Haddington Skins 2016/17

David Finlay Munro recovered well from his weekends Rennie game, where he was defeated by his daughters rink, to take the first title of the year.
His victorious Wingate team from last season consisting of Graeme Maguire, Colin Baird and Richard Taylor (playing for Stephen Dyer) beat Andy McDiarmid's winning Rennie squad of Willie Kerr, Sandy Nicoll and John Playfair.
Due to a tactical error, Andy's team won the toss and elected to play 'last stone'.  This meant that Dave could steal the first two skins.  No skin's were won in the next two ends and so with Andy again having the hammer the fifth end was contested for a rolled over total of 7 skins at stake.  Dave was able to steal another end and put the result out of reach with a 9 - 0 lead and only 7 skins left to play for.  Fortune was not to change and Dave went on to take all the remaining skins for a decisive victory.
Despite the final score both teams played well but Dave's previous experience of the differing tactics for a skins game proved decisive.
Tactics were again discussed on and off the ice, with a view that in 'club curling' it is easier to steal an end than win with the hammer by two shots.  A decision was reached that for next years competition the team Losing a skin, will have the option to play first or second stone in the next end.
Once again, the confusion and consternation caused on the adjacent sheets by the score board was amusing at times.

Rennie - mid term report

With the competition passing the halfway point of the first round the 'Junior' squads are fareing well, Particularly in the case of Sandy's rink. His last game saw Rowena Kerr take the helm and in a high scoring game they defeated Colin's squad with an 11 - 5 scoreline.  They now top the table and along with Andy Aberdeins foursome, remain the only undefeated teams.
Karen Munro, also absent and being deputised by Lorna Nicoll took on James Pate's rink, skipped in his absence by Dave Munro, got her challenge going with a solid 6 - 3 win.  I dont think that Dave was trying to help his little girl (reports say that this was not one of his finest games).  Karen now sits mid table.

Who says that this sport is for dinosaurs ?

Province Draws

The Draw for all the Province Competitions has now been made and can be seen in full on the Fixtures Tab.

Our matches stack up as follows:-
Knock Out  (J Pate, A Aberdein, S Nicoll, E Logan)
Saturday 17th Dec at 11.30  v  Markle

Pairs ( S Main & L J Nicoll)
Saturday 10th Dec from 11.30 v Doo'cot

Bonspiel ( D Munro, M Nicoll, A McDiarmid, E Logan and
                  J Logan, J Pate, A Aberdein, C Baird)
Friday 20th January 2017 from 12.05 v Yester 1 and Dirleton

Names put forward for external competitions are:-
NB. Rinks will be selected by the Province Committee and not all nominated players will necessarily play)
Borders Challenge (C Baird, E Logan, J Pate, J Good)
Wednesday 16th November at 2.30pm - Kelso

Waldie Griffith (S Main, A Aberdein, M Nicoll, D Wyllie)
Wednesday 8th February 2017 at 2.30 - Murrayfield v Forth & Endrick

Area 5 (Edinburgh) Bonspiel (S Nicoll, G Maguire)
Friday 2nd December at 12.05pm

Wingate 2016/17 is launched

After a long wait, the Wingate for this season has had its opening skirmishes.
In the first bout Willie took on Dave in what looked to be a heavyweight match.  Willie took out some of his frustration from the weekends Rink Championship defeat to take an early lead.  Dave however doggedly plugged away at the gap but Willie's team managed their slim lead through to take a 6 - 3 victory.
Meanwhile, James Logan took on Simon Kesley in a high scoring game that included some superb shots (and the occasional stinker).  Going into the final end the game was all square and the end was a very nervy affair with a large amount of granite built up in front of the house.  This left James with an awkward hit and roll for the game, regrettably (For the Logan Squad) this proved to be another 'loose' shot which allowed Simon's team to take an 11 - 8 victory and lead the league.

RCCC Rink Championships

This competition is always a difficult one, so we went into the first round, against Corstorphine with a strong rink, headed by the might of Willie and Rowena Kerr.  Unfortunately due to some summer 'rust' they were unable to prevail.

Opening Bonspiel 2016

Now that we have got the season started it is obviously to catch up and play the Opening Bonspiel.

Firstly thanks to Shelagh for all her hard work to ensure that there were 16 players on the ice (Remember, it is your responsibility, if you cannot play, to find a sub and to tell your skip)

James Logan with a strong team of Colin Baird, Rowena Kerr and Helen Walker, must have thought that by playing quickly and getting 8 ends in that a score of 11 - 3, would have him in the winners enclosure.  This was to ignore what was going on on the adjacent sheet though.

This saw a father/ son clash (not the usual Nicoll affair) of Jack and Willie Kerr.  Willie and his team were obviously showing signs of summer rust because Jack, along with Super Sec Shelagh Main, Elinor Logan and Richard Taylor romp through the game and secure a winning 12 - 3 victory.  This was good enough to claim the Bonspiel by a single shot.  Congratulations.

The game was followed by a supper.