Home to the Horntails

 

The Phoenix were buoyant turning out for the last game of the season: playing at home, no distractions from other activities (darts etc), the best beer in town and sitting joint second behind the Knot. A win tonight with a good score against the Horntails who were facing relegation could mean promotion to the A League – a long-held ambition. We had lost when we played the Horntails on the first leg but we then had a soggy beer mat playing for Wendy; Wendy was now with us – BUT she had not brought the team mascot Rosie. Nevertheless we were hungry with ambition.

The Specialist questions had been set by the Horntails’ sister team the Plough Taverners and were quite original with a good spread for most topics. Scoring was a bit slow for the Phoenix and at the end of the Specialist they were trailing by just two points with 51 to 53.

The General Knowledge questions, sealed since January when the snow meant the games could not be played, had suffered with the passage of time and many of the original questions had since been asked, so wisely they were allowed to revise the questions. This held no problems for the Phoenix who usually pull up from behind on the General Knowledge questions – sadly this was not to be – at the end of this set of questions they were behind by another 10 points 56 to 66. This meant that they lost 119 points to 107.

No complaints – we marked the questions highly, there were no wild guesses and points wasted – just that on the night the Horntails were the better team. So no promotion this season but as Hemingway said “You know what makes a good loser? Practice”.

Individual scores were Bob 12/9, Wendy 6/12, Nick 9/3, Tomo 9/15 conferred points were 10/12 and passovers 5/5; the Horntails picked up 5/13 passovers.

A great game with lots of fun and laughter, a superb season and we’re looking forward to the Plate finals and another great season in the autumn.

The Knot will now go up to the A League and we wish them every success tinged with sadness – they’re a great team.

Well done the Horntails, and many thanks to Brian and Tracy for their support over the season and an excellent selection of sandwiches.

17th March – Question Masters

 

This penultimate game of the season saw the Phoenix asking the question in the B League having set the General Knowledge set. The only game outstanding now is the postponed game from the snowy depths of winter when most teams were unable to tunnel out of their homes to get to the venues.

Positions in the League are very tight – at the start of the evening, the Phoenix were top of the League with 20 points but only ahead of the Church House Bollington because of total game points scored, and the CHB had a game in hand.

Also with a game in hand were the Knot on 19 points and the British Flag on 18 points; and still in the running were the New Castle and The Albion so the tussle for 4th place in the Premier league looks rather small beer compared with the mighty conflict in the B League of the Macclesfield Pub Quiz League.

The results of the evening’s games are awaited with bated breath and it will also be interesting to see how our peers viewed the questions on the night.

Home To The New Castle

Our opponents this week are old friends who were sorely missed last season when they sojourned in the A League – this season they have been tussling with the Phoenix to reach that coveted 1 or 2 position for promotion.
This was the last game of the season for the Phoenix (except for the postponed fixture) and much hung on the result. The Ladies’ Darts team were not playing  so the game took place in a comparatively monastic atmosphere.
This was to be a game with some firsts: the questions  had been set by The Nags Head and set off well, the first few rounds being well received but they then sagged into trivia mode; the Phoenix generally got less than their usual scores and Nick had a first – 0 in the Specialist and just 3 in the General Knowledge. A personal worst hopefully never to be repeated. In fact the fist question he answered was Q51 about Belle De Jour the high-class prostitute, which perhaps tells us something about him. Consequently the scores for the questions were very low – another first.
The question-master from The Knot also scored a first – he had not done it before! He coped very well.
At the end of the Specialist  the Phoenix had nudged ahead with 52 to 38, but the New Castle fought back hard in the General Knowledge that eventually finished  with equal points 62 to 62. Final score 114 to 100.
Individual scores were Bob 15/12, Wendy 12/15, Nick 0/3 Tomo 12/12, conferred 8/11 and passovers 5/9. The New Castle picked up 5/9 passovers too.
As always with the New Castle it was a very cheerful evening with much laughter rounded off with a huge tray of sausages with onions and bread and butter. Many thanks Brian and Tracey and to the New Castle for a pleasant evening despite the questions.

Home to The Pack Horse Bowling Club

 

This was the return leg of the League against a team that narrowly beat us when we last met. They are old friends and it was good to come up against them again.

Playing at home has benefits but also some drawbacks; being a very successful pub (and rightly so!!) the Tavern is very busy and this was no different.  A group of young people had gathered to celebrate something or other – no complaints, it is a pub! -  but much credit must be given to the question master Dave from the Plough Horntails who managed to make himself heard whilst at the same time controlling the timing for the questions. Not only that, he had also assumed responsibility for vetting and printing the questions – definitely the star of the evening!

The questions have been described as being a bit  “boys own” (in particular the Specialist) and (perhaps because I have no interest at all in this) I must admit that a round on WWII aeroplanes is a wing too far. But the rounds on musicals and Macclesfield’s history were different and were perhaps to the Phoenix’ advantage. At the end of the Specialist questions the Phoenix had a lead of 57 to 37, and took the General Knowledge rounds 86 to 77.

Individual scores were Bob 15/12, Wendy 6/21, Nick 6/15, Tomo 15/18 conferred points were 5/11 and passovers 7/9. The PHBC picked up 3/10 passovers.

The final score was 140 to 114 after a very pleasant game finished with a selection of fine sandwiches – thank you Brian and Tracey and the PHBC for a great evening.