What's next?

I'm looking ahead to this weekend. The major event is of course the RCCC Rink Championship at the Galleon Centre. Twenty-four teams play in four sections, and the first games are on the ice at 09.00 tomorrow, Friday. Quarters, semis and finals are on Sunday. The draw is here.

I'm looking forward too to seeing something of the Schools Championship. Twenty-four teams from twenty different schools will play in four sections, beginning at 11.00 tomorrow, at the Ayr rink. Quarters, semis and finals are on Sunday. The results will be here.

Dollar Academy are in the draw. That's the team in the photo above with the Miller Drummond trophy which they won at the final at Braehead last Saturday. Photo by Bob. L-R: Tom Haddow (3rd), Jayne Stirling (2nd), Ruairidh Macdonald (skip) and Duncan Filipkiewitz (lead).

Now, a little history about schools' curling. The Scottish Schools' Championship was first held in 1967. But schools had been participating in the sport for some years prior to that. There was an active schools' league at Crossmyloof on Saturday morning ice in the early 60s. The first inter-city games took place in the 1961-62 season, see below!

I found this pic recently in the March 1962 Scottish Curler. The legend reads, "The happy group of schoolboy curlers in the second Hutchesons' Grammar School v George Watson's College match at Edinburgh Ice Rink."

Can you recognise a fourteen-year old future Scottish Curler editor (front row, third from left)? Click on photo to enlarge!