Torrisholme BC

Here they are, the teams for the initial matches which start next week. These are subject to change throughout the season. Any problems, see a selector, don’t write to me…

Cynthia has been circulating a fixtures list, but if you haven’t got one yet or have misplaced it (Paul), then look at the league handbook. I haven’t done so yet, but I will be adding all of the fixtures to the club diary soon, too…

Details of the Xmas meal available in this page (see the sidebar ===>;) and re-produced below for convenience.

The booking is for 20 and the cost for the 2 courses is 17.50. There is a large selection of homemade desserts available and they will be charged as taken. Cost doesn’t include any drinks!

If you want to come, please let James know asap, as places are limited. Partners are welcome. You’ll need to leave a deposit of £5 per head to secure your places.

Christmas Evening Menu

Starters

• Winter Vegetable Broth
• Confit Duck Leg
  on shredded savoy cabbage with a pink peppercorn sauce
• Ham Hock, Leek & Cranberry Terrine
  served with a dressed rocket salad & spicy tomato compote
• Roast Beetroot, Blue Cheese & Pecan Salad with an orange and honey dressing
• Home Cured Salmon cured with lemon and dill and served
  with horseradish crème fraiche

Mains

• Pan Fried Sea Bass
  broccoli mousse, red pepper dressing and basil oil
• Roast Local Turkey
  with all the trimmings
• Roast Rump Of Lamb
  With sautéed mushrooms, spinach and shallot gravy
• Venison Rossini
  Venison steak served pink on a garlic crouton and with chicken liver pate
  with a rich red wine sauce
• Stuffed Chicken Breast stuffed with
  Sausage & chestnuts and served on a sweet potato rosti
• Sweet Potato, Leek & Ginger Crumble
• Mushroom & Chestnut Pithivier Puff pastry filled with mushrooms, chestnuts and ricotta with asparagus sauce

The golf event has been organised and will take place at Morecambe Golf Club on 27th September from 2pm.

Entry will cost £10 and, apparently, there’ll be prizes. Although probably not for me.

For more information see Dave S.

As promised, we’re keeping the current thinking of the selectors open and accessible. You can see it on the tame club notice board (incorporating white board feature), and you can see it here. Any problems, see a selector, don’t write to me…

I took part in this survey. I got a bit carried away with some of the free-text answers, well, a couple of them anyway. Here’s what I put. Note that these are my personal opinions and not the opinions of Torrisholme Badminton Club, and, on reflection my comments about the organisation leeching from local clubs is a bit harsh, since I do want to see national and international players being supported and that has to be funded somehow, but I just wish it wasn’t all one-way traffic.

For the ‘Why do you say that?” question in follow up to my answer of ‘very poor’ to “Thinking generally about the current benefits of being a BADMINTON England member – how would you rate them? ” question:

A national organisation with literally NO relevance to local players. Despite lip service in the magazine, the organisation leeches from local clubs and gives nothing in return, bar forcing undesired changes on locals just because they suit national and international players or TV producers (e.g. rally points).

When I chose ‘very poor’ for “Thinking generally about the Badminton Magazine – how would you rate it?”, they asked me why I said that. I replied:

No content worth reading for practically anybody. Very limited coaching advice or information about playing badminton at the level of what must be the vast majority of the readership, local league players. Even for higher standard players there can’t be anything worth reading beyond the results and national rankings.

Seriously, who wants to read endless puff pieces about what some national player does on their typical day?

Where are the reviews of equipment? Where are the discussions about tactics that league players and up-and-coming juniors can use at club night? How about some drills that can be put into use by people at several removes from the elite? Or advice on how to organise a club night around 2 courts with 20 people wanting to variously practice, play games and talk about East-enders, before sodding off down the pub? These people don’t need or want advanced aerobic and anaerobic conditioning regimes, they need some basic advice about where to stand to receive serve, how to practice backhands and what to do when the opposition are making bad line calls. OK, lots of people do want more advanced stuff, so leave it in (though I bet if they’re serious they’re getting it elsewhere anyway), but where’s the stuff for the little people?

It really isn’t clear who the audience of this magazine really is.

Pow! All of a sudden, the new season is upon us. Don’t forget that selection starts from this Sunday, 6th September, at Salt Ayre from 2.30 for 2 hours, then we’re right back at the College next day from 7 til 10. Repeat that pattern the following week and then we’re back to matches!

Have you washed your shorts?