Good luck to our men’s team, Derek Adam, Robbie Stronach, Johnny Wilson and Colin Stewart, who travel with coach Shirley Legge to St-Pierre-Les-Elbeuf, France tomorrow. Shooting competition starts on Thursday evening with the main even kicking off Friday morning.
SPA Masters Report
Scotland’s top twelve teams competed in the final SPA competition of the season, the Masters, in Fochabers on 9th and 10th September. The competition is used to select players to compete for Scotland in a number of events in 2018. As usual, the welcome at Fochabers was warm (even if the weather wasn’t so inviting) and we were treated to tasty lunches and home bakery over the weekend. The SPA would like to thank Fochabers PC for their hospitality.
The competition format is a round robin and the only triples event this year where timed games were not used. 6 rounds were completed on Saturday and 5 on Sunday.
The winning team of the Sex Pisteols amassed 10 wins from 11, with points difference of +78. Pretty Vacant were in second with 9 wins +58 and Les Champignons Sauvage were pipped in to third with 9 wins +47. Triaxle were fourth with 7 wins -1.
Derek Adam, Robbie Stronach and John Wilson will be included in the team to compete in the 2018 FIPJP Men’s Triples World Championships in Canada, should Scotland receive an invitation.
Lynn Jenkins and Shirley Legge will be included in the team to compete in the 2018 CEP Women’s Triples European Championships in Palavas-les-Flots, France.
The highlighted in blue below will represent Scotland at the 2018 Celtic Challenge in Dublin.
Congratulations to all the qualifiers and commiserations to those who missed out this time.
2017 Masters Results
SPA Triples Report
Melrose Gala PC hosted the SPA Triples at Kingknowes Hotel, Galashiels, on Sunday 27th August. 10 teams registered to play on the challenging pistes.
The Sex Pisteols, Johnny Wilson, Derek Adam and Colin Stewart emerged victorious with a perfect record of 6 wins +58. The local team MeGa, Peter Harrington, Charlie Coward and Ron Anderson finished in 2nd with 4 wins +28 and The Laupers, Emma, Mags and Colin Montgomery were 3rd with 4 wins +19.
The SPA would like to thank Melrose Gala PC for their hospitality and preparation which made the day go smoothly.
Next up is the SPA Masters in Fochabers this weekend.
SPA Triples 2017 Result
SPA Triples This Sunday
Melrose Gala Petanque Club are hosting the SPA Triples on Sunday 27th August at their home piste at the Kingsknowes Hotel, Galashiels.
Registration is 9.00 – 9.15 and play will commence at 9.30. Entry £6 per player and teams of 3 or 4 players can enter.
The club have arranged for a light lunch to be provided at a cost of £6.50 per head. So they are able to plan catering etc, if you intend coming to the competition and have not already done so, please contact Peter Harrington by email as soon as possible melrosepetanque@gmail.com
Please remember that for National Competitions such as this, teams are required to wear matching tops and to present their SPA licence at registration. Those who have applied for a licence but not yet received should inform the person manning the registration table.
Home Nations
This weekend, eight teams from Scotland will compete against squads from England, Jersey and Wales in the 2017 Home Nations at Hayling Island. The squad is:
Scotland 1: Emma Montgomery, Colin Stewart, Derek Adam
Scotland 2: Art Ager, John Dryburgh, John Taylor
Scotland 3: Mags Montgomery, Colin Montgomery, Matthew Neilson
Scotland 4: Alison Swiffin, Christine Thomson, Ed Strachan
Scotland 5: Pat Scott, Christine Mudd, John Mudd
Scotland 6: Carol Cheam, Paul Gillam, Peter Harrington
Scotland 7: Dani Cassini, Mari Snell, Douglas Hamilton
Scotland 8: Michael Rennie, Paul Martin, Gordon Scott
Head of Delegation: Colin Stewart
Good luck to all our players!
Inverleith Travel to Draguinan
Good luck to Inverleith PC who travel this week to Draguinan, France for the EuroCup Qualifying Round which starts this Thursday. Their opponents will be the club champions from France, Latvia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Czech Republic and Slovakia.
The top 2 teams from the round robin qualifier will play in the EuroCup Finals later in the year.
SPA Singles, Shooting & Doubles Report
Nineteen players registered to compete in the SPA Singles Championship on Saturday 15 July, held at Inverleith PC. Derek Adam emerged victorious and in doing so finally completed a full set of lifelong SPA titles. Derek and Lynn Jenkins, the highest placed female player, will be invited to represent Scotland at the 2018 European Singles Championships.
2017 Singles Results
The SPA Shooting title was also up for grabs on the Saturday, with players asked to register qualification scores in breaks between singles games. The four best players after the qualifying rounds were entered into seeded semi finals. Colin Stewart beat Derek Adam in Semi 1 and Kevin Johnstone beat Johnny Wilson in Semi 2. The 3rd and 4th playoff was cut short due to poor weather, with Johhny taking 3rd. In the final Colin rushed into an early lead which Kevin couldn’t quite make up for in the later rounds, allowing Colin to take the title.
2017 Shooting Results
The SPA Doubles Title was contested on the Sunday, with 14 teams registering. Robbie Stronach and Johnny Wilson thrived in the sunshine, beating all in their path to take the title. Mags and Colin Montgomery finished second while Derek Adam and Colin Stewart took third place.
2017 Doubles Results
Many thanks to Inverleith PC for hosting the event with their usual warm hospitality.
Qualified Umpires
The SPA now has its own formal umpires training and qualification structure and invited International Umpire Mike Pegg to deliver and umpire’s course and set an exam on the weekend of 8 and 9 July at Inverleith.
Following the course and examination, the following qualifications have been awarded:
- Mags Montgomery – SPA Senior Umpire
- Colin Montgomery – SPA Umpire
- Derek Adam – SPA Umpire
- Colin Stewart – SPA Umpire
Congratulations to all of the successful candidates and commiserations to those who didn’t quite make it this time. The qualified umpires will now form the SPA Umpires Committee which will oversee the development and improvement of umpiring in Scotland.
Grand Prix 3 Report
Once again, 18 teams registered to contest the final Grand Prix of 2017 at Troon, the results of which would determine who would win the Grand Prix Series, the eight teams which will represent Scotland at next year’s Home Nations and the twelve teams that will progress to the Scottish Masters in September.
The competition was won by Maboule who beat all in their path. The Sex Pisteols capped off a consistent GP Series with second place (4 wins) and third was claimed Triaxle (also 4 wins).
The Grand Prix Series was won by Triaxle, second were the Sex Pisteols and third place was secured by the 3 Bears. The full final standings are shown below. Congratulations to all all the qualifying teams and commiserations to those who missed out this time.
We’d also like to congratulate Vivien Poka who we awarded the ‘Most Improved Junior’ award for her great play during the Grand Prix Series. And finally, a very Happy Birthday to Ernie Burden of Apolojays who played in the Grand Prix on his 90th birthday – what an inspiration.
Grand Prix 2 Report
Once again, 18 teams registered for the next instalment of the SPA Grand Prix Series, this time hosted by Perth PC on Sunday 14 May.
Play took a familiar turn, with Triaxle emerging victorious once more with a perfect 6 wins. Pretty Vacant were second with 5 wins and the Sex Pisteols were third with 4 wins.
Grand Prix 2 Result
Grand Prix Standings After 2 Rounds
Triaxle – Grand Prix 2 Winners