Uppie men seal a double win for New Year 2020

After a game lasting a little over six hours, the Uppies have emerged as the victories team in the 2020 Men’s New Years Day Ba’, with Magnus Baillie, from Toab, raised high from their ranks as the overall winner.

This sealed a double-header from the Uppies as we head into a new decade, with the team and Ewan Stevenson also taking the victory in the boys’ game earlier today.

In a game that did feature breaks but was won through solid pushing power, every metre gained was hard-earned. Following the throw from former Doonie player Barrie Reid at 1pm, the game travelled as close to the Shorie goal as the back of the Kirkwall iCentre before a break involving Mr Baillie’s son Findley Cooper saw the beginning of a slow journey up Great Western Road toward Lidl supermarket and then onto Junction Road.

With both teams seeming to get the upper hand at different times, it was hard to tell what the outcome would be. However, on this occasion, the Uppies weren’t to be resisted and they eventually claimed a very hard-fought win.

With the Doonies fighting to the last minute, a mighty throw saw the ba’, made by Edgar Gibson, hit Mackinson’s Corner, and within just a few minutes Mr Baillie emerged from the pack as the winner, to cheers and singing from his teammates.

Asked to described how he felt about the win, he replied: “I’m absolutely over the moon. You have no idea how much this means to me. I don’t know what time the game finished, it must have been six or seven hours, but what a team game.”