SWPP awards for July

I gained two silver awards for the SWPP July competition.  Top pic is of Loch More and the surfer about to be hit by a monster wave at Thurso East is Thurso's Ali Coghill.

The Loch More pic will be featured in the North of Scotland Newspapers 2011 Caithness Calendar, which is due out soon. All the pics in the calendar were taken by Thurso Camera Club members, as per last year.

Camera Club Fashion Shoot

Thurso Camera Club held the last of its summer photoshoots by organising a model shoot at Castletown harbour last Sunday afternoon.  Courtny Slater (last 3 pics) and Isla Bisset kindly agreed to be the models for the 10 members who turned up. The girls were very professional and natural in front of the camera and made it a lot easier for everyone to get some good pics.

It was totally different to the normal landscape photography shoot and everyone enjoyed the experience.  The weather was perfect for an outdoor shoot, i.e. not too sunny.

The Club's winter programme starts on the first Monday in September in the Music Annexe of Miller Academy School at 7.30pm.

Highland Amateur Cup Final - The goal

This is the sequence of shots that I got for Garry MacLeod's winning goal in Saturday's Highland Amateur Cup Final match between Pentland Utd and Golspie Stafford.  The celebrations continued in the Northern Sands Hotel, Dunnet and I'm sure there were a few sore heads on Sunday!

Highland Amateur Cup Final

Pentland Utd captain Michael "Joe" Steven holds aloft the Highland Amateur Cup after their 1-0 win over Golspie Stafford

Lots of happy faces

Champagne is "wasted" over goalkeeper Michael Gray

Garry MacLeod's free kick dips under the bar and out of the reach of Gordon Macrae for the game's only goal

Gary MacLeod runs towards the stand after scoring

Captain Joe Steven congratulates goalscorer Garry MacLeod

James Murray in action

James Murray was booked for "simulation" in this tackle

James Murray and John Smith

Grant Steven tries to stop an attempted cross

Joe Steven keeps a close eye on the ball

The Pentland Utd starting XI

Pentland Utd won the Highland Amateur Cup today for a record 7th time in glorious sunshine at Dudgeon Park, Brora..  They beat Golspie Stafford 1-0, with a wonder free kick by Garry MacLeod mid-way through the 2nd half.  The free kick was awarded after Ross Allan was fouled by the centre half John Smith.  Smith was sent off as it was his 2nd yellow and Allan had to be substituted due to an ankle injury from the tackle.

10 man Golspie were unlucky as they hit the woodwork twice and Michael Gray made 3 super saves as they piled on the pressure in the 2nd half.

Man of the match was United's right back, Gary MacKay.

Caithness Division 1 Champions

CAFA 2010 Champions - Wick Groats

Captain Derek Shearer accepts the John MacDonald Memorial Cup from Caithness AFA Chairman Murray MacKay

Captain Derek Shearer

Wick Groats also won the Wick League Trophy

Castletown keeper Christopher Cannop punches clear

Grant MacNab fires a shot past Murray MacKay

Stewart Ross watches his free kick fly past Castletown keeper Christopher Cannop for his side's second goal

Grant MacNab out paces Derrick Shearer

Graham MacDonald and Graham MacNab

Wick Groats beat their nearest challengers, Castletown, 2-0 tonight and so won the Caithness AFA Division 1 Championship with one game to spare.  A large crowd watched the match in perfect conditions. 

John O'Groats beat 10 man Staxigoe Utd 4-2 on the adjacent pitch at the Bignold Park.

Wick Academy vs Thurso FC

Gary Weir celebrates his goal for Wick

Stevie Cunningham slots home his side's second goal vs Thurso

Richard MacAdie fends off Grant Steven

David Allan beats Lee MacDougall.  David was taken off after 30 mins with a hamstring injury and is out for a few weeks.

Richard MacAdie in a race with Thurso right back  Martin Sutherland

Blair MacIntosh clears from Richard MacAdie

Grant Steven tries to block a cross by Gary Manson

Gary "Chucky" Weir is booked for dissent over a throw-in decision.

Fans surround the pitch under the Harmsworth Park floodlights

Thurso played Wick Academy last night for the first time in a competitive match (HITS league cup tie). It was raining for most of the match and a reasonable sized crowd watched the game.

The Wick went 2-0 up in the first half with goals from Chucky Weir and Stevie Cunningham.  Andrew Bremner scored right on half-time to make it 2-1. Michael Gray had two wonder saves to keep Wick at bay and Thurso pressed hard for an equaliser as Wick sat back. I had to leave with 15 mins to go and Thurso scored a late equaliser. It then went straight to penalties and Wick won.

Thurso Gala Floats

The Thurso Gala Float parade was held last night in perfect conditions.  Of the 5 floats, 3 came from outwith Thurso (Castletown, Halkirk Young Farmers & Bower YF).  The Castletown float "What the Dickens" won the supreme award.  As usual their float was fantastic.

There were lots of foot collectors and I only caught a few of them.