25. Glasgow XX Match - The Anonymous Quaich
Matches between Pollok and Glasgow XX Clubs first started in 1979. Both were, in the main, southside clubs and had a number of mutual members. In the AGM Minute of 1985 it was reported that the game against ‘XX Club’ was as usual a ‘no contest’ as they were two men short.
Since this game was introduced in 1979, the ‘XX Club’ had only had a full team on one occasion! Up until 2009, the match score stood at 14 wins apiece with 3 No Contest years. Before the 2010 match it was announced to both clubs that two curlers who were members of both clubs and wished to remain anonymous, had decided to provide a handsome silver quaich to be played for each year, to be retained by the Club having the greater number of ‘shots up’. With the provenance of the Quaich remaining a closely guarded secret between the donors, the trophy became affectionately known as the ‘Anonymous Quaich’
1st April 2011: AGM – “Match Secretary’s Report – “Seven XX Club Pollok members, plus Ian Addison peeled with eight XX Club non-Pollok members, so we retained the Trophy..”
The most infamous moment of its competition took place at Greenacres rink on the 14th February 2018, in the 7th and last end of the match between the Pollok rink skipped by George Leslie and the XX rink skipped by John Henderson.
When the Pollok last stone deflected off a well-placed guard, it was found that all 8 of the XX stones were counting, thus producing the first recorded ‘8 ender’ in the Club’s history, but sadly not in Pollok’s favour.
Matches between Pollok and Glasgow XX Clubs first started in 1979. Both were, in the main, southside clubs and had a number of mutual members. In the AGM Minute of 1985 it was reported that the game against ‘XX Club’ was as usual a ‘no contest’ as they were two men short.
Since this game was introduced in 1979, the ‘XX Club’ had only had a full team on one occasion! Up until 2009, the match score stood at 14 wins apiece with 3 No Contest years. Before the 2010 match it was announced to both clubs that two curlers who were members of both clubs and wished to remain anonymous, had decided to provide a handsome silver quaich to be played for each year, to be retained by the Club having the greater number of ‘shots up’. With the provenance of the Quaich remaining a closely guarded secret between the donors, the trophy became affectionately known as the ‘Anonymous Quaich’
1st April 2011: AGM – “Match Secretary’s Report – “Seven XX Club Pollok members, plus Ian Addison peeled with eight XX Club non-Pollok members, so we retained the Trophy..”
The most infamous moment of its competition took place at Greenacres rink on the 14th February 2018, in the 7th and last end of the match between the Pollok rink skipped by George Leslie and the XX rink skipped by John Henderson.
When the Pollok last stone deflected off a well-placed guard, it was found that all 8 of the XX stones were counting, thus producing the first recorded ‘8 ender’ in the Club’s history, but sadly not in Pollok’s favour.
Pollok v XX Club at Greenacres, Valentine’s Day 2018.
The 7th end produced an 8-ender for XX Club against George Leslie's Pollok rink, the score being tight at 8-7 before this all happened. Pollok Members John Henderson and Ian Taylor were joined by their XX club team-mates Norman Walker and Iain Smith surveying their blue stones.
The match is usually played on the second Wednesday in February and latterly had seen two rinks per club playing off at 3pm, followed by high tea, washed down with a drop of red wine.
Results of the ‘Anonymous Quaich’ matches:
2010 Pollok
2011 PEEL
2012 Glasgow XX
2013 PEEL
2014 Pollok
2015 Glasgow XX
2016 Glasgow XX
2017 Pollok
2018 Glasgow XX
2019 Glasgow XX
2020 Pollok
2021 Not played - pandemic
2022 Pollok
2023 Glasgow XX
2024 Glasgow XX