelude

The 1946-47 Season had showed much potential for the forthcoming campaign. Winning the North of Scotland Cup and losing narrowly to Peterhead in the Final of the Qualifying Cup (North). In the Highland League Clach finished a creditable third to eventual winners Peterhead, only one point behind runners-up Huntly. They also qualified for the Scottish Cup unfortunately losing 5 – 1 to East Stirling at Firs Park, Falkirk (Clach scorer – Siegel PEN) in a replay after drawing 1 – 1 (Clach Scorer – (Roy) at Grant Street Park, Inverness on 1st February 1947. This game was originally scheduled for the previous Saturday but was postponed due to frost. The grant Street Park game was played before 5163 spectators with gate receipts of £410-1s-9d, exclusive of stand.

Season 1946-47 was the first full season after World War II. Clach were defending League Champions having won the last completed pre-war competition in 1938-39. Season 1939-40 started but was abandoned on the outbreak of the War.

The season had debutantes Lossiemouth, who are still members, and 30th T.B., an Army team who competed for only one season. Deveronvale had played in the 1938-39 and abandoned 1939-40 seasons.

The Morganti Cup was first played for under the banner of the new competition the Highland League Cup.  In the Final Forres Mechanics defeated Elgin 5 – 2 before 3000 plus spectators at Grant Street Park, Inverness on the 28th August 1946.

The Qualifying Cup Final was played at Telford Street Park, Inverness on 2nd November 1946 as decreed by the Scottish Football Association, much to Peterhead’s consternation as their opponents in the Final were Clach. However, Peterhead triumphed 3 – 2 in a closely fought game before a packed ground. Clach’s team was MacDougall;  Hazle;  MacKay;  Sutherland;  MacLean;  Baxter (Captain);  Mackenzie;  Roy;  Siegel;  Kane;  Wemyss. Clack scorers were Kane and Baxter.

The North of Scotland Cup was won by Clach to begin a run of four successive successful Finals. Their results in the competition were as follows:

First Round – 15th February 1947 – Grant Street Park, Inverness

Clachnacuddin 2  Lossiemouth 0

Clach Team - MacDougall;  Hazle;  MacKay;  Baxter (Captain);  MacLean;  Kane;  MacKenzie;  Forbes;  Siegel;  Bartlett;  MacAngus.
Clach Scorers – Siegel;  MacKenzie

Semi Final – 22nd March 1947 – Grant Street Park, Inverness

Clachnacuddin 3  Forres Mechanics 3

Clach Team - MacDougall; Hazle;  MacKay;  Baxter (Captain);  MacLean;  Kane;  MacKenzie;  Wemyss;  Siegel;  Bartlett;  MacAngus.
Clach Scorers – Siegel 2;  Baxter

This was a game which Clach eventually got out of jail against a determined Forres outfit.  Leading 1 – 0 at half-time through a Siegel strike Clach were stunned by the ten man Forres who raced into a 3 – 1 lead mid-way through the second half.  This was the way until six minutes from time when goals by Siegel and Baxter gave them a draw they hardly deserved.

Semi Final Replay  -  29th March 1947 – Mosset Park, Forres

Clachnacuddin 2  Forres Mechanics 1

Clach Team - MacDougall;  Hazle;  MacKay;  Baxter (Captain);  MacLean;  Kane;  MacKenzie;  Roy;  Siegel;  Bartlett;  MacAngus
Clach Scorers – MacKenzie (direct from a corner); Siegel

The game was not as close as the score suggests – Clach were well in command and but for poor finishing could have won more comfortably.

Final – 19th April 1947 – Telford Street Park, Inverness

Clachnacuddin 2  Caledonian 0

Clach Team - MacDougall;  Hazle;  MacKay;  Baxter (Captain);  MacLean;  Kane;  MacKenzie;  Roy;  Siegel;  Bartlett;  MacAngus
Caley Team - Burt;  Fraser;  Wheeler;  Robertson;  Rooney;  Jamieson;  MacKinnon;  Macpherson;  Armstrong;  MacLennan;  MacKintosh
Referee – Mr Dougie MacKintosh
Clach Scorers – MacAngus 2

The rules of the competition at the time decreed that the Final had to be played in Inverness.  Inverness Thistle’s Kingsmills Park was still not back in use after having been an army camp during the War.  Caley won the toss of the coin to stage the Final.  A crowd of over 4000 were treated to a poor game.  Clach deserved their win playing with more method throughout.  A goal by Donnie MacAngus in each half settled the Final.

The Highland League provided a four horse race between Peterhead, Huntly, Clach and Caley.  Due to bad weather causing numerous postponements the League was not completed until June with Peterhead beating Caley 1 – 0 at Recreation Park, Peterhead to finally clinch the Championship.  The lynchpins of their successful side were player-coach ex-Aberdeen player Percy Dickie, skyscraper centre-half Doddie Buchan and highly competitive Redford MacKintosh.

Clach finished a creditable third, just one point behind runners-up Huntly, scoring exactly 100 goals in the process.  The final table with two points for a win was:

There was a remarkable total of 1214 League goals scored that season.  Clach reaching the ton with Huntly topping that and Caley on 99.

It should be noted that 30th T.B., Fort George played all their games away from home as they did not have a suitable enclosed ground.

Season 1947-1948

The start of the 1947-48 Season was greeted with great optimism at Grant Street but the outcome was beyond the widest dreams of the Club and confounded their most ardent supporters.

Jimmy Pines, Forres Mechanics’ previous season’s  top scorer, signed for Clach to set up a first class striking partnership with the prolific Dave Siegel.  This move went a long way to add the final cog in the wheel for Clach’s glory season.

The season opened on 9th August 1947 with the first round of the Morganti (Highland League) Cup with R.A.F. Kinloss replacing 30th T.B. in all Competitions.  The Competition was divided into local sections to avoid far distance travelling in the early rounds.  The first two rounds were due to be placed on a home and away basis.  Clach competed in Section 4 along with Caledonian; Inverness Thistle and Ross County.  In the first round Clach were parried with old rivals Caledonian with the first game to be played at Telford Street Park, Inverness.

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