Tough call made to cancel Ceres Highland Games

Organisers of the Ceres Highland Games are now looking ahead to 2022 after making the tough decision to cancel this summer’s event.
SSHC 2713045 ceres hg 
runners - Ceres Highland Games, Ceres Green, CeresSSHC 2713045 ceres hg 
runners - Ceres Highland Games, Ceres Green, Ceres
SSHC 2713045 ceres hg runners - Ceres Highland Games, Ceres Green, Ceres

It’s been a difficult week for the games circuit in Fife with Markinch also confirming their postponement earlier in the week.

The two recent cancellations follow on from Cupar’s decision to halt preparations in February and there is now a realistic chance that, for the second year in a row, the country will again be deprived of the popular showpiece events.

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At the time of writing, St Andrews Highland Games, which is due to be held on July 25, was still scheduled to take place.

A statement from the Ceres organisers confirmed: “We have considered many potential options but all would involve gatherings in a fairly restricted space and incur significant costs and losses that would put the long term future of the games at risk.

"As you know we are a free games and rely entirely on fund raising, sponsorships, donations, advertising and promotions as well as other income on the day itself to fund the games year on year.

“To proceed at this stage would mean incurring all the costs but with a fraction of the income.

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"The committee are, however, working hard to ensure the future of the games and we will be back as soon as restrictions allow - we are now looking at the 2022 season.”

Given the uncertainty, the Scottish Highland Games Association announced it was cancelling the championships it stages as part of members’ events.

With almost a third of the 61 member games already cancelled and others expected to follow it was felt this was the best viable way forward for the 2021 season.

The SHGA stage almost 50 championships during the season at various members' games, they have all been cancelled and will be carried over to be held at the same venues in 2022.

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Ceres, Inverkeithing and Markinch Games would normally all host SHGA Scottish cycle championships.

Shane Fenton, who has a long association with games season in Fife, and is secretary at Markinch, said: “It is regrettable but the health and safety of everyone is paramount in these still uncertain times.”

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