On Saturday 9th September, following the first full day of rugby action, "The Club" held an It's A Knockout fundraiser in aid of making money for the Senior Section. Each of the four teams was required to attend in fancy dress with a set theme for each team:
I's - Women
II's - Frenchmen
III's - Arabs
IV's - Pirates
The first team and the third team were the definate winners in the fancy dress. Maybe next time a different theme for the first's might be in order, they all seemed to enjoy dressing up a little too much!
With the points difference from the days game being added to the fancy dress scores, the fourths surged into the lead following their 74-0 drubbing of Wigan.
At a little after 7.30pm the games began with an egg and spoon race, in a relay format, from the touchline to the posts and back with 4 players participating from each team. The winning team recieved twenty points and the team coming second won ten points, there were no points for third and fourth place. Don't ask me who got what because I had plenty of beer after that and have forgotten!! I do remember the strange looks from those passing by on Avenue Street as they watched grown men charging up and down in fancy dress!
Following each game a period of time was allowed for the participants to quaff and converse.
The next challenge to take place was the 3 legged race. This was subject to cheating in the spirit of It's A Knockout with the first's and the second's selecting particularly light middle men who they carried! Despite having a re-run the author again can't tell you who won because, as per the first race, he was one of the third's who fell over after about ten yards then couldn't manage to get up!
More beer...................
The last race is a particular favourite of spectators - the broom race. Run, drink, spin round a broom with one end on the floor and your forehead on the other then run back. Or fall over, or run into the spectators then fall over, or run sideways then fall over! Again one team were adjugded to have beaten the others but from my doubled up position in a fit of laughter I haven't go a clue who!
You guessed it, beer time again!
The penultimate game was going to be "Pin the tail on the Trig" but it was decided that no one would be brave enough to go near his backside! A large and hairy bottom was drawn on the rear (no pun intended!) of the score-board, players were blindfolded, spun round then each and every one of them tried to draw on the wall! With many shouted directions and accusations of cheating on all sides everyone managed to get it right, eventually, and it came down to a measurement. Again I can't tell you who won because I was still busy arguing that I had just fluked two near perfect strikes and shouldn't have been disqualified because I hadn't been cheating and had finally found my calling in life!
Dave O'byrne had purchased the pass the parcel prize, 3 players from each team were sat in the circle and it was tense. No one wanted to be the winner as we all know just how warped D O'B can be. You can tell by the pictures who "won", or can you? Some of you may not recognise Seamus! Andy has a session of therapy booked after seeing his Dad dressed like that!
Now, even though we all know rugby players like a drink it was time for a change. Karaoke and dancing. OK then, we all enjoyed a few more drinks before the final event!
I can remember that at this stage in the proceedings the first team were in front, the thirds second, fourths third and the seconds trailing badly in fourth.
Each team nominated a player, who shoved a big stack of 2p's between their thighs, completed an obstacle course then deposited as many of the coins as possible into a jug placed on the floor. After the first run Chris Turner had pulled the seconds back, but was it too little too late? Big Lee hadn't performed as expected for the firsts. Young Brocky played a blinder for the fourths propelling them into second place. However, Paul Hunt for the thirds failed to get even a single tuppence in the pot! A shock result! Turner went through on his final run and despite depositing a good deal of copper in the pot he was unable to overhaul the other teams. Big Lee again underperformed, maybe wearing a frock and blonde curly wig had affected his ability to keep his legs together! Brocky couldn't repeat his feat of his first run and when he got to the pot found he'd already lost all the coins. It was down to Hunt to win it for the thirds in, by his own admission, his specialised event. all he needed to win was 16. With his robe tucked in the front of his boxers he was off round the course. With the spillage of barely 3 coins at the press up stage his confidence, and that of his team mates, was high. JP Hardman was commentating and you could cut the tension with a knife! Hunt got to the pot, dropped his load and got ONE, a measly ONE. The firsts went wild, the thirds were gutted! Brocky, by now the sole representative of the fourths had come second. Hunt will be "The Gimp" on Saturday 16th to atone!
Needless to say it was necessary to pass more money to the bar staff in return for liquid refreshment as the first's sang and danced with their trophy!
Some of the young bucks went off to town, minus the fancy dress! The rest of us went home to bed!
The firsts will be arranging the next event after the standard has been set by the thirds. If they put the same effort into organising their event as they did into participating in this one it'll be one to remember!
A quote from a club member .
"Some of the young bucks went off to town, minus the fancy dress" Apparently some of them went into town WITH fancy dress, and JP Singy even turned up on Sunday morning still wearing his dress 'cos his real clothes were still at the club ! And one of the Juniors coaches still had eye-shadow on. "Waterproof", he said, "can't wash it off". A likely story, Tom?
