League Report

Week 1

he Stratford Air Gun League started a new season last Thursday. I hope we can rely on the good coverage you have provided in the past.
The new bell target shooting season started last Thursday after a break of four months. During this time, members were saddened to hear that veteran shooter Phil Morris who was a member of the MEB team for more than forty years had passed away. Binton B are still struggling to find enough team members to enable them to regularly field a full team of seven shooters.
 

The matches last week - at Avenue - RBL a new plate was fixed to the target and MEB's first shooter, Paul Clingan scored a possible to give his team an early lead. Fred Williams was unlucky when his sixth pellet slipped into the four to spoil his hance at a possible and he had to settle for 34pts. Kath Williams started well with four bulls then three fours for 32pts. Karl McMillan started with a loose three but still went on to score 31pts. Jan Beattie 30, Ray Hodgkins 28 and Gordon Spencer 27 brought the total to 217pts which is 5 points better than the team's league average for last season. Avenue-RBL shot well, also improving on last year's average with Steve Ray just missing out on a possible when his fourth pellet slipped into the four. Paul Nixon-Barron shot well scoring 32 and Steve Everett scored 31. With 30 from Louise Price, Guy Ganderton's 28, Paul Seabury's 27 and a disappointing 25 from Peter Mole the team totalled 207pts.
 

Home Guard opened the season with a visit to Wilmcote where Colin Fulford scored a possible for the visiting team. He was ably supported by team
mates Jackie Mills and Bill Gately who both scored 33, Richard Mills, Sam Goodman and Steve Hodges all scored 31, Irene Parsons shot 28 and her
grandson had a mix of fours and threes. With a team of eight shooters, Home Guard dropped their lowest score to bring the teams total to an impressive 222pts. Gareth Morris returned to the Wilmcote side and just missed out on a possible with 34 as did Andy Morris. Brian Adshead shot 31 and John Maycock, Paul Boazman, Alan Brookes and Jon Packard all shot a steady 30pts and Tim Stephens was unlucky to start with a three but settled down to score 29pts. Wilmcote after dropping their lowest score had to settle for a total of 219pts. Home Guard have started the season well.


Binton B who could only field were at home for their match against last year's league winners Binton A. Both teams shot well with only one three on
the target but with a weak team there was never any doubt about who would win this match. Four of the A team's shooters had their eye on the bull to score 33pts, Andy Smith, Michelle Dale, Alan Dyer and Will Cemis. Gary Hooper shot 31 and Simon Dale, John Parrot and Neil Beningfield all shot 30. The seven highest scores totalled a high score of 223pts and gave Binton A an excellent start to the season.


Fixtures for tonight (16 Sept) are: Binton A vs Avenue-RBL; Home Guard vs MEB and Wilmcote; vs Binton B.


For more info about bell target shooting with an air rifle why not visit our website www.sagl.co.uk.


Report by Juana Everett, to be published on 16th September 2010