When a Friendly isn't Really a Friendly

 Last night was billed as a Friendly versus the Disnae Club.

Only two Disnae members could make it so with a little juggling (thanks to the office) we took to a single sheet and had a really fun friendly game.

We were joined by Carly and Ben from Disnae. A friendly couple who moved to the area in 2019, so not just new to curling but to Ayr as well. they seemed to enjoy their time on the ice.

The game was quite tight for six ends but the scoring really wasn't the point of the evening under the circumstances. It was a really good opportunity to show how we like to play and the ethos of the club ...... to have fun whilst we are playing and to not get too serious about things.

To that end I think we made a good impression.....lets hope it turns into new members. They have all our match dates for the rest of the year so fingers crossed.

Post-match we enjoyed a wee purvy from Lorrie who also showed great patience when I was continually revising the numbers down the way :-/

Thanks to all those who took part, who would have stepped in to take part if we had had a full opposition and those who wanted to take part but had to withdraw.

Welcome Back!

Well dear Reader its 2022, its October so it must be time to start blogging!

Our numbers might be fewer but our enthusiasm is still as strong.  Lets hope we get full rinks, fun matches and maybe snag the odd new member along the way ;-)

The first match of the season was a great curtain raiser, some fine play, some sticky ice and occasionally more porridge required but both teams worked hard and its fair to say the result doesn't reflect on how close was each end.

Everyone was finding their rhythm on the first end and the ice was slow at the beginning, some short, some long, some in the house and giving the Skips pause for thought. Team A prevailed with a duce.

Back down the other end, with little swing in the ice it was another head where anything could happen. With the last stone Team B took a single.

Team A got a bit of momentum through ends three to five and whilst only picking up singles or twos they started to pull ahead. Things were still close, in each end. The A Team guarded a single in the third, the B Team came up just short to steal the fourth and there was almost a measure in the fifth. 

However Jim P came back in the sixth and taking a two reduced the deficit to three with two ends left. It wasn't over yet. Taking a two in the next end kind of put the A Team beyond reach and with everyone looking for the Skips to shake hands...........which they didn't.............then listening for the bell........which was late.............it was End Eight.

The A Team took another two to seal the match but this season lets not focus too much on the scores........

We have two teams playing and with the predicted need for subs, everyone in the club will get to play on one or both sides. So lets just enjoy the games, enjoy the craic and see if we can get three teams in the Spring League.

Happy Curling Everyone :-)

AGM & Prizegiving

The AGM and Prizegiving was held at Richard & Margaret's on 7th April.

Full details of the decisions made will no doubt be published in due course.

Prizes were presented by President Jim to those winners who were able to attend.

Doubles Winner - Anne (Bert McKay not present)

Spring League Winners - Jennifer and Bill (Sue and Joe not present)

Points Winner - Ronnie

Winter League Winners - Richard, Margaret and Alan (missing Sue)

Where have all the curlers gone?

 It was a strange sensation to take to the ice on Tuesday and discover we were the only club playing. There might not have been much atmosphere but we made up for that with a right old ding dong.

For the first couple of ends it was all fairly standard play. Bill snuck a single then took a two but as has been said before…..early days yet.

In the third end Bill and the team were getting a good number of stones into the right hand side of the house but there was still room down the left for Jim to sneak in and spoil the score. As has often been the situation in games in this campaign, it came down to the last stone of the end to make or break a score. Bill was lying five but there was still a draw for Jim to steal a single. It was not to be and to make matters worse there was a promotion which gave Bill a six. 

OUCH!!

Down but not out Jim and the team came back fighting. They took a two and whilst it was the halfway  mark, maybe they would come back and give Bill something to think about. Well a three in the fifth was another blow to that ambition! The scoreboard did not look pretty for some but the B Team dug deep and kept fighting. 

Never say never, three ends and nine back, stranger things have happened. So when Jim came back in the sixth with a four, that took Bill by surprise and maybe, just maybe……….There was no let up in the seventh and the B Team came away with a three. 

9-11 and only the eighth left to play. Could they do it? Peels would have a significant impact on the league  and Bill knew it. He built a good head, guarded well and it wasn’t easy for Jim to make any gains. Bill took a two and although 9-13 doesn’t look great for the B Team, it was a great comeback and a really exciting game. 

So with one match to play the league is still to be decided. It’s clear cut for Bill, win and he has the title. For Jim P it needs to be a win and by a margin of shots. Everything to play for!!!

Getting the weight right

Tuesday’s match was nominally Team A versus Team B. However the dreaded COVID has struck and half of the players did not usually represent those teams.

So firstly, thanks to those who turned out to ensure the game took place and secondly let’s hope all those who couldn’t attend (and those other club members who are currently having to isolate) are on the mend and not being too afflicted by this annoying virus. 

On to the ice………..and what ice it was! Several cracks were visible causing reverberations as the stones travelled over the ice rather like a train on tracks. It wasn’t easy to read the ice and everyone had a weight problem 😮

The game? 

Well it started rather routinely. The early stones were a mixture of too light and too heavy but some did manage to stay in the house and Bill ( covering for Jim L) took a two. The second end saw a revision of how to deliver the stones and a fine old guddle developed, with the odd exception that glided inexorably through the house. The end was heading to a blank until Bill’s last stone found a way round the multiple guards and sat nicely on the four foot. Jim P could not find a way in and a single went to the B Team.

Back up the ice over the rumbling cracks for End Three, still the ice was hard to read but there were some well placed guards and both Skips were being asked to make tricky, accurate shots. It was a close thing and Jim came out on top with a single. A similar situation developed in the fourth with a single going to Bill. So at the half way mark it was 4-1 to Team B.

The second half of the match was a very different affair and it would be disingenuous to dwell on the highlights of each end. The scores really didn’t reflect just how close it was but one side did manage to create opportunities and capitalise on how the stones were positioned.

Suffice to say all four ends went to Bill and Team B. Jim battled hard but just didn’t get any breaks when the ice refused to draw for him. If you want to know the score, look at the results table. I think it might get a mention at the AGM. I’ll say no more 😊

Fullarton Annual Doubles Competition

    Our annual Doubles competition was played last night (Monday 21st). President Jim was unfortunately unable to play, and thanks are due to Jack Shanks who stepped in at short notice. He was teamed up with Mara, but unfortunately they struggled to get to grips with the ice in their first game and were well beaten by Joe and Alison. On the other sheet Bert and Anne were having a close game against Jim and Freda, with Bert and Anne getting over the line. 

On to the final: Bert and Anne against Joe and Alison - another close game, Bert and Anne just having the edge and winning 5 shots to 4. In the bronze medal game, Jack and Mara coped much better with the ice, and were successful against Jim and Freda. Thanks to everyone for taking part - doubles is a good format which requires different tactics from our usual 4 person team games 

 It was the two Jims again this week as Team A and B took to the ice. 

Would Team A go top of the table or could Team B get off the mark and change the shape of the league?

As seems to be the way with the Spring League this game too was a close affair. Team B got off to the better start taking a two in the first end but only just. Nothing was going to come easy this game well almost nothing.

There was nothing in it in the second with both Skips looking at draws to get a score and Jim P came out on top this time. The ice did not have much draw down the sides but find the centre line and there was more than enough. Certainly enough to give everyone something to think about when deciding how much ice was required. 

A fairly open head in the third and just a single to Jim L’s team. Neither Skip were giving away too much and in the fourth some lovely draws and take outs but it was Team B who took another single. 4-1 but too close to call.

Team A came out on the attack in the fourth but it still required tight draws and canny guards before they took a two. Similarly in the sixth, accurate shot making required and an inch or two either way made the difference between success and frustration. Once again the success was in favour of Team A.

With the clock ticking and the teams unlikely to get an eighth end it as 4-4 as we headed into the seventh. The A Team once again came out firing and built a good head, although it has to be said they got some help from the opposition (OK it was me) and as it came down to the last stones they were lying four but with a possible tap up which would give Team B a single it was once again all on that last stone. 

A fraction inside the brush was enough to keep that stone curling away from its intended target and fall onto the guards. It was the first time Team B had been behind all match but only the result counts and falling to a four right at the end was a bitter blow.

For Team A it was another good win, back on top of the table, a good haul of shots and ends. Congratulations  Jim and his Team.