Roy & Robbie Sandland
New Ferry, take the Wirral by storm.
The first race of the season onto the Wirral peninsular saw the son and father partnership of Roy and Robbie Sandland sweep all before them. Sending there split team of cocks into the Bebbington HS in the North Wirral Fed and the Willaston HS in the West Cheshire Federation.
With the North Wirral federation membership sending 913 pigeons and the West Cheshire sending 1196 pigeons the amalgamation started the season with great birdage and long may it continue? With inclement weather forecast through the latter part of the day and the winds predominantly blowing west south westerly, the decision top go for an early lib was taken with excellent results.
Between the conveyer Dave Cotgreave and Steve Williams (Race controller) the birds were liberated into a light south west wind at 8.15 am.
With a fast race forecast the cobwebs were blown from the ets pads and the thimbles in anticipation of the opening of the 2016 old bird season. We were not to be disappointed! The first reports were of bad trapping and birds arriving quickly and together in groups. The usual “I should have won it” cries would abound the Wirral, although I don’t know I am quite sure that this is normal on the first race. It reminds me of a personal friend of mine who uses the bell instead of a whistle for his youngsters, all is great they trap to the bell and when they came from training tosses did exceptionally well to get into the loft for the food, that was , until the first race? When they arrived the birds went round and lost over two minutes everything was blamed except the bell?
The bell is which was rung every time they arrive is rung quite sedately through the week and then goes off like a fire engine bell on a race day. It is probably the intensity, the anxiety and the excitement that probably we as fanciers relay to the pigeons which stops them trapping or in my nameless friends scenario changing the tone and frequency that starts the spinning performance that always appears to quicken the clocks up on arrival.
Roy and Robbie Sandland were to have none of that problem, waiting and anticipating the speed the pair were waiting along with their trappers ready to draw their birds down. With their old bird loft facing southerly Roy and Robbie’s birds would normally arrive between Roy’s house and the Mersey River onto which Roy’s house fronts, while in a general conversation and scanning the area where the birds were expected to arrive into, Robbie glanced over his shoulder to notice the tail of a pigeon disappearing through their trap? This was their fourth arrival? The birds had come deeper onto the peninsular than anticipated and come around Roy’s house undetected by the partnership. So that’s how to get the perfect trap.
The partnerships first four pigeons safely timed into the Unikon system another eight were to arrive straight behind them and commence the annual spin around the loft that’s signals the bad trap scenario that we all encounter (especially when you have a quick pigeon). Three of the four arrivals were from the Bebbington HS and one from the Willaston taking the first three in the Bebbington HS and concurrently taking the first there positions in the North Wirral fed. The other protagonist taking first club Willaston HS and First Fed West Cheshire Fed. The four pigeons then taking first, second, third and fourth West Cheshire and North Wirral Amalgamation. With the restriction on each federation of only the first four pigeons from each individual loft allowed on the result the partnership has still managed to time in four pigeons in the top twenty of the west Cheshire federation and the first three in the North Wirral federation (seven different pigeons) Huge congratulations from all the members of the AMAL.
Roy and Robbie Sandland First, Second, third and Fourth AMAL (photo courtesy of the late Heather Rogers West Cheshire Federation presentation press report 2007)
West Cheshire and North Wirral Amalgamation (West Ches 60/1196. North Wirral 47/913. Taking first, second, third and fourth AMAL is Roy and Robbie Sandland 1653, 1652, 1652 & 1652 timing their four pigeons in six seconds. In fifth position we have the superb loft of Gary (Addo) Atherton & Son who lead the trapping match that appears to have happened up on the North Birkenhead gardens on 1645. Gary also takes fifteenth (1638) and twentieth (1634) AMAL. In sixth position we have to travel to the gardens near Tranmere Rovers football ground to the ever popular Eddie Bateman & Son on 1644. Eddie and son also puts four in the top thirty of the AMAL taking fourteenth (1638), sixteenth (16636) and twenty seventh (1632) AMAL. In seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth position we have one of last year’s sprint stars in Gary Dodd doing 1640, 1640, 1640 and 1639 timing his four pigeons in two seconds with his first three all on the same second. With top ten dominated by the North Wirral federation with only Roy and Robbie Sandland’s third AMAL pigeon winning the West Cheshire Fed.
In eleventh position we have John Quick on 1639, John also takes twenty eighth position doing 1632. Moving to Twelfth place we have Mo Ward and Mickey Cullen (Ward & Cullen) doing 1639. Mo and Mickey also take eighteenth place on 1635. On thirteenth AMAL we have D Greenhalgh doing 1638. Moving onto seventeenth and twenty first positions we have J Barchha on 1635 and 1634. Nineteenth place goes to Jones, Lamb and daughter. On twenty third place we have R Lang on 1633 and in twenty fourth we have R & L Clare. Twenty fifth and twenty sixth place is occupied by K McGrath timing two in two seconds doing 1633. In twenty ninth position we have R & J Parkinson on 1631 and closing the top thirty of the AMAL we have T Walton & Sons on 1631.
With the amount sent, the quality of the race, the velocities, the returns and the fact that over a distance of nine miles from front to back the first thirty pigeons are split by twenty two yards makes this peninsular one of the most competitive areas to fly into within the North West. Congratulations to all who worked so hard to bring these federations together to enable the local fancy to race and compete like this.
Around the Feds NORTH WIRRAL FEDERATION (Hereford 1) Bebbington (16/224) First, second and third R & R Sandland. Birkenhead HS (19/467) First G Atherton & Son, second and third G Dodd. Prenton HS (7/101) First and second Bateman Bros and Son, Third Jones & Thomas. Wallasey HS First Ward & Cullen, Second J Barchha, third Ward & Cullen. Notable performances besides the winners are Gary Atherton and son placing four pigeons in the top twenty. Gary Dodd placing four pigeons in the top twenty. Bateman Bros & Son placing three pigeons in the top thirty. Ward & Cullen placing four pigeons in the top thirty. K McGrath placing three in the top thirty
WEST CHESHIRE FEDERATION (Hereford 1) Willaston HS (8/160) R& R Sandland First. M K Locke Second, R & R Sandland Third. Thornton Hough (10/249) First D Greenhalgh, second R & L Clare, Third D Greenhalgh. Hooton HS. First & Second Jones, lamb and daughter. Third JJ & DM Clews. Moreton HS (5/90) First and second R Lang, third M Jones. Rock Station HS (10/220) First Bateman Bros & Son, second L Cooke, third Bateman Bros & son. Victoria HS (10/241) First Mr & Mrs AJ Price, Second A Davies and Sons third P Coombes. Chester HS (8/109) First Evans & Wright, second and third A Mayers. Notable performances besides the winners are A Davies and Sons four pigeons in the top thirty. Mr & Mrs A J Price three pigeons in the top thirty of the federation.
A Celebration at the Victoria HS as Carl Curran wins the Wirral two bird club in 2015. L to R Stan Griffiths (late of J & S Griffiths, and Griffiths and Sandland fame) Carl Curran (the Victoria’s two bird specialist man) John Wheadon, Richie Denny, Arthur Wilde, Morris Thornhill and Robbie Sandland (R & R Sandland)
The season starts in earnest (L/R) Morris Thornhill (Victoria Club Secretary) John Wheadon 9Rock Station Club Secretary) Carl Curran, Paul Coombes and Arthur Wilde.
Local Club Results:
Victoria HS: (10/241) with a fast”ish” race anticipated the race into Ellesmere Port turned into a trapping match. With three fanciers timing in on the same minute it was to go down to the wire with the victors Mr & Mrs AJ (Archie & Sue) Price getting off the mark at the first attempt. With the first three pigeons pigeon all split by a decimal point it was a close affair but there can only be one winner. On 1627.83 the winning velocity for Archie & Sue Price, second on 1627.74 is Alby Davies and sons Alan and young Alby. With the third spot going to Paul Coombes on 1627.24.
Archie had promised to revert back to just racing cocks on pure widow hood after trying the roundabout system last year and it proved to be a master stroke. Taking all the pools of £47.90 Archie wins an extremely close run affair. In fourth position we have the second pigeon for Archie and Sue Price which was timed in three seconds behind the winner (which is normally good enough to take second place). The shortest flyer in the club Arthur Wilde takes the fifth spot with Alan Coombes taking sixth. Seventh place went to Wes Ellis with Carl Curran in eighth. Sharon Thurston takes ninth with Joe Ellis in tenth. The eleventh and final place goes to Kenny Johnson.
Victoria HS Hereford 1 Winners Archie and Sue Price
The Rock Station HS: (10/220) a little further up the Wirral the front birds were slightly quicker than their south Wirral counterparts first in the very competitive Roc Station is Eddie Bateman brother and son 1632, always ready from the get go this particular weekend was a cracker for this loft. In second went to L Cooke 1625 and third we go back to Eddie Bateman Bros and &Son on 1617. Taking fourth is Tommy Hayes with R Charles in fifth. Eddie Bateman Bros & Son takes sixth before L Cooke puts another three quick ones in the clock to take seventh eighth and ninth. With Tommy Hayes coming back again for tenth and G Rogers in eleventh. John Wheadon in twelfth and Brian Hughes in thirteenth. F McNamara & Son take fourteenth with James Farnworth and Trix and Bather taking fifteenth and sixteenth positions.
Prenton Social HS: (10/201)Over at Prenton Social Eddie Bateman Bros and Son were doing doubles as they not only win the Rock Station but take the Prenton Social with a faster pigeon doing 1644, they also managed to squeeze into second club with their second pigeon (23 second later) doing 1638. The ever present loft of Jones & Thomas take third and fourth on 1628 and 1627 with J Heggarty taking fifth and sixth. In seventh place is F McNamara & Son, with M Croker taking eighth and tenth with C Smith splitting these two to take ninth place. R Donnelly tales eleventh and fourteenth position being split by F McNamara and son second pigeon in twelfth and C Smith second pigeon in thirteenth.
Double weekend Winner Eddie Bateman (Bateman Bros & Son)
