Dalzell Flying Club Annual Prize Presentation & Quiz Panel

LANARKSHIRE FEDERATION

Tom Corrie jnr

DALZELL FLYING CLUB

ANNUAL PRIZE PRESENTATION & QUIZ PANEL

Dalzell Flying Club (40 members) held their Annual Prize Presentation and Combined Quiz Panel on Friday 12 February 2016.  The officials and members were very grateful to the distinguished panel who attended and who also agreed to donate pigeons to the mini auction held on the night, in aid of club funds.

With combined racing experience of 218 years, the panel comprised of John Frood, Lanark, recently First Section Billericay  SNRPC and Second Section Billericay SNRPC on consecutive years, John Alston, Ravenstruther, four times First Region and 200 lifetime diplomas SNFC, Jim Wilkinson, Glenmavis, three times Midland Federation champion and three First Section plus one Second Section SNFC, and lastly, David Jamieson, East Calder, in the last six years 109 SNFC certificates including four First Section and six Second Section.

This year’s Club Champion was Joe Boyle, the only member to time in every race, and he was presented with eight trophies including the Old Bird Average and Combined Average.  Jim Cassidy had another excellent season with seven trophies and claiming the Skelly Cup Old Bird Inland Average and also the Tramontana Colour Photograph for First Club Portsmouth.  Willie McDonald, with five firsts over the season, excelled in the Young bird Campaign and took the Young Bird Average and also six trophies.  King & Selfridge, the most successful partnership in Dalziel Flying Club, were awarded four trophies with the Colour Photograph for the only bird on the day from Carentan and also the Mrs R Telfer Trophy for the first bird timed into Dalziel Flying Club from the Scottish National Flying Club Alencon.  O & J McFadden were again represented on the rostrum with four trophies and also claimed the Tramontana Ace Old Bird and Tramontana Ace Young Bird.  Charlie Murphy won the Joe Keary Memorial Bowl for First Nominated Bird Portsmouth and also the Tramontana Show Trophy.  Brown & McKeown (in spite of illness) won the Average for the First Four Old Bird Races.  Lastly, the consistent Jim Latimer won another three firsts this year with an exceptionally small team and claimed the Willie Forrester Trophy for the First Old Bird Race, Otterburn.

  Left to right: Back Row.. Jim Cassidy, Jim McCourt, George McKeown, Willie Mcdonald, Douglas Telfer, Davie Penman
                Front row.. Allan Selfridge, Charlie Murphy, Owen McFadd  

Jim Cassidy    -       George McKeown   

Owen McFadden   -   Owen McFadden and Douglas Telfer

Charlie Murphy

The auction, which included pigeons from the Young Bird Average winner, Willie McDonald, and Combined and Old Bird Average winner, Joe Boyle, plus a late donation from Jim Hannah, was very successful which reflected the reputation of the fanciers who donated and the quality of the stock offered.  The questions to the Panel were many and varied, and their responses, which were well received, were detailed, thoughtful and entertaining. They included:

Question:  Who was the best fancier you have ever met.
Replies:      David Jamieson, East Calder. Jock Allan, Symington.  J.M. Dalgleish, Annan.  John Burrell, Douglas Water.

Question:  Has the addition of Inland races to the SNFC improved the quality of racing.
Replies:     Jim Wilkinson and David Jamieson felt that it made the Scottish National Flying Club more attractive while John Frood and John Alston were more traditional in that they felt that the Scottish National Flying Club should have maintained its status as a Long Distance Racing club.

Question :  How could the security of the SNFC be improved ?
Replies:    Panel was unanimous in advocating one central marking station.

The overall impression gained from the panel was one of dedication, hard work and professionalism.

Jim McCourt was given a special mention as the only member of Dalzell Flying Club ever to own an SNFC Gold Award Winner.

Finally, the evening was closed with an unexpected presentation to current president Douglas Telfer of a whisky decanter and glasses in recognition of his and his family’s contribution to Dalziel Flying Club over many years.  Douglas thanked everyone for what he considered to be a very touching gesture and also thanked all the members for their support and help over the years.