2010 North West Regional Championship - First Section: Runners & Riders

Which pair of bands here will really get to grips with a classic test piece to head to Harrogate in September?

Sunday 14th March
Empress Ballroom
Adjudicator: Barry Thompson
Test Piece: A Moorside Suite (Gustav Holst)
Draw: 1.30pm
Commences: After Third Section results

Given the North West’s deserved reputation as having perhaps the strongest collection of lower section bands in the country, it may come as a surprise that the area hasn’t produced a First Section National Champion since 2004.

Pennine trip

For the second year in succession the two qualifiers who left Blackpool last year to head to Harrogate ended up off the pace come the finals (8th + 9th). Given the success bands here enjoy elsewhere on their travels it seems that the trip across the Pennines doesn’t currently bring out the best in them.

Whoever gets through this year, courtesy of adjudicator Barry Thompson, will know they will have done so by overcoming a very difficult set work that should set them in good stead for anything that they will face come Harrogate.  

11 well-matched bands will battle it out in the Empress Ballroom on ‘A Moorside Suite’, with last year’s champion, Wardle Anderson Brass returning once more to defend its title.

They were good value for that win and went on to claim 9th place at Harrogate, and they could well be the band to beat once more.

Regional history

One band determined more than most to stop them will surely be Oldham (Lees) who comes to the contest looking to create what could well be Regional history.

If last year’s Second Section winners, and current Pontins and Brass at the Guild Hall champions can secure yet another victory, it will be an unprecedented sixth in a row – something even Foden’s can’t match. Don’t bet against them being there or thereabouts.

Impressive

On paper these look to be the stand out contenders, but Vernon Building Society Poynton come to the contest on the back of an impressive podium finish at Butlins just a few weeks ago.

Freckleton also put in a really solid performance in coming 4th at Brass at the Guild Hall in the Championship Section last month too. Both should fancy their chances of a qualification place or better.

Longridge will be looking to build on the solid 4th place achieved at Pontins late last season, and return to the finals for the first time since 2000, whilst Tyldesley will be looking to carry on moving in the right direction after a solid performance at Pontins – although they were disappointing at Brass at the Guild Hall in coming 9th in the Second Section.

Troubled

Timperley will hopefully have put behind them a troubled 12 months to return to form under the baton of Alan Hobbins, whilst Bollington will be keen to push towards the qualification places for the first time since 2006 under Peter Christian.

Manx Concert makes its annual pilgrimage over the Irish Sea to see if they can improve on last year’s highly encouraging 4th place and return to Harrogate for the first time since 2003, whilst Mossley will know that they will need to up their form if they are to ensure that they don’t get drawn into a possible relegation scrap after coming 10th last year.

That leaves Silk Brass Macclesfield, who should be confident of making a mark following their promotion from the Second Section. They came 8th at Harrogate but disappointed somewhat in coming a lowly 13th in the Second Section at Preston a few weeks back.

Who will win?

A four into two battle on paper, with Wardle Anderson Brass, Oldham (Lees), Freckleton and Vernon Building Society looking like the quartet who will battle it out to the bitter end to get to Harrogate.

Experience may just count that little extra so we opt for Freckleton, but it will be close.

The final top six places could well see any of the rest of the field pushing hard, but Longridge and Manx Concert Brass for us may just get the nod, with our dark horse being Bollington.

4BR Prediction:
1. Freckleton
2. Oldham (Lees)
3. Vernon BS Poynton
4. Wardle Anderson Brass
5. Manx Concert Brass
6. Longridge
 
Dark Horse: Bollington

Bollington
Conductor: Peter Christian

Last 14 Years:
2009: 6th (P. Christian)
2008: 9th (P. Christian)
2007: 4th in Second Section (P. Christian) (prom)
2006: 2nd (P. Christian)
2005: 10th in First Section (P. Christian) (rel)
2004: 9th (P. Christian)
2003: Winners of Second Section (P. Christian) (prom)
2002: 6th (P. Christian)
2001: 4th (T. Power)
2000: 7th (T. Power)
1999: 6th in First Section (rel)
1998: 10th
1997: 3rd in Second Section (prom)
1996: 5th

Freckleton
Conductor: Paul Dalton

Last 14 Years:
2009: 9th (P. Dalton)
2008: 11th in Championship Section (P. Dalton) (rel)
2007: 9th (P. Dalton)
2006: 7th (P. Dalton)
2005: Winners of First Section (P. Dalton) (prom)
2004: 9th Championship Section (P. Dalton) (rel)
2003: 7th (P. Dalton)
2002: 8th (P. Dalton)
2001: 4th (P. Dalton)
2000: 7th (P. Dalton)
1999: 7th
1998: 10th
1997: Winners of First Section (prom)
1996: 4th

Longridge
Conductor: Mark Peacock 

Last 14 Years:
2009: 5th (S. Tarry)
2008: 8th (S. Tarry)
2007: 7th (P. Lockett)
2006: =10th in Championship Section (G. Pritchard) (rel)
2005: 8th (S. Booth)
2004: 10th (S. Booth)
2003: 3rd in First Section (B. Baker) (prom)
2002: 10th in Championship Section (S. Booth) (rel)
2001: DNC
2000: Winners of First Section (M. Cotter)
1999: 5th
1998: 11th in Championship Section (rel)
1997: 9th
1996: 2nd in First Section (prom)

Manx Concert Brass
Conductor: Ian Clague MBE

Last 14 Years:
2009: 4th (I. Clague MBE)
2008: 3rd in Second Section (I. Clague MBE) (prom)
2007: 6th (I. Clague MBE)
2006: 5th (I. Clague MBE)
2005: 6th (I. Clague MBE)
2004: 12th (I. Clague MBE)
2003: 2nd (I. Clague MBE)
2002: 9th (I. Clague MBE)
2001: Winners of Third Section (I. Clague MBE) (prom)
2000: 4th (I. Clague MBE)
1999: Winners of Third Section
1998: 16th
1997: 3rd
1996: Winners of Fourth Section (prom)

Mossley
Conductor: Duncan Byers

Last 14 Years:
2009: 10th (D. Byers)
2008: 7th (D. Byers)
2007: 3rd (D. Byers)
2006: DNC
2005: 12th in Championship Section (M. Evans) (rel)
2004: 3rd in First Section (M. Evans) (prom)
2003: 10th in Championship Section (M. Evans) (rel)
2002: 11th (J. Davies)
2001: Winners of First Section (S. Stonehouse) (prom)
2000: 2nd (S. Stonehouse)
1999: 4th
1998: 7th
1997: 10th
1996: 2nd in Second Section (prom)

Oldham (Lees)
Conductor: John Collins

Last 14 Years:
2009: Winners of Second Section (J. Collins) (prom)
2008: Winners of Third Section (J. Collins) (prom)
2007: Winners of Third Section (J. Collins)
2006: Winners of Fourth Section (J. Collins) (prom)
2005: Winners of Fourth Section (J. Collins)
2004: DNC
2003: DNC
2002: DNC
2001: 7th in First Section (A. White) (rel)
2000: Winners of Second Section (A. White) (prom)
1999: 2nd
1998: 2nd in Third Section (prom)
1997: DNC
1996: DNC

Silk Brass (Macclesfield)
Conductor: David Holling

Last 14 Years:
2009: 2nd in Second Section (J. Cant) (prom)
2008: 10th in First Section (J. Cant) (rel)
2007: 11th (J. Cant)
2006: 6th in Second Section (M. Obermuller) (prom)
2005: 5th (K. Mackintosh)
2004: 4th (K. Mackintosh)
2003: 10th (K. Mackintosh)
2002: 2nd in Third Section (K. Mackintosh) (prom)
2001: 3rd (K. Mackintosh)
2000: 10th (K. Mackintosh)
1999: 6th
1998: 9th
1997: DNC
1996: DNC

Timperley
Conductor: Alan Hobbins

Last 14 Years:
2009: 10th in Championship Section (M. Fowles) (rel)
2008: 9th (D. Evans)
2007: Winners of First Section (D. Evans) (prom)
2006: DNC
2005: DNC
2004: 9th (C. Whiteoak)
2003: 4th (G. Hetherington)
2002: Winners of Fourth Section (G. Hetherington) (prom)
2001: 6th (G. Hetherington)
2000: 9th (G. Hetherington)
1999: DNC
1998: DNC
1997: DNC
1996: DNC

Tyldesley
Conductor: Robert Taylor

Last 14 Years:
2009: 8th (R. Taylor)
2008: 5th (R. Taylor)
2007: 9th (R. Taylor)
2006: 9th (R. Taylor)
2005: 5th (R. Taylor)
2004: 5th (R. Taylor)
2003: 8th (S. Booth)
2002: 7th (M. Peacock)
2001: 12th (D. Barry)
2000: 3rd (D. Barry)
1999: 3rd in Second Section (prom)
1998: 7th in Second Section
1997: 2nd in Second Section
1996: DNC

Vernon Building Society Poynton
Conductor: Kevin Gibbs
 
Last 14 Years:
2009: 7th (K. Gibbs)
2008: 3rd (A. Lawton MBE)
2007: 11th in Championship Section (A. Lawton) (rel)
2006: 3rd in First Section (A. Lawton) (prom)
2005: 6th (A. Lawton)
2004: 2nd (A. Lawton)
2003: 11th (M. Obermuller)
2002: 4th (M. Obermuller)
2001: 10th (M. Obermuller)
2000: DNC
1999: 10th in Championship Section (rel)
1998: 3rd in First Section (prom)
1997: 4th
1996: 11th Championship Section (rel)

Wardle and District Anderson Brass
Conductor: Sean Conway

Last 14 Years:
2009: Winners (S. Conway)
2008: Winners of Second Section (S. Conway) (prom)
2007: Winners (S. Conway)
2006: 4th in Third Section (S. Conway) (prom)
2005: 5th (S. Conway)
2004: 4th (D. Beckley)
2003: 2nd in Fourth Section (P. Shaw) (prom)
2002: 3rd (P. Shaw)
2001: DNC
2000: 9th in Third Section (C. Barnes) (rel)
1999: 12th
1998: 11th
1997: 10th
1996: 13th

Past Qualifiers:

2009: Wardle Anderson Brass, Blackburn & Darwen
2008: Roberts Bakery, Blackburn & Darwen
2007: Timperley, Poulton-le-Fylde
2006: Wire Brass, United Co-op (Crewe)
2005: Freckleton, Ashton Under Lyne
2004: Pemberton Old Wigan, Vernon Building Society Poynton
2003: United Co-op (Crewe), United Norwest Co-op Milnrow
2002: Pemberton Old, Ashton Under Lyne
2001: Mossley, United Co-op Crewe
2000: Longridge, Mossley
1999: Ashton Under Lyne, Stalybridge
1998: Congleton, Dobcross
1997: Freckleton, Berisford Cardway
1996: British Aerospace, Longridge
1995: United Norwest Co-op, British Aerospace

North West Bands at the Finals:

2009: 8th, 9th
2008: 5th, 12th
2007: 3rd, 5th
2006: 2nd, 3rd
2005: 3rd, 9th
2004: 1st, 6th
2003: 2nd, 3rd
2002: 5th, 9th
2001: 7th, 8th
2000: 2nd, 13th
1999: 1st, 11th
1998: 6th, 10th 

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