No upsets here; KFD coast to their 20th league title on home turf

Old 'Young Boy' Kieran reflects on four decades of WithQuiz wins...

Marty Feldman.  Marty bloody Feldman!  Who'd have thought thirty years ago we'd all be sittin' in the Griffin drinkin'  the health of Marty chuffin' Feldman?  After five and a half months of Wednesday evening contests over a dark winter, ten regenerations on from Young Boys Burnage winning their first league title, Marty Feldman was the moment when we knew a twentieth crown was on the way.  Not the point that mathematically secured the draw we needed to keep ahead of the Prodigals, that wouldn't come until half way through the final round, but it was the decisive shift of momentum in our favour and we knew from then on it wouldn't shift back.  Who reached deep into his memory banks to come up with the goggle-eyed comic as the required answer?  This season of all seasons you need to ask?  Our man in the shoebox licking the road clean with his tongue despatched our first question of the season for a two all the way back on October 12th, and here he was again providing the inspiration that paved the way to our latest, maybe last, and definitely most unlikely crown.  

Hunters Galore!

(R1/Q2)

A word for the Prodigals.  We've no idea how we've finished ahead of you this season.  You've beaten us three times and you're the toughest opposition and most fearsome team we've ever faced in all our years in this league.  You're also the friendliest of deadly rivals and we're more than thrilled, and completely amazed, to have won out over you this time around.  We hope we can continue to battle with you like this for a couple more years but nothing is likely ever to top this one for drama and, for us if you'll forgive us, nothing will ever be sweeter.  

As I noted earlier the Pigs fought us all the way to half way down the home straight and the match was a worthy finale to a great season.  This time last week after we'd secured victory against the Historymen we thought we'd played a decent season and proved to ourselves that we were still competitive, nothing more than that.  We never expected to come out on top after we played as well as we possibly could at the club two weeks ago and were still convincingly bested.  

Our superb QM Bob is doing something, somewhere, all at once, or not at all, so David stepped into his shoes again and even younger Thomas was in the line up for his sixth appearance of the season.  At the frankly unbelievable age of 24 he's landed his first league title.  Unbelievably young for the demographic of the league and, for me as his dad, unbelievably old.  I mean how on earth have I got a completely grown up son (and he's got an older brother); I scarcely feel  grown up myself most of the time.  Thomas is beside himself with pride and delight at his, and our, triumph, not that he'd ever let on or show it for fear of blowing his cool vibe.  Oops! I've just told everyone, sorry Thomas.  It's a weird fact that he's played nine times in his nascent quiz career, and four of those games have been against the Pigs, and all have been won.  We've only lost once with him in our line up, against.... well need you ask?  Maybe KFD 2.0 does have a future stretching beyond the next couple of years. 

Martin was Martin just like he's always been for longer than any of us can remember - and me?  I got a decent two on Galanthus which helped us on the way.  Thomas pointed out that some version of KFD has now won a league title in each of four decades.  In all that time we've only had seven regular team members.  The four who played tonight, David, his brother Mike (who won sixteen titles during our glory years) and Antony who won the league in every one of the four or five seasons he played for us in the mid 2000s.  

Whatever we achieve is hollow though because despite all the above I'm still a failure.  You see no matter what we do Julia Roberts simply will not come and visit us.  What are we to do? 

Cheers all, it's been a lot of fun, and a whole lot more than that to come out on top.

Early 20th century mobs calling out for a Costa Coffee in Old Trafford

(R6/Q5)

Albert continue their slide; the Opsimaths give themselves hope for next season

Mike sums up an evening of no significance but plenty of fun...

A comfortable session in the back room of the Albert Club with nothing to play for other than pride and the fun of dredging up some long lost facts to prove to your fellow quizzers that you maybe a bit deaf but you're certainly not gaga.

Mike, Eveline, Jeremy and Julian (not from Norwich he assured me) were the visitors.  Ever dependable Nick, Hilary, Emma and myself were the home hosts - and Brian was a somewhat stern QM.  Albert's 'Paddle of Rebuke' was present but for the most part sat the evening out in the plastic bag he calls home.

Early on it was pretty close but by halfway the home team was starting to pull away eventually enjoying an 18-point margin victory.  Perhaps the paper favoured the team going second a little but the main factor seemed to be questions that centred on topics that suited the Opsis areas of knowledge.  Hilary, in particular, deserves a special mention for sweeping up the early English women authors with a two followed a confident 'steal' for one.

As for the league table, the Opsimaths stay 6th and Albert remain in 5th place.  Next season however....

Dunkin' Dylan

(R6/Sp1)

Mike examines his team's plumbing...

Well we continued on our mission of plumbing new quizzing shallows which has helped us produce such remarkable results in the last few weeks.  We were at our best in Round 2 where we scored zero points - but there were two other rounds where we scored just a couple of points.  Our abject failure to know any thing about Rugby League in Halifax or Dewsbury goes right to the heart of the problem.  

My own performance was probably affected by the fact that I am in training for  The Manchester Head Slapping Championship where I am defending my title.  Eveline has appointed herself as my coach and has been enthusiastically beating me around the head for two hours at a time.  She claims this will improve my quizzing performance - but I wonder.