Scottish Curling Tour

The Goldline Scottish Curling Tour, presented by British Curling Supplies, is already looking ahead to next season. Two new events, at Lockerbie, November 23-25, and Kinross, December 14-16, have been added to the programme. The competitions at Dumfries, Braehead, Forfar, Inverness, Stirling and Aberdeen, which made up the 2011-12 season Tour, all go ahead next season. Check the SCT website for dates. As before entries for individual competitions will be to each venue.

This season's Tour winners were the Kyle Smith team with 27 points. Ally Fraser finished on 24 points and Paul Stevenson on 15 points. There were six different winners across the six events, no one team dominating.

A questionnaire was sent to all the participating teams. It is not a surprise to learn that the majority of teams had a positive experience of the Tour and felt the Tour was crucial to the future of Scottish curling. The highest priority for the teams was ice quality, and the need for a better results service was identified.

Having seen some of the play at the Lanarkshire Ice Rink last week, I would agree that it would be a good thing if more senior teams participated in the competitions!

Personally, I love 'open' competition - this is how I started in the game all these years ago. I wish the organisers of the Scottish Curling Tour every success in uniting the various events that will go to make up next season's Tour.