Final Report from Greenacres

Christine Stewart sends this report from the European Senior Invitation Curling Championships at Greenacres:

"Ingrid Meldahl, from Sweden, won this year's European Senior Invitaation Curling Championships, defending the title she won in 2010. The opposition, Switzerland skipped by Renate Nedkoff, were struggling from the first stone, they were four down after just two ends/ And that set the pattern of the game. A three in end five and a single in end six got Nedkoff back into the game. But it wasn't enough. Sweden scored a big five in end seven and Switzerland conceeded on a score of 11-5 .

Per Carlsen, also from Sweden, faced the team from Finland skipped by Timo Kauste in the men's final. The teams were tied after five ends. Finland went ahead with a two score in the sixth, Carlsen could score only one in the seventh. With his last stone Timo Kauste blanked the eighth and final end to win the Championship. Final score 6-5 to Finland.

Earlier, the semifinals saw Scotland's Ken Horton up against Timo Kauste from Finland and Bill Gray from Ireland meeting Per Carlsen from Sweden. Ken Horton was in charge of his game for five ends. He led by four shots after the fifth. Finland caught up with a big four in end six, Horton led by two going into the final end, a miss-hit left Timo Kauste with a draw to tie the game, and it went to an extra end. With his last stone Timo Kaust made the perfect draw behind cover to lie one. Horton opted for a raised takeout, but it hit the wrong way, and Finland stole one for their place in the final.

The Gray-Carlsen game was over in short order. Sweden were just too strong for the Irish, and Team Gray conceded after just six ends on a scoreline of 10-6 to Carlsen.

In the women's event one semi was an all Swiss affair, Renate Nedkoff versus Chantal Forrer. Nedkoff took charge in end six with a score of three for a two shot lead. Forrer could score only one in the seventh and Nedkoff sealed her victory with a single in end eight, final score 7-5 to Nedkoff. Title holder Ingrid Meldahl from Sweden met the Czech team in the semi. They were down to three players, skip Lenka Safarankova was injured just before the Championships started. The Meldahl team were just too strong for the Czechs, leading by three after five. The Czechs couldn't get into the game, and Sweden won 8-4."

The linescores are here.

Winners Sweden. L-R: Mia Lehander, Gunilla Bergman (coach), Birgitta Torn, Sylvia Liljefors, Ann-Catrin Kjerr, Ingrid Meldahl.

Winners Finland. L-R: Matias Virtaala, Jorma Venalainen, Yrjo Franssila, Timo Kauste.

Photos © Hugh Stewart

Finals Day at Greenacres

It's finals day at the European Senior Invitation Curling Championships at Greenacres. Ken Horton, Gordon Butler, Angus Storrie and Eddie Binks, the Scottish Senior Men's Champs (in action above) are through to this morning's semifinals. You can follow progress here.

"You know, that 34 bus is always late!" Other captions required.

Photos © Hugh Stewart

ESICC Continues

The European Senior Invitation Curling Championships have been continuing at the Greenacres Rink. Wim Neeleman's team (above) from the Netherlands is leading the Red section as the competition heads towards tonight's quarterfinals. The semis and finals are tomorrow (Saturday). All the results can be found here, and the standings here.

Here are a few more of Hugh Stewart's photos to give a flavour of the competition.

Sweden's Team Carlsen.

Scotland's Gary Macfarlane.

Team Joller from Switzerland.

Michael Yuille, Wales.

Iceland's Team Kristinsson.

Photos © Hugh Stewart

ESICC Update

Angus Storrie and Eddie Binks are ready on Gordon Butler's stone in action from the European Seniors Invitation at Greenacres yesterday.

Team Horton, the current Scottish Senior Champions, was against the Hungarians. All the results can be found here.

Carolyn Hibberd, in the house in an Ireland-Russia match.

The Russian women in action.

Scotland's Ronnie Peat is an 'honorary Russian' at the event.

Games continue through to the finals on Saturday.

Photos © Hugh Stewart

Final ESICC games at Greenacres

The women's final at the European Seniors Invitation Championships at Greenacres went to an extra end yesterday. And to the last stone, Isobel Waddell perfectly played with her tap back for the winning shot. Great stuff!

And here's Isobel encouraging her sweepers on the last play of the game. Well done to Isobel with Elma McCulloch, Edna Nelson and Lynne Stevenson.

A good performance by Marie O'Kane, Carolyn Hibberd, Gillian Drury and Kathie Nixon.

Here's another of these 'let me tell you a story' pics!

Elma and Isobel

"I think I need a little bit more, Carolyn."

Lynne and Edna

Isobel in delivery

Action in the head!

The men's final was closely fought too. Colin Hamilton, Mike Dick, Ian Macpherson and Trevor Dodds did little wrong against the strong Swedish side skipped by Karl Nordlund with Wolgar Johansson, Per-Arne Andersson and Owe Larsson. Until the last end that is! Nothing went right, and Colin only had a long run back chance to get the single he needed to tie. It was not to be, and the ESIC title went to Sweden for the second year in succession.

Here's Karl Nordlund

Colin and Mike

Sweden's Per-Arne Andersson

Colin Hamilton

The final was watched by a packed lounge of spectators

Colin encourages Ian and Trevor

And soon we had a train going. Those who remember wee Alex Torrance, big Alex, Bobby Kirkland and Jimmy Waddell will recall that this was a common sight whenever that team played! But as someone said to me yesterday, "See nostalgia. There's no future in it!"

Photos © Skip Cottage

The finals

Here are the teams which will contest the women's final of the European Seniors Invitation Championships at Greenacres. Above Team Marie O'Kane and Team Isobel Waddell. Back L-R: Gillian Drury, Marie O'Kane, Carolyn Hibberd, Lynne Stevenson, Elma McCulloch. Front: Kathie Nixon, Isobel Waddell, Edna Nelson. Let battle commence!

And here are the men's finalists - Karl Nordlund's Swedish team and Colin Hamilton's Scots. Back L-R: Ian Macpherson, Wolgar Johansson, Trevor Dodds, Colin Hamilton, Per-Arne Andersson. Front: Karl Nordlund and Owe Larsson.

You can follow the results in real time, end by end, here and here. I'll have some photos from the finals, and presentation pics, late tonight or tomorrow.

Photos © Skip Cottage

Semifinal time

Mike Dick, (above) third player for the Colin Hamilton team, with front end Trevor Dodds and Ian Macpherson, were up against Team Prentice (Keith Prentice, Lockhart Steele, Robin Aitken and Tommy Fleming) in the semifinal of the European Seniors Invitation Championships at Greenacres. One down coming home, Colin played two great stones in the final end. His last was perfectly played, traversing a port, and inching aside a near perfect Prentice freeze to count two, and put his team into the final.

Karl Nordlund and Vice Per-Arne Andersson (who plays second stones) in the other semifinal. Wolgar Johansson and Owe Larsson are the other members of the rink.

The Swedes were up against Gary Macfarlane (above) who had Douglas Ratcliffe, Don Rutherford and Gordon Crawford. The match was close, the Scots trailing by two in the last end. Gary had the chance to tie the game, but his chap and lie hung wide, and the Swedes were in the final!

I wouldn't even begin to suggest what (who) they are discussing!

Marion Craig, Rhona Fleming, Catherine Raeburn and Anne Malcolm were against Marie O'Kane, Carolyn Hibberd, Gillian Drury and Katie Nixon in the women's semifinals. Craig took and early lead, but the Irish fought back and were one up playing the last. A stone played early into the four foot was guarded well and the O'Kane side stole the eighth to be in the final.

Here's the Isobel Waddell team. That's Edna Nelson delivering, with Lynne Stevenson and Elma McCulloch ready to sweep. They always looked the winners over their opposition on the day, Noram Gourlay.

Lois Brown and Carol Anderson were the front end of the Norma Gourlay team with Patricia Thomson as third player.

Four great games, watched by an appreciative crowd behind the glass. Find the linescores here and here.

Photos © Skip Cottage

Early mornings at Greenacres

I feel this should be Sunday, but I'm assured it's not. Anyway, there was an early start at Greenacres this morning as the quarterfinals of the European Seniors Invitation Curling Championships were on the ice at 08.30. For the colourful Hungarians, skipped by Andras Rokusfalvy, it was to be their last match, tripped up by Gary Macfarlane's side. All the linescores are here and here.

And here's Gary. Team Macfarlane will play Karl Norlund's Swedish side in the semifinal.

This was a close exciting game. Colin Hamilton's side was one down with last stone playing the eighth and had an open draw for the two they needed to beat David Clydesdale. Colin was perfectly played to win, and he progresses to a semi against Keith Prentice.

This was a closely fought game too, in the quarters of the women's event. Norma Gourlay and Mary Barr were tied up playing the last end, with the decision going the way of the Gourlay team. They now meet Isobel Waddell in the semifinal.

Team Mary Barr in action.

Anne Malcolm seems to be having a wee sleep in this caption competition pic. But Marion Craig, Rhona Fleming, Catherine Raeburn and Anne were wide awake for their game against Jacqui Crawford. They went 5-0 up after three ends, and were always in control. They now play Marie O'Kane's Irish side.

And here's Jacqui and team in action.

Photos © Skip Cottage

Playoff stages at Greenacres

It is all a bit complicated when you have three sections and you want to go into sudden death playoffs. The way they did it at Greenacres was to take the best two teams from two of the sections and give them byes to the semifinals. And then have the remaining top team from the other section and the three second placed teams contest quarterfinals. I hope you are with me on this!

Anyway all the results and standings are here and here. When the dust had settled, the two teams with the byes to the semis in the men's event were:

The Karl Nordlund team from Sweden. Favourite photo of the day! Definitely a caption competition. "Did you do that?" "No, it was him!" "What me?"

And Team Prentice. I've had lots of photos on the blog already of Keith. Here's Lockhart Steele delivering with Tommy Fleming and Robin Aitken ready to sweep.

The quarters at 08.30 tomorrow (Saturday) match Andras Rokusfalvy of Hungary against Gary Macfarlane. Colin Hamilton will play David Clydesdale.

Isobel Waddell and her team are through to the semis of the women's event.

As is Marie O'Kane's Irish side.

The quarters are Marion Craig v Jacqui Crawford, and Mary Barr v Norma Gourlay.

Pics © Skip Cottage