NEWS FROM SCOTLAND

The Joe Murphy Column

What a week we have had with this terrible weather and all the flooding that has happened throughout the country with the poor people of Cumbria very badly hit. To think they had this in 2009 and now again I don’t think many of them will ever get over this. Up here in Scotland we also have the ‘shock’ of the Forth Road Bridge having a fault and no-one being able to cross over it and the problems this is causing is ‘horrendous’. I’ve made up my mind I’m NOT going to the SHU Show on the Saturday or the late John Ellis sale on the Sunday as I’m not getting caught up in traffic jams at the Kincardine Bridge, so sorry to all the people whom I was going to meet up with. I have also make up my mind that I’m not going to go to Blackpool either as I’m not going to go about on 2 crutches at the show as it would not be a pleasure for me so will give it a miss.

Sickness Call

I was shocked when I received a phone from Scott McEwen of Elphinstone telling me that his dad Tom was in hospital after having taken a heart attack. They put stents in his arteries and he received a scan which showed up that Tom required major heart surgery and they allowed him home for the weekend and Scott took him back yesterday Monday 7th December and he has to undergo an emergency operation as soon as possible hopefully this week. I know his many friends will wish Tom all the best and also a speedy recovery and our thoughts and prayers are with him, his wife Marlene, son’s Stuart and Scott and his wife Fiona and baby Finlay at this time.

Tom McEwen of Elphinstone

SHU Fancier of the Year 2015

This year’s winners are Richard & Jamie Combe of Elphinstone in East Lothian the partnership as the runner up had an excellent season. This award is based on the coefficient system worked out on the positions won in the channel race with the SNFC. You will see when reading these fanciers positions how tight it was as they had excellent results from the 3 races competed in this year. The other intriguing thing is they both live NEXT DOOR to each other. So you can imagine the tension as they both see a bird approach and it drops to the loft next door. (to be honest it must be hell as your race is over as soon as you know someone has timed in) still these last enjoy the competition with each other and I honestly believe they have the greatest respect of each other. Result is as follows:

Alencon race won 21st open from 1416 birds winning a coefficient of 1.483.

Ancenis race won 4th open from 275 bird winning a coefficient of 1.454

Clermont won 22nd open from 1547 bird with a coefficient of 1.422 giving them a

Total of 4.359

Richard and Jamie Combe of Elphinstone

Runner Up to the Fancier of the Year is next door neighbour John F Bosworth of Elphinstone whose performances are as follows:

Alencon race won 4th open from 1416 birds winning a coefficient of 0.282

Ancenis race won 6th open from 275 bird winning a coefficient of 2.181

Clermont won 63rd open from 1547 bird with a coefficient of 4.072 giving him a

Total of 6.535

Well done to Richard and Jamie on winning the Fancier of the Year Award and to John Bosworth on being Runner Up don’t be surprised if it is the other way around next year as they are very competitive fanciers.

SHU Trophy Winners

I have just received a copy of the SHU trophy winners from Linda Brooks and I have already covered Billy Bilsland the Dewar Trophy Winner with ‘Welltower Ronan’ and the runners up George & Brian Hunter from Dunfermline with their champion hen ‘Kingdom Spirit’. This week I’m going to highlight another 2 marvellous pigeons both flying into the West section of the SNFC; these are David Allison of Burnbank in Hamilton and Liam Byrne of Glasgow. David’s bird is a chequer pied cock SU11L 1386 and he wins the BHW Trophy for old birds, he was sent to the Ancenis race the furthest flying race in the national calendar on 4th of July 2015 with 275 birds competing. David timed the pied cock to win 1st region E 1st west section 5th open flying 594 miles 1392 yards recording a velocity of 1157.82. He was the ONLY DAY BIRD into the west section with the next bird being timed at 07.20 the following day.

The next bird was raced by Liam Byrne and won the Ogilvie Trophy for the Individual Performance within the SHU in 2015. Liam’s chequer cock SU11W 52972 won 1st region F, 1st west section & 8th open recording a velocity of 1116.95 in the SNFC Gold Cup race from Alencon 400 members sent 1416 birds, which is a distance of 544 miles 1032 yards to Liam’s loft. He is the first Region F member to win the west section since 2003 from the Gold Cup race. Believe me it is very rare indeed for a region F bird to be in the top 10 open positions in the SNFC Alencon race. Well done to both David and Liam on 2 excellent pigeons and very worthy winners of the above SHU trophies. I will cover more of these trophy winners over the coming weeks.

Good SNFC Birds

Continuing with the SNFC Gold and Silver Award winners presented at the annual presentation I start this week with Andrew Lees of Eyemouth good chequer cock ‘Northdale Reliable’ NEHU2009 BOR 2249 he is the winner of a SNFC SILVER AWARD WINNER in 2014 and SNFC GOLD AWARD WINNER in 2015. This wonderful cock was a late bred and never in a basket the year of his birth, he was trained the following year and had a couple of club races. Then in 2011 he was entered into the inland national from Eastbourne and won 7th section B 7th open 4298 birds flying 367 miles he then went to Clermont and won 4th section B 9th open flying a distance of 488 miles competing against 1741 birds. Then in 2012 he won 1st section B 2nd open Gold Cup race from Alencon a distance of 522 miles 1201 birds. In 2013 he was sent to Alencon and was late home not making the result and Andrew knew there was something not right about him so stopped him for the year. In 2014 he was more like himself and won 27th section B 70th open Alencon from an entry of 1427 birds winning his Silver Award for 3 section prizes from France. He was then sent back to the last race of the season from Clermont and won 9th section B 52nd open from 1169 birds entered. This year he was again set up for the Gold Cup race and won 19th section B 56th open from an entry of 1416 birds to win his Gold Award. As you would see he has been in the top 30 in section B in every race and he has also been in the top 70 open therefore has been in the top 5% in every race and has a combined coefficient of 14.12 from 6 national races he competed in. Which is truly staggering and I think you will agree he is extraordinary pigeon and a very worthy winner of the SNFC Gold Award. ‘Northdale Reliable’ breeding is Bricoux crossed Stichelbaut his grand dam was a chequer hen on loan from Mr John Owen from Crewe who was mated to a red cock from Francis Butler. They in turn bred a chequer cock that was mated to a chequer pied Stichelbaut hen from neighbour Steven Aitchison and the rest is history as they produced ‘Northdale Reliable’.  Andrew has forwarded a picture of his wonderful cock to me so fanciers will see what a strong back this pigeon has. Looks like he could fly all day my thanks to Andrew for the picture and once again well done to Andrew on winning the coveted Gold Award.

Our next pigeon is raced by S Morrison & son Roslin with a chequer cock SU 10 ML 4019 who wins the SNFC Meritorious Inland Bronze Award in 2015. His performances are as follows; 2012 he won 66th section B 119th open Maidstone a distance of 357 miles; the following year he won 3 times in the national being 10th section B 232nd open Newbury a distance of 319 miles; he then went to Maidstone and won 46th section B 111th open and then into the Ypres race and won 36th section B 101st open flying 428 miles. In 2014 he was sent to Maidstone and won 95th section B 135th open and again sent to Ypres and won (no section prize) 210th open. This year 2015 he was set up for Billericay and won 62nd section B 116th open flying 330 miles to win his Bronze Award well done to the partnership who have a very good pigeon in their loft.

Continuing in section B we find the Edinburgh partnership of C & J MacGregor of Edinburgh whose blue chequer cock SU11P 4467 wins his SNFC Silver Award in 2015. This cock has won 7 times in SNFC races with his first prize in 2012 as a yearling when he won 225th open Maidstone flying 356 miles. In 2013 he won 368th open Maidstone and then won 238th open from Ypres  a distance of 427 miles on his first trip over the English channel he was then sent back to the last old bird race of the year from Clermont and he won 33rd section B 138th open flying 506 miles. In 2014 he won 140th open Ypres and this year 2015 he was 15th section B 50th open Alencon a distance of 530 miles and again sent back to the last old bird race from Clermont and won 27th section B 75th open winning his SNFC Silver Award in 2015 for 3 section prizes won well done to the partnership on achieving this goal and for any pigeon to win 7 times in the Scottish National is an exceptional pigeon.

Joe’s Joke

The Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp flies to Glasgow to watch a young Scot play football. He is suitably impressed and arranges for the player to come down for a trial. Two weeks later Liverpool are 2-0 down to Newcastle with only 20 minutes left to play and the manager gives the young Scottish striker the nod, and on he goes. The lad is a sensation and he scores 3 goals in 20 minutes, wins the game for Liverpool and the fans are delighted, the players and the head coach are also delighted and the media love this ‘New star’. When the player comes off the pitch he phones his mum to tell her about his first day in English football, 'Hello mum, guess what?' he says 'I played for 20 minutes today, we were 2 -0 down but I scored 3 goals, they call it a hat-trick, and we won. Everybody loves me, the fans, the press, they all love me.' 'Just wonderful,' says his mum, 'Let me tell you about my day; your father got shot in the street, your sister and I were ambushed and assaulted, she would have been raped but for a passing police vehicle. Your brother has joined a local gang of looters and set fire to some buildings and all while you tell me that you were having a great time!!' The young lad is very upset. 'What can I say mum, but I'm really sorry.'  Sorry?!!! Sorry?!!!' says his mum.  'It's your bloody fault we came to Liverpool in the first place!'

Please continue to keep the news flowing; to Joe Murphy Mystical Rose Cottage 2 Flutorum AvenueThornton by Kirkcaldy KY1 4BD or phone 01592 770331 or Email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. REMEMBER THE J IN THE MIDDLE or log onto www.elimarpigeons.com www.fancierchat.co.uk www.pigeon-chat.co.uk and www.pigeoncraic.com who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland.

© Compiled by Joe Murphy