More from Perth

The teams in the U-17 at Perth played three six-end games today. In section A, the James Carswell team from Greenacres won all three, and go High Road tomorrow. The Luke Carson team qualified for the Low Road, only on shots up over Jodie Milroy and by one end over David Baird.

Team Joiner were top of Section B, with Scott Wilson coming through in second place.

Gregor Cannon's team are in the High Road, by one end over the Bruce Mouat team.

Katie Murray's team finished top in Section D by a couple of ends over Grant Barr.

All the results and standings are here.

Here are a few more photos from today:

Louise Young and Shaun Rennie are in the pic above.

Shaun is joining in the sweeping with Christopher McKay and Rachel Ireland. Andrew Maitland is in the head.

This is Grant Barr's Kinross team in action. That's Grant in the middle of the bunch flanked by Finlay Campbell and Ryan Peters. Alison Wood is in the head.

Scott Wilson

Now, I rather like fruit pastilles so I was rather relieved to see them accidentally spilt on the carpet rather than on the ice. Needless to say they tasted just as good after a roll around the Perth carpet!

This is Calum Lammie, in the head for his skip Scott Wilson, in their game against the Karina Aitken team, which had Naomi Brown skipping.

Here's Naomi.

Karina Aitken and Sophie Sinclair look after a Sarah Morris stone.

This looks like Angus Dowell, Thomas Halder and Bruce Mouat all sweeping towards this 'interesting' house in their game against Gregor Cannon this afternoon.

Gregor Bousie

Gregor and third player Callum McFarlane are in the head behind Craig Joiner. David Kettles and Drew Thomson are the others in the Bousie team.

Let me know if I've got any names wrong. And if your photo hasn't been on the blog today, let's hope I'll be able to get you next season!

Photos © Skip Cottage

Perth U-17

Here's a few photos to give you a flavour of the Perth Under-17 event at the Dewar's Centre today and tomorrow. That's Andrew Neilson, above.

Andrew is playing with Graeme Allan, Mark Guthrie and Laura Ritchie. That's Laura and Mark the sweepers above, on Andrew's stone.

Lesley Young's stone, Beth Dandie and Hayley Duff are the sweepers. Louise Joiner is in the head.

This is the Scott Wilson team from Stranraer. Scott's stone, Neil Topping and Euan Kyle are the sweepers. Calum Lammie is in the head.

I don't think that Scott was too happy with the way he played this one!

Stuart Taylor was skipping this Forfar team today. That's Craig Joiner who has delivered, with Euan MacDiarmid and Ewan Maguire sweeping. Stuart is in the head.

Here's another Stranraer team. Gregor Cannon is the skip. That's his stone with Mark Munro and Connor Ballantyne ready to sweep. Bobby Lammie is in the head.

"So Bobby, what do you think?"

Luke Carson. Skip Cottage likes the coloured wristbands. At my age something like this would help me remember which hand is which!

Scott Gibson skipped the Luke Carson team today. He's seventeen already so is not eligible to play the remaining slams for this season. Luke, George Ballantyne and Jay Wilson agreed Scott should skip since it's his last competition. Imagine, too old at 17! (Iain Waddell is the one missing from the Lanarkshire lineup for this competition)

Here's Scott up against James Carswell this morning. James has George McConnell, Ben Bremner and Peter Dagen.

Robin Brydone, playing with James Hay, Callum Kinnear and Kerr Sands.

That's James in the head for Robin's stones. Sophie Jackson and Katie Murray are behind. Katie's front end are Gayle Allan and Kirsty Morton.

Callum and Kerr hard at work!

Jodie Milroy skipped the third of three Stranraer teams in the event with Lauren Morgan, Katie Wright and Jenni Cannon. That's David Baird also in the pic, competing with Simon Wood, James Baird and Calum McLean.

All the results are here.

Under 17 at Perth

The Perth Under-17 competition, tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday, is effectively the first event of the new season for Scotland's young curlers! The Perth event is the first of the Royal Club's Under 17 Slam.

The Slam will be played over five competitions at Perth, Lockerbie, Greenacres, Lanarkshire and Forfar.

Sixteen teams have signed up for Perth. Find the draw and results here. First games are at 10.00 tomorrow.

U17 finals at Perth

Here is Sue Fitzsimons presenting the trophy, named after her husband Danny, former manager of the Dewar's Centre, to the Bruce Mouat team, the winners of the U-17 event at Perth today. L-R: Elspeth Lean, Rowena Kerr, Derrick Sloan and Bruce Mouat.

The linescore is here. Bruce and his team were two up, without, playing the last. Duncan Menzies buried his first round a longish guard, but Bruce was up for the challenge, playing a delicate hit past the guard to secure the game.

Here's Derrick and Bruce in the final against the Duncan Menzies team.

Bruce

Rowena and Elspeth, the hard working front end.

Duncan

And his team. Angus Dowell and Robert Fawns work on a Stuart Taylor stone.

And today's caption pic. Rowena is saying, "No, I'm withdrawing my labour, I'm not going to sweep another stone for you!"

I should make mention of the Low Road final.

Richard Wood is in the head here with Stuart Marshall and James Carswell.

Stuart looked to have the game sewn up, but gave up three in the eighth to send it into overtime.

Here's the Marshall front end Euan Dagen and George McConnell.

James, with Richard and Neil Anderson behind.

David Baird and Simon Wood

Stuart and his team won it in the extra! Linescore here.

A great couple of days. Full marks to Claire Milne, the local ACDO, who organised it all.

Pics © Skip Cottage

Semis at Perth

It is semifinals day at the U17 at Perth. Let's start with the High Road. Duncan Menzies, Stuart Taylor, Robert Fawns and Angus Dowell were up against Kyle Waddell, Craig Waddell, Rachel Hannen and Alison Fyfe.

Here's Kyle

And here's Duncan, who brought his team through a really close game, making a runback double for the win with his last stone. All the scores are here.

This was the other side of the draw. Bruce Mouat, Derrick Sloan, Rowena Kerr and Elspeth Lean matched up against Thomas Muirhead, Ross Fraser, John Fraser and Ewan Penny. Ewan was substituting for Cammy Smith, off to Cortina to support his dad!

Here's Elspeth, Rowena and Derrick

Ross and John

There was some great shotplay, and much excitement, especially on the Muirhead side. But on the day, it was the Mouat team which progressed to the final.

Now for the Low Road.

I usually try not to be biased, but in this case I have to admit that I have been following Stuart Marshall's progress with interest. You see, I coached his mum Jane (McConnell, as she was then) in the 80s.

Stuart, with James Carswell, George McConnell and Euan Dagen were the winners today

Their opposition was Fraser Thomson, James Hay, James Baird and Grant Barr.

Note this young man, James Hay (14), in charge of the head. You may have heard of his dad Sandy, but you will certainly know of his grandfather, Chuck. You saw him here first!

Karen Munro, Lauren McIntyre, Lorna Shaw and Rachel McInally were the only all-girls team to reach the semis. They were up against Richard Wood, Neil Anderson, David Baird and Simon Wood this morning.

It was a good game, Karen needing to cut the four foot to get an extra end, but she was just too heavy. It will be a Wood-Marshall Low Road final.

Photos © Skip Cottage. More from the finals later.