Friday 30 October 2015

Fleming Bounces to the Top - Helpmaboab but Bob's at the Bottom!

Big game on Friday between Brian and John, with Brian comfortably in the lead coming home before John made the score look better with a big 3.

Susan did for Bob, which leaves him languishing at the bottom of the table.  Ouch!

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
Wood K       4 11 2 4 6 4 3 5 3 3 6 3                  
Gunn 11 4 5       10 5 3 4 4 3       10 7 3            
Barr J 6 4 3 5 10 4       2 9 1             4 7 3      
Cargill 5 3 3 4 4 4 9 2 5                         7 8 3
Steven 6 3 4                         6 5 4 7 6 2 4 5 2
Barr B       7 10 4             5 6 3       3 8 3 3 9 2
Kesley S             7 4 4       6 7 4 8 3 4       2 9 2
Fleming                   8 7 3 5 4 4 9 3 5 9 2 4      

C&B is, of course, neutral on the World Cup Final, so I have reflected this in this week's colourings!

Position Team Played Ends Shots u/(d) Shots scored Points
1 Fleming 4 16 15 31 8
2 Gunn 4 14 15 35 7
3 Steven 4 12 4 23 6
4 Cargill 4 15 8 25 5
5 Kesley 4 14 0 23 4
6 Barr J 4 11 -13 17 2
7 Wood K 4 12 -14 14 0
8 Barr B 4 12 -15 18 0

Wednesday 28 October 2015

Team Karina Aitken in Oslo

Our junior curlers are a well-travelled lot and I bring news of more success for team Karina Aitken - this time from the EJCT tournament in Oslo.  Let Karina and the girls take up the story themselves...

"... We started off yesterday morning in the quarter finals against team Westman (Sweden), we came through top winning by a convincing 7-2. This took us into the semi-finals against team Schmied (Switzerland), after an extremely tight game we lost by 5-3 meaning that Schmied went on into the final stage.  Even though this was a disappointing loss we went into the 3rd place play-off with a positive attitude, against team Gauchat (Switzerland).  We took an early lead to win the game 9-3, which meant we finished 3rd overall..."

 
From left, Karina Aitken, Amy MacDonald, Sophie Sinclair and Laura Barr

This was a great performance by the team and it was good to finish on a really positive note.  It builds on their September success at the Greenacres Under 21 tournament and bodes well for the Scottish Under 21 Championship in the New Year.  Congratulations to both Karina and Laura and not forgetting coach David as well - all C&B members; congratulations also to Sophie and Amy.

You can follow the team's progress at this address.  They are sponsored by Craigie's Farm (other farm shops are available, but are pretty naff really when compared with the Sinclair emporium) and I can personally vouch for all manner of iced cakes and buns consumed there over the years.

Tuesday 27 October 2015

Climate Change and Health and Safety have a lot to answer for...!

Climate change and a health and safety regime that has gone completely barking (not the town in the South-east of England) - both of these have contributed to what can exclusively be revealed as an essential truth; a truth that is right up there with, for example 
  • a cup of tea is better with rich tea biscuits than without
  • potholes are bad for your car suspension
  • Albert Einstein was quite clever.
Here is that essential truth: there will never be another outdoor Grand Match.  This is such a tragedy for our great sport, but there we are.  It ain't going to happen - or not until the next Ice Age at any rate and we had better get used to it.   As a quasi-replacement, the Royal Club introduced the idea of an Indoor Grand Match, not that such an event will ever replace the original, but at least the concept and traditions remain.

C&B contributed two teams to the South's cause.  President Margaret played up in Kinross in Dave Munro's team with Norman Nicol and Morna Aitken.  Here they are with the Grim Sweeper and their Kinross Young Curlers Club opponents!


Meanwhile, Vice President Lois played with Raymond Preston, Francis Kennedy and Donald Kennedy in Inverness against Rogart CC.  Both teams contributed to the South's impressive 2154 - 1928 victory but, much more importantly, had a whale of a time in so doing!

Kettle Trophy Round Four Results and League Table

All eight rinks were out for their round four games and we find ourselves at the halfway point of the competition.  The big headline shock of the night was provided by Brian Fleming's win over Andrew Cargill, the result of which being that vice-president Lois Copland, she of the excellent taste in men, has finally been beaten after two months of trying!  Brian remains one of two undefeated teams (the other being points runner-up John Steven) in the competition.  Niall Gunn, who currently leads the competition on seven points may yet rue that second round draw with the afore-mentioned Mrs C!

Here is the results grid.

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
Wood K       4 11 2 4 6 4 3 5 3 3 6 3                  
Gunn 11 4 5       10 5 3 4 4 3       10 7 3            
Barr J 6 4 3 5 10 4       2 9 1             4 7 3      
Cargill 5 3 3 4 4 4 9 2 5                         7 8 3
Steven 6 3 4                         6 5 4 7 6 3      
Barr B       7 10 4             5 6 3             3 9 2
Kesley S             7 4 4       6 7 4             2 9 2
Fleming                   8 7 3       9 3 5 9 2 4      

And now here is the league table. 

Position Team Played Ends Shots u/(d) Shots scored Points
1 Gunn 4 14 15 35 7
2 Fleming 3 12 14 26 6
3 Steven 3 11 5 19 6
4 Cargill 4 15 8 25 5
5 Barr J 4 11 -13 17 2
6 Kesley 3 10 -5 15 2
7 Wood K 4 12 -14 14 0
8 Barr B 3 9 -10 15 0

I note that Katie's absent third did not seem to make the difference that she will have hoped for!  She and Bob Barr must have broad shoulders as they and their teams are now propping up the table.  Now that they have played four games, I can officially reveal that neither of their names will be troubling the jewellers come engraving time!