West Lothian without key quartet for Midlothian league visit

Sep 30 2010 West Lothian Courier

WEST Lothian IBC travel to Dalkeith on Saturday to tackle Midlothian in the opening match of the Premier League campaign, but must do so without major figures Neil Speirs, Thomas Mann, George Sneddon and Mark Allison.

All four would normally skip and provide an awesome backbone to a solid team formation so their absence will be felt and so pass advantage to the home team.

Midlothian open their season without the dominant figure of David Peacock – who, like Speirs and Sneddon, is in Delhi for the Commonwealth Games – while experienced figures Steven Currie, Lindsay Plendderleith and Drew Pearson are also missing.

Their opening selection brings some extra spice to the match as former West Lothian stars Graeme Archer (skip) and Ian Brown form one of the back ends and the formidable duo will be keen to beat their former colleagues.

The West Lothian team is long on experience but less so in rink formation, so an away win against what looks to be solid opposition on paper will rightly be hailed as a great result.

West Lothian line up as follows: Rink 1 – Richard Mark, Stewart McMaster, Des Haggart and Calum Logan.

Rink 2 – Ewan Wilson, James Greenock, Jimmy Mallon and James Speirs.

Rink 3 – Paul Lynas, Ian Laverie, Stuart Johnston and Bryan Cooper.

Rink 4 – Cameron Greer, Ian Drysdale, David Wilson and Ray Logan.

The reserves are, Blair Mackie, Scott Logan, and David Ledgerwood.

The Midlothian team are: Rink 1 – Martin Wyllie, Andrew Kelly, Robert Crawford and Billy Peacock.

Rink 2 – Calum Crawford, David Salkeld, Graham Walker and Colin Walker.

Rink 3 – Willie Melrose, Sandy Knight, Ronnie Duncan and Willie Rankin.

Rink 4 – Derek Lowe, Robert Trench, Ian Brown and Graeme Archer.

Meanwhile, Balbardie have much to live up to in their aspirations of being a premier league team in waiting and their first chance to deliver comes on Saturday when the Bathgate-based club visit Alloa in the B section of Division One.

Ewan Shearer, David Lawrie, Ian Drysdale, and Gary Orr are experienced stars missing from an opening line up that reads: Rink 1 – John Gillogly, David Ross, Dis Drysdale and Graeme Byrne.

Rink 2 – Lawson Trotter, Mark Bonnar, Jim Speirs and Walter McDougall.

Rink 3 – Alistair Wilson, Ritchie Templeton, Kenny Martin and Andy Forrest.

Rink 4 – Graham Kerry, Davy Coats, John Ellis and Sandy McDougall.

His many fans point out that it is no coincidence that the absence of Mr Magnificent in last week’s Morning League fixture at West Lothian IBC saw his rink mates Davie Anderson, George Clark, Colin Russell and Ronnie Martin 10-0 down after six ends.

Martin and Co did eventually come to terms with the situation but their improvement came too late to avoid a 12-8 defeat at the hands of John Brown, John McGovern, Mike Lochran and Denis Lawler.

“Frank [Weir] is nursing a strained wrist from a combination of signing too many autographs and lifting too many pints all with his delivery arm so being a precious asset we have him wrapped up in cotton wool at the moment,” explained a spokesman.

The ladies of West Lothian IBC open their League Cup campaign against Teviotdale at the Inveralmond stadium.

The team reads: Rink 1 – Irene Taylor, Isabel Linsday, Lisa Barrett and Ann Clark.

Rink 2 – Betty Tate, Irene Fergus, Helen Tully and Jennifer Sneddon.

Rink 3 – Beth Erskine, Jean McPherson, Jenifer Richardson and Wendy Purdie.

Rink 4 – Lucy Noon, Sandra Purdie, Jean Brown and Lily Sword.

The ladies of Balbardie, who have Lorraine Malloy away on Commonwealth Games duty, entertain Coatbridge at Bathgate in the D section of Division One.