News Archive
2009-10
12 October 2009 We Have a National Champion!
Congratulations to Past-president Alan Stanfield who played no.2 in Lindsay Scotland's championship-winning rink in the Scottish Mixed Seniors tournament held at Stranraer on the weekend of the 10th/11th October.
In recent years Alan has been better known for his umpiring prowess than his playing. The question now is how do the Sandy Gunn League star rankings cope with a national champion?
Photo:- Bob Cowan
3 Nov 2009 Johnston and Carmichael Bonspiel
Congratulations to the winners of the Area 10 Johnston Carmichael Bonspiel, played at Inverness Ice Centre on Saturday 31st October.
The winning Nairn combo were - Ross Cope (skip), Colin MacGregor, Hamish Clark and Robbie Cope (lead).
Having achieved a morning win over Locheye, at least a nine-shot victory over Inverness Hospitals was needed in the afternoon. After the last stone at the last end, the result was a victory for Nairn by the required margin!
30 November 2009
VISIT TO EUROPEAN CURLING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2009
The 2009 European Curling Championships are being held in Aberdeen from the 5th to the 12th December. There are over 50 teams entered in the Men's and Women's sections over two divisions.
The 'A' Division games are in the Linx Arena on the Beach Boulevard, and the 'B' Division games at the Curl Aberdeen Ice Rink at Mastrick.
Michael Green is talking about organising a day trip there on Tuesday 8th December, to take in the Scotland v Sweden Women's Game and the Scotland v Norway Men's Game - travelling by train.If you are interested in seeing curling at a level above your Sandy Gunn League standard, then get in touch with Michael on 01667 455937 .
14 December 2009 The Points
The 2009 competition for the Silver Kettle presented by the Club's first president, William Whitelaw, in 1909, was competed for by 14 members, and won by Peter Duncan, son of long standing member Andrew Duncan. Runner up was a past winner on many occasions, Graham Kerr.
Peter's son, Scott, who has just joined the Club, wasted no time in following his dad's winning ways and won the handicap trophy.
In the " Draw to the Bottle" competition, Jim Clark played first, and his draw proved to be the winner.
732 28 December 2009 Kingsmills Outdoors
Highland hospitality extends beyond tea break
Nairn Curling Club sent 4 of their finest Nairn curlers through to Kingsmills to compete against Highland CC in an outdoor challenge match on Sunday 27th December.
The Nairn team of Hamish Bunker, Robbie Cope, Ali Asher & Mike McInnes struggled with the ice in the first half of the game & after 4 ends were 7-2 down.
The half time break was a turning point though. As 3 of the Nairn team partook in traditional Scottish refreshments, Highland opted for cups of tea. This was considered by many onlookers to be an unsporting & unprofessional gesture & spurred Nairn into action.
After the break Nairn swapped skips in an unusual & highly illegal manoeuvre that seemed to go unnoticed by the opposition. It had the desired effect & after 7 ends the scores were level at 7 all. Highland skip Donald Norval was making noises about fusing the lights so they could claim an amicable draw but all of a sudden Highland had a well guarded stone in the house and the rumblings stopped.
Then Nairn’s new No 3 McInnes, played a shot that Ewan MacDonald himself would have been proud of. He came through a port so tight that a larger stone wouldn’t have made it and took out Highland’s shot to leave Nairn lying 3. Asher played a couple of squint guards in off the snow leaving Norval with a tricky draw to win the match. Norval was short though & Nairn had completed a remarkable comeback thanks to ‘fifth man’ Johnnie Walker to win 10-7.
5 January 2010 District Medal v Tarland - 4th January 2010 Report by DT
Thanks to good old Jack Frost, Nairn found themselves in the enviable position of being invited to play their District Medal clash against the wonderful Tarland Curling Club, at Tarland in Aberdeenshire. Tarland Outdoor Club has the capability of producing 16 sheets of ice on land next to their cosy clubhouse. It is indeed a Special Place to Curl.
Incidentally, in their clubhouse there is a picture of a youthful looking Nairn Team - Stanfield, Bathgate, Young and Torrance - taken almost a decade ago when the clubs last met in The Moy Hall Trophy at Grantown.
Hamish Clark and Donnie MacLeod were the designated expert drivers who volunteered to use their 4 x 4 vehicles to transport the two Nairn teams safely to Tarland and back, braving horrendous road conditions. Alas, their outdoor curling was not as good as their driving!
The President skipped his team of Ryan Asher, Donnie MacLeod and Alex Scott at lead. They went into the last end with scores level, but unfortunately the class of the Tarland experts proved to be too much and they fell at the final hurdle.
During one end of this close game DT, with the last stone, opted to play a dangerous draw through a fairly narrow port for four, while being aware that there was the possibility that he could ruin his team's advantage by promoting one of the opposition’s stones. As DT was just about to play the shot he overheard his team-mates raising their concerns about the choice of shot and the potential looming disaster. Donnie comforted the other two by saying, “Och he’ll be short anyway!” Roll on The Court.
In the other game Robbie Cope (Skip), Hamish Clark, Jim Clark and Hutchie (Lead) suffered a right royal spanking, which they ironically thoroughly enjoyed! One of positives that they took from their game was the discovery that Jim Clark has a “fantastic set of well polished stones”.
After the game all sixteen players retired to the clubhouse for soup, booze and speeches. What fun we had! The Tarland hospitality is second to none! The Nairn teams arrived home safely, late in the evening, with only two travel sickness stops on the way .
21 January2010 Nairn Rink to National Championship
Congratulations are due to Ali Asher and his club rink in winning the Inverness qualifying competition for the Scottish Rinks Championship.
Ali now progresses to the National Finals to be held at the Galleon Ice Rink, Kilmarnock, from March 12th - 14th 2010, - where, ably assisted by Colin McGregor, Scott Cameron and Robbie Cope, he took the title for 2002.
Nairn first won the Scottish Rinks Championship in 1974, with a rink skipped by the late Eric Brown, and including Ali's dad, Jimmy Asher.
All the best for Nairn CC to get their name on the trophy for a third time!
23 January 2101 Province Open KO Result
However the underdogs were the winners in this all Nairn encounter. Surprisingly the youthful (average age <40 ) combo of Robbie Cope, Ali Asher, Dean Clark and Ross Cope (skip), were losers to the old-timers (average age >60) - Harold Forrester (skip), George Pirie (subbing for Bob Pottie), Nicol Bathgate and Jim Clark.
The Ice Centre had not "racked" the ice before-hand, so the pace of the ice proved tricky for the first couple of ends. Also the ice was playing straighter than usual. The 'oldies' adapted better and were four up after two ends. After an exchange of singles, Ross unluckily promoted an opposition stone with his last shot at the fifth end, to give away a three and signal handshakes all round with the score 8 - 1.
8 February 2010 Nairn Triumph at Forres Bonspiel
A strong Nairn rink of Ross Cope, Ryan Asher, Alex Scott and Jamie Cattel won the Forres Bonspiel held recently at the Inverness Ice Centre. Forres lived up to their reputation and provided a good day out.
Perhaps because of the generous prizes of Benromach, details of the win are sketchy, but thanks are due to photographer Les Hester for the photo showing Forres President, Sandra McIver handing over the silverware.
9 February 2010 Scottish Junior Championships
When it comes to the growing, rearing and breeding departments, our neighbours at Ardclach out-do us Nairnites.
Ardclach is famed for hardy perennials, prize-winning steers and successful curlers. Their latest success is this year's Scottish Junior Mens Curling Champion - skip Ally Fraser from the Clune Curling Stud Farm.
Nairn CC President, DT, has written to congratulate Ally, and we all wish him well for the World Junior Championships in Flims next month.
Ally is a mechanic at Hamish Clark's West End Garage, which could be on track to become Nairn's Centre of Curling Excellence. Son Dean Clark was a member of Graeme Black's rink which made it as far as the semi-finals and it is rumoured Hamish ( who is doing an RCCC Coaching Course) is planning to construct an artificial pond round some lamp standards he found by the side of the A96 !
(Note for Ardclachers - Flims is quite a distance the other side of Aviemore, boys)
11 February 2010 PARK CUP Thrilling Final
Dean Clark's rink were favourites going into this tie, and this prediction was justified when his rink found themselves 7 shots up against Eric Berhendt after just two ends. But Eric's rink staged a spirited come-back, scoring 2's at each of the next three ends. The Clark rink countered with two singles, and went into the last end 3 shots ahead. A confident Dean threw away his last stone to leave Erich a nigh impossible skinny double and lie for three - which he miraculously made, to tie the game at 9 all. The skips were left with a winner-takes-all draw to the button. Erich was about a foot too heavy, and Dean managed to draw just a few inches short of the hole to take the win.
Congratulations to Dean Clark, Bill Geddes, Peter Duncan and Greg Christie; and commiserations to Eric Berhendt, John Anderson ,Ali Tunstall and Ron Cameron.
724 25 February 2010 Report from Vancouver Olympics
Following on from Homer and Marge’s ‘come and try’ curling episode, its been rumoured that various characters have remained in the curling arena in Vancouver.
Groundskeeper Willie, slightly overweight from the week’s excesses, was spotted in the crowd several times, always with a beer in hand, and Sideshow Bob Kelly by his side. His ginger beard and bald pate highlighted his upside down head, and he had his usual permanently angry look about him.
Maggie Simpson, the baby of the tournament added some glamour to an otherwise ageing Scottish ladies team. Their match against Denmark was on at the same time as other more traditional late night channels, which easily confused one keen pole-loving observer who thought he was watching ‘Babestation on Ice’.
There were numerous sightings of Ned Flanders in a luminous green umpire’s jacket. It’s understood this could have been a cardboard cut-out though, as it never appeared to move. He was later accused of favouring the Canadian team skipped by Montgomery Burns, but Flanders denied this vigorously - deflecting blame onto fellow umpire Leslie Itchy Scratchy Brown.
Bart’s dog ‘Santa’s little helper’ appeared to have taken over as the skip of the German ladies team while Mr Nehassacoriandernaanpatullam, the corner shop owner took some anti-sun cream to reduce his tan and sneaked into the Chinese team after claiming asylum.
10 March 2010 Sandy Gunn League
The last round of games for the Sandy Gunn League on March 10th 2010 saw Neil Pottie and Dean Clark tied on 14 points each. Donnie MacLeod was 3rd on 12 points, - hoping that he might win and the leaders might lose their games.
Dean Clark started with a bonus as his opponent, Ross Cope, had to forfeit two shots for playing Ian Fraser as a reserve. Ross made life hard for himself by dropping a further two at the first end, but managed to claw back four for the cost of one in the next five ends to lose 4-5
Neil Pottie was tied 3-3 after five ends with Erich Behrendt, but then took a four and a one to win comfortably at 8 - 3.
Donnie's hopes disappeared in a resounding 2-6 loss to George Asher, but he has a Millennium Trophy place as a consolation. The fourth slot for the Millenium Trophy is likely to go to Ross Cope, who, although tied with Jamie Cattell, has a game outstanding and a much better shots difference.
Congratulations to the winning rink of Neil Pottie, Ali Asher, Dan Torok and Greg Christie.
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Greg has already starred as a member of this season's Park Cup winning combo.. Neil will no doubt be looking to emulate father Bob, who won the SG League three years in succession between 1983 and 1986.
13 March 2010 Match Cup
Three withdrawals on the afternoon of the competition got the Match Cup Singles competition off to a disappointing start.
With a restricted entry of 16, there would normally have been no problem filling the vacancies, but with five of the Club's finest off to Kilmarnock on a quest for the Scottish Rinks Championships, the competition began with a field of 13.
Keith prepared nice keen ice (a medium pebble followed by racking and mopping), which in turn produced some keenly contested games. Despite grumbling about his crock knee early in the competition, and trying to win the spectators' sympathy vote by limping about the ice, Matthew Mackay saw off all comers and emerged victorious.
Matthew only recently joined the Nairn Club and proved to be a worthy winner.
Jamie Cattell had Matthew's name in the 'sweep' , and went home almost as happy !
21 March 2010 Scottish Pairs
Congratulations are due to the Nairn CC pairing of Ross Cope and Ryan Asher, who represented Inverness at the Scottish Pairs Championship held at Stranraer from 19th - 21st March.
They qualified runners-up to Ayr in their section to enter the quarter finals and the knock-out stages of the competition. Two victories later saw them up against Ayr once more - in the final. A close game ensued, with Ross suffering an unlucky pick-up in the third end, then failing to tie the score at 2 - 2 with a short draw.
Down 2-1 and going into the last end without the hammer against the strong Ayr pairing of Robert Goldie and Neil Kennedy proved to be a challenge too far.
Nairn have featured regularly in the Scottish Pairs over the years, but Ross and Ryan are the first to have made the final. Well done, boys !
28 March 2010
Millennium Trophy and David Brown Shield
It has been a hectic last week of the 2009 - 10 curling season. March 24th saw the Millennium Trophy decided, and March 27th saw "non skips" compete for the David Brown Jubilee Shield.
The webmaster was unable to make it to the Ice Centre to cover the Millennium Trophy, and had to rely on a deputy. Alas, the hospitality of the press box appears to have got to him, as his report of the semi-final is at best hazy. The report of the final amounted to "Clack (sic) thumped Green" - which suggests that Harry Carpenter departed this world a week too early !
Dean Clark's rink did maintain impressive form throughout, and Dean managed the "double" of the Park Cup and The Millennium. Michael Green's rink, who have surprised everyone (except possibly Michael) with their late season meteoric rise from the depths of the Sandy Gunn League. The game was close for the first two ends, but in the following two ends the rot set in when the Green rink lost successive two's. The final nail was the loss of a three in the fifth.
Dean's lead in the Millenium, Scott Watson, was in good form in the David Brown Jubilee Shield.. His rink included Dionne Clark, Peter Duncan and Harold Forrester - a blend of youth and experience that showed no mercy in trouncing Greg Christie 11 - 1.
24 April 2010 Nairn Curling Club AGM 2010
Following a successful AGM and prize-giving at the Nairn Golf Club on Friday April 23rd, the winner of the Webster Cap 2010 was announced as ......... Hamish Clark.
Hamish had just been installed as the Club's shiny new vice-president - which was to be no bar to his progress to winner of the Webster Cap.
This unique trophy is awarded annually for a single act, or sustained period of incompetence, on or off the ice during the preceding year.
Hamish is the Club's Training Officer - responsible for recognising and developing new talent. The Webster Cap was awarded when he totally failed to recognise a talented curler.
During the season he engaged Warwick Smith in conversation for about 20 minutes, and when Warwick departed, Hamish was heard to ask (allegedly) " who was that plonker?"
Don't worry Hamish, as Warwick (allegedly), was heard to ask the same question !
Honorary Membership
At the 2010 AGM, Honorary Membership was conferred on two of the Club's members – Robert (Bob) Pottie, and Dr Alan Stanfield.
Bob has proved to be a great ambassador for the Club over 50 years of Curling. He was originally a member of Nairn in 1959, but left to help found the now defunct Dalzeil Curling Club. He rejoined Nairn in 1974.
Alan has worked tirelessly for curling – not only for the benefit of Nairn, but in the wider field, especially in umpiring. He was Deputy Chief Umpire for Curling at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
