Whilst it was left to the players and supporters of the Fodens Richardson Band to celebrate long into the Birmingham night, at the other end of the results table there was deep disappointment for Flowers and Rothwell Temperance.

For the drop

Whilst all the immediate interest was focused at the prize winning end of the contest, the band reps from a whole batch of competitors scanned the official prize to find out who was to drop through the relegation trap door to Blackpool next year.

Such was the closeness of the result though that YBS were saved by the narrowest of margins4BR

Close run

In an exceptionally close run ‘mini contest’ it transpired that it was Flowers, who racked up a combined total of 28 points over the two years and Rothwell Temperance who will be relegated.

Rothwell and YBS tied on 26 points each. However, the rules of the British Open state that the band with the lowest placing in the current year in event of a tie is relegated, so Rothwell’s 17th place to the 16th of YBS on the day meant that the Yorkshire band will have to travel to the Winter Gardens next May.

Narrowest of margins

Such was the closeness of the result though that YBS were saved by the narrowest of margins, whilst Scottish Co-op’s 11th place was enough to enable them to survive another day as they racked up a combined total of 25 points over the two years, whilst Kirkintilloch’s superb 5th place gave them a combined total of 22 points.

Squeaky bum

It will be squeaky bum time next year though for a number of famous names, with YBS (16th), Fairey (15th), Desford (14th), BTM (13th) and Scottish Co-op (11th) all knowing that they cannot afford any mistakes.