Nairn Curling Club

NEWS ARCHIVE

2018-19

March 2019

Millennium Trophy Winners 2019

Alex Scott with a couple of super-subs in his team has won the 2018=19 Millennium Trophy, beating Alan Morton's rink in the final.

(Picture by George Pirie)

March 2019

2019 Club Photo

Photo: George Pirie

March 2019

Match Cup Decided on New Format

The Match Cup had 12 players this year and the format was changed to a round robin tournament of 4 groups of 3 players ensuring each player got a minimum 2 games. Each game was best of 2 ends of 6 stones each with no free guard zone and the ability to sweep all your stones, but no sweeping behind the tee line by any player. It was 2 points for a win and 1 point for a peel. In the event of a tie it was decided by ends, shots, shots up then draw shot challenge. The winners of each section played a semi final on the same basis. It was intended that the final be 3 ends however time dictated that the final was also 2 ends.

In the group stages James MacRae, Neil Pottie and Stewart Morrison, in section 3, tied each game 1-1 with James MacRae winning the subsequent draw shot challenge. The other section winners were Alex Scott, Dean Clark and Mike McInnes. In the semis Dean Clark triumphed over Alex Scott whilst James MacRae defeated Mike McInnes. In the final Dean Clark won the toss and took the hammer. His tactics were clear from the outset..... to keep the rink clear at all times. He blanked the first end to retain the hammer in the final end which followed a similar pattern to the first. James MacRae, facing an empty house with his final stone, decided to play a draw to the wing on the out turn which Dean Clark proceeded to miss with his attempt to hit and stick thus handing victory to James MacRae.

Everybody who played enjoyed the event.

(Report by Al Cruickshank)

March 2019

Sandy Gunn League Decided

Another exciting Sandy Gunn League finished on Tuesday March 12th, with Alan Morton winning his final game against Stewart Morrison to win the league, 2 points ahead of Alex Scott in second place.

Alan was supported on the night by the experienced Mike McInnes at third, Alan Main at second and James Laraway at lead.

Alan Bulcraig finished 3rd, with Michael Green claiming 4th place ahead of Seamus McArdle, who scored the same number of points, but had won one end less.

These four rinks will compete for the Millennium Trophy on Wednesday March 27th at Inverness.

February 2019 and March 2019

February 2019

Seniors Win at Inverness

A Nairn Seniors rink masterminded by Alan Stanfield has once again carried off the Gordon & McPhail Decanter for another year.

Pictured below are three of the four squad members receiving the trophy from Rosemary Rankin on behalf of the sponsors.

Other squad members in the campaign were Alan Stanfield, Frank Milne and Nichol Bathgate. The Nairn rink finished the league equal in points with Ian Smith's (Inverness) rink, but had a superior shots difference thanks to Margaret Potties Nairn Ladies Rink scoring four shots in her final end of the last game against Ian Smith.

L to R: George Pirie (lead), Harold Forrester (skip), Rosemary Rankin, Bob Ferenth (second). Missing: Gregor Munro

February 2019

Park Cup 2018-19 Final

The postponed climax of this season's Park Cup took place on Friday 8th February at the Inverness Ice Centre.

The opposing sides were Keith Girvan (lead), Bill Geddes and Bob Pottie, skipped by Club President Al Cruickshank, and John Bochel (lead), Donald McInnes and Alan Scott, skipped by Seamus McArdle.

On the night, Seamus's rink were too good for the opposition, emphatically eliminating them by the same 9-2 scoreline that they had produced in their semi-final game against Michael Green.

So history is made. Seamus becomes the first wheelie winner of a major Nairn Curling Club Trophy, and a well deserved one at that. Seamus has proved an enthusiastic curler, regularly competing in Club and Province competitions.

Seamus receives the Park Cup from President Alistair Cruickshank

December 2018

Seniors News

A highlight last week-end for those members of eligible years was the Christmas Lunch held in the Nairn Golf Club and attended by 14 ageing athletes who participate in the Inverness Ice Centre's Seniors and Masters Leagues.

Photo: George Pirie

However, Big Congratulations must go to three Nairn Senior Members who successfully qualified from the Aberdeen stage of the Scottish Curling Senior Championship.

Alex Scott (lead), Robbie Cope (2nd), Ali Asher (3rd), were skipped by Neil Sands. Neil, from Ayr, is no stranger to Nairn having been a supporter the Nairn Dinner & Court.

In the finals they will be joined by a rink skipped by another 'Court' supporter, Willie Jamieson, who will have Tom Pendreigh (Dalcross) as his 3rd.

The Ferguson Oliver Wealth Management Scottish Curling Senior Championship runs from January 31st to February 3rd at Dewars Centre, Perth.

December 2018

Dalcross Needle

This Annual Derby was played on teatime ice on Friday 7th December in a unique four-end format.

Nairn got off to a great start, and by the completion of end two were ahead by 13 shots to five. However, Dalcross fought back and by the end of the third end the match was tied at 13 - 13. Crucially, all Nairn rinks had last stone in the fourth and final end, so managed a 17 - 15 victory.

The "Stacking of Brooms" after each end seemed a popular enhancement to The Match!

December 2018

Inverness Ice Centre 50th Anniversary Bonspiel

This event was organised by the Highlands and Moray Area of Scottish Curling ( the old Area 10 of the RCCC ) to celebrate the ice-rink's 50th Birthday. The Bonspiel on the 1st of December was attended by clubs from Ross, Inverness, Grampian and Moray Provinces, with a further 10 clubs on a waiting list.

Nairn Club was represented by Harold Forrester, Bob Pottie, Alan Stanfield and Mike McInnes. Harold and Bob Have curled at Inverness every year since it opened, and Mike and Alan approximately 40 and 30 years each. Despite this vast experience, there was only a one shot victory over Forres in the first game, followed by a 4 - 8 defeat by Strathspey in the second.

However, it was a great day out, with many curlers from over the years turning out if not to play, but to come along for the craic. Thanks are due to the organisers for a job well done!

Congratulations are due to the Winners of this Unique Event - well done the Nairn Ladies rink skipped by Margaret Pottie.

It just shows what a week of eating turnips can do! (See Eric Brown Bonspeil report).

November 2018 .

2018 Eric Brown Bonspiel

The Club's annual bonspiel in memory of Eric F Brown was held at the Inverness Ice Centre on Saturday November 24th. The event was well attended by members and neighbouring clubs, with keen rivalry and friendship of the rink in throughout the day. Prizes for the competition were kindly donated by David and Carol Brown.

George Pirie was on hand to take pictures for posterity, and they can be seen here

The Bonspiel was won by a Nairn CC Rink for the first time since 2013, the trophy having spent the intervening years on the side-boards of Police, Belmaduthy, Ardclach and Loch Ness members. Lochness CC were runners-up.

The 'Neeps" were Nairn Ladies. But their fortunes were to change the following weekend!

2018 Eric Brown Bonspiel Winners

L to R Danny Gray , Eric Behrendt, Neil Pottie , President Ali Cruickshank, Gordon Millar

Nairn Ladies with the Vegetarian Option

Photos by George Pirie

November 2018 - District Medal

A Nairn rink had an enjoyable day out visiting Greenacres for a District Medal match against Millport.

The scorecard shows a happy outcome, so well deserved congratutations to Ali Asher and his team of athletes !

October 2018

Lets Go Curling!

The Nairnshire Telegraph of October 30th 2018 carried the following report:

"To promote the sport of Curling, Nairn Curling Club recently supported the Nairn Academy Sports Fair. Club President Al Cruickshank and Highland Youth Development Coach Mike McInnes introduced first and second year pupils to the sport using 'New Age' curling sets.

Former World and European curling champion Ewan MacDonald attended to encourage the youngsters to take up the sport.

As a result of the Sports Fair Nairn Curling Club are offering free "taster sessions" to pupils of all ages. Three sessions have taken place so far, which have been well attended, and thoroughly enjoyed by all taking part.

However Nairn Curling Club are keen for more youngsters to come along and try the sport. The taster sessions are currently run at Inverness Ice Centre on a Friday late afternoon. A minibus departs from Nairn Community Centre at 4.30 and returns to Nairn by 7.30. All equipment is provided and coaching is given by fully qualified coaches.

Any youngster keen to try curling can contact Al Cruickshank at bigalc59@gmail.com "

October 2018

2018-19 David Brown Jubilee Shield

The Club's first trophy was contested at the Inverness Ice Centre on Tuesday October 2nd.

Because of late call-offs, only twenty-nine club members turned out - meaning that three of the 8 rinks had to play with three players. The Shield is competed for annually by those Members who are not regular skips in Club or Province Competitions.

Three of the four matches were keenly contested affairs, but the fourth match resulted in an 8 shot victory for Paul MacDonald.

The Glenmorangie Whisky which was awarded along with the Shield this year, was donated by David Brown, grandson of the David Brown who donated the trophy to the Club in its Jubilee Year 1957.

Alan Scott President Ali Cruickshank Paul MacDonald (Skip) Ken Morris

September 2018

New Season Reminders

Firstly - a reminder to the change in the Free Guard Zone Rule this season. This now reads:

"If, prior to the delivery of the sixth stone of an end, a delivered stone causes, either directly or indirectly, an opposition stone to be moved from the FGZ to an out-of-play position, then the delivered stone is removed from play, and any displaced stones are replaced to their original positions, by the non-offending team, to their positions prior to the violation taking place."

A copy of the current RCCC Rules of Curling can be found HERE

Secondly - A copy of "Some Curling Etiquette & Rules" drawn up last year by Alan Stanfield is worth another read HERE

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