Two big, nay enormous games were played out on Friday between a Barr duo and two of the top contenders in this season's league. Jenny Barr brought the might of her full team to the party for the first time this season, but still came up short against an on-fire Katie Wood, admirably supported all the way down the rink by Raymond Preston, Joe Barry and strong-hitting Richie Anderson, playing in Anne's place. The final draw in the game was a saver by Jenny against two Wood counters; it fudged (according the embarrassed sweepers!) as it approached the house and that extra Wood end could yet prove vital in the race for top spot.
Meanwhile Brian Fleming, after a shaky start against Bob Barr, turned on the screws in their eight-end game and brought himself within touching distance (on ends) with absent league leader, John Steven. He won six ends.
| Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
| F |
A |
E |
F |
A |
E |
F |
A |
E |
F |
A |
E |
F |
A |
E |
F |
A |
E |
F |
A |
E |
F |
A |
E |
| Gunn |
|
|
|
8 |
4 |
4 |
7 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
6 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
4 |
5 |
9 |
3 |
|
|
|
13 |
3 |
6 |
| Munro |
4 |
8 |
3 |
|
|
|
6 |
6 |
2 |
8 |
8 |
4 |
4 |
8 |
2 |
6 |
6 |
2 |
7 |
7 |
4 |
|
|
|
| Cargill |
4 |
7 |
2 |
6 |
6 |
5 |
|
|
|
5 |
5 |
4 |
|
|
|
6 |
7 |
3 |
6 |
12 |
2 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
| Steven |
6 |
4 |
3 |
8 |
8 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
3 |
|
|
|
7 |
7 |
5 |
|
|
|
10 |
4 |
4 |
10 |
4 |
5 |
| Fleming |
6 |
5 |
3 |
8 |
4 |
5 |
|
|
|
7 |
7 |
2 |
|
|
|
0 |
6 |
0 |
8 |
6 |
3 |
12 |
4 |
6 |
| Wood K |
9 |
5 |
4 |
6 |
6 |
4 |
7 |
6 |
4 |
|
|
|
6 |
0 |
4 |
|
|
|
9 |
5 |
3 |
4 |
7 |
2 |
| Barr J |
|
|
|
7 |
7 |
3 |
12 |
6 |
4 |
4 |
10 |
3 |
6 |
8 |
4 |
5 |
9 |
4 |
|
|
|
5 |
13 |
1 |
| Barr B |
3 |
13 |
2 |
|
|
|
5 |
5 |
3 |
4 |
10 |
3 |
4 |
12 |
2 |
7 |
4 |
5 |
13 |
5 |
6 |
|
|
|
So what does this all mean at the top of the table and who is playing whom in the last rounds?
| Position |
Team |
Played |
Ends |
Shots u/(d) |
Shots scored |
Points |
| 1 |
Steven |
6 |
23 |
14 |
46 |
9 |
| 2 |
Wood K |
6 |
21 |
12 |
41 |
9 |
| 3 |
Fleming |
6 |
19 |
9 |
41 |
9 |
| 4 |
Gunn |
6 |
26 |
10 |
42 |
6 |
| 5 |
Barr B |
6 |
21 |
-13 |
36 |
5 |
| 6 |
Munro |
6 |
17 |
-8 |
35 |
4 |
| 7 |
Cargill |
6 |
20 |
-10 |
32 |
3 |
| 8 |
Barr J |
6 |
19 |
-14 |
39 |
3 |
Well first of all, there is a big game between Katie and John. The winner of that game is favourite for the title, given their ends advantage (at this stage) over Brian. Brian plays Andrew Cargill. If he wins and the other two draw, well, he could sneak the title. Equally, if he wins a barrowload of ends and the other two play a tight six-end game, with four blank ends or so, he could still sneak past the winner of the other game. Both those games are on Friday 19 December.
The other two games take place the previous week, but they're all goosed, so expect there to be a party atmosphere in the rink that night, with lots of drink and shenanigans. Sheena might come in and give us a song or two. Tie a Yellow Ribbon - that's good one!
There were a number of club members competing in this year's Edinburgh International Senior Championships.
In the ladies competition, Maggie Barry competed as a member of the Barbara Watt team. They made it all the way through their section to the semi-finals, where they came up against Christine Cannon's World Gold medal-winning team and that was that!
In the men's competition, Joe Barry and Dave Munro both played in the Jim Hogg team but failed to get out of their section.
Brian Fleming throws the last stones in the Robin Aitken team and they had a good run in their section - including a great three in their last end against Alan Durno to tie their game and ensure their progress to the quarter-finals. There, they came up against Graeme Adam's strong Greenacres rink. They were up against it from the start and lost their game.
Which leaves the astonishing news that Robin Copland, playing right enough with not too shabby a team behind him - Gordon Muirhead, Hugh Aitken and Norman Brown, made his way to the final via a quarter-final win over Ken Watson and a tight semi-final win over Lockhart Steele, who was skipping Keith Prentice's team in Keith's absence.
Cometh the final and cometh the hour! Team Brown was up against Ken Horton - an old team mate of Robin's from way back when, and they pulled off a tight win when they ran Horton out of stones at the end of the eighth end.
In the bar, there was a rustling sound which turned out to be people scratching their heads in bewilderment. I don't know why - in fact, I don't care!
Great weekend and lots of fun.
A Pairs Competition is always fun - mainly because it is something new and out of the ordinary! This year's club pairs was no different: a bit of time to chew the cud between games; the excitement provided by a new format and, of course, a new version just to add grist to the mill. This year, we decided to play three stones each, instead of the more usual four and - I cannot speak for anyone else - but I liked it! There was more time, it seemed to me and there was not the unseemly rush in the last session to get games completed.
All that said, we played four ends per game and the league table was decided on ends, followed by shots scored. As an aside, this means that the club vice-president was entirely correct when suggesting to her team mate that the angle-raised double from front to the back of the house for five shots was perhaps foolhardy compared to a relatively simple draw to the eight foot for a one! Her husband shall remain nameless in all of this of course.
Enough - what about the competition? Well, I can exclusively reveal that it was not the club vice-president and her mate who won - no, it was not them! Instead, let me introduce you to two younger members of the club, Andrew Cargill and Gavin Barr. They won six ends out of eight played and in so doing, managed to take two pretty significant scalps - Brian Fleming and Karen Munro in their first game and reigning Scottish Ladies Champion skip Kerry Barr, playing with Sheena Munro in the second game.
There was a right old pile up for second place, with four teams tied on five ends, Betty Gibb, Niall Gibb, Katie Wood and Dave Munro. Dave Munro and Donald Kennedy came through as runners-up by virtue of their superior total shots scored - 9 to Niall's 8 and Betty and Katie's 6 each.
Club vice-president Lois Copland said a few well-chosen words at the end to wrap things up; the prizes will be awarded at the club's AGM. Sheena appeared quickly in the bar, looking like an exotic Hollywood film star (she was singing later at Dalmahoy) and it took everyone about an hour to get out the car park - not because of Sheena, I hasten to add, but who knew ice hockey was such a popular spectator sport? Who cares, right enough! Well - except when they're blocking the exit bridge.
Oh - and one more thing! It was good to see so many folk up the stairs in the bar after the event. Good atmosphere!
Four teams found themselves in action last Friday in the first half of round six of seven. The big game was between Niall Gunn and John Steven. Were Niall to win this one, he would leapfrog the Steven bandwagon and take a massive ends advantage into the last round. For John, the win would give him a two-point advantage over Katie Wood and Brian Fleming (they have a game in hand, though) and keep him in the hunt - nay, pole position - for the trophy.
It wasn't easy; he was two shots behind playing the last end but some slack play from team Gunn allowed John to score a big four and secure the win. His last game is against one of his main rivals, Katie Wood. Katie, in the meantime, has to play Jenny Barr in a must-win game for her.
The other contender for the title is Brian Fleming and he has Andrew Cargill and Bob Barr in his last two games, so it is all to play for at the top end of the table.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, Andrew Cargill faced off against Dave Munro. They fought out a draw which, crucially from Andrew's point of view, moves him off the bottom of the table five ends ahead of Jenny, though she has a game in hand.
| Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
| F | A | E | F | A | E | F | A | E | F | A | E | F | A | E | F | A | E | F | A | E | F | A | E |
| Gunn |
|
|
|
8 |
4 |
4 |
7 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
6 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
4 |
5 |
9 |
3 |
|
|
|
13 |
3 |
6 |
| Munro |
4 |
8 |
3 |
|
|
|
6 |
6 |
2 |
8 |
8 |
4 |
4 |
8 |
2 |
6 |
6 |
2 |
7 |
7 |
4 |
|
|
|
| Cargill |
4 |
7 |
2 |
6 |
6 |
5 |
|
|
|
5 |
5 |
4 |
|
|
|
6 |
7 |
3 |
6 |
12 |
2 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
| Steven |
6 |
4 |
3 |
8 |
8 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
3 |
|
|
|
7 |
7 |
5 |
|
|
|
10 |
4 |
4 |
10 |
4 |
5 |
| Fleming |
6 |
5 |
3 |
8 |
4 |
5 |
|
|
|
7 |
7 |
2 |
|
|
|
0 |
6 |
0 |
8 |
6 |
3 |
|
|
|
| Wood K |
9 |
5 |
4 |
6 |
6 |
4 |
7 |
6 |
4 |
|
|
|
6 |
0 |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 |
7 |
2 |
| Barr J |
|
|
|
7 |
7 |
3 |
12 |
6 |
4 |
4 |
10 |
3 |
6 |
8 |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 |
13 |
1 |
| Barr B |
3 |
13 |
2 |
|
|
|
5 |
5 |
3 |
4 |
10 |
3 |
|
|
|
7 |
4 |
5 |
13 |
5 |
6 |
|
|
|
So, after all that excitement, here is what the table looks like. Some big games coming up and ... a new club member makes a guest appearance.
Helpmaboab!
| Position |
Team |
Played |
Ends |
Shots U/D |
Shots |
Points |
| 1 |
Steven |
6 |
23 |
14 |
46 |
9 |
| 2 |
Wood K |
5 |
18 |
8 |
32 |
7 |
| 3 |
Fleming |
5 |
13 |
1 |
29 |
7 |
| 4 |
Gunn |
6 |
26 |
10 |
42 |
6 |
| 5 |
Barr B |
5 |
19 |
-5 |
32 |
5 |
| 6 |
Munro |
6 |
17 |
-8 |
35 |
4 |
| 7 |
Cargill |
6 |
20 |
-10 |
32 |
3 |
| 8 |
Barr J |
5 |
15 |
-10 |
34 |
3 |
