“At the double” with Eddie Bateman Bros and Son

 

For the third race of the season the AMAL found its way to back at Hereford with poor weather forecast lower down the country and some federation cancelling or putting marking back until the Sunday it was thought by most to be a prudent step.

 

The forecast of north winds and liberation of 10 am would see the AMAL liberated into what would be a tough event. The first two races had seen the North Wirral federation dominate the AMAL results so it was anticipated that this would be a more of a level affair with shorter fliers in with their first chance of the season with some conditions that were perceived pre-race to be in their favour.

 

As early times were starting to be announced it did appear that the shorter fliers were to post the leading times, that was until the early times at the Rock Station HS (West Cheshire Federation) and Prenton HS (North Wirral Federation) early times on the rumour wagon were that there were two pigeons in Rock Station HS at 12.18 and three in Prenton HS at 12.18. These five pigeons would obviously take some beating.

 

Along with these early times the rumours were spreading of vast amounts of birds still missing after two hours of clocking, as the day progressed it was becoming more and more profound that the race had been a tough effort but birds were continuing to home even if really split up. As the day wore on and the returns started to look better the sigh of relief at various lofts were obvious from the ensuing text messages became lighter and more jovial.

 

What had been perceived as a 45 mph race turned into a slog of less than 40 mph and could take its toll this early in the season. The send to the AMAL was again slightly also misleading with more fanciers in the North Wirral sending less birds than the West Cheshire? However the 2550 pigeons had put their shoulder to the wind and tacked into the Wirral in quite good order considering the speed.

 

Hearing of the five pigeons on the same minute that were the AMAL leaders I was astonished to also hear that the five pigeons in two clubs and two federations were all owned and trained by the same fancier? Namely: Eddie Bateman. Eddie seems to thrive with old pigeons and once he gets them into form they arrive in abundance for him. The Wirral has a complete cross section of fanciers plying their trade into the area and this loft has held its own amongst the best.

 

Two seasons ago middle distance National fanciers sat up and took note as this loft nestled next to Prenton Park (The home of Tranmere Rovers FC) started to put some fantastic performances up in the local nationals in particular the 2016 National Flying Club Messac National some 380 plus miles into Birkenhead. Eddie sent three hens into the race and timed the three hens with five minutes (a minute between the first two and four minutes to the third) to take first, second and fourth section L and ninth, eleventh and fourteenth open National Flying Club beaten by birds on the south coast.

 

 

The first pigeon onto the pads at the Batemans lofts this week was from the Rock Station which means Eddie has won for the West Cheshire their first AMAL of 2018 reducing the deficit to one to two in favour of the North Wirral. In at 1:1:18 it beat its loft mate by five seconds which was from Prenton HS and thus with his second pigeon tops the North Wirral federation and second AMAL.

 

 

 

Eddie Bateman (Bateman Bros and Son) with Mickey Locke at the 2017 West Cheshire presentation.

This week takes first, second, fourth, fifth, sixth, and sixteenth AMAL 2550 pigeons

 

Taking second AMAL is J Barchha who also takes second North Wirral federation and first Wallasey HS. Its back to Tranmere for the next three AMAL positions and the lofts of Bateman Bros and Son take fourth fifth sixth and sixteenth AMAL but also include first second and third Rock Station HS first second seventh and sixteenth West Cheshire federation. First and second Prenton HS, First and third North Wirral federation along with fourth and twenty eighth fed.

 

Week one winners Roy and Robbie Sandland this week take seventh AMAL and also first and third club Bebington. The partnership also took fifth and twenty second NW fed along with twenty second and twenty third west Cheshire fed. So the longer fanciers touched off the shorter fliers again after I was perceived the other way? We had to wait until eighth position and the partnership of Brian Jones Val Lamb and Daughter (Karen Jones) fought back for the southerners to take eighth AMAL, third west Cheshire federation and also winning first club Hooton HS.

 

 

Jones, Lamb and Daughter (Karen Jones left Val Lamb Right Brian Jones central) First club Hooton HS, third west Cheshire federation eighth AMAL.

 

Although the West Cheshire managed to sneak the win this week it is still North Wirral that has dominated the AMAL result with twenty of the top thirty. T Rix takes ninth AMAL sixth, fifteenth and twenty third NW fed and also chases up Bateman Bros and son in Prenton HS by talking third place.

 

F McNamara and son close the top ten of the AMAL, they also take seventh NW fed. If you ever get lost in Birkenhead just look out for the Duchy of Bidston you will always get a welcome from the duke himself. We had wondered where he had been hiding but we found him (just off the pace last week) this week back on song is the duke and duchy themselves Mr and Mrs Derek and Lainy Hurst who take the first three in the Birkenhead HS eleventh, fifteenth and seventeenth AMAL and eighth ninth and tenth NW Fed.

 

The next three AMAL positions belong to the Chester HS whose Derek Griffiths takes twelfth  AMAL and fourth West Cheshire federation Derek also wins first Chester HS. Taking second and third Chester HS is the partnership of Evans & Wright the partnership also takes fifth, sixth, thirteenth and thirtieth West Cheshire federation and thirteenth and fourteenth AMAL. A little bit of information about this loft, if you ever drive down the M56 towards Runcorn look left before you hit the junction for Chester services you will see a quite tidy set up. I am told that these are the lofts of Evans and Wright.

 

We are back to Birkenhead for the next AMAL pigeon to the consistent loft of Mo Ward & Mike Cullen taking eighteenth and thirtieth AMAL the partnership also take eleventh and twenty first NW fed and second Wallasey HS. Next we have the relatively new partnership of E Wood and Son who again feature in the AMAL result taking nineteenth AMAL twelfth NW fed. You can tell when the speed drops when Casey and Rainbow make an appearance normally more associated with the channel they make twentieth and twenty second AMAL, fourteenth and sixteenth NW Federation.

 

Twenty third AMAL and Seventeenth NW fed spot holds Paul Stewart who is in company with R Tudor twenty fourth, J Johnston twenty fifth and D Roden twenty sixth AMAL. R Tudor also takes eighteenth NW Fed while D Roden takes nineteenth NW Fed while J Johnston takes eighth West Cheshire federation and first club Willaston HS. It’s back to Hooton HS where Dave Cottrell (W H Cottrell and Son) take twenty seventh AMAL, ninth and eighteenth West Cheshire Federation and also second and third Hooton HS. Closing the top thirty in the AMAL we have G Rogers twenty eighth AMAL tenth, fifteenth and seventeenth West Cheshire Federation and finally but by no means least Gary “the curve” Dodd in twenty ninth AMAL twentieth NW Fed.

 

Around the federations: The north Wirral Federation saw the send increase to fifty four members competing an increase of one fancier but birdage was down slightly on last week with twelve hundred and twenty four pigeons sent the North Wirral fed had twenty pigeons feature ion the top thirty of the AMAL result.

 

With most of the top thirty featuring in the AMAL result we only need to mention the bottom ten with their first pigeons which include Robbie Thomas (Jones and Thomas) who takes twenty fourth and thirtieth federation. Gary “Addo” Atherton and Son take twenty sixth and Stevenson Bros take twenty seventh. John Heggarty closes the North Wirral result this week in twenty ninth position.

 

 

The West Cheshire although dominated again this week by the north Wirral federation had slightly more numbers and managed via Eddie Bateman to sneak one in to pull the scores back to one to two. Having only ten birds featuring in the top thirty of the AMAL the remainder were Steve Williams Rock Station HS taking eleventh, twelfth, nineteenth and twenty seventh federation Steve also clocked his champion hen Stanhope blue gem to take eleventh federation.

 

Taking fourteenth and twenty first fed is Bob Tudor. Bob also takes third and fourth Willaston HS.   Fed. Next is the partnership of Alby Davies and Sons who take twentieth and twenty eighth fed along with first Victoria HS. In twenty fourth and twenty fifth fed along with second and third Victoria HS we have Mr and Mrs A (Archie and Sue) Price. Dodd and Sampson Hooton take twenty sixth fed and Paul Coombes closes the West Cheshire fed result in thirtieth place.

 

Notable Performances: Eddie Bateman Bros and son winning both the AMAL along with both federations and his both clubs on the same day. Also worth a mention is the fact that this loft also out six pigeons in the top thirty of the AMAL and the full allowance of four in the top thirty of both federations.

 

J Barchha Wallasey taking first club second NW fed and third AMAL sending only 9 pigeons and E Wood and son Birkenhead taking nineteenth AMAL and twelfth federation sending only six pigeons.

 

Around the clubs: Prenton HS lead the way this week with Bateman Bros and Son taking first and second club with t Rix taking third position. At Wallasey HS J Barchha gest a special mention for splitting the Batman pigeons in the fed and taking first club with Ward and Cullen in second and D Roden on third. Roy and Robbie Sandland win the Bebington HS the partnership also takes third club being split by Bob Tudor in second.

 

Over at the largest sending club Birkenhead HS on the Wirral Mr and Mrs Derek “the duke” and the duchess Lainy Hurst take the first three

 

 

Derek “the Duke” Hurst (Mr and Mrs) Hurst, first second and third Birkenhead HS.

Rock station HS with eight members sending one hundred and ninety one birds Bateman Bros and Son take the first three positions. Over at Hooton HS Jones Lamb and Daughter beat the ensuing 292 birds and 11other fanciers to take the red card with Dave Cottrell (W H Cottrell & Son) taking second and third places. Over at Chester HS, Derek Griffiths takes the first prize with the M56 lads Evans and Wright taking second and third. At Willaston HS Joe Johnston takes the first prize with Bob Tudor taking second and third. And to close this report at the Victoria HS Alby Davies and Sons just touch off Archie and Sue Price who take second and third place.

 

Derek Griffiths winner of First Chester HS

 

Alby Davies and Sons Alan (Left) and young Alby (right) First Victoria HS