International gathering in Dundee

GROVE MENZIESHILL INVITATIONAL INDOOR TOURNAMENT AT DISC,
DUNDEE  –  28-30 DECEMBER 2011.

SPONSORED BY MONTROSE BASED INTERVENTION RENTALS
SUPPORTING THE NORTH SEA OIL SECTOR IN THE LOCAL AREA

The Grove Menzieshill Invitational Indoor Tournament,
which starts tomorrow at Dundee International Sports Centre for the
next three days has attracted an international field.

The men`s tournament consists of a five team pool, the Scotland
senior indoor squad divided into two teams, Caledonian Cougars and
Highland Jaguars, Wales and Scotland`s top indoor club sides
Inverleith, who won the Subway indoor national league title for the
first time in the club`s history, and hosts Menzieshill, 17 times
winner of the title.  After the pool matches the top two sides
will play off in Friday`s final for the gold medal (16.00
hours).

The tournament provides Scotland coach Billy McPherson with an
ideal selection opportunity in preparation for the European Nations
Championships in Lignano (Italy) next month.  McPherson has
selected a total of 21 players and divided them into two teams,
Caledonian Cougars and Highland Jaguars, to provide maximum court
time to his international hopefuls.

McPherson explained: “We will start with the two squads named
and will probably change them as we go through the tournament,
hopefully ending with the squad which we will take to the
Inverleith tournament in Edinburgh and then on to the
Europeans.”

The training squad contains several established outdoor
internationalists, like the Glynhill Kelburne quartet of Gareth
Hall, Alan Forsyth, Iain Scholefield and Willie Marshall, but there
are indoor specialists Chris Wilson and Ross McPherson from
Menzieshill.  A  sprinkling of youngsters are given their
chance to attract McPherson`s eye, Greaves Clydesdale`s Fraser
Hirst and Duncan Riddell of Grange.

Menzieshill will again be under the coaching tutelage of former
internationalist Bruce Cuthill, but the side will be heavily
denuded by Scotland duties.  Inverleith are the final side are
also in build-up mode, they make their debut in the European Club
Champions Cup and welcome all the match practice on offer.

“It is good to be playing in a quality tournament at the halfway
point in the league season, it is important that we continue to
improve each week to allow us to be competing at the top end of the
league and in Europe,” said Stuart Neave, Inverleith`s
coach.  

Gordon Shepherd, the women`s national indoor coach, will also
use the Menzieshill tournament in the build up for Europe where his
charges face  Switzerland, France and hosts Denmark.

The pool matches in Dundee contain an interesting variety of
opposition, both the under 21 and senior squads from the United
States, Wales, the Scottish junior side under the guise of
Capercaillies, and top Scottish club outfits VWS Dundee Wanderers
and hosts Grove.

Shepherd has initiated a change of selection policy for the
national indoor squad.  “2012 is to be used for the
development of the national squad.   We have started this
process by deciding to use only outdoor squad players in the indoor
training squad for the European Indoor in January,” said
Shepherd.  “It is very important to strengthen the squad and
have greater competition for places for 2013 and 2014.”

The consequence is that the majority of his squad came from
Grove Menzieshill and Milne Craig Western, with only Becky Ward
originating from VWS Dundee Wanderers who currently occupy pole
position in the Subway national league.  Shepherd`s squad also
contains CALA Edinburgh striker Amy Brodie and Nikki Kidd, formerly
with Grove, but now playing for German Bundesliga side
Mannheim.

The women`s event is also played out in a single pool with the
final on Friday scheduled for 15.00 hours.

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