Shoulder-to-Shoulder League Archive
Final results for Division 1 in the season 2007-08
Go to Division 2
Latest News
Programme completed. See below for commentary on each match.
Match results —
League Table
| Place | Team | Shot | Won | Lost | Tied | Points | Agg | Avg | MP |
| 1 | Lauder | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 376 | 31.33 | 65 |
| 2 | Balerno & Currie | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 445 | 37.08 | 51 |
| 3 | Redcraig | 12 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 576 | 48.00 | 40 |
| 4 | Pathhead | 12 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 557 | 46.42 | 36 |
Click here to see the individual averages for this division (pdf file)
Previous Commentary:
4/10/07: The new season got under way at Balerno & Currie yesterday, with the home team recording an emphatic win over visitors Redcraig. Top scorer for Balerno was Lothian Champion Frank Gifford with 196, while the best for the visitors were Ken Kirk and Bob Watt with 189s. The winners did not have it all their own way though, as they only took 5 of the 8 Matchplay points up for grabs.
11/10/07: Balerno & Currie’s second match resulted in a narrow two-point win over Lauder, who some might say are their main rivals for this year’s title. 34 off was a slight improvement on last week’s winning score, with Frank Gifford top-scoring again, this time going one better with 197 including this season’s first ‘poss’. The visitors’ top scorer was Jim Michael with 196. The home team did not have it all their own way in the Matchplay stakes though, as Lauder won that particular encounter by 5 points to 3.
18/10/07: Pathhead entered the competition with a visit to Redcraig, but found the home team too strong for them, and lost by some margin. Top for Redcraig was David McConnell with 192, (with his three colleagues all scoring 189). Best for Pathhead was Alistair Parlett with 190, but his team captain managed to match him up with David’s 192, so Pathhead lost all the Matchplay points as well as none of his team-mates could do better that 189.
29/10/07: Lauder visited Redcraig for a match they hoped to win in order to keep their title challenge alive after their narrow loss to Balerno, but instead met a home team which has improved its score each match this season so far, and came away with only one point for a draw. Redcraig’s point puts them up to second place in the table behind Balerno, who have a match in hand. Redcraig’s top scorer was Alan Hay with 195, but Lauder’s Jim Michael topped that with 196. Every shooter bar one scored worse on their second target (and that one only repeated his first score). As befits a tie in the main match, the Matchplay points were shared equally as well, and Redcraig now have a healthy lead in that subsidiary competition.
5/11/07: Pathhead gained their first points of the season in their second match against visitors Redcraig, this time at home, and gained revenge for their earlier defeat. It has to be said that Redcraig did shoot themselves in the foot somewhat as one of their more experienced shooters had a bit of a nightmare – if he had been on his normal form then they might well have won. However, the Pathhead team all shot steadily and deserve their points which lift them above Lauder, leaving the Borders team at the foot of the table. The top scorer for Pathhead was veteran Jim Scott with a 191, with Ken Kirk top for the visitors with the same score. The Matchplay points were shared 4-all, and Redcraig maintain their lead in that competition (well, they have shot twice as many matches as anyone else, though).
19/11/07: Pathhead entertained Balerno & Currie and the result was a very low-scoring draw. Nobody shot particularly well, but at least everyone was fairly consistent. Even the Matchplay points were shared. This keeps Balerno two points ahead of Pathhead in the table though so it was a better result for the visitors than the hosts. Top scorer for the home team was Jim W Scott with 190, but Frank Gifford bettered that with 193 for Balerno.
3/12/07: Lauder took on visitors Redcraig and recorded their first victory in this season’s campaign, catapulting them up to second spot in the league. It was a comfortable win despite not having the services of one of their top shooters. Jim Michael led the way for them with a 97, 100 combo, scoring only the third ‘possible’ in the league this season so far. That score increases his lead in the individual averages list. Top for Redcraig was Alan Hay with 191, but the award for recovery of the night goes to Alan McConnell with scores of 87 and 97 – the biggest difference between the first and second cards seen this season! The home team took all the Matchplay points as well.
10/12/07: Lauder recorded their second victory in a row, and are starting their challenge to league-leaders Balerno & Currie. The won by a close two points on their visit to their geographically nearest rivals Pathhead, with Nixon for the visitors sealing the win thanks to his second card being seven points better than his first. Top scorer for Pathhead was Jim Scott jnr with 195, with Bill Vaughan again topping Lauder’s list with the same score. Despite losing the main match, Pathhead won the Matchplay encounter 5-3, although Lauder take a one-point lead over last-placed Redcraig in the subsidiary competition.
20/12/07: Balerno & Currie duly recorded a home win over bottom-placed Pathhead in the last match of 2007, with Frank Gifford leading the way with 195. However, it was veteran Jim Hind for the visitors who took the limelight, rolling back the years to put in a solid 197. However the home team’s middle order were too strong and Balerno ran out winners by 8 points, also winning the Matchplay encounter 5 – 3.
10/01/08: Their first match of the new year saw Balerno & Currie continue where they left off last year, with a solid away win over Redcraig. The visitors shot to their average, but the home team were somewhat below their usual standard, in fact putting in their worst score so far this season. Captain Andy Hay did his bit though, leading his team from the front with a 193, but Frank Gifford for Balerno continued his good run with 197, including his second 100 of the campaign. The visitors didn’t have it all their own way in the Matchplay competition, though, only taking five of the available eight points. This means that these two teams, top and bottom of the league respectively, are tied for the lead in the Matchplay.
21/01/08: Redcraig first-footed at Lauder’s range in Selkirk on one of the worst nights of bad weather this winter. I’m surprised they made the trip at all, with roads in the Borders being closed right left and centre due to snow. However, travel they did (and returned too, I guess), but the trip was in vain, their only success coming in one of the four Matchplay contests, having lost the match quite comfortably by over 20 points. The win takes Lauder up to two only points behind Balerno, but with a better aggregate, and they take the lead over Redcraig in the Matchplay competition. Top scorer for the home team was Jim Michael with 196, and for Redcraig both Bob Watt and Ken Kirk had 190.
28/01/08: Lauder entertained their nearest neighbours Pathhead and achieved the highest score seen so far this season in this league, taking the points with a 10-point win. Pathhead also shot their best score of the season, but it only won them one Matchplay point, Jim Hind beating Jim Michael, who, it has to be said, had an off-day, and his 190 topples him from the top of the league averages. Top scorers were Bill Vaughan for the home team with a solid 196, and Jim Scott (jun) for the visitors with 194. Lauder’s 6 Matchplay points cements their lead in that competition.
04/02/08: Lauder visited Redcraig, both teams shot very close to their averages, so Lauder won. The home team managed to salvage two Matchplay points, but it was a straightforward victory for the visitors. Their top scorer was Jim Michael who put his ‘blip’ behind him with a 196. Top for the home team was Alan Hay with 191.
07/02/08: Balerno & Currie took on Redcraig, and a solid performance from the home team saw them win by more than 20 points, taking all eight Matchplay points in the process – only the third ‘whitewash’ this season. Top for Balerno was Anne Robertson with 195, and David McConnell topped the visitors’ with 191.
11/02/08: Lauder nipped over Soutra to their neighbours at Pathhead, and gave them something to think about after winning by 20 points and taking all the Matchplay points. I’m sure they enjoyed the pies! Top for the home team was Alastair Parlett with 191, and best for Lauder was Bill Vaughan with 195. This win puts Lauder on top of the league over Balerno, but they have two matches in hand. It’s definitely down to these two, and the postponed matches between them will probably decide it..
18/02/08: Redcraig demolished visitors Pathhead with their best score of the season. Pathhead didn’t help their cause by turning in their worst score so far, though. This win takes the home team into a distant third place behind the runaway leaders Lauder and Balerno and above Pathhead, although Pathhead have two matches in hand. It looks like it will come down to the return match at Pathhead on 3rd March to decide who gets the wooden spoon. Redcraig completed the whitewash by winning all eight Matchplay points, putting them second in that competition. The best home scorer among a very steady shoot for all four shooters, was David McConnell with 193, and best for the Pathhead was ‘young’ Jim Scott with 191.
28/02/08: Balerno & Currie hosted Pathhead, shot to their team average and won by a comfortable margin as the visitors shot below their normal form. This win puts B&C joint top with Lauder, but with a match in hand. The three matches still remaining between these top two teams will decide the championship. Top scorer for the home team was, perhaps surprisingly as he might be the first to admit, Keith Karle with two 99s. Top for the visitors was Alastair Parlett with 192. Pathhead only had two Matchplay points to console themselves with (their second-bottom scorer happened to be one point better than Balerno’s second-bottom scorer).
03/03/08: Pathhead’s visitors Redcraig sneaked a one-point win in a match where both teams shot roughly to their season’s average. The home team might have done better if one of their most experienced shooters had not had a bit of a nightmare. His was the only Matchplay match lost for his team. It’s unusual for a team to lose the match yet take 6 Matchplay points. Top scorer for the winners was Ken Kirk with 191, with the rest of his team shooting very steadily behind him. Top for Pathhead was Jim Scott the younger with 193.
06/03/08: Redcraig stunned Balerno & Currie with a three-point win at home against a team who are favourites to win the league, doing rivals Lauder a good turn. All the pressure is now on Balerno in their four remaining matches, three of which are against Lauder. In this match David McConnell topped the home scores for Redcraig with 193, and for the visitors Frank Gifford put in a 194. The Matchplay points were shared 4-all. Lauder only have a six-point lead there, so that’s up for grabs too.
10/03/08: Bottom of the table Pathhead welcomed top of the table Balerno & Currie and shot well above their average. Their second-best score of the season enabled them to take a point off the leaders for the second time this season. This is bad news for Balerno as their last three matches – all of them this week – are against second-placed Lauder, so they can’t afford any more slip-ups after dropping three points in their last two matches. Topping the home team’s scores was Alistair Parlett with a steady 195, but Frank Gifford topped that with a 196 for the visitors. This keeps him just ahead of Lauder’s Jim Michael in the averages list. Pathhead even won the Matchplay encounter 6 to 2, putting a little dent into Balerno’s hopes for that championship too!
13/03/08: Due to travel difficulties earlier in the season, and scheduling problems before the cutoff date for season, the 13th saw a double-header match at Balerno between them and Lauder, followed a day later by Balerno visiting Lauder. The first match on the 13th was a ‘home’ match for Balerno, and the second an ‘away’ match for them. In the former, Balerno shot to their normal team average, but got well beaten by the Borderers as they put in the best score seen so far this season and took a one-point lead in the championship, leapfrogging their rivals. They also extended their lead in the Matchplay competition. Top scorer for Balerno was Frank Gifford with 194, but the highlight of the match was Jim Michael’s 199, the highest individual score this season.
In the second match Balerno put up more of a fight, shooting their best score so far by some way. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough as Lauder pulled out the stops as well and improved on their previous score too, winning by only 4 points. Top score for Lauder was again Jim Michael this time with ‘only’ 196, with Frank Gifford also leading his team from the front with 197. The Matchplay points were shared 4-all this time, but Lauder now have an unassailable lead there. This win gives Lauder a lead of 17 league points to 14 over Balerno & Currie with two matches to go for them, against Balerno again on the 14th, and against Pathhead on the 17th. They only have to win one of them to win the title.
14/03/08: It was Balerno & Currie’s turn to travel this time, and they went to Selkirk to shoot against a rampant Lauder team itching to get their hands on the trophy. One win in their last two matches would clinch it over their Edinburgh(-ish) rivals. It was a low-scoring match in which only one person shot well, but the home team emerged victorious and win the coveted Younger Shield with one match in hand. Top for the Borders team was again Jim Michael with a solid 198. His late run of good form allowed him to jump over long-time leader Frank Gifford in the averages list, and he is now the favourite to win the Hayhoe cup for having the best average in the league. Top scorer for the visitors was young Andrew Ross making only his second appearance in his club’s team this season. Lauder sneaked the Matchplay points 5-3 to extend their lead.
Congratulations to Lauder – the trophy goes south of Soutra for the first time in its 100-year history! They aren’t the 100th winners though, as there was no competition during WW1 and WW2 so that won’t occur for another ten years.
17/03/08: Lauder duly put the bow on the wrapping by beating nearest-neighbours Pathhead in the last match of the campaign. Their visitors from the north shot a little above their average but it was never going to be enough to trouble the champions. Even without the League’s top-average man Jim Michael, the home team also shot to their average, with Bill Vaughan topping their list with 198. Best for Pathhead was Jim Scott the elder, with 192. The Matchplay points were shared 4-all, so that means Lauder win that competition quite convincingly from Balerno & Currie.