Withington Pub Quiz League - quizbiz 13/02/13

Meat Raffle continue upwards; the Fairies consolidate at the top

Results & Match Reports

The depleted Electric Pigs were simply not a match for, what Andrew describes as, 'the rampant Compulsory Meat Raffle' and so the Pigs go bottom of the table for the first time in their illustrious history. Shame on you students!!

The Prodigals beat The Men They Couldn't Hang in a United-crazed Albert Club - Anne-Marie reports:

"It is safe to say we were all slightly distracted by the Real Madrid v United match on in the main room and full marks to our QM, sister Stella, for maintaining some decorum in the proceedings."

I Blame Smoke Fairies just crept past Albert at the Griffin as Kieran tells us:

"Excellent Bards paper on which we took an early lead and then got reeled in round by round to produce a thrilling finish. Five games to go and all to play for. Next up Chunky just for some light relief!"

Ethel Rodin slipped up badly against the visiting History Men to drop a place in the table. Ivor sends in his usual weekly summary:

"A real four pointer tonight as a loss would have extinguished any hope of the History Men challenging for Europe next season. After the first round (going first) we were 8-1 down and already composing harsh lines for the match report about the lack of pair-balance. Then a reversal of fortune with the unanswereds eventually ending 4-7 in our favour. With a few steals dragged out from the depth of our collective memories we were safely through to victory."

The Charabancs of Fire were ahead all the way - at first by quite a margin. Bit by bit The Opsimaths whittled back the gap until everything hung on the final pair with an Opsimaths steal on Madison and an inspired fatso Taft guess giving the visitors a slender one point victory. A thoroughly enjoyable evening with plenty of good teamwork helping to tease correct answers out of thin air. The best of WithQuiz!

Quiz Paper Verdict

This week the paper was constructed by The Bards. Yet again it's good news. Perhaps not quite such hefty scores as in the previous few weeks but nevertheless good scoring with plenty of opportunities to work things out from the information given if you didn't happen to know the answer straight off. If the balance was out it seemed to favour the team going second in the first half but this didn't spoil the overall enjoyment. At the Turnpike we had one difficult moment on the college-themed question about the 'Strongbow' who invaded Ireland in the 12th century. The Earl of Pembroke was the answer in the paper but his actual name was Richard de Clare. Both possible answers satisfied the theme so the Charas got their point for saying 'de Clare'. Bad luck for the setter to find that 2 correct answers to the same question, by chance, both fitted the theme!

At Chateau Griffin Kieran reports a "good spread of questions and no controversies".

For the Prodigals Anne-Marie's verdict...

"Consensus was the team going second then first (which was The Prodigals) had an advantage with the pairings. One or 2 odd questions in the quiz (we think the question leading to the 'The Daily Mirror' answer could have been asked slightly differently for example) but all in all a fairly good standard WithQuiz paper."

...and from Ivor...

"Quite a tricky quiz in places, though my colleagues were unfazed by having to contend with not only sportsmen questions, but referee questions as well (too much day-time telly I reckon). Sadly the plots against Henry V, and Richard II's troubles in Wales passed us by. Anne spotted the Christie theme but alas there were too many books for the theme to be of much help. Spotted the Tower theme too but had not realised there were so many of them (there was I waiting for the Stephanie Beecham question)."

...and finally the answer we mustered for the spare question in Round 3 got the biggest belly laugh of the evening. When asked why the sport of golf should be grateful to Edward Stimpson Senior we felt he might have been the one who invented the hole.

The Question of the Week

Although I've heard it somewhere before I did like Round 6 Question 5 which gets my vote this week:

In the 1730’s Mr Chicken was the last private citizen to reside where?

For the answer to this and all the week's questions click here.

Father Megson

A View from our Papal Turf Accountant

It used to be only Chelsea that turfed the manager out at the drop of a point or a hat. Now everyone's doing it; this week even the Vatican got in on the act. One minute the Board are 110% behind him.....

"He's a triffic gaffer is Benny, infallible, absolutely infallible. They don't come any more infallible than Benny and we're 120% behind his project. This is a great Church and Benny is the man to lead us back to where we deserve to be. We've had a few disappointing results recently but we can assure you that Benny is going nowhere".

And then, as soon as the ads come on, they sprint into the dressing room and sack him....

"Sadly the Church and Benny have parted company by mutual consent. The Board felt that Benny wasn't going anywhere".

So who will be the new Pope? Withquiz and Paddy Power get together in a grey, smoke-filled taproom to consider the starters and riders....

1. Fr Megson
Local boy gone bad. Very much the housewives' favourite flutter, back in 2005, to become the first pope from the Cisalpine Reeks. Since then however his star has waned. Still has the celibacy factor - despite increasingly fevered attempts to lose it - but no longer considered infallible as his languishing quiz team, the Charabancs of Fire, continue to stare down the barrel of a wooden spoon.
       Odds: 200/1

2. Patriarch Tony
One of only three Withquizzers to declare an interest. The right age and the right religion. And nobody can doubt his infallibility - the last person to do so was hanged in Walton prison in 1961. However his insistence that he be given 5 weeks off every Christmas and every Easter may stand against him.
       Odds: 100/30

3. Chief Moderator Alexander Chapman Ferguson
Sometimes (but not often) called 'the Angel of Govan'. He positively seethes with compassion and the spirit of forgiveness but has been known to lose his temper, on one occasion gouging out his centre forward's eyes for being too slow to turn the other cheek. Despite his charisma and his caritas it would be a major shock if he were to become the first Protestant pope. Probably just as well as his nose would clash horribly with the conclave of cardinals.
       Odds: No fcekin' chance

4. Padre Roberto Mancini
Along with Tony, the only devout Catholic to show any interest in the job. Speaks the lingo and his present club is unlikely to raise any objections if he wants to leave. A move might do Roberto the world of good, as would a good night's sleep. He has recently taken to sleepwalking around Beswick in the wee small hours unpicking his scarf and muttering a line from Auden: "No one can live for long in a euphoric dream."
       Odds: 12/1

5. Hedge Priest Fr Roy Keane
A man of Cork from one ear to the other. But don' be fooled. Beneath that suave Old Spice appearance lurks an odour of sanctity that reeks from his every armpit. There may not be a more sanctimonious Corker in the world of punditry. If elected he will dread speaking 'ex cathedra' as sitting on a chair is a skill he never seemed to master during his time with ITV.
       Odds: Only an eejit with a death wish would bet against him

6. Lay Preacher Roy Hodgson
Has an impressive track record in taking over the helm of small, unfashionable teams and working flat out to make sure they stay small and unfashionable. Currently doing great things with Liechtenstein... sorry, England. Will struggle to become One Holy Catholic and Apostolic overnight. The Urbi et Orbi papal address might also be a big and embawwassing ask.
       Odds: About the same as England (or Liechtenstein) winning the next World Cup so hardly worth the whisk

7. Holy Joe Mourinho
Unlikely to throw his biretta into the ring as he feels that acting as your own vicar on Earth is pretty pointless.
       Odds: No way Jose

8 & 9. And now where the smart money is going. The first black president of the USA will surely be followed by the first black pope. Only two possible contenders here: the machismo of Withquiz's very own Deacon 'Tremendous Pectorals' Dave or the intellectual prowess of Jesuit Mario 'Tremendous Knowledge' Balotelli. Nobody speaks silkier Latin than Fr Mario but the charitable works of Deacon Dave who loves to nip out during Coronation Street and distribute wheelbarrowfuls of used five pound notes among Manchester's fallen women may well be enough to carry the day.
       Odds: Not the width of a gnat's crotch between them.