JOHN MURPHY

of Airdrie & District Club, Midland Federation, Scotland

by Tom Corrie Jnr

This week’s profile comes from my home town of Airdrie. Although the fancier profiled is not a member of the Lanarkshire Federation, I like to highlight top fanciers within the area and give them the credit they deserve. Airdrie pigeon fancier John Murphy has made a big impact in the pigeon scene in only two full seasons.

The history of Airdrie town for those outwith the area

Airdrie - a parliamentary and municipal burgh in New Monkland parish, NE Lanarkshire, 2 miles E by N of Coatbridge, 11 E of Glasgow, and 32 W by S of Edinburgh. It stands on the great highroad between the two cities, with which it also communicates by the North British railway, having one station (South Side) on the main Bathgate line, and another (Commonhead or North Airdrie) on the Slamannan branch, 16 miles WSW of Manuel Junction. With Glasgow it is further connected by the Monkland Canal, extending to Calder ironworks, 1½ mile to the SSW.

The name comes from the Gaelic for 'high hill pasture' and can be dated back to AD577. The Battle of Arderyth or Airdrie, was fought in this year, between Rydderech, "the bountiful" King of Strathclyde and Aidan, "the perfidious" King of Kintyre. Airdrie lies on the "Hog’s Back", the ridge of land running from East to West. The Monks of Newbattle had numerous establishments throughout the area including a farm grange at Drumpellier, a Court House at Kipps, a Chapel in the area of Chapelhall and a number of corn mills. In the 12th century the monks built the original Glasgow to Edinburgh road via Airdrie and Bathgate, to link up with their lands in Newbattle. Airdrie is first referred to by name in 1605 and in 1695 Airdrie became a market town.

John Murphy (rt) with Tom Corrie snr

Mr Robert Hamilton was credited with being the founder of the modern Airdrie. He owned most of the land and was the "Laird" of Airdrie House. He helped make Airdrie a prestigious country village in the seventeenth century. Flax was grown on many local farms and the town became a well-established centre of woollen and linen fabrics.

In 1891 the town's Broomfield Park football ground saw the world's first penalty kick. For a short time in the 1890s, Airdrie was even home to a racecourse.

Airdrie & District pigeon club was formed 1894 and has always had a great history of being everything pigeons in Scotland and in its heyday was the second biggest club in Scotland, only second to neighbour club Coatbridge. Great names such as J Goldie, Jimmy and Dan Gillespie, McIvor & McPherson, Mann, Meechin McIvor, Cumming & Devine and - more recently - D Truesdale Son, George Mann, Barr Brothers and Jim Wilkinson have dominated the trophy list and been the fanciers to beat within this club. When I was growing up in the sport these were the names that I associated with the mighty Airdrie District club, spending many a day in the company of Jim Martin and Andy Graham, both die-hard Airdie District men. Now a new name has come along, not yet of the measure of the aforementioned names but, nevertheless, someone who has made his mark in a very short time (two full seasons), becoming the name at the top of the trophy list at club and federation level. John Murphy, who resides in the centre of Airdrie, has taken up the sport with vigour and enthusiasm and with help from his mentor Martin Hilley (fellow club member) has got the other members thinking. John is very much into the psychology of pigeons - "what makes them tick?" He has developed his own special management plan that includes The Murphy Mix.

On a very cold, bright December morning my Dad and I were invited down to see the Murphy "system" which, for me, was the most important ingredient to this successful loft. We were greeted by John with the best of hospitality, a lovely lunch and a few wee drams for old Tom thereafter. There is a small back garden set up with John making the best from his garden area. The loft set up is very smart and tidy with everything in its rightful place. His garden is a credit to the pigeon fancy, and the lofts are spotlessly clean with John putting a big emphasis on keeping the birds healthy. With time spent looking at the birds and taking in the pigeons’ environment, I got down to asking John the questions we all want to know.

The racing lofts face North East. The old bird loft is 17x6 in two sections, nest boxes and perches in the other section for hens when racing. The young bird loft is 18x6 with plenty of light from a perspex roof, three sections, small nest box section, perches and aviary. A new stock loft has been purchased recently which is 17x10 with two sections of boxes and front corridor. This has been stocked with pigeons fro Martin Hilley and John Lannigan for Glasgow. The pigeons which are the base of Martin Hilley mostly originate from the very successful partnership of GWP Macaloney, Coatbridge and Soontjen birds from Andy Gregson, Preston.

The range of lofts

When handling, the pigeons were not carrying excess weight and were in breeding condition for the early breeding which John undertakes. When the stock lay, the eggs are switched under the racers and after these are reared the sexes are split in preparation for the first old bird race. All birds are paired up 8th December and the loft lights are on for twelve hours to simulate spring.

The race team are out after first light, hens first, returning to the nest box section and fed before returning to confinement on their perch. Both sexes are out twice per day, which remains the case throughout the season with no road or flag training, just one 20 mile toss line of flight before the first race for the old bird team. John states that his birds fly with gusto around the loft and he feels that road training mentally kills the birds for the future. He feels this is how you can get the best from them each week, although they do not all go each week and missing a race doesn't see him resort to road training. There is no physical contact during week but he will let hens see cocks once during the week. On Friday the birds are allowed in box together and again after race.

Inside the young bird loft.

The birds are lightly fed in the morning session with a further feed after the evening session; this is the same for old birds and youngsters. John builds his birds up on a light diet with the Murphy mix being introduced in the second part of the week and on return from racing. John's Murphy mix is a blend of the best of race mixtures, seed mixtures/peanuts and plenty of quality oils that make the mix very rich. The birds never have clear water in front of them. Penty of herbs and spices are used to keep the blood clear and keep the bugs at bay.

The perches, boxes and floor have a light sprinkle of sand which is cleaned up and disposed of during cleaning. There is ample ventilation via front louvers and mesh and also ventilation at roof space; no smell of pigeons was noted. Ventilation can be controlled and the racing loft can be darkened down when required.

Matrix mix is provided daily with leftovers disposed of. Black minerals are given during breeding. The birds are cankered and wormed before the first race with products from Kevin Winters. They have a bath once a week - on  a Monday.

Inside the old bird racing box section

Motivation tricks? Roundabout is enough but he pairs for the longest race from France, though he believes the birds would probable fly just as well on roundabout.

The youngsters usually remain healthy and finish the race programme if not injured. They get 6-8 training tosses with Martin Hilley's youngsters and then no more training. He will start this year's season with twenty pairs of racers, ten late breds and possible ring sixty youngsters.

The best hen in the loft, winner of many top prizes including 4th Section E SNFC and plenty of pool money and a breeder of good pigeons.

John likes to keep the radio on within the loft from morning till night. He feels it gets them used to human contact. His best product is fresh air that is found within his loft. When asked about young bird sickness, he hasn't experienced same for two seasons and if this appeared he would not feed the birds for 48 hours and would provide with a light diet thereafter. He feels his management doesn't put the same stress on the birds like others.

He is presently only a member of Airdrie & Dist and pays his entry fee to the SNFC for the Inland Nationals. Birds are vaccinated with Colombovacc, young birds at 2 months old. Birds are timed with the ETS Unikon system, which he likes as he could have missed a couple of birds entering the loft but he feels the rings are too expensive.

Cheq pied hen, winner of young bird of the year 2010 and other prizes with her mate the timer in the SSC 500 mile race.

Race Results

In this short period he has won 40 federation tickets, including 3 x 1st Federations and the blue riband open race from Worcester being 1st & 2nd Open.

Club trophies in 2012 include Old Bird Average, Combine Average, Three Longest Race average. John Donald trophy for all federation races including Scottish Central Combine France race - the most prestigious trophy in the federation. Old bird race average all inland races. Best 2 bird average 500mls SCC race. Old bird of the year with SU 10 1814 Cheq Pied hen nominated for overall performances of 4th Sect E, 21st National SNFC and club performances.

National prizes SNFC, racing only those races linked to the federation programme.

2011 - Malborough 12 section E 42nd Open. 13 sect E 45th Open. 44th Sect 184 Open. 46th Sect E 198th Open.

2012 - 4th Sect E 21st Open Cheltenham. 8th Sect 34th Open Maidstone. SCC 8th Sect 37th Open.

This year's club trophies

Some will say that it will not last but personally I think big things for John and much much more top performances are to come. This is only the beginning! I wish him all the best and thank him and his wife for the hospitality on behalf of myself and Tom snr.

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