Team Scotland Scotland finally Lose out in the Quarter-Finals

So, the dream ended, but what a dream debut at the World Senior Championship for Susan Kesley, Fran Stretton, Vicky Gumley and Morna Aitken.  They were coached by Mr Morna Aitken and the four C & B club members who were part of this great performance are pictured here.

From left: Morna Aitken, coach David Aitken, Fran Stretton and Susan Kesley

The ladies lost out in a tight quarter-final game against the three-times World Champion and twice-Olympic Gold Medallist skip, Anette Norberg.  If you're going to lose to someone, well - she'll do!

Read the team's blog at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2104987883069193/.  Some great pictures and stories posted there, so enjoy having a retrospective look at their journey since winning the Scottish Senior Ladies.

International Junior Club Curling Bonspiel

Last season, Gogar Park Young Curlers hosted the International Junior Club Curling Bonspiel at Murrayfield.  In fact a GPYC team, skipped by Adam Keron, with Holly Davis and C & B club members Kirsty Barr and Emma Barr won the overall competition (writes Andrew Barr).

This year, the competition was held in Pinerolo on the three-sheet rink that sits next to the Turin Olympic curling venue where David Murdoch's team GB came so agonisingly close in their semi-final match against Finland.  The big rink was also the venue for the World Junior Championships in which a previous generation of junior C & B members competed - Kerry Barr playing in the ladies competition and Graeme Copland eventually winning the Bronze medal in the men's championship.  Graeme went on the next year to win a Silver medal against the USA in the World University Games final at the same venue - the winning skip that year?  John Shuster, recent Gold medal winner at the Winter Olympic Games!  Small world, the curling world!

Anyhow, enough history!  The same team tried very hard to defend their title and just came up short, finishing second - even though they beat the winners in their final game.  As Andrew finished his report, "Don't even ask - some complicated Schenkel format".

Reminds me of the Paris Viry Cup in 1978.  Same thing happened to us.  Dodgy measure by an umpire on that occasion.  Clearly our stone was nearer the middle by about three inches, but the  umpire kicked it away and grandly said that the other team had won.  I'm not bitter or anything.  Not me.  Still rankles though.  I found the umpire in a bar later.  He was a steward.  A bar steward.

Team Scotland Reach the Play-offs!

So far so good for Susan, Fran, Vicky and Morna!  With one game to go (against England - the auld enemy), their 5-1 record has them through to the quarter-final play-offs.  Very well done and many congratulations to the team.

Resplendent in their Scotland kits before the start of the competition
From left: Susan Kesley, Fran Stretton, Vicky Gumley and Morna Aitken

Their only loss was in their game versus Switzerland where, according to all the reports I have read, they could have played a lot better - but still only lost by the odd shot.  The problem going forward is that it just takes a bad end - even a bad stone, or a pick-up or a fluke, and all your good work can be undone.  They have all done us proud though and here's to a few more wins and maybe a medal!

Good luck to them.

A great study of Susan on the ice.

Team Scotland in World Senior Ladies Championship

Astonishing to report that three C & B curlers are still curling!  Susan Kesley, Fran Stretton, and Morna Aitken are playing in Team Scotland along with Vicky Gumley.  They are out in Oestersund in Sweden and - so far, so good!  They head the table in their session after three games - all of which they have won.

Their latest triumph was against Italy.  Susan had to make her last hit to win the game.

Good luck ladies.  Here's a picture of the Scotland v Italy competitors.

 

Vicky, Morna, Susan and Fran
with their Italian Opponents

Follow the story on the Team Kesley FaceBook page at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2104987883069193/