Garioch bowlers set for Scottish championships
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Outdoor Garioch bowling players are on their way to Ayr this weekend for the Scottish championships.
Players from Harlaw, Inverurie, and Rothienorman have excelled in District 3 (Aberdeenshire).
They have won Gents Pairs (Harlaw); Mixed Pairs, Ladies Singles, Junior Singles (Inverurie); and Triples (Rothienorman).
Both Inverurie clubs have membership of more than 100 to choose from.
It is Rothienorman that deserves a closer look. They have done remarkably well with a playing membership of 26 gents and three ladies.
After two years hard labour and fund raising their excellent efforts saw a new clubhouse in 2011.
They have now won the current District 3 Triples. Should they win through round 1 at Ayr against Buckhaven, a very strong Fife trio, they will meet either Colgrain of Helensburgh or Udston of Hamilton.
The trio won through to Ayr after beating the fancied Harlaw’s team of Forsyth, Stewart and Horne.
The trio consists of the backbone of the Rothienorman club, Ian Lonsdale, the senior experienced John Nicol, who won the club singles in 2013, and Mark Campbell, who has been a regular and successful skip in the A and K matches this year.
Campbell's first claim to fame came in 2004, when he with Sally Lonsdale won the Scottish Mixed Pairs title. He also was in the national pairs contest in 2013 with Ian Lonsdale.
The club are current Bennachie champions, and second in the league so far this year.
When they had a few more Ladies, Margaret Galashan, Angela Dodd and Sally Lonsdale were runners up in the Scottish Ladies Triples in 2006.
Harlaw have missed out on celebrating 50 years because of Covid last year. The club became independent following the closure of the Inverurie Railway works.
This year they have a chance of doing well in the Scottish Pairs. Fergus Muat is the lead. He came to Harlaw in 2008 having had a spell in Lancashire, after moving from Edinburgh.
He hopes to go one better than reaching the final of the English Mixed Fours in 2002. The following season he again reached the final English Fours contest to again lose out.
Alan Rough as skip, has reached playdowns being beaten in the semi-final of the Junior Singles, and quarter-final of the Scottish Pairs.
Both are ready for their first match against Thornliebank, with the winners taking on either Prestongrange or Eyemouth. Two very tough matches.
The Inverurie Bowling Club are at Ayr again. The 135 member strong club have their Ladies Four meet Calderbank, and this without former internationalist Ann Bisset, recovering from broken ribs. Mary Soleysek, Ivy Ross, Margaret Christie and Joyce Bruce are the team.
The Banks family are in the Mixed Pairs. Their record must be unique in that they have national titles since 2011.
This started with youth titles and in this tournament they were runners up in 2016, again the following year and they finally won in 2018. They start firm favourites against Lady Alice of Greenock, with the winners meeting either Glenmavis or Gilmerton.
It is tough for other women players as Carla features in both the Ladies Singles, and Junior Singles playdowns. Her record is outstanding and she is still only 21.
In the Ladies Singles she meets Pauline Cathro of Kirkinner and in the Junior Singles Anne Boyle, again of the Lady Alice club.
Other playdowns from District 3 are Westhill (Andrew Reilly) in Mens Singles, and the club have the Gents Fours.
Zak Morrison of Newhills is in the Junior Singles. The Gents Senior Fours are from Cruden Bay, Ellon Ladies in Pairs, Dyce in Triples and Newhills in Fours.
