New Year's Day Mens Ba' 1999 by Charles Tait
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The Ba' went up and was won by Andy Kemp, nephew of Brian Kemp, and uncle of Davie Leonard who won the Boys' Ba'.  The game was very exciting to watch and was over at about 16:00.  There was much good action and fluid play, with a very good Uppie break from Broad Street to the Phoenix car park.

The Ba' was thrown up by Brian Kemp, who is a stalwart Uppie, here pictured with Jim Cromarty.  Photorgapher Ken Amer covered the early part of the game for Grampian Television.

The throw-up at 13:00 was met by a good scrum of Uppies and Doonies.  There was much good play on Broad Street.

From the start the action was fluid.  The scrum did not go up beyond Judith Glue's shop, and soon the game fetched up on the Kirk Green steps.

The game moved onto the Kirk Green, giving the grass a good test.  It fetched up against the Kirkyard wall for a time.

At 13:55 there was a terrific Uppie break from outside the Longship all the way to the Phonnix car park by Barry Sutherland.  A small number of Uppies were pursued by a larger number of Donnies, and eventually the Ba' was being kicked arround the bus station car park before the main scrum arrived.  By 14:20 it was outside Orkney Builders offices as the Doonies rallied, but by 14:40 it had crossed Great Western Road.

Avril Craigie is one of many avid female Ba' supporters, she must have strong arms!  The Ba' reached the Phoenix cark park bt 15:00.

A large crowd outside the now closed Phoenix Cimema.  The scrum had reached Union Street by 15:30 with some loose play on the corner giving some concern to the Uppies.  The Doonies stopped it there for some time..  

Go to next New Year's Day 1999 Ba page....  

The New Years' Day 1998 Mens' Ba'text by Charles Tait
photos by Charles Tait & Ken Amer.  Kodak DC50 camera loaned by David Griffith of Orknet with thanks.