It’s a worrying time for those of us who love curling.
The prospect of the Dewars Centre being closed because of financial pressures has been put on the table.
And it goes without saying that I’ll be telling anybody who’ll listen how significant that place has been in life and career and, more importantly, the value it has for my sport and my community.
I can understand why Dewars and Perth Leisure Pool are being looked at.
Energy costs are rising and local authorities have to balance the books with tax-payers’ money in incredibly tough economic times.
It’s not just people in the Perth and Kinross area who would be affected by there being no Dewars.
It would be the country as a whole.
Perth is such a focal point for curling – big events, small events, competitive sport and social sport.
I couldn’t begin to try and put a number on how many players have honed their skills on the ice at Dewars down the years.
The number of Olympians alone will reach double figures.
And it’s not as if we’re talking about my dad’s generation or even my generation.
Just last week Scotland won the World Juniors and two of their team – Laura Watt and Holly Wilkie-Milne – are Perth curlers.
We’re still producing elite athletes and don’t want that to stop.
It would be a huge hammer blow for our sport.
I can remember my first home rink at Pitlochry, another one which produced world class curlers, shutting in 2007.
A lot of social curlers were lost to the sport then.
Perth closing would have an even bigger effect than the smaller rinks going because it’s probably the major hub in this country.
Personally, it has such a special place in my heart.
I’ve won so many national titles and the last of my four World Junior golds there and it’s where I still play the odd game of Perth Super League with my dad and brothers.
Fingers crossed, a plan can be found to keep an essential part of Scotland’s sporting landscape open for future generations.
Huge congratulations to Fay Henderson and her team on their incredible gold at the World Juniors.
Last year Scotland were relegated to the B Championship.
They fought their way back into the A Championship and to then go on and win it was a fantastic achievement.
The shot Fay produced for a three in the second last end of the final showed top class skill and, probably above that, top class temperament for such a high pressure moment.
Fay Henderson 🏴 wakes up the Tartan Army with a run double takeout for three points! 🤩 #WJCC2023 #curling
Watch live on the Curling Channel at https://t.co/fy3vfdBx89 pic.twitter.com/3rU9iSqoj1— World Curling (@worldcurling) March 4, 2023
I’ve known for a couple of years that Fay has got a lot of things you need to be a very good curler – technically and mentally.
Often I’d be practicing away at the national academy when she’d be there too.
And she knows what it takes in terms of the physical work you need to put in.
She’s a real prospect.
This is their last year in the juniors so it will now be about making the next step up, which is a big one.
With the right support from British Curling and the right coaching, let’s hope they can keep progressing.
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