Macclesfield Quiz League
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Macclesfield Quiz League |
| News and Views |
| 2012–13 Season |
| A League | B League | C League | Cup | Plate |
The following table shows the number of games won each week by the teams going first and second, respectively, in the Specialist rounds.
| Week | Date | No. of games | First | Second | Draws |
| 1 | 11 October 2011 | 12 | 5 | 7 | |
| 2 | 18 October 2011 | 12 | 10 | 2 | |
| 3 | 1 November 2011 | 12 | 4 | 7 | 1 |
| 4 | 8 November 2011 | 12 | 5 | 7 | |
| 5 | 15 November 2011 | 12 | 8 | 4 | |
| 6 | 29 November 2011 | 12 | 8 | 4 | |
| 7 | 6 December 2011 | 12 | 7 | 5 | |
| 8 | 13 December 2011 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| 9 | 10 January 2012 | 12 | 6 | 6 | |
| 10 | 17 January 2012 | 12 | 8 | 4 | |
| 11 | 24 January 2012 | 12 | 4 | 8 | |
| 12 | 7 February 2012 | 12 | 8 | 4 | |
| 13 | 14 February 2012 | 12 | 7 | 5 | |
| 14 | 21 February 2012 | 12 | 9 | 3 | |
| 15 | 6 March 2012 | 12 | 9 | 3 | |
| 16 | 13 March 2012 | 12 | 7 | 5 | |
| 17 | 20 March 2012 | 12 | 8 | 4 | |
| 18 | 27 March 2012 | 12 | 4 | 8 |
We are off and running for 2012–13, and what an excellent set of questions to start with from the Ox–fford 'C'.
Not just I say that; the marks given by all teams averaged out at over 7 out of 10, which history suggests is a remarkably good score!
Week 2 is almost upon us and I will endeavour to keep all records updated more promptly than in recent years. I am slightly running out of excuses too!
Finally, can I just thank all in the Quiz League who so kindly donated to my recent Shine Marathon Walk for Cancer Research in Manchester – thank you everyone. The latest (and nearly final) total raised can be found here ...
Some very close games this week, with two of the four games in the B League being as close as you can ever get and ending in draws.
The first three weeks have seen a whole raft of close finishes; last week, seven of the twelve games were won by a margin of ten points or less. The season is also a little unusual in that only five of the 27 League teams have yet to lose a game.
Can you believe that after next week, it will be not only half way through the season, it will also be nearly the end of 2012, which I'm sure only started a minute ago.
We now pause for breath / spiritual renewal / presents / carbohydrates / alcohol / overcooked meat and veg / domestic disharmony / TV Christmas "specials" which are nothing of the sort / newspapers with nothing in them / politicians assuring us next year will be better etc and any other amount of twaddle we can all do without.
We are taking the easy way out and having the next three Tuesdays off before returning to the fray on Tuesday the 8th of January 2013.
If I don't see you before, can I wish you and yours a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful 2013.
Now we are well into the second half of the season, the races in all the Leagues remain wide open, especially in the B League where only an idiot or an Investment Banker (if you could tell those two apart) would put money on the outcome.
Week 12 is all set to go and the weather should NOT intervene, despite most weather forecasters being eligible to joint the Idiot Investment Banker club ...
One or two issues have started to be settled as a result of this week's results, and the usual 'up' and 'down' arrows have started to appear.
Firstly, many congratulations to both the Wharf and the Lamb Inn who are guaranteed promotion from the C League. Those two teams cannot now be caught and they will spend the rest of the season in a personal battle for top spot. The fact they play each other in Week 16 at the Wharf could be crucial ...
It would be a brave soul who would bet on who will win the B League – the competition remains far too tight to call and the top two spots are still within mathematical reach of any of the top six teams. At the other end of the table, the Plough Taverners will be in the C League next season having lost a number of games by tiny margins this year.
The B League has been as competitive this time around as I can ever remember it being. In all three Leagues, many of the League winners etc had already been decided at this stage of last season, so the fact that so much still remains open is a testament to how open the contests have been this year.
As we are now entering the last three weeks of the season, we need to pick a date for the Finals Night, where we play the Cup Final and hand out all the season's prizes etc. For a good many years now – since 2002 in fact, checking through my records – we have held this event at the Weaver, Thornton Square.
The Weaver will be shutting for several weeks in the near future, for work to be done on the property, but we do seemingly have enough time to squeeze in our final event of the season. The likely date is Tuesday 16 April 2013, which is the first Tuesday after the Easter fortnight school holidays etc.
This week saw some testing questions (I remain a master of understatement ...) and comfortably the lowest scoring Specialist round of the season. See Nick's blog etc for more details and discussion.
As we head into the last week of the season, the Ox–fford 'C' are in pole position to win the A League, and will do so without question if they beat the Dolphin Dragons tonight. At the other end of the table, the British Flag's win over the Dolphin has lifted them out of the bottom two. Two teams from the Flag, Harrington Academicals and Church House Bollington will finish below the dreaded line after next week's games, in which the Flag and the Harrington play each other whilst the Church House host the Dolphin.
In the B League, congratulations to the Knot Know–Alls for ensuring their promotion to the A League next season – their second promotion on the run. They have played all their games now, but they can't finish worse than in second place – indeed they could still top the table depending on other results.
Two other teams are contesting the remaining promotion spot: the Waters Green Phoenix will be promoted – and will be B League Champions – if they beat the Nags Head next week, whilst the Robin Hood (also going for two consecutive promotions) could be promoted if they beat the Plough Taverners and the Phoenix lose – 'total points scored' could be crucial. The Nags Head need to beat the Phoenix to give themselves a chance of staying up. Calculators will be out in the B League by the end of the night!
The C League is more of a certainty, with the Lamb Inn and the Wharf both guaranteed promotion; next week's games will just settle who wins the title and who is runner–up. The Lamb are two points ahead, and a win next week against the Park Timers would guarantee them the title. Should the Lamb lose, the Wharf need to beat the Harrington 'B' and it is possible they could then win the title on 'total points scored'.
This has been the most closely contested season for a while – and all the more entertaining for it. All that remains after all this will be the Finals Night ... at the Weaver, Thornton Square, on Tuesday 16 April – 7:30 p.m. onwards for a prompt 8:00 p.m. start. Please support the last 'Do' of the season, and come and collect your final News & Views. You may even find you have won something!
An excellent season saw the Lamb Inn win the C League with the Wharf also promoted in finishing second. John Hargreaves won the C League Individual title for the second time, adding to his win in 2008/09.
In the B League – the most tightly contested League of all this season – the Waters Green Phoenix emerged triumphant at the top of the tree with the Knot Know–Alls finishing second. Both will play in the A League next time around.
Keith Pointon bagged the B League Individual title for the second year running (having won the C League equivalent the year before that).
The Ox–fford 'C' were deserving A League Champions, losing only two games all season, and they remain the team to beat after a great season of strong all–round performances.
The Cars and Vans 4U Ltd Question Setters Trophy was won by the Ox–fford with their General Knowledge questions from way back in Week 5.
If I don't see you before we start again, have a great summer and see you in the autumn when we will do it all again ...
Regards,
© Macclesfield Quiz League 2019