Jones & Thomas show the way “on a perfect sprint day”
The West Cheshire and North Wirral Amal racing has been hugely competitive from the “get go” with familiar Wirral resident fancier names featuring in the first three races of the season. With the current score of 2 to 1 in favour of the North Wirral federation (within the AMAL) this week’s performances were again extra special with the winners being once again at the top end of the Wirral as we would probably expect with the conditions.
Jones & Thomas (the late Carl Jones) and the effervescent Robbie Thomas need no introduction to any fanciers throughout the UK. Racing and winning into the North West of England is standard practice for this loft whom many might associate with scoring further into the race schedule, but class is class and not only does this loft take the first three in the AMAL they also take the first three in the North Wirral federation and third West Cheshire Federation with their fourth pigeon. The results that this loft produce year in year out are somewhat astounding from the only two birds on the day on the North West Combine from Niort (500 mile 2300 pigeons) to topping the local sprint match from 100 mile.
Robbie Thomas winner of First, second and third Prenton HS, First, second and third North Wirral Federation, First, second and third West Cheshire and North Wirral Amalgamation 3281 pigeons.
The AMAL racing on the Wirral peninsular continues to build momentum towards the first North West Combine race of 2016 from Portland (21st May). The build up to these races are six inland races organised under the West Cheshire & North Wirral AMAL which commenced in 2015 and is proving to be a hit with all competitors.
The fourth race of the AMAL was from Monmouth which from top to bottom of the Wirral peninsular ranges from 95 mile in Chester to 112 mile in the North Wirral. With forecast of a light south easterly wind conditions would again favour those at the top end of the peninsular.
With the convoy liberated at 9.10 am the 3281 pigeons were soon to start the drums beating around the north end with anticipated velocities to be over 1600 yards per minute, however early times would indicate that birds were In fact slightly slower than anticipated with birds into the North Wirral recording times just over the two hour mark which would indicate that the leading velocities would not reach 1600 yards per minute. The previous three AMAL races were dominated by North Wirral fanciers although in the winning stakes it stood at two wins to one in favour of the North Wirral fed.
As the results appeared the North Wirral Fed would once again dominate the AMAL. Taking twenty of the thirty positions and with 29 yards per minute covering the first thirty AMAL pigeons competition is really gathering pace. Taking first, second, third, and seventh AMAL is Jones and Thomas (winning velocity of 1561). The partnership also takes first, second, third, and sixth federation and first second and third Prenton HS. Their fifth bird to arrive was their first from the West Cheshire Federation also taking Ninth AMAL, Third West Cheshire Federation and First Willaston HS. Taking Fourth AMAL, fourth North Wirral Federation and first Wallasey HS is the partnership of Mo Ward and Mickey Cullen. Fifth AMAL, Fifth North Wirral federation and First Birkenhead HS is the partnership of Roy and Jean Parkinson, Roy and jean also tool twenty eighth AMAl and eighteenth Federation with their second pigeon.
Sixth AMAL, First West Cheshire Federation and First Hooton HS is the partnership of WH Cottrell & Son. Eighth AMAL and second West Cheshire Federation and First Rock Station HS is the ultra-consistent loft of Steve Williams of Bromborough. Closing the top ten in the AMAL and also taking fourth West Cheshire federation and Second Willaston HS is the loft of Bob Tudor.
Eleventh place is occupied by the loft of Stevenson Bros who also take fifth West Cheshire Federation and third Willaston HS. Next we go to Bebington to the loft of Molyneux and Burns who take twelfth AMAL, seventh North Wirral Federation and First Club Bebington HS. Next is over to Thornton Hough to the loft of Robbie Gordon, Robbie takes thirteenth AMAL, sixth West Cheshire Federation and First Thornton Hough HS.
Fourteenth AMAL we go back to Birkenhead to the loft of T Anderton and Son, the partnership also takes twenty second AMAL with their second pigeon along with eighth and thirteenth North Wirral federation and second Birkenhead HS. Over at Thornton Hough D Greenhalgh takes fifteenth AMAL, eleventh West Cheshire Federation and second Thornton Hough HS. Sixteenth Position is occupied by J Barchha who also takes twenty seventh AMAL along with ninth, seventeenth and twenty third North Wirral Federation, second and third Wallasey HS.
Tommy Hayes takes seventeenth AMAL along with eighth West Cheshire Federation. A Oakley takes eighteenth AMAL and ninth West Cheshire Federation and third Thornton Hough HS. One of last week’s protagonist’s Gary Dodd takes nineteenth AMAL tenth North Wirral Federation and third Birkenhead HS. Eddie Casey and Terry Rainbow (Casey & Rainbow) take twentieth and twenty first AMAL along with eleventh and twelfth North Wirral Federation.
Twenty third place is Milne and Davies who also takes fourteenth North Wirral Federation. Gary (Addo) Atherton who has been vying for first place in the first four races takes twenty fourth and twenty fifth position along with fifteenth and sixteenth North Wirral Fed. Twenty ninth place goes to J Heggarty who also takes nineteenth North Wirral Federation and closing the AMAL result this week in thirtieth place is Paul Stewart who also takes twentieth North Wirral Federation.
Around the Feds
NORTH WIRRAL FEDERATION (Monmouth 2) Birkenhead HS (19/515) First R & J Parkinson, second T Anderton and Son and third G Dodd. Prenton HS (12/270) First, second and third Jones & Thomas. Fourth J Heggarty, Wallasey HS (9/199) First Ward & Cullen, Second and third J Barchha. Bebington (19/320). First Molneux and Burns. Second T Hayes and third P Charles. Notable performances are Jones and Thomas four in the top six of the fed. J Barchha three in the top twenty five. Bateman Bros and Son three in the federation top thirty for the federation.
WEST CHESHIRE FEDERATION (Monmouth 2). Rock Station HS (11/306) First S Williams. Second and Third T Rix and Bather. Willaston HS (11/287) First Jones and Thomas, Second Bob Tudor and Third Stephenson Bros. Chester HS (11/255) First E Rose, Second A Mayers with third Evans and Wright. Moreton HS (6/106) For yet another consecutive week First, second and third go to R Lang. Thornton Hough (14/366) First is R Gordon with D Greenhalgh taking second and A Oakley third. Victoria HS (12/313) first for the fourth consecutive week is Mr & Mrs AJ Price who also takes second prize for good measure, with P Coombes taking third. Hooton HS (15/306). First and second place we have W H Cottrell & Son with third place occupied by JJ and DM Clews.
Notable federation performances this week come from Steve Williams yet again putting four pigeons in the top twenty of the federation. Bateman Bros and Son putting four pigeons into the top thirty. T Rix and Bather putting four pigeons in the top twenty five of the federation. Tommy Hayes putting three into the top thirty of the federation and Brian Hughes putting three into the top thirty of the federation
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Dave Cottrell (WH Cottrell & Son) winner of first Hooton HS First West Cheshire Federation 1977 pigeons
Local Club Results:
Victoria HS: (12/313) with a slight drop in birdage on last week and another steady race into Ellesmere Port the usual trapping match it wasn’t. This week and for the fourth week in a row Mr and Mrs AJ Price (Sue and Archie) take the win and follow it up with second just for good measure. Archie having previously stated he had reverted back to pure widowhood this season was one of the paper favourites which proved justified.
Having previously reported that Archie had promised to revert back to just racing cocks on pure widow hood (after trying the roundabout system last year) the partnership are definitely reaping the rewards with some extra special and ultra - consistent sprint flying into the Port. In Third and fourth spot we have Paul Coombes only a couple of yards off the pace again with Wesley Ellis in fifth. Sixth and seventh we have daughter beating father as Sharon Thurston takes sixth with her dad Arthur Wilde taking seventh.
In eighth position s Joe Ellis with A Davies and Sons in ninth. Mr and Mrs AJ Price occupy tenth with their knock out pigeon with Kenny Johnson in eleventh, Carl Curran and Alan Coombes occupy twelfth and thirteenth with A Davies and Son knock out pigeon taking fourteenth. Freddie Davies takes fifteenth with Richie and Ronnie Denny taking sixteenth.
This week saw the knockout racing commences with the first part of the knock out taking place next week which always generates some extra interest and banter within the club with some extraordinary excuses especially when you don’t clock your knock out pigeon at all (which is sometimes the case?) Watch this space.
Archie Price (Mr & Mrs A J Price) winner of First Victoria HS for the fourth consecutive week
The Rock Station HS: (11/306). This week’s winner at the Rock Station is one of the most consistent loft and one of the busiest fanciers in the area? Race controller and federation president Steve Williams taking first, sixth seventh and eighth club. In second, fourth and fifth club we have T Rix and Bather with E Bateman Bros and Son taking and third, ninth and tenth. With the top ten positions occupied by three lofts in this competitive club it is easy to see why those three fanciers have all featured in the federation result with all of the first pigeons.
In eleventh place is Brian Hughes with A McNicholas in twelfth. Thirteenth position is occupied by L Cooke while G Rogers comes in at fourteenth. R Charles is fifteenth with Club secretary John Wheadon in sixteenth. F McNamara finished in seventeenth and closing the Rock Station result this week is James Farnworth in eighteenth.
Steve William. Winner of First Rock Station HS
Prenton Social HS: (12/270) Over at Prenton Social with the same birdage as the previous week with one extra flyer produced a result that would get the competitive spirit racing, previous weeks had been dominated by Bate Bros and Sons with the first two weeks with regard to the top four positions. Eddie Bateman Bros and Son are still bang in form but moving them off their top spot this week is one of their great pals Robbie Thomas (Jones and Thomas). With Robbie taking first and second (see above AMAL result) club and with J Heggarty taking third and the partnership of T Rix and Bather taking fourth and fifth little Ed (E Bateman and Son) slots in at sixth and seventh position. In eighth and tenth place are F McNamara & son being split by J Heggarty’s second pigeon in ninth place.
In eleventh and fifteenth place is federation and western region secretary John Waters who just touches off R Donnelly in twelfth (and seventeenth) position, C Smith in thirteenth (and eighteenth) position and P Jones and Son in fourteenth (and twentieth ) position. Placed in sixteenth and nineteenth position is Mark Croker with Clark and McGettrick taking twenty first and twenty second places. Closing this week’s results is K Moss who takes twenty third and twenty fourth positions.
This closes this week’s report, you will no doubt have noticed that they have been somewhat sporadic this year which is purely down to time and priorities so hopefully over the next few weeks, months I will catch up with all the reports.
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