2010 North of England Regional Championship - Championship Section: Runners & Riders

There is the prospect of a real ding dong battle at the Dolphin Centre to round off the weekend, as Reg Vardy looks to reclaim its domestic bragging rights over its rivals.

Sunday 21st March
Adjudicator: John Berryman
Test Piece: English Heritage (George Lloyd)
Draw: 2.00pm
Commences: After Third Section

There should be a real battle royal in the Championship Section this year, as Reg Vardy, look to regain the title that was ripped from their grasp last year by an inspired EYMS.

Big guns

And the former champion has once again brought in the biggest of big guns to front their challenge, as Black Dyke’s Dr Nicholas Childs hopes to round off what has been a disappointing regional campaign for him so far with his fifth title with the band.   

It’s hard to bet against the combination doing just that this time around after Reg Vardy finally found the type of form their supporters knew was lurking in their contesting psyche in late 2009.

Their performance at London in coming 5th and then at Brass in Concert in particular was proof that on their day the band is capable of meeting the challenge of the best in the land.  Their confidence should not be misplaced as they look to make it nine wins in the first decade of the new Millennium.  

Power stop

EYMS will of course do everything in their power to stop them.

The band finally put 10 years of near misses behind them in taking the title in splendid fashion last year under Dr Robert Childs, and this year they will be led by Stan Lippeatt as they look to hold onto it for the first time since 1998.

Although they didn’t sparkle at the Albert Hall, they certainly put in a solid showing at Butlins where they came 5th to indicate they will be in no mood to surrender their domestic bragging rights easily.

You have to go back to 2006 for the last time Fishburn made it to London, and whilst they have posting a trio of consecutive 4th place finishes in the last three years, they will want to improve on that under the baton of Alan Morrison.

A solid showing at the Scottish Open late last year showed promise, but they may have to up their game if they are to head south once more in October.

Fancy

Two bands that may well fancy their chances of causing a bit of an upset should be Felling and NASUWT Riverside.

Felling, came 3rd in 2008 and 4th last year and posted an encouraging 4th place at Pontins late last season.

NASUWT Riverside upped their form last year to come 3rd under the baton of musical polymath Ian Robinson. They didn’t enjoy Pontins as much but should have enough about them to push for a qualification place for the first time since 2005.

Much better

Easington Colliery will want to show that they are a much better band than their last major outing at the Scottish Open may suggest. 17th place there was unlucky to say the least after a performance of real merit.

David Hirst will surely have a determined band under his command as they seek to improve on last year’s 7th place.

Two bands who will be looking to post a better finish will be Kirkbymoorside Town who came 8th last year and Westoe Brass who ended up in 9th.

John Woodward has a solid band under his command at Kirkbymoorside who came 15th at the Scottish Open, whilst Westoe won the A Section at the Durham Contest late last year to show that they too could be looking at a better return here this time around.

That just leaves GT Group Peterlee who makes its Championship Section debut after their promotion in winning the First Section in 2009. They went on to come a creditable 13th at Harrogate and then come 2nd at the Durham contest to show that they were finding their feet at the top level.

As for a winner?

If they hit the form they have shown in the past few months then the title is surely Reg Vardy’s once more, but if they don’t EYMS and perhaps Fishburn may well enjoy their celebrations more.

EYMS should have enough about them to get to London and just push Fishburn out, whilst Riverside, Felling and Easington could well battle it out for the top six places. Our dark horse is GT Group Peterlee.

4BR Prediction:
1. Reg Vardy
2. EYMS
3. Fishburn
4. NASUWT Riverside
5. Felling
6. Easington

Dark Horses: GT Group Peterlee

Easington Colliery
Conductor: David Hirst
4BR Ranking: 142

Last 14 Years:
2009: 7th (R. Farr)
2008: 7th (N. Law)
2007: 5th (D. Hirst)
2006: 2nd in First Section (D. Hirst) (prom)
2005: Winners of First Section (D. Hirst)
2004: 4th (D. Hirst)
2003: 8th (D. Dye)
2002: 6th (D. Dye)
2001: 9th (D. Dye)
2000: 7th (D. Dye)
1999: 7th in Championship Section (rel)
1998: 8th
1997: N/K
1996: N/K

East Yorkshire Motor Services
Conductor: Stan Lippeatt
4BR Ranking: 42

Last 14 Years:
2009: Winners (R. Childs)
2008: 2nd (R. Childs)
2007: 2nd (J. Davies)
2006: 3rd (J. Davies)
2005: 6th (G. Pritchard)
2004: 2nd (G. Pritchard)
2003: 2nd (G. Pritchard)
2002: 2nd (G. Pritchard)
2001: 2nd (A. Morrison)
2000: 3rd (G. O'Connor)
1999: 2nd
1998: Winners
1997: Winners
1996: Winners

Felling
Conductor: Graeme Tindall
4BR Ranking: 96

Last 14 Years:
2009: 5th (G. Tindall)
2008: 3rd (G. Tindall)
2007: Winners of First Section (G. Tindall) (prom)
2006: Winners of First Section (G. Tindall)
2005: 6th (G. Tindall)
2004: 2nd in Second Section (G. Tindall) (prom)
2003: 4th (S. Malcolm)
2002: 6th (N. Davies)
2001: 8th (B. Broadbent)
2000: Winners of Third Section (B. Broadbent) (prom)
1999: N/K
1998: 8th (rel)
1997: N/K
1996: N/K

Fishburn
Conductor: Alan Morrison
4BR Ranking: 51

Last 14 Years:
2009: 4th (G. Cutt)
2008: 4th (R. Gray)
2007: 4th (R. Gray)
2006: 2nd (R. Gray)
2005: 4th (I. McElligott)
2004: 3rd (G. O'Connor)
2003: 3rd (G. O'Connor)
2002: 3rd (G. O'Connor)
2001: Winners (I. Robinson)
2000: 2nd (I. Robinson)
1999: 3rd
1998: 5th
1997: 3rd
1996: 8th

GT Group Peterlee
Conductor: Steve Malcolm
4BR Ranking: Outside top 200

Last 14 Years:
2009: Winners of First Section (S. Malcolm) (prom)
2008: 3rd (S. Malcolm)
2007: 6th (B. Holden)
2006: 4th (B. Holden)
2005: 2nd in Second Section (B. Holden) (prom)
2004: 4th (B. Holden)
2003: 5th (B. Holden)
2002: 8th (B. Holden)
2001: DNC
2000: 2nd (T. Maddison)
1999: 2nd
1998: 7th
1997: N/K
1996: N/K

Kirkbymoorside
Conductor: J. Woodward
4BR Ranking: 162

Last 14 Years:
2009: 8th (J. Woodward)
2008: Winners of First Section (J. Woodward) (prom)
2007: 8th in Championship Section (J. Woodward) (rel)
2006: 7th (J. Woodward)
2005: 3rd in First Section (J. Woodward) (prom)
2004: Winners (J. Woodward)
2003: 6th (J. Woodward)
2002: 8th (J. Woodward)
2001: 5th (J. Woodward)
2000: 5th (J. Woodward)
1999: 3rd (J. Woodward)
1998: DNC
1997: 9th in Championship (J. Woodward) (rel)
1996: N/K

NASUWT Riverside
Conductor: Ian Robinson
4BR Ranking: 169

Last 14 Years:
2009: 3rd (I. Robinson)
2008: 5th (I. Robinson)
2007: 3rd (I. Robinson)
2006: 6th (I. Robinson)
2005: 2nd (I. Robinson)
2004: 5th (I. Robinson)
2003: 9th (D. Hirst)
2002: 6th (R. Evans)
2001: 4th (A. Swainson)
2000: 4th (R. Payne)
1999: 4th
1998: 7th
1997: 4th
1996: 4th

Reg Vardy
Conductor: Dr. Nicholas Childs
4BR Ranking: 15

Last 14 Years:
2009:  2nd (N. Childs)
2008: Winners (R. Farr)
2007: Winners (R. Farr)
2006: Winners (R. Farr)
2005: Winners (R. Farr)
2004: Winners (R. Farr)
2003: Winners (R. Gray)
2002: Winners (N. Childs)
2001: 3rd (B. Grant)
2000: Winners (N. Childs)
1999: Winners
1998: 3rd
1997: 2nd
1996: 6th

Westoe (STHCT)
Conductor:
4BR Ranking: Outside top 200

Last 14 Years:
2009: 9th (J. Smith)
2008: 6th (D. Broadbent)
2007: 4th in First Section (S. Malcolm) (prom)
2006: 3rd (R. Tennant)
2005: 4th (R. Tennant)
2004: DNC (rel)
2003: 5th in First Section (J. Smith) (prom)
2002: 3rd
2001: Winners of Second Section (prom)
2000: 2nd
1999: 3rd in Third Section (prom)
1998: Winners of Fourth Section
1997: N/K
1996: N/K

Past Qualifiers:

2009: EYMS, Reg Vardy
2008: Reg Vardy, EYMS
2007: Reg Vardy, EYMS
2006: Reg Vardy, Fishburn
2005: Reg Vardy*, Chester le Street Riverside, BHK Horden
2004: Ever Ready, EYMS
2003: Ever Ready, EYMS
2002: Ever Ready, EYMS
2001: Fishburn, EYMS
2000: Ever Ready, Fishburn
1999: Ever Ready, EYMS
1998: EYMS, British Steel Teeside
1997: EYMS, Ever Ready
1996: EYMS, British Steel Teeside
1995: Fishburn, Ever Ready
1994: Ever Ready, British Steel Teeside
1993: Ever Ready, Fishburn
1992: Fishburn, Ever Ready
1991: Ever Ready, North Skelton
1990: Ever Ready, North Skelton
1989: Ever Ready, Coal Products (CPL)
*Pre Qualified 

How North of England bands did in London:

2009: 5th, 20th
2008: 9th, 11th
2007: 12th, 19th
2006: 12th, 16th
2005: 10th, 17th, 20th
2004: 3rd, 20th
2003: 12th, 14th
2002: 9th, 20th
2001: 14th, 18th
2000: 13th, 19th
1999: 15th, 19th
1998: 10th, 17th
1997: 5th, 13th
1996: 8th, 19th
1995: 16th, 19th
1994: 16th, 18th
1993: 17th, 20th
1992: 15th, 16th
1991: 8th, 20th
1990: 14th, 23rd
1989: 17th, 20th 

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