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Don Williamson Wins Millenium Golf Croquet

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Wet and Cold Millenium

David Barrett presents Don Williamson with the NWFCC Millenium Golf Croquet Trophy
David Barrett presents Don Williamson with the NWFCC Millenium Golf Croquet Trophy

It was a rather wet (with regular heavy showers) and, at times, a cold day on Saturday 10th May when 9 players from 5 clubs joined in the North West Federation one day Golf Croquet Millenium tournament at Heaton Park.

The format was all play all with a total of 36 games during the day. By the early afternoon there were 4 players who could possible go on to win the tournament. However as the day progressed it was in the last round of games that the eventual winner emerged.

Brian Storey already had 7 wins and we were waiting for the outcome of Don Williamson’s last game against Graham Good. In the end Don beat Graham on the Golden Hoop to give him 7 wins. As Don had beaten Brian in their match Don was declared the winner.

Tournament Manager, David Barrett, presented Don with the Golf Croquet Millenium trophy – Congratulations Don, and to all the players for surviving the inclement weather and giving us a good day of golf croquet.

Colin Irwin Wins Neil Williams Croquet Cup – Eventually

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Neil Williams Millennium Advanced
Heaton Park 26th/27th April, 2014

Colin Irwin presented with Neil Williams Cup by Manager Paul Rigge
Colin Irwin presented with Neil Williams Cup by Manager Paul Rigge

The 16 strongest players in the Federation (well bar two) ignored the weather forecast and attended this year’s Neil Williams at Heaton Park. The players were split into two blocks to enable both “8’s” to enjoy seven rounds of ‘all play all’ over the two days with the dividing line between the blocks being either a positive or negative handicap card.

The forecast was again wrong with not a drop of rain falling during daylight so play was un-interrupted but it still didn’t stop some games dragging on into darkness on the Saturday evening….. Some people just don’t care about the manager’s social life!

Thanks must go to Bury Club for again generously hosting the event and for supplying a huge catering team – we even got ‘starters’ before the Sunday meal (I do hope it’s not the last hurrah for this venue).

Robert Essler being presented with the Woodlands Trophy by Manager Paul Rigge
Robert Essler being presented with the Woodlands Trophy by Manager Paul Rigge

All competitors stated that they had enjoyed the weekend and much fun was had over the entire weekend but particularly at the close when the manager tried to announce the winners in each block without taking into account the results from the last round….total incompetent!

Winner of the Woodlands Trophy for ‘B’ level; Retained by Robert Essler with 6/7 over Jerry Guest who also had 6/7 but his loss was against Robert. Jerry however has now played 750 different opponents, 633 of them being wins!

As Paul then tried to award the Neil Williams Cup to Colin Irwin, howls of barracking and laughter ensured at his expense, as more and more players claimed they also had achieved 4/7 and they should get it instead. Back to the computer for the manager to check and re-check the final calculations until it was certain…Colin had indeed been victorious (on who beat who)! – that’s his story and he’s sticking to it….

John Beech Croquet Cup stays in Pendle

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John Beech Memorial Easter Tournament (18th /21st April Pendle & Craven Croquet Club).

Roger Schofield being presented with the John Beech Trophy by Manager Paul Rigge
Roger Schofield being presented with the John Beech Trophy by Manager Paul Rigge

Lee Hartley retains the Peter Dowdall Cup (for Advanced play).
Roger Schofield Wins the John Beech Trophy.
High Handicap Trophy (10+): Joe Lennon.
Low Handicap Trophy (<10): Lee Hartley.
Fastest Game: Roger Staples.
Leisure Trophy (most games played): Andy Brandwood.

Lee Hartley presented with the Peter Dowdall Trophy by Manager Paul Rigge
Lee Hartley presented with the Peter Dowdall Trophy by Manager Paul Rigge

Four days play in fine, dry and mainly warm weather was again the order of the day in Earby over Easter for this year’s ‘John Beech’ after last year’s seriously minus degree frozen expedition.

The main handicap event is run as an Egyptian but by the finish only two points separated third place from the winner, necessitating the manager checking and rechecking each card to validate the victory in Roger Schofield’s (Hcp2) favour from Lee Hartley (Hcp -0.5) & Andy Brandwood (Hcp 4.5).

 

In the Advanced All play All Block, the manager’s nightmare continued with three players tying for the title on the same wins; on who beat who – still a tie, so net points finally broke the stalemate in Lee’s favour.

The courts were green with very firmly set hoops and looking at the repairs to court 4, it won’t be long before Pendle & Craven return to being a five lawn club again having improved the clubs drainage.

Always known as a friendly tournament, with much banter & beer – the bar is sponsored by a certain croquet playing micro brewery proprietor after all, and this year was no different with all competitors vowing to return again and again.  Did I mention the food yet? Each day, bang on 12:30 copious amounts of hot fare followed by pudding were enjoyed and the time honoured ‘tradition’ of tea at 4pm was of course observed to stave off any hunger

 

 

 

 

 

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