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The Coors Cup
and Bass Shield is an East Midlands Golf
Croquet level-play tournament, sponsored by Molson Coors
Brewers. It is an inter-club tournament organised by Ashby Croquet
Club on behalf of the Federation of East Midlands Croquet Clubs (FEMCC), and
is open to all East Midlands players. We used to play it as a pre-season event on
outdoor Astroturf pitches at Shobnall Leisure
Complex in Burton,
but in recent years it has become a spring event on our lawns at Moira.
It comprises two competitions:
● Bass Shield: Awarded to
the winning team of the tournament. Teams usually consist of three players.
● Coors Cup:
Awarded to the best individual player on the day.
The tournament consists of a number of rounds of singles
level-play 13-point Golf Croquet games played to a time limit of 25 or 30
minutes. Each player plays a minimum of six games.
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BASS SHIELD Previous winners:
2001* Nottingham
2002* Ashby
2003
Ashby
2004
Ashby
2005
Ashby
2006 Southwell
2007
Ashby
2008 Southwell
2009 Sapcote
2010
Ashby
2011
Ashby
*
The Bass Shield was an Association Croquet astroturf competition for the
first two years.
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COORS CUP Previous winners:
2005 Barrie March (Ashby)
2006 Mick Seagrave (Southwell)
2007
Christine Mounfield (Ashby)
2008
Arthur Rowe (Ashby)
2009
Tim King (Ashby)
2010
Arthur Rowe (Ashby)
2011
Ray Mounfield (Ashby)
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2011
DETAILS Played on Saturday 28th May at Moira
Unfortunately we had insufficient entries from other clubs to make
the Astroturf event viable, so we had to reschedule this year's event to take
place on grass at Moira. Six teams competed for the Bass Shield, which was
won by Ashby A. Ray Mounfield was the
winner of the Coors Cup.
Report by Chris:
The 2011 Coors Cup and Bass
Shield competitions were held for the first time on grass at Moira, and in
May rather than March. Eighteen
players in teams of three came from Sapcote, Nottingham, Richmond Park
(Gainsborough) and Ashby. Nottingham fielded an all female team, and Ashby
and Richmond Park each entered two teams.
Play started in two blocks of
three teams. This phase resulted in
Sapcote heading Block A, thanks to a slightly superior hoop difference over Richmond Park A. Ashby A topped Block B.
The Bass Shield team trophy
went to Ashby A (Martin Chris and Ray) who beat Sapcote in a somewhat
one-sided final. Ray and Chris each
had the same number of wins, but Ray took the Coors Cup on hoop difference.
Liz deserves a special mention
for valiantly ‘volunteering’ to enter her first tournament just
four days after wielding a mallet for the first time in a taster
session. At the end of the day she had
more than doubled her croquet playing time and had scored some very good
hoops.
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2010
REPORT Played on Sunday 7th March
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Shobnall Leisure Complex, Burton on Trent, Sunday March 7th. Blue skies and sunshine. Could this really be the day of the
annual Astroturf Golf Croquet competition, sponsored by Coors the brewers?
Eight teams of three were ready and waiting to play, representing
five different East Midlands Federation clubs: Ashby, Bakewell, Leicester
(entering the event for the first time), Southwell and Woodhall Spa. Two other teams – from Richmond Park (Gainsborough) and Sapcote
– had entered but later had to withdraw. Junior internationals Rachel Rowe and Will Gee, who last year had
played as part of a Nottingham team, had been unable to muster a third Nottingham member, so co-opted Rachel’s father
Arthur and entered as an additional Ashby team.
The preliminary block play saw the juniors’ team, named Ashby
“J2O” (two juniors plus other!), heading Block A with nine wins
out of nine games, with Ashby B as runners-up. Block B saw Ashby A and Bakewell qualify
for the afternoon team play-off.
Ashby J2O were equally strong in the afternoon, again winning all
their games and emerged convincing winners of the Bass Shield. Ashby A took the runner-up place. Leicester
won the afternoon block play involving teams that had failed to make the
cut, closely followed by Woodhall Spa and Southwell.
The individual competition, the Coors Cup, went to Arthur Rowe, with
a superior hoop difference to his fellow team members – five more
than Will and six more than Rachel.
Aside from the team that dominated the event, the next best individual
results were achieved by David Bell (Leicester)
and Richard Sanville (Ashby B),
each with four wins.
A few players were new to golf croquet and for some it was their
first-ever tournament but all enjoyed their early season croquet outing.
We are grateful for Coors’ sponsorship of the event and for
the opportunity to play on the challenging sanded Astroturf surface. The same courts are already booked for
2011. We’d like to be able to
book the same weather too......
Report by
Christine Mounfield
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2009
REPORT Played on Sunday 8th March
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We have new names on both trophies this
year: Sapcote won the Bass Shield, and Tim King of Ashby won the Coors Cup.
Arrangements had been made for an earlier start this
year, with play actually getting underway as planned at 10.30 am. There were eight teams of three,
representing six different East Midlands Federation Clubs, and we were
graced with the presence, as competitors, of the CA Chairman of Council,
Patricia Duke-Cox, and GC Laws and Tournament Chairman, Tim King. Initially it looked as if the weather
might be kind (for a third consecutive year!) but it quickly turned nasty
(as the picture shows) and we had to contend with rain, sleet, hail and
frequent gusts of wind.
The preliminary block play saw the holders of the team trophy,
Southwell, heading Block A, with relative newcomers Sapcote in runner-up
place. Block B was headed by a Nottingham team which included two junior players,
with Ashby A as runners-up. The Nottingham juniors Will Gee and Rachel Rowe had each
won all three of their games and were fancied to win the individual
competition.
The afternoon’s play produced some interesting
results, with the Sapcote team losing only one game and emerging as
convincing winners of the Bass Shield.
Ashby A narrowly beat Southwell and Nottingham
for runner-up place. With three
afternoon wins to add to two from the morning, the Coors Cup individual
competition went to Tim King. Three
players - William Gee, David Lambert (Sapcote) and Tim Robson (Southwell) -
each finished on four wins and a draw.
Ashby B won the afternoon block play involving teams
that had failed to make the cut, with Woodhall Spa and Bakewell finishing
in joint sixth place.
Despite the weather everyone enjoyed their pre-season
croquet outing and the courts at Shobnall are already booked for the 2010
competition on Sunday 7th March.
Ray
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2008
REPORT Played on Sunday 9th March
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The
2008 Astroturf tournament was a sell-out, with all 24 places allocated and paid
for three weeks before the closing date.
We
had teams competing from eight different clubs across the East Midlands:
Ashby, Bakewell, Gainsborough, Long Eaton, Nottingham,
Sapcote, Southwell and Woodhall Spa.
The Bass Shield team competition was won
by Southwell for the second time in three years. Arthur Rowe won the Coors Cup individual
competition. Mike O’Brian won
the Ashby Auxiliaries Award.
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We couldn’t believe it! The sun was shining, the sky was blue and
we were setting up two courts at Shobnall Leisure Centre in preparation for
the eighth annual East Midlands Federation Astroturf Golf Croquet Tournament
sponsored by Coors, the Brewers.
Previous experience has taught us to prepare, especially in dress,
for all varieties of adverse weather conditions and, as play progressed,
mutterings of “I’m a bit warm” and “I’ll have
to take a layer off” were heard across the courts.
The event had proved very popular this year and we
couldn’t accommodate everyone who wanted to play. Many thanks to those who transformed
themselves into spectators for the day!
Eight EMF clubs were represented, with three players in
each team. Teams were arranged in two blocks. Block A comprised Sapcote, Woodhall Spa,
Ashby and Bakewell. Nottingham, Southwell, Long Eaton and Gainsborough
made up Block B.
Results from nine 25-minute games determined progress to
the final round, with two teams from each block going through. Southwell had adjusted well to the fast
and, in places, sloping surface and played with remarkable consistency to
achieve 8 wins. Nottingham,
Sapcote and Ashby also went through with 5 wins and 1 draw each.
In the final round Southwell maintained earlier form and
took the Bass Shield with 6 wins from their 9 games. (Nottingham:
4 wins, 2 draws, Ashby: 3 wins, 4
draws, Sapcote: 4 draws.)
Two players maintained an unbeaten record but Arthur Rowe
of Ashby had five wins, one more than Southwell’s Mick Seagrove. Arthur therefore took the Coors Cup for
best individual performance.
Woodhall Spa came out top of the non-qualifiers block
(with 7 wins and a draw).
At one point, a short sharp hailstorm (pictured below)
reminded us not to get too complacent about the weather but we left
Shobnall having enjoyed a good day’s play and looking forward to the
next astroturf tournament on March 8th 2009!
In the mini competition, the Ashby Auxiliaries’
Award (primarily intended for the helpers!) Mike O’Brian took the
award, with 3 wins out of 3.
Report by Christine Mounfield
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2007
REPORT Played on Sunday 11th March
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The Ashby
“Seniors” team of Mick Haytack, Arthur Rowe and Chris Mounfield
won the Bass Shield team competition, and Chris also won the Coors Cup
individual competition. Ray’s
tournament report follows:
The
day dawned bright and clear – amazingly, since this tournament has previously
been played in horizontal sleet, gale force winds and snow (see pictures
from 2006 below, and last April’s front cover of The Gazette)! At 11am we were waiting impatiently for
the junior hockey players to vacate the Astroturf at Shobnall Leisure
Centre in Burton on Trent. Then
willing hands hammered in hoops, pegs and boundary strings for four
full-sized courts (measuring out had been done two days before).
This
year the event, which is sponsored by Coors, proved more popular than ever
with teams from five East Midlands clubs
taking part. Unfortunately some late
applicants couldn’t be accommodated, but 24 players in eight teams
contested the main event. Playing
experience ranged from first season to international level and three
juniors were included.
Play
started in two blocks:
Block
A: Ashby Juniors (Rachel,
Tim/Andrew, Eileen), North Hykeham,
Woodhall Spa, Ashby PD+1 (Noel, Jayne, Derek)
Block
B: Ashby Seniors (Mick, Arthur,
Chris), Bakewell, NH/WS, Southwell
After
five rounds the top two placings from each block –Ashby Juniors and
Ashby PD+1 from Block A and Ashby Seniors and Southwell from Block B
– went on to contest the team event for the Bass Shield. After five more closely-fought rounds,
Ashby Seniors (Mick Haytack, Arthur Rowe and Christine Mounfield) emerged
as clear winners with 13 wins and 3 draws from their eighteen games. There was little between the other
places, but Southwell narrowly edged into second spot with 10 wins.
The
Coors Cup for highest placed individual was taken by Christine Mounfield
with five wins and one draw from six games played. Tim Robson (Southwell) and Noel
Penn-Davis each had five wins but Tim’s better hoop difference put
him into runner-up position.
For
anyone eager to play when grass courts are out of action, we can thoroughly
recommend an Astroturf experience.
The surface plays differently, obviously, but the basic techniques
are the same.
The
date for next year’s competition will be Sunday March 9th. Closing date for entries is February 16th,
so if you fancy playing next year, apply in good time and avoid
disappointment!
BASS SHIELD
1st Ashby Seniors (Mick, Arthur,
Christine) 13 wins, 3 draws
2nd Southwell
10 wins
COORS CUP
1st Christine Mounfield
(Ashby) 5 wins, 1 draw
2nd
Tim Robson (Southwell) 5 wins
3rd
Noel Penn-Davis (Ashby) 5 wins
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2006
REPORT Played on Sunday 12th March
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Ashby’s domination of the Astroturf in recent years has ended,
with Southwell winning the Bass Shield in very wintry conditions. The three players in the Southwell team
– Mick, Don and Tim – also finished in the first three places for
the Coors Cup individual competition.
Ray Mounfield (Tournament Manager) reports:
The sixth annual FEMCC
Astroturf event was held at Shobnall, Burton-on-Trent
on Sunday 12th March 2006. Adverse
weather reports gave rise to the late withdrawal of the Woodhall Spa team,
but with a little reorganisation a second Ashby team was created to enable
six stalwart teams to brave the wind and snowy conditions. In all, six FEMCC clubs were represented
with Sapcote and Nottingham members joining
force.
Initially the courts
were covered with a layer of snow but during the day this melted away giving
rise to very interesting and challenging variation in both speed and trueness
of the surface. During early rounds it
was inevitable that balls collected a covering of snow and visibly grew as
they rolled towards their targets.
The event is sponsored
by the local brewery. The results of
the team competition (for the Bass Shield) were decided when all members of
each team had played a member of each of the other teams. The winners were Southwell (Don Martin, Tim
Robson, Mick Seagrave) scoring 12.5 wins, out of a possible 15 with Ashby “R” (Barrie March,
Chris and Ray Mounfield) second on 10.5 wins, followed by Ashby
“E” (Eileen Buxton, Mike O’Brian, Derek/Mick) 9 wins :
Sapcote/ Nottingham (Joyce Critchley, Pat Wright, William Gee) 7 wins : North
Hykeham (Stan Mumby, Brenda Roe, Doreen Taylor) 4.5 wins : Gainsborough (Joan
and Toy Hesp, Steve Pikett) 1.5 wins.
At this stage the two
highest scorers were Mick Seagrave and Don Martin. After the final round of play, which paired
Mick against Don, and Barrie against Tim(for third place) the final
individual ranking was:
First, and winner of
the Coors Cup : Mick Seagrave (5.5 wins)
Runner-up : Don Martin
3rd Tim Robson
: 4th Barrie March : 5th
Pat Wright
6th Chris
Mounfield : 7th Ray Mounfield : 8th
Eileen Buxton
The Ashby
“E” team had Derek Buxton and Mick
Haytack sharing the role of third team member and although
together they won all six of their games they were ineligible for the
“individual” award.
All players agreed that
it had been an enjoyable day and left for a homeward journey in somewhat
better conditions than at the start of the day.
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BASS SHIELD
1st Southwell 12.5 wins
2nd Ashby ‘R’ (Ray, Chris,
Barrie) 10.5 wins
3rd Ashby
‘E’ (Eileen, Mike, Derek/Mick)
9 wins
COORS CUP
1st Mick
Seagrave (Southwell) 5.5 wins
2nd Don Martin (Southwell)
3rd Tim Robson (Southwell)
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2005
REPORT Played on Sunday 20th March
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The Ashby A team
have won the Bass Shield astroturf tournament - a Golf Croquet competition
played at Shobnall Fields - for the fourth year in a row. Well done to the
winning team of Ray and Christine Mounfield and Barrie
March, who competed against other East Midlands
teams from Woodhall Spa, Long Eaton and Southwell, and also a second Ashby
team. Barrie
also won the Coors Cup - awarded to the highest scoring individual on the
day.
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BASS SHIELD
1st
Ashby A: 13 wins, hoop difference +36
2nd Woodhall Spa: 13 wins, hoop difference +22
COORS CUP
1st
Barrie March (Ashby): 5 wins out of 6, hoop diff. +23
2nd Patricia Duke-Cox (Woodhall Spa): 5 wins out of 6, hoop diff. +12
3rd Don Martin (Southwell): 5 wins out of 6, hoop diff. +3
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