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National Finals 2002:
Championship Section

Preview:

2002 has been the year of the pre ordained winner. Michael Schumacher, Paula Ratcliffe, the Williams sisters, Rock of Gibraltar. They may all be brilliant at what they do, but it don’t half make for a boring competition, as so called rivals flatter to deceive and end up on their backsides looking forlorn and wondering how on earth they can ever muster a realistic challenge to their supremacy.

Over the years at the National Championships there has also been the feeling that there is a name already engraved upon the big old silver pot before the contest has started. Black Dyke in the 1970’s, Desford in the late 1980’s and James Watson in the 1990’s have all somehow seemed almost invincible for a period at the Albert Hall; at the start of the new Millennium it could well be the turn of the Childs brothers.

For the past three years there has been something of a Childs hegemony at the Nationals, and just as you can look at the leading lights in the sports we mentioned at the beginning, you can’t really see someone else in 2002 coming along to upset their dominance. It may not quite be pre ordained to such an extent of say Ferrari’s or the Williams girls but the sharp money at the betting offices would be firmly wedged on the seeing either the MD of Black Dyke or Buy As You View Cory being crowned Champions once more on Saturday.

The evidence was made starkly clear at the Open in September when BAYV Cory were more than comfortable winners. Black Dyke on that day seemed psychologically hampered by their early draw, whilst other fancied bands flattered to deceive to such an extent that at the end of their performances they seemed resigned to their fate of making up the numbers. If there isn’t to be a repeat of the Open at the Albert Hall, the other bands will have to raise their game to new heights, for Black Dyke and especially at this moment in time, BAYV Cory are setting the new agenda - and it is an agenda based on thorough comprehensive preperation.

Having the talent around the stands is no longer enough – all the top bands have it in abundance and there are many who will have better players, star soloists, bigger sounds and better technique, but there are none at the moment who can match these two for sheer professional preparation. Nothing is left to chance, no corner of the score left unturned and the players spend more time in the bandrooms in Treorchy and Queensbury than they possibly do in their own homes. There is no secret formula, no hidden agenda, just hour upon hour of hard work, sweat and sore lips. It is the unglamorous side of banding – practice, practice and more practice until the finished product is nigh on perfect.

Bands such as Fodens, YBS, Williams Fariey, Grimethorpe and Brighouse are all more than capable of winning, and winning well, but they all it seems have something of an Achilles heel that at one time or another during a performance makes them vulnerable to the odd costly mistake that undermines their chances of victory. Errors at this level are invariably terminal and so even though they may be more exciting, or more musical, the error count just kills them off. It’s like watching those BMW cars of Pablo Montoya or Ralf Schumacher, or Tim Henman or Llanelli in the European Rugby Cup – good, brilliantly talented but not good enough to win.

2002 has been the year of the dead cert winner. Can you remember who came runner up to Rock of Gibraltar in the 2,000 Guineas this year, or who came third in the Formula One World Championship, or who filled the podium rostrum behind Paula Radcliffe at the London Marathon? No? That’s how good they are – and that is why they now so dominate their competition that no one remembers the names of the also-rans. The bands have been warned – if you want to win, then you will have to match what the leaders are doing. If not, then their names will already be engraved upon the trophy.

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