Bury & District Quiz League Week 23

The quiz league has moved into the handicap cup phase of the season this week with three preliminary round matches and excellent contests they turned out to be.
Match one was the Rammy Derby between cup favourites Rose and Crown and Hare and Hounds Holcombe Brook with the Rose and Crown Tigers getting a five point start against the Hairy Hounds, Yosemite Sam reports:-
Preliminary Round of the knockout cup saw the Hairy Hounds head for the Heights that are known as Rose and Crown Ramsbottom. The Hairy Hounds being decent folk decided to give the Rose Rammy a five point start, although instructions from on high had stated otherwise (Someone has put minuses instead of pluses on the Handicaps).
Captain Maguire, having returned from the far canals of Birmingham, opted to go first. Round one saw the Hairy Hounds answer two plus two bonus points, scoring on Brocks and Cocks. Roses zeroed out, giving them a first round score of 5-6 when the Handicap had been applied. Round two went 6-8 to the Hairy Hounds, with all left hanging around executioners dock.
Round three was a repeat of the first for the Hairy Hounds, while Roses Taylor’s Tigers added three to their total. Round Four Stink round saw Hairy Hounds stick on two by means of not being able to decide between a Count, a Cossack and a Prince. Round four saw the Tigers stick on four courtesy of local neighbour John Kay, but could have doubled their score with a little more faith in Harry Webb. So the Half time totals were Rose and Crown 18 Hare and Hounds 22.
In a bonus less round five the Rammy Rose Tigers manage to grab four points whilst the Hairy Hounds extended their advantage by grabbing six points.
In the two parters round six, Yosemite bottled a max chance on the Eagles, but he wasn’t taken up on his criticism, so the Hounds messed up on A Pope. The Tiger Roses managed to max out on their mussels on Molly Malone, and end up reducing the deficit by taking the round 10-6.
Round seven saw a full house from the Hairy Hounds and a bonus scored by Pete Maguire with an amazing guess with President Palin. The Rose Tigers scored with the remainder including a swift repeat showing of Nelson returning from the dead. Round score 6-9.
Round eight was eked out 4-5 by the Hairy Hounds, giving a final score of Rose and Crown Ramsbottom 42 Hare and Hounds 48.
The Hairy Hounds won the beer leg and the tie break disappeared in a fit of depression that has turned the Heights into the lows.
In the second match to report in the Shoulder of Mutton had Heap bridge Social club visiting with the Phoenix Knights grabbing a four point advantage on the handicap, this match was always going to be tight as both teams had finished the league season on a high and it turned out to be a final round thriller. Stephen Greenhalgh reports:-
A good start by the Shoulder saw them establish a true lead at the end of round two. However disaster struck for the Wolves in round three, with a six point swing back to the knights.
The pivotal moment in the contest came in the Wolves final question in stick or twist, with four points already on the board for the knights. The Shoulder played safe and stuck at four, despite them being 95% certain that the only British artist with 57 hits by 1971 was Cliff Richard. That lack of courage in their conviction cost them, despite the knights having the pressure of having to get the final question right.
A great contest and good luck to the Knights for the next round, 51-52 point final score.
Last match in this preliminary round was another thriller with the SunDial Walmersley Rd hosting Ramsbottom Cricket Club, the Cricket club end of season schedule has meant this match was the third in a week and with their league season fizzling out in two previous defeats the Harem were wishing that this was also a bridge to far.
The Harem had managed to engineer a six point handicap start and it proved crucial as they were heavily beaten for most of the match including Zeroing out in the Stink round but a telling decision to go for broke in round six saw the Harem build an advantage that gave them a vital point lead at the end of the match with a 45-44 score.

Week 24 19-3-12
Week Twenty four is the second week of the handicap cup with the first round.
Match one has a drawn a repeat of last years final with league Champions Radcliffe Cricket Club hosting last years cup winner’s Royal Horsemen and even though the handicap means the Cricket club start better off by a point they still have to overcome an eleven point start given to the Royal. The Royal were too strong in last years final and could be the same in this years first round as they are amongst a group with a bandit handicap over the top of the league table teams especially as they were in the top half themselves prior to Christmas. The prediction is Royal Horsemen by a couple of points only.
Hare and Hounds host Heap Bridge Social Club with the visitors having an advantage of a three points start, the in form Phoenix Knights cannot stop winning and the hosts will have to be on top form. This could be match of the week with the game going down to the final round but who will win………. Hairy hounds by a point.
A Radcliffe derby for the third match this week, with the Stopes Tavern Elves hosting league runners up St. Mary’s B’s enigma. The Elves form fell off towards the end of the season but with a six point handicap start to defend from the off this may be too much for the enigma to pull back and the elves may prevail by a couple of points.
Final match of the round sees SunDial and Helens Harem host Rose and Crown Starling at Heap Bridge Social Club with a single point win last week the handicap seems to suit the Harem and they have an eight point start here. So the Rose will have to be on exceptional form to win against the new cup favourites and may go down by a couple of points.

Cup favourites now are SunDial and Heap Bridge closely followed by Royal Horsemen, Stopes Tavern, Hare and Hounds with St. Mary’s B following. The Rose and Crown Starling comes next with the league Champions Radcliffe Cricketers the outsiders.

Round one 19th March 2012
Radciffe Cricket Club (0) v Royal Horsemen (-11)
Hare and Hounds Holcombe Brook(-9) v Heap Bridge Social Club (-12)
Stopes Tavern (-10) v St. Mary’s B (-4)
SunDial (-14) v Rose and Crown Starling (-6)
Handicaps are stated in brackets.

Semi final March 26th
SunDial or Rose and Crown St. v Hare and Hounds or Heap Bridge Social Club
Stopes Tavern or St. Mary’s B’s v Radcliffe Cricket Club or Royal Horsemen

Could all trophies be returned to The Rose Starling labelled quiz for Phils attention, as soon as possible please for engraving etc.

New Players are wanted to strengthen team squads, contact the league secretary.
New teams are welcome from any venue, teams of four players and a home quiz master / player are required to compete, contact any team captain or league secretary for details.
A new challenge is always welcome from any pub, club, or society wanting to test their metal against a regular league side. Contact details along with the league tables are on the website at www.buryquizleague.co.uk

TEAM	P	W	D	L	PTS	FOR	AGAINST
RADCLIFFE CC	20	14	3	3	31	1085	846
ST MARYS (B)	20	13	2	5	28	981	890
ROSE & CROWN (STAR)	20	11	4	5	26	947	883
RAMSBOTTOM CC	20	11	3	6	25	906	883
HARE & HOUNDS	20	10	2	8	22	884	900
SHOULDER OF MUTTON	20	10	1	9	21	924	870
STOPES TAVERN	20	7	2	11	16	876	926
PACK HORSE	20	7	1	12	15	862	887
SUN DIAL	20	7	0	13	14	784	919
HEAP BRIDGE SC	20	5	1	14	11	837	928
ROSE & CROWN (RAM)	20	4	3	13	11	787	941

TEAM	HANDICAP
ROSE & CROWN (STAR)	-6
RADCLIFFE CC	0
HARE & HOUNDS	-9
ST MARYS (B)	-4
STOPES TAVERN	-10
PACK HORSE	-11
HEAP BRIDGE SC	-12
ROSE & CROWN (RAM)	-14
SUN DIAL	-14
SHOULDER OF MUTTON	-8
RAMSBOTTOM CC	-8


e-mail Phil	e-mail Margaret	Home Page	Team Information

ROSE & CROWN RAM(-14)	42	v	HARE & HOUNDS(-9)	48
SHOULDER OF MUTTON(-8)	51	v	HBSC(-12)	52
SUN DIAL(-14)	45	v	RAMSBOTTON CC(-6)	44

		BURY & DISTRICT QUIZ LEAGUE 2011/2012