January 24, 2009

Reflecting on junior curling

I wasn't able to get up to Curl Aberdeen this weekend where nineteen junior men's teams are playing off for eight places in the Scottish Junior Championship finals. I've been thinking about them, and following the results on the Royal Club's website here.

I was doing some tidying up yesterday (a rare but necessary activity) and found the programme (above) from the days when bank and bankers were not the swear words they are today, and we had respect for our financial institutions. The Bank of Scotland supported junior curling for many years. Who was playing in 1992, and are any of these young curlers still competing today? Some certainly are! See for yourself.

February 5-9, 1992, Galleon Centre, Kilmarnock. The Finalists were:

(1) Laren Gillespie (Atholl)
Andrew Penker
Alan Scott
John Brown

(2) Alan Smith (Galleon Centre)
David Mundell
Brian Smith
Andrew Smith

(3) Graham Cormack (Inverness)
Peter de Boer
Gordon Hay
Steven Rankin

(4) Chris Hunter (Gogar Park)
Stevie Still
Paul Westwood
James Graham

(5) Duncan Bertram (Letham Grange)
Simon Hartley
Warwick Smith
Ross Hepburn

(6) John Muir (Hamilton)
Paul Bowie
Robbie Stevenson
James Baird

(7) Allan Lyburn
William Lyburn
Colin Beckett
Fraser Hare

(8) Iain Powell (Brora)
Stuart Currie
Brian ferguson
Neil Kemp

And here are the girls' teams:

(1) Kirsty Addison (Greenacres)
Karen Addison
Joanna Pegg
Louise Wilkie

(2) Moira McConnell (Greenacres)
Gillian Howard
Mhairi Shanks
Kirsten MacFarlane

(3) Moira Hastings (Lockerbie)
Jan Byers
Angela Rae
Fiona McEwan

(4) Julia Ewart (Forfar)
Kirsty Hynd
Mhairi Ferguson
Rhona Caldwell

(5) Gillian Barr (Gogar Park)
Claire Milne
Janice Watt
Nikki Mauchline

(6) Catriona Weir (Gogar Park)
Joceline Hildrey
Helen Wright
Jenny Fountain

(7) Lindsay Kilpatrick (Greenacres)
Holly Pearson
Lindsay Hunter
Alison Wallace

(8) Fiona Brown (Greenacres)
Suzie Law
Julie-Anne MacGregor
Fiona MacFarlane

So, how many of the top juniors seventeen years ago are still curling today, even at club level, and how many are lost from the game?

I cannot find how many teams entered the preliminary rounds, but I do know that qualifying playdowns were held in four rinks. For the record, the Scottish Junior Men's title was won by the Allan Lyburn team who finished sixth (with Laren Gillespie as 5th player) in the World Juniors in Oberstdorf. The Scottish Junior Women's title was won by Gillian Barr and her team, who then went on to capture the World Junior Championship title (with Karen Addison as 5th)!

Comments and memories welcome!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

well lets here how the CURRENT juniors are doin! more relevant than 30 years ago!!!!!!!!!

Bob Cowan said...

What a pig-ignorant post, Anonymous.

I don't get paid to go to these events, but I often do, because I love this sport. This weekend I could not go to Aberdeen (for a number of personal reasons). The scores can be seen on the Royal Club site.

If you are so interested, then go to Aberdeen yourself, and post what you see on the web to help the rest of us.

I see you are somewhat short of a mathematical education. 1992 is just seventeen years ago. I suspect that was before you were born.

My name is Bob Cowan, what's yours?

gmcurl said...

Go yourself Bob.

100% behind you and all that you do to keep us informed about our great sport - past and present.

Anonymous said...

Bob - thanks for keeping us up to date on both current and past events. I used to curl many years ago in the junior circuit - missed out on the 1992 finals at the Galleon though! One person that I know is still curling at club level is currently living down south (Lindsay Kilpatrick). From what I have read on your blog and Scottish Curler, todays junior curlers dont know they are born. We were ecstatic if we even made the Inverness International, never mind getting the chances to curl abroad. Keep up the good work.

William Lyburn said...

Well Bob Cowan, Funny I run accross this as i was catching up on the Canada Cup Results as I was away working all weekend... William Lyburn here and yes I can confirm that Allan & I have been beating our heads against the wall out here in Canada, Manitoba.. We have been knocking somewhat on the door to try and Qualify for the Brier... So So Dificult out here to Win as there is so many Top Talanted Teams.. Our Playdowns this year as I have been skipping for the past 2 Seasons...
To Qualifiy for our Manitoba Championship.. Our first attempt was a 24 Team Field for 1 Spot, We lost Quarter finals, 2nd attempt we Won a 32 Team Field 1 spot.. If we did not win our 3rd attempt would have been our Club Playdowns 8 team Field and this year 2 of the best teams already had a Spot, Allan won this one.. If this Failed you could win 1 of 5 Spots out of a 424 Team Field Bonspiel called the MCA (Largest in the world) And I do have to tell you thats whare we won our spot last year.. Can only loose 1 game and still have chance to Win... Anyway Very Tough.. Maybe SomeDay... I would like to make a trip back to Perth for the masters.. Bring My team with me or at least half and have a couple of Friendly faces play with Me...
The Lyburns are very much enjoying Canada..