David Quinn reports on Oxfordshire Quiz League

GIVEN a brief respite from regular league action, a number of sides gathered last Thursday evening at the North Oxford Conservative Club (Summertown) for the football themed Tabletop.

A few familiar faces were missing but were replaced instead by a couple of scratch sides ambitious enough to pitch their soccer expertise against the more established, and somewhat more gnarled, ‘professionals’. One of these teams contained a couple of members of the recently formed Black Swan Academy. They were an enthusiastic bunch, marshalled by a chap who looked like he had just come from the set of Happy Days such was his similarity to that show’s principal character, Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli, affectionately known to all as The Fonz.

The night’s other interlopers labelled themselves the ‘West Yiddy Blues’, a collection of Chelsea supporters led by the landlord of the Plough (Wolvercote). Given their allegiance, you have quite rightly guessed, their combined know-how was insufficient to win the competition, in spite of numbering, curiously, among their ranks, ‘The Cat’.

He claims he was turfed out from his normal team, The Plough, but, I am reliably informed, it was his unquenchable thirst for silverware which drove this glory hunter to seek success elsewhere, quite mistakenly as it transpired.

Oozing with confidence after their win over the Con Club seven days earlier, the Black’s Head (Bletchingdon) were quickest out of the blocks, but their early advantage was quickly surrendered and by half-time just three points separated the top five protagonists. Following the break, and the wonderful chilli served up by the delightful staff, the Green Road Club (Kidlington) took up front running duties, but agony of agonies, they could only manage a moderate final round and were passed in the home straight by their hosts, the Con Club. The margin of victory was three points with Far From The Madding Crowd A taking third spot after a barnstorming finish. Special mention should go Mr C of the winning side, whose knowledge of Oxford United’s eight all-time leading goal scorers was simply stupefying, particularly given that he is a Leeds fan. Anyway, needless to say, the Green Road Club were gutted, so too The Cat, as he and his ‘new friends’ trailed in seventh, three places and nine points behind his deserted comrades. Sadly, the cast of Happy Days finished last.

This week sees the penultimate round of fixtures with Premiership pacemakers, the Plough, facing a tough tie away to Far From The Madding Crowd A, whilst the Ploughman’s Bunch! will be hoping to keep up the pressure on their stablemate when they entertain near-neighbours, the Con Club.

In Section One, should the Con Club, as is expected, fall to the Bunch!, victory for the Green Road Club at the White Hart (Eynsham) would just about assure the Kidlington team of the title.

If you would like to enter a side in the forthcoming Winter Leagues, please visit our website at oxfordshirequizleague.co.uk or email quinnd@hotmail.co.uk Alternatively, phone 01865 514008.

QUESTIONS:

Which Yorkshire ground is the oldest major stadium in the world still to be hosting professional football matches?

Who was England’s vice-captain to Bobby Moore for the 1966 World Cup Final v West Germany?

answers:

Bramall Lane

George Cohen

 

A full fixture list and details of the league can be found at http://www.oxfordshirequizleague.co.uk