Skins 23/24

With the usual change of a few members, some for being unavailable (Skip James and John H) and others through being in both league winning teams (Ian D) the usual wrangling over the rules ensued.  Dave Munro, an experienced wrangler of the skins (playing for James Pate) against Skins newcomer Sandy.

The first blood was not taken until the third end ensuring a 4 skin (stop it!) start to team Pate/Munro.  By the time that the Nicoll Jnr squad got their first score in the sixth end they were in arrears by 9 skins.  Wins in the next two ends though meant that Team Sandy picked up 7 skins.  The winners were therefore Team Pate/Munro.

So Final Congratulations of the season go to James Pate (Dave Munro), Euan Forbes, Ian Donald and Frances Donald.

The 2023/24 Leagues are complete

With Sandy sitting confidently in the clubhouse, it was always going to be a big ask for Morgan to overhaul him for the Rennie Quaich.  Needing at least 8 ends and at least 12 shots he started to make it happen by taking the first couple of ends from Wee Andy's Team but they fought back in the next tw0 ends to ultimately deny Team Nicoll Snr the trophy. Courtesy of a 2 in the final end the evenings game went to Team Aberdein, which also meant that they finished in runner up slot in the Rennie League,

So it is CONGRATULATIONS to Sandy Nicoll, Ian Donald, John Good and John Harcourt.

They will now go on to play Team Pate, winners of the Wingate League in the Skins Competition on Mon 25th March.

It is also CONGRATULATIONS to James Pates Rink for managing to average 7.38 ends over their games, narrowly ahead of Team McDiarmid's average of 7.25 ends.  At the other end of the scale are our new trophy holders Team Nicoll Jnr who came in with an average 7.0 ends.

Wingate - The Decider

 The final game of the Wingate and the winner was still to be decided.  A peel from Team Pate was required while the McDiarmid needed a win.  The first five ends saw the in form Team Pate take a 5 - 1 lead, then the nerves kicked in (?).  A 3 in the sixth saw Andy McD's rink trailing by a single shot going in to the final end of the league.  Could things get more tense ?....... err, YES.  

After all the final end stones had been played Big Andy's crew had stolen the end ..  but wait.. there was a measure for a steal of 2.  That would mean a loss for the long time leader and a trophy for Andy...

There was only a millimeter in it but James P had secured second shot which meant that the game was Peeled and that was enough for James Pate, Euan Forbes, Ian Donald and Frances Donald to take The Wingate for season 23/24.....  CONGRATULATIONS !

This is the first time since season 2010/11 that James has lifted the silverware.  It is also only the second time since season 2015/16 that the trophy has not gone to Dave Munro.

Final Crucial Games

One game to go in the Wingate and it sees the leader James Pate's Crew against Andy McD - The winner lifts the Rosebowl !  (Actualy James P only requires to peel the game but it is  a must win for Big Andy).

The Rennie sees only Hamish out of contention, After 7 of 9 Games Wee Andy, Sandy and Morgan are all on 4 wins but Morgan has a game in hand.Meanwhile Sandy and Andy are also sharing 27 ends a piece and can only be separated by 3 shots up to Andy but only 2 for Sandy.

Young v Old

The 'Young' Team from 1995 ?

 Following supper at Murrayfield the combatants took to the ice, supported by Andy McDiarmid who had
forgotten that he wasn't due to play (but had even paid for his ice !!)

Despite the wealth of experience in the 'Young' squad of Karen, Sandy, Gavin (Hay) and Hamish the 'Oldies' had considerable guile and their Skip (?) and lead James L also used his delivery device to the maximum.  The scoring was kept tight but it wasn't until the fifth end that the 'Kids' managed to get off the mark. The eventual score was 7 - 6.

So, it's congratulations to James Logan, James Pate, Andy Aberdein and John Good for continuing the Old Folks run.  

This was the first time that we have managed to run this competition in the last 4 years and it is not since 2014 that the Youngsters have won, although it was peeled in 2016 but in Ryder Cup fashion the Oldies 'retained' the title.

Wingate at 75%

The last end of the third round matches saw an interesting change to the tables.

Our top two skips are now tied on 4 wins with Andy McDiarmid holding off James Pate by a margin of 2 ends!  The only thing that has now been established is that Dave Munro, winner of six out of the last seven years (It was Sandy that halted his run) will walk away with the wooden spoon.

President v Vice President

The battle of the Andys started with adjusting the teams as 4 of the 16 were subs. 

James Pate's team (representing El Presidento) were plugging away Dave Munro's rink, in a way that was starting to alarm the Vice Pres.  Fortunately a 3 in the penultimate end brought the game back to a 2 shot victory for the President's Men.

Meanwhile, The Vice Pres was having a tough time of his own. Mr McD seldom had to play his last stone against less than a three.  Seeing the game slipping away from him (in aggregate) he elected in end 5 to play a risky shot for a three rather than a safe draw for a two.  He failed and walked away with only a single.  In the final end, needing a 2 to win (in aggregate) his final draw was slightly off picking up only a single for a 2 shot victory, peeling the game in aggregate.  Facing a Draw Shot decider, he was regretting his decision in the fifth end.

The President played first and slipped through to the back 4 foot.  The Vice President, despite desperate sweeping could only manage a marginal touch at the front of the house.

So it is Congratulations time to the President Andy Aberdein and his rink consisting of Sandy Nicoll, John Harcourt and Avril Anderson and his other rink of James Pate, Ian Donald, Shelagh Main and finally Elinor Logan in her first game of the season.