Val Draper Cup Final is Historymen v the Fairies; Plate final is Albert v the Pigs

Bards lost yet again to the Historymen - their bogey team for the season.  Ivor sums up:

The Bards actually won on the night 42-38 and we had to claim our allowance (like a trainee jockey) to overcome this season’s most formidable team.  We were ahead by 5 points after the first half but the Bards were relentless in the second half chase and nearly pulled off a victory.  This despite missing two of their team (though it must be said their replacements were rather good with Mark getting 6  2s and taking the MVP award in his first game, and Aidan returning and outscoring Tony).  The Bards will not win the 'treble' after all but must be odds on for the 'double' if Chunky have a wobble in the Supercup final. 

Anne thought claiming a victory with the benefit of a handicap was a bit of a poor show - however if we play Smoke Fairies in the final we will only get a 3 point start which doesn’t seem much at all.  Perhaps it will be the CMR if they overcome the Fairies tonight and then we will start 7 down.  But after all is said and done WE ARE IN THE CUP FINAL AND ANYTHING MIGHT HAPPEN.  Could our name be on the trophy for the first time ever?  Could the Fairies end up the season with NO TROPHY WHATEVER?  Let’s hope we don’t go off the boil during our Easter break.

I Blame the Smoke Fairies got into top gear against Compulsory Meat Raffle wiping out the handicap disadvantage pretty quickly before notching up a convincing lead.  Kieran reports in:

The Meat Raffle, albeit shorn of their University Challenge champions, were hugely entertaining opponents.  Listening to them working their way towards an answer, which was usually correct, was more like overhearing a fascinating conversation than eavesdropping on a quiz team in combat.  There were many occasions when we had to bite our tongues to stop ourselves joining in such was the fun they seemed to be having with the Charas brain teasers.

At the Club the Opsimaths clawed back 3 of their handicap points but couldn't do any better as the Albert eased through to the Plate final.  Star of the show turned out to be teammate Brian who managed to deliver my pint from the bar in a glass for all but the final 2 yards.  I'm still drying out as I type.

This week the paper was set by The Charabancs of Fire with help from TMTCH (well Dave in fact).  The average aggregate at 74.0 was well above par so full marks to the setters on that count.  Kieran reflects on what was for the Fairies a 50-pointer:

Very good evening on an enjoyable Charas paper with plenty of opportunities to score points and try to work out where the themes were coming from.

..whilst Ivor's conclusion was.....

A good varied paper especially given the short notice for compilation.  We didn’t get the Unionist party leader nor recognize the Plaid leader (Anne notes it must be the first time a woman called Leanne is in a position of authority).  Our biggest gripe was the 'pick your own' round because all the film, TV, music and book questions were TOO MODERN.  Surely Gerry, Roisin, John and Damian realise that the average Withington Quiz Leaguer has an ossified brain unable to retain any answer occurring after 1990 (though perhaps this might not hold true for CMR).

This week the Prodigals get the casting vote and they go for Round 2 Question 3:

The first line of which famous publication was first translated into English in 1850 as: "A frightful hobgoblin stalks through Europe"?

Next week we have a week off but on Wednesday April 18th we play the Cup and Plate Finals with a paper compiled by 'KO United' - in other words a paper compiled by the 7 knocked out teams not competing in either of the finals.  This year as the Opsimaths are in neither of the finals I will edit and publish the KO United paper.  So could the captains of the other 6 knocked out teams (Ethel, TMTCH, Charas, Bards, Prodigals and Meat Raffle) please submit a round and a pair by email to mikebath@pfsl.org.uk by Saturday April 14th at the latest.  The round can be whatever takes your fancy - and please add a spare question or 2 to the round in case we need extra questions for tie-breaking purposes or whatever.  To complete the paper I will choose 4 of the 7 submitted pairs (with a spare pair as well) to make up the final round.  As before the 4 teams in the finals will vote for which of Rounds 1 to 7 they think the best and the team who has compiled it will carry off a bottle at the End of Season evening.

......and finally if you're wondering about the WIST Final, Tony and Chunky have yet to confirm the date and venue to me, but Kieran has kindly agreed that the Smoke Fairies will set the paper.