Competitions
On Wednesday evening I asked which competition was on Thursday. To be told ‘8’s Knockout semi final’. ‘Semi final?’ I replied ‘did I miss a Thursday?’. ‘No, only 6 teams entered’.
That seems like a pretty poor state of affairs that only 6 teams have bothered to enter. I wonder why?
I can think of only 3 reasons:-
- Why enter a competition I/we have no chance of winning
- Its too much to play twice a week, besides we don’t take it that seriously
- I play darts/crib/netball on Thursday night
I suspect there are more reasons but I’m not writing a novel so I’ll stick with them.
1. For the first I would have to say ‘how can you possibly know that’. Does the fact that Oxford United have no chance of winning the FA cup stop them entering or the force India team of taking the Formula 1 title.
There is a competition in Oxford called the TV cup. It’s a singles competition with a cash prize for the winner. Not big I think £250. It’s not open to Abingdon league players you need to be signed on for an Oxford side (see footnote below). When I was 18 I played for an Oxford team on a Friday allowing me to circumnavigate that particular piece of law.
At 18 I think my average on a good night was 2 (6 per game) but I thought it would be a laugh plus the level of competition would be high so there would be some good games to watch.
The games alternated between the Gladiators Club on the Iffley road and Blackbird Leys Community Centre over a month or so. I’m not going to bore you with a blow by blow breakdown of every match I played – I can’t even remember how many people entered. I do know that I played and won 4 games to make it into the top 8. I was stopped by Monty Greenaway pretty convincingly.
My point is I’m not the best player at all. Back then I was worse. Sure there was luck involved but not the whole way and I beat some very good players to get there. I shouldn’t have got past the prelims. It gave me tremendous confidence though because in my head I knew what was possible.
I see the same people year on year at the competitions and I just wish there were more is all.
2. I play both winter and summer Aunt Sally with something like 3 weeks break at either end and have done for many years. So I can certainly sympathise with too much in your life but taking it seriously adds to the fun. Who doesn’t like winning?
And 3 I love netball too, stick with it.
p.s I think the reason Abingdon players aren’t allowed to play is because a certain Martin Sheridan had the audacity to beat all the Oxford players one year. Which caused outrage and a banning of all non Oxford players? I could be wrong. If I am email me.
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