The chairman of the biggest women's open competition on the domestic curling schedule has registered disappointment at the absence of Scotland's greatest player from the event this weekend but greater concern about the overall shortage of homegrown teams available to take part.
Alan Sloan, who heads the organising committee that runs the Glynhill International which begins at Braehead tomorrow had hoped the avoidance of repeating last year's direct clash with the Continental Cup - curling's Ryder Cup - would let Eve Muirhead play this time, but expressed understanding for her decision not to take part as well as confidence that the tournament's quality is demonstrated by the size and quality of the international field assembled.
"Schedules are busy and unfortunately, having played at the Continental Cup in Canada last weekend, Team Sigfridsson (the top Swedish rink) and Team Muirhead haven't been able to fit us into theirs, but we have Binia Feltscher's current world and recently crowned European champions from Switzerland and Anna Sidurova's Russian rink (bronze medallists at last year's world championships) has come here straight from the Continental Cup."
The Russians' presence suggests this is a missed opportunity for the top Scottish team to promote the sport, but Sloan believes a part was played by the deeply controversial decision by the sport's governing body, to prevent Muirhead from defending her world title a year ago, something she spoke out strongly about last season.
"We hoped we would get them (Team Muirhead) here and obviously we did contact them, however I'm sure that hurt them and Eve said their focus this year is to regain their Scottish crown so they can go on to the World Championships," he said.
"I can understand that. Eve's presence always adds hugely to any event so it is disappointing for Scottish curling but if that is their focus we have to accept that and I'm sure Eve will be back here."
This is the eighth staging of what has become a prestigious event as demonstrated by the presence of so many teams from overseas.
"The Swiss and Russians keep telling us this one of their favourite tournaments which we think is down to the whole ambience that is created in Scotland," Sloan pointed out.
"Our tournament is now part of the Champions tour. Originally it was mainly made up of Scottish teams with a few overseas ones. Now the balance is reversed."
That is clearly not cause for concern for the event itself since it speaks to its drawing power, but Sloan shares the views expressed by Peter Loudon, chairman of the Mercure Perth Masters, the men's equivalent event which took place last weekend, that having fewer Scottish teams willing to test themselves against top quality opposition represents is worrying for the domestic game.
"I read Peter's comments in The Herald and I was nodding," he said.
"I suppose it all comes down to money at the end of the day.
"It's fair to say, looking at it as a club curler, that now there is a structure of forming performance rinks there is a perceived gulf opening up between the very good club curlers and the full-time athletes and maybe there is a fear that they are not at the same level."
Lauren Gray, who earned a medal at the Olympics as the alternate player for Muirhead's team, will lead the home challenge.
"Lauren's got her own rink now and last weekend in Berne they got to the last eight against a field of very high quality so they are in good form," said Sloan.
"We also have four young Scottish rinks to add local interest and it is all part of the learning curve and gaining experience for them, getting a chance to play against some for the best teams on the Continent and elsewhere in the world."
Room was available for more, however and Sloan intends to pursue that.
"One of the conversations I will be having with Bruce Crawford (chief executive of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club) will be to ask how about moving the Scottish Junior Championships to allow the youngsters to play in the Glynhill and give them the chance to pick up valuable experience on home ice.
"Moving the Championships, even by a couple of weeks, is something we would suggest, because this event would allow young Scottish curlers to get experience against high quality opposition without having to travel."
The other option would, of course, be to move the Glynhill International but Sloan explained that its positioning is key to attracting such a high class international field.
"Our slot is a good one because it follows the week after Berne which means the foreign teams can come over for a 12 day slot rather than having to make two trips, so it is about the timing of the domestic events," he said.
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