"Social Curling Event" at Greenacres

 When we heard that Tarbolton were unable to play us, Secretary Peter arranged for the  two chosen Gangrels teams to have a Friendly or Social Curling Event, and so it turned out.

We played eight ends with each player taking a turn at skipping and the other positions every two ends. 

A very close game ensued.  Ronnie, Fraser, Donald and David Graham started well by taking a two at the first end. However, Euan, Bob Cherry, Peter Reynolds and Gillian  struck back immediately by scoring a two and then two singles at the next three ends.

Ronnie and team then scored a four at end 5 followed by two singles, leaving them four up playing the last.  There were chances for Euan's team but they were held to two shots and finished behind by 8 shots to 6.

A Friendly and Social snack lunch then followed .

President's Cup Round 2

Today Mon 13 Jan, the second round of the President's Cup was played between Rink 3 (Watson (S), Lawrence, Haddow (sub Gray), Niblock) and Rink 4 Henry (S) (sub Kennedy), Peat, Galloway, Reynolds).  While the atmosphere outside was driech and dull, the spirit of competition inside was bright and the ice keen to play on.  Rink 4 took single shots on the first 2 ends with Rink 3 reducing the deficit to 1 on the 3^rd end.  Rink 4 then opened a significant lead by taking a 4 on the 4^th end to regain the lead 6-1.  Spurred in to retaliation mode, Rink 3 then scored 2 in each of the following 2 ends to be lying 5-6 going into the 7^th and final end.  The tension was palpable as Rink 4 sought to better/remove Rink 3's partially hidden mid-play lying stone but without success.  Rink 3 therefore took the final end to peel 6-6 which was a just result from a very competitive, spirited and skilfully played game from both sides.  

Rink 3 will therefore meet Rink 2 in the High Road on 3 Feb, and Rink 4 will play Rink 1 in the Low Road on 24 Feb.  The results table from the first 2 rounds is shown here.

Province Medal

 The Province Medal annual event took place at Greenacres on Saturday 11 Jan with the Gangrels playing in the first round at 1500 and a second Rink at 1730.  In the first round, Gangrels 1 (D Hope (S), A Chapman, D Graham, G Watson) faced Curl Ayrshire and won by a score differential of +2.  In the second round, Gangrels 2 (P Galloway (S), B Cherry, R Peat, D Cattanach) played against Troon Portland and they too won by a score differential of +2.  Both Rinks played well and enjoyed their games which were enhanced by the social buzz of all who were there and the excellent meals available on completion.  The overall results announced were;  3rd, Gangrels with +4, 2^nd Sorn with +14 and the winners, Stewarton Heather with +20.

Report on Game 1, with thanks to David Hope.

For the Gangrels first game in the Province Medal we came up against a Curl Ayrshire Rink. The ice was keen from the start and a few stones went through the back resulting in people being cautious with their weight. We held on to win the first end with a single shot. End 2 Curl Ayrshire took a singer shot. This was to be the theme for the first 4 where single shots were exchanged. On the fifth and sixth end we exchange a two and after 6 ends it was all square with 4 shots each. On the seventh end manged to hand on and take a one. The point of the competition was to score heavy, but that certainly wasn’t happening here! In the eighth end Curl Ayrshire were lying 1 with several stones lying around the rings. Sad to say the Gangrels weren't looking so good. It came down to the final 2 stones from the skips to decide who was going to win the end. With David Hope’s final stone, came round the guards and was able push Curl Ayrshire’s shot stone back to lie shot. David had shown Curl Ayrshire’s Skip Charlie Steele the route to the shot stone. Charlie played his stone slightly tighter resulting in his stone catching the guards out front! Gangrels finished the game by taking a single shot to finish 6 - 4. After the first half the Gangrels were sitting with positive figures and all to play for in the second half. 

The final Province event of this season is the Province Knockout in which the Gangrels will face Galston Haymouth in the first round on Fri 14 Feb at Greenacres at 1800.

Gangrels v Ayr & Alloway Mini League

 

The 3^rd round of the Gangrels and A&A Mini League took place at Greenacres on Mon 9 Dec at 1230 where the 2 Rinks from each of the respective clubs were playing each other.  On Sheet A, A&A1 (Baines (S), Wilson, Kennedy, Haddow) were facing A&A2 (Mitchell (S), Chapman, Shanks, J Cherry).  Both A&A Rinks initially alternated in scoring 2 per end and were peeled at 4 each at the end of the 4^th end.  A&A1 then took a larger step forward with a 3 on the 6^th end which was redressed by A&A2's score of 2 on the 6^th end.  Only 1 point between them going in to the 7^th end where A&A1 increased their lead by taking a 2 and then adding another single shot in the last end to win 10-6.

On the adjacent Sheet B, Gangrels 1(B Cherry (S), Graham, Niblock, Cattanach) faced off against Grangrels 2 (Galloway (S), Begg, Watson, Charters).  Gangrels 1 opened the scoring with a single in the first end but Gangrels 2 responded by taking a 4 and then a 2 in the following 2 ends.  Gangrels 1 then sought to redress the balance by scoring 2 in the 4^th end where the score was then 3-6.  Gangrels 2 then increased their lead to 9-3 by taking the next 2 ends.  In the final end, Gangrels 1, with the hammer, took a single to leave Gangrels 2 winners at 9-4.  The overall league table results are attached here.

President's Cup 2025

Despite the dire yellow weather warnings of snow and ice, the journeys to and from Greenacres for the first round of the President's Cup between Rinks 1 and 2 were uneventful and completed without incident in fine sunny weather with only a smattering of snow in the vicinity of Greenacres.  Rink 1 (Graham (S), McFadzean, Hogg, Galloway (sub for Begg) blithely stepped on to the keen and well prepared ice unaware of the onslaught which was to follow from Rink 2's "Santa Slay" (Chapman (S), Cattanach, Cherry, Carters).  

It was not a particularly high scoring game but Rink 2 won each of the first 6 ends to be leading 8-0 with 10 minutes remaining on the clock.  Desperate to break their duck, Rink 1 eventually, and much to their relief, managed to securely guard their lying stone to take the final end.  Hands were shaken with Rink 2 winning 8-1.  The results table is shown here.

Rink 2 (Cattanach (S), Cherry, Charters, Chapman) will go forward into the High Road scheduled for Mon 3 Feb at 1230 to meet the winners of the Pres Cup Round 2 to be played on Mon 13 Jan.  Rink 1 (McFadzean (S), Hogg, Begg, Graham) will then play in the Low Road scheduled for Mon 24 Feb against the losers of the 13 Jan game."

Fraser Cup Round 6

 The final Fraser Cup match was played between Rinks 2 and 3 both of whom were in contention for the trophy. Rink 2 was skipped by Allan Chapman, supported by Robert Charters,Donald Cattanach and Bob Cherry. Rink 3 was skipped by Jimmy Niblock with Ronnie Wilson (sub) Alastair Henry (sub) and David Gray making up the team.  

The Chapman team got away to a 4 shot lead after the first end on sticky ice which rapidly quickened to the normal fast Greenacres ice. We were using new curling stones which are being 'run in’ for use at next years Olympics They proved to be extremely swingy except when an exaggerated rotation was used by the curler. The teams were all square after 4 ends. 

The fifth end proved crucial.  The Niblock team were lying 4 shots with the final stone to be played. Allan managed to draw through a port to take a single shot. After 8 ends, Rink 2 won by 8 points to 5 and took the victory and the Cup. An enjoyable game and finale of the first half of the season.

The final table can be found by clicking here.

RINK CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH REPORT - 8 DEC 24

 In the aftermath of Storm Durragh, a short notice scratch Gangrels Rink of Ronnie Peat (S), Bob Cherry, Peter Galloway and Donald Cattanach headed for Greenacres on Sunday 8 Dec for a 2000 session in the Rink Championships Quarter Final against Dalry (W Smith (S), S NcNab, J Logan and A Gemmell).

 Gangrels stormed in to an early and unexpected substantial lead by taking a 4 in the first end.  However, despite trying their best, they were then to be subjected to a recovery battering by Dalry.  They took the next 3 ends to be peeling 4-4 at the end of the 4th.  And then the onslaught began.  A good score of 4 by Dalry in the 5^th end followed by another 5 in the 6^th knocked the wind out of the Gangrels and hands were shaken before the bell without playing a 7th end with Dalry winning 13-4."