Events

Welcome to the updated Events section of the Gigha website.  We will do our best to keep you informed of upcoming events. But to get started - here's one you may have missed ...

Saturday the 11th of September saw the annual Gigha football match, where a team of seasoned, island footballers play a visiting team from Norfolk. This match has been an annual event for several years and produces football of an unbelievable quality, by which I mean it is football that you simply can't believe is being played. As you can see from the Gigha team in the picture, a more honed team of athletes, you'll be hard pressed to find.

This year's Gigha team, playing in the traditional blue, had very strong family ties, with two brothers and two father and son combinations, three if you actually include the mascot/ballboy. It's hard to believe that these aren't professional football players, but manage to hold out full-time jobs from the ferry skipper to fish farm manager and and still meet the rigorous commitments of the Gigha football team. And Jim Beagan's case managed not only to be a forthright centre half, an estate worker for the Trust and a singer of high regard, whilst also constantly wearing sunglasses. Finally, it's good to see Malcolm Henderson, captain of the Gigha side, takes the healthy approach to sport seriously -- those eagle-eyed amongst you will note that cigarette in his hand!

The visiting motley crew from Norfolk featured the svelte like Andy between the sticks, an expatriate Durham lad holding their defence together and Martin who claims to be 67 and but for this to be true, must be manufacturing some elixir of life on the quiet. Those knowledgeable of Gigha will realise that the man on the left is none other than Adam Teale, who for the good of the game and an apparently large bribe played for the opposition.

The game was a tense affair, and took a long time to get into the full swing. Indeed, it was a full one minute 20 seconds before Gigha took the lead. At half time, this lead had stretched to 4 - 1 and to be fair the Norfolk boys were lucky to be only down by three. As you can see from the picture, games on Gigha have a certain character to them. The multiple goal approach is being looked at by FIFA as a way of improving the flow of the game, Charlie, the dog, pretty much kept off the pitch for most of the game and the whole referee wearing rigger boots approach is definitely a trend-setter.

With the score standing at 4 - 2 unfortunately the game had to be abandoned due to a serious injury. The casualty was airlifted from the island and at 10:30 that night in the bar of the Hotel when the referee checked his stopwatch, realised that it was still running. Full-time was called and the game officially abandoned. Till next year.