Secretary’s Weekly Report

Fred McCluskey

It was with great sadness to hear of the sudden death of our friend and fellow member Fred McCluskey. Fred was a giant character in the North East sport of racing pigeons. He took his role of President in the UNC very seriously and showed real leadership despite the many difficulties encountered. He was patient and determined to get things right but knew change was not going to be easily accomplished and always had the wider membership best interests at heart. From our club perspective I will miss his sound advice and friendship.

Condolences to his family at this sad time. Rest in Peace Fred.

Coutences OH/YB

After a 6 day holdover the birds were liberated on Wednesday the 7th. And what a mixed result we experienced. Watching the race play out on the NFC website I was confident that we had every chance of seeing birds on the day although early nightfall and darkness would be a major hazard.

It was therefore brilliant news when word came through that John and Steven Best at Stockton had timed an old hen just before 7.00pm.

Final result:

1st, John Best & Son, Stockton. They followed this up next morning with 4 more birds to also take 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th and 8th Club. Winning Section N for the second time this season.

In 4th and 5th club with 2 excellent timers is Brian Wiemer, at Hartlepool .

Jim Nicholson at South Shields timed 2 birds later on Thursday morning to take 9th and 10th club.

The Young Bird race was a different kettle of fish with no birds on the day it was the ever consistent loft of Dave McSween and Jim Sexton at Sunderland who grabbed the glory of taking 1st Club 1st Section N.

2nd Jim Nicholson of South Shields

3rd Malcolm, Heslington and Jones of Wingate

Well done to everyone who got birds home and congratulations again to John & Steven Best and Dave Mcsween & Jim Sexton on winning the Vanrobaey Sponsorship prizes.

Pay-out

Please remember our pay-out night will take place on Wednesday the 19th October. Bar open at 7.00pm for an 8.00pm kick-off. This is a night not to be missed make sure that you don’t miss it. Would last year’s Trophy winners get them back to Jeff or me in next 2 weeks. Thanks again.

Off on hols next couple of weeks so Jeff, will keep you apprised of any important developments.

Bob Mckie/Jeff Walton

Old Hens/Young Bird National Coutences

7th September Wednesday birds liberated at 11.00 in a light ESE wind turning to SSE in England.

6th September Tuesday birds held over.

5th September Monday birds held over.

4th September Sunday birds held over.

3rd September Saturday birds held over.

Old Hens/Young Bird National Coutences 3rd September

Members will be interested to know that in Section N there are 26 Old hens entered by 6 members. And 50 youngsters entered by 7 members.

Hopefully we will get a race on Saturday. I will delay the weekly report in order to capture race result.

Bob Mckie

Secretary’s Weekly Report

We are now moving rapidly towards the close season with the final National for both Old Hens/Young Birds to be flown from Coutences on Saturday 3rd September. Birds/Clocks will be collected at Toft Hill next Wednesday night around 8.00pm. Any members who showed interest in going to Sheffield marking on Thursday get in touch with Jeff to arrange travelling arrangements.

Make sure your entries are in promptly and remember if your sending youngsters not carrying a NFC ring then there is a £2 surcharge per pigeon to be paid at Sheffield marking station when birds are checked in.

Best of luck to everyone competing.

Race Trophies

Grateful if you could return trophies to me next Wednesday night.

Pay-out 19th October

Please make sure you have this in your diary Kick-off will be 8pm with the doors open at 7pm for those who like to get there early.

Bob Mckie/Jeff Walton

Secretary’s Weekly Report

Tarbes National

So the “Big One” has come and gone and regrettably there were no birds recorded in the Sportsman Club within race time. Whilst disappointing it only serves to make you more determined to look again at your approach to this marathon event. Do you have the right “stock”, is your management style geared to marathon racing and so forth. All these things will haunt us for a while then it’s back to the drawing board.

Ray & George Anderson (M Anderson & Sons) from Washington clocked a super bird early the 3rd morning to win Section N and will be well placed in the Open. On behalf of the Sportsman members I say well done and many congratulations for keeping the North East up there in the National scene.

The whole Tarbes race has been overtaken by the bad publicity following the “Kelly” fiasco. At the moment it is watch this space, the Officials of the NFC have matters in hand and for obvious reasons cannot talk about the case in detail.

Young Birds

Hope your training plans are going Ok it just seems that what can go wrong will go wrong these days. Nevertheless let’s hope we see a good turnout for the Old Hens/Young Bird National in September. Jeff and I will be looking to sort out and confirm transport arrangements by mid-August.

Squills 2017

I am currently working up an article for next year’s edition which will be all about the Sportsman FC and encouraging long distance racing in the North East. Unless there is something urgent cropping up there will be no weekly report for the next 2 weeks. Holidays!!!!!!!

Bob McKie

Secretary’s Weekly Report

Well, all eyes on the “Big” this week. Tarbes the Blue Riband race of the season insofar as most National fanciers are concerned. The birds were picked up on Monday night for transporting early Tuesday morning to Sheffield. We have 6 club members racing with a total of 13 birds entered in a race where the distances flown fall between 760 and 814 miles. This is real marathon racing where our little “gladiators” have to be in peak condition and not just sent to make the numbers up!

When we arrived at Sheffield we met up with Ian Stalley and Phil Hickson who both make their annual pilgrimage to race marking for this event. The birds were race marked quickly and it was time for a big breakfast and a chat with some of the Yorkshire lads including Ron Dennett, Nick Adshead, Brian Denney and others. I also met up with Luke Gash a young fancier who hails from Meden Vale and is an understudy of Ron Dennett. Still at school (13 year old) he has already broke his duck and won in a very competitive club this season. I was delighted to meet him and presented him with a late bred direct from The Driver which hopefully will do him some good.

It was then back up the road where clocks and baskets were returned to members.

Although scheduled for a Friday liberation the weather was against us and they were held-over. Saturday morning was much better and word came through that the birds were liberated into clear blue sky at 6.10 am in a light variable wind, but with a northerly influence on route. They cleared well so now we just had to wait.

Watching the Tour de France cycling race you quickly get an understanding of how quickly the weather changes over there when near the mountain ranges. And it is going to take special birds to make the Channel crossing on day of release. I say this because of the shipping forecast at 17.25pm which indicated west south west winds with mist in places and some of this would be thick. All of this after a tough 500 mile flight through France.

Best of luck to everyone.

Bob Mckie

Secretary’s Weekly Report

Very quiet week as we start to prepare for the Blue Riband race from Tarbes on Friday 22nd July.

Birds will be collected at the Sportsman on Monday night and transported to Sheffield for basketing early next morning.

For those who are sending remember entry forms must be with the Secretary Sid Barkel today. Let’s hope that we get some decent weather and a fair crack at this event. Remember midday or afternoon liberations are not unusual in these marathon events.

Best of luck to everyone competing.

My mobile service has now been restored the number remains 07828961442.

Bob Mckie

Secretary’s Weekly Report

Bob McKie with Brian Shackleton of Pennine Heights fame at the Saintes marking at Sheffield

The season is simply rushing by and here we are at the 4th National race of the season upon us. Saintes is a marathon event for all Sportsman members with competing lofts flying between 600 to 640 miles.

We knew that historically race entries are small and it was no surprise that when we met up on Wednesday there were only 5 members sending a total of 13 birds. With the birds safely loaded and clocks etc sorted we had a quick presentation of the Vanrobaey Sponsorship to John Best who waltzed up with his second win on the trot when capturing 1st Ancenis.

Jeff and I travelled down to the Sheffield marking station on Thursday morning. We had a trouble free journey in glorious weather and on reaching the Greyhound Stadium it was extremely quiet and the birds were quickly marked. In Section N the total birds entered was 19 from 6 members and in the Open 3270 birds were entered by 553 members.

After sorting out the delivery and collection of a couple of strays there was time for a chat with several of the Yorkshire lads. Firstly we congratulated Ron Dennett and his son on winning Section K in the Ancenis race. This was the second time this bird had won the Section and she has gone back to Saintes with confidence.

Later we also had a chat with Brian Shackleton of Pennine Heights fame. He also had an excellent 1st Section K earlier this year from Messac another brilliant performance.

Everyone we spoke to had experienced a difficult season and were struggling to put teams together for the Blue Riband race in three week from Tarbes.

STOP PRESS

Saintes birds liberated at 9.00am. Very difficult to see anything getting through to North East tonight, lets remain positive though!

Bob Mckie/Jeff Walton

Secretary’s Weekly Report

Very quiet week all round. Ancenis result and documentation sent off to NFC Secretary in good order. From what I can gauge the returns from Ancenis were around the 35 to 40% mark with very few more birds making it home after Sunday. Sounds as if a lot did not make it across the Channel.

Big well done to Sportsman FC member Davy Clark of Spennymoor for what looks to be a tremendous result in winning the WDA race from Tours on Saturday. Excellent win given the difficult racing conditions which had a National twist with a 10am mid-morning liberation. Well done Dave. Also Tom Riddle had excellent returns taking 1st and 3rd Tyne and Derwent Fed. with good Open positions.

Enquiries about Sportsman FC membership for 2017 continue to be received as fanciers turn their attention to the National scene.

Next up is the Saintes race which lifts us towards the marathon status as all lofts will be flying over 600 miles.

Bob Mckie/Jeff Walton

Secretary’s Weekly Report

NFC transporter Ancenis bound

Ancenis National

Jeff and I have been busy all week with the Ancenis National. As expected the race entry was considerably reduced with 9 club members sending 42 birds. In the Open 5062 birds were entered by 651 members and in Section N 57 birds from 12 members.

Liberated on Saturday at 6.30 am into clear sky and no wind the birds cleared quickly. Nevertheless it was clear that this would be a stiff test and unfortunately there were no day birds in the club.

John Best receiving the Vanrobaeys sponsorship for the Messac race from Bob McKie

There was a trickle of birds on Sunday morning with John & Steven Best grabbing the honours of 1st Club and 2nd Section N when they timed at 6.29 am. Doing 838.19 ypm for the 498 miles was a smashing effort.

I understand that this is a very experienced bird with a proven track record of success at UNC level and she is now being retired to the stock loft.

Bob Mckie timed a 2 year old cock at 8.13 am to be second. Flying 523 miles and doing 799.82 ypm.

Close behind in third place was Driver, Dawson & Dawson with a well fancied yearling cock doing 791 ypm and flying 525 miles.

Next timing at 9.28 am came the ever popular Jim Nicholson taking 4th place with yet another yearling which was also timed out of Fougeres. Flying 526 miles and doing 754.65 ypm it is great to see Sunny Jim getting back to his old self after his recent illness.

In 5th place with their second bird doing 722 ypm were John & Steven Best.

Crates & drinking system on the NFC transporter

So another National has passed by. Returns are still disappointing with around 25% back. Hopefully more will follow. Next up in 2 weeks is the Saintes race which lifts us towards the marathon status as all lofts will be flying over 600 miles.

We would like to say a very well done to the Section N winner John Rumney who timed a real star at 20.36 pm on Saturday to record a velocity of 1077.93 and will be high up in the final Open result. This pigeon was a Section winner in the first race of the BICC programme from Falaise, earlier this year. This just shows what can be achieved in the National races when you have a plan and the right birds to work with. It does take time and a great deal of hard work and self-discipline to achieve this high standard.

Finally before signing off Jeff & I will not be available to do the Sheffield run for the Old Hens/YB race in September. Could we have some volunteers to do the run? Just give me or Jeff a call/text if you can take this task forward.

Bob Mckie