CqE v SCA 2026

5-6 September 2026, Chester

The annual AC match between Croquet England and the SCA took place in Chester over the 5-6 September weekend. David Magee was appointed captain, a role he is not unfamiliar with. While there is always handicap matching in team selection, we had one Scottish member dropping out which posed a late challenge to the running of the event. Fortunately, Brian Durward was able to step in at short notice, albeit at a lower ranking than the player he replaced. The SCA team was delighted to welcome Fiona McCoig (from Essex) – pleased to be playing for the nation of her birth. The other members were Stefan Colling, David Houston and Roger Binks.

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Aberdeen Tournament 2026

12-13 September 2026, Albury

With only five entries this year, John Owen (-½), Stefan Colling (0), Roger Binks (7), Bill Strachan (8) and Dave McLaughlin (12), an all-play-all format was used. Handicap rules, 18pt games, 2hr 45mins time limit. Overnight rain cleared on Saturday morning to leave a fine day for croquet. The bowling green was in superb condition, while the croquet lawn had benefited from late summer rain and the growth of some grass.

Bill Strachan won his game against John Owen quickly. On turn 4, John took black to 1-back but missed a 3-yard rush, handing a break to Bill, who took yellow to rover. John missed in turn 6 and Bill used his three remaining bisques to finish in turn 7, including a remarkable rover peel from around 12 yards. Meanwhile, Dave McLaughlin looked like beating Stefan Colling, but blobbed rover, allowing Stefan to win 18-16. However, those 16 points for Dave were to be crucial in the final reckoning.

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Meadows GC C Level Open

8 August 2026, Meadows

Congratulations to Balgreen member Eoin McCrossan on his win at the Meadows GC C level. Eoin played some fantastic shots, loads of great hoop running and consistent play throughout - he took home the cup, a gold medal and some Prosecco! Congrats also to Jill Black (runner up/silver medallist) who gave Eoin a close run and was only beaten on net hoops. Four clubs were represented. Thanks to all the players and also to Meadows Captain Kenny Pollock who has gone above and beyond this season to ensure Meadows continues to offer a wide variety of competitions and tournaments.

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Wilkinson Sword 2026

1 August 2026, Knightswood

There were teams from Aberdeen, Balgreen and Glasgow, with a Wanderers team from two different clubs, for this annual handicap doubles tournament, held at Knightswood. The weather was cool and breezy with only a few very light showers. The lawns were rather bumpy in places, with some sanded areas, but were definitely playable.

Dave McLaughlin was managing and had decided on 18-point traditional doubles (unless both teams agreed otherwise) with 2.5-hour time limits, though he was persuaded to increase this to 2.75 hours to increase the chances of games finishing. In the end, four of six matches finished within time.

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