Season 2017-18 end with new champion
Wolverhampton's Justin Scott, returning to the game two seasons ago, has become the South Staffs TSC champion after points gathered in Burton-upon-Trent in April gave him the league title. 2017 champion Mike Bradbury (Willenhall) fell back to finish a lowest ever 3rd when Burton's Tony Machin scured runners-up spot for the 2nd year running with a 1-0 win over Sean Bradbury (Rugeley) and also over Maca Niles (Walsall). The Mercian Cup final was uniquely between Mike Bradbury and Stacey Hassall (Bloxwich), when the random computer draw paired all the top 8 players against each other. Mike took an Astropitch to Bloxwich and had a comfortable 2-1 win. Sadly the league programme proved too ambitious for some Burton and Abbotts Bromley players who saw many games awarded as 0-0 or 0-1, whilst Peter Sleeth pulled out and joined the Wolverhampton TFC where he also did the same two months later!
For the 2018-19 season, we are likely to lose Sammy Murray, and George Handy (Burton), and probably uber-busy Stephen Quirk, the radio show presenter. However, we already have good player Mike Murphy signed up (Brownhills), and he hope to get at least another one of the old Brownhills TSC players to join us. There's a new interest from Andy Henley of Nottingham (where former star player Keith Holden now lives) and Im hoping to sign up Stoke's Andy Bowler, who could use his results from the Stoke Open in the league, and Im sure that Maca Niles (Walsall( and Sean Bradbury (Rugeley) will go over to Newcastle and play him on his old-style cotton pitch board. Hopefully the new season will start in the traditional way, with a carload of 5 going over to south Shropshire to all play octoganarian Guy Smith, and that Tony Machin can persuade son Thomas to continue on in the league despite exam studies.
Final League positions were -
1st Justin Scott (Wton) 51 points
2nd Tony Machin (Burton) 47pts
3rd Mike Bradbury (Willenhall) 45pts
4th Guy Smith (Clun) 40pts
5th Tom Machin (Burton) 32pts
6th Sean Bradbury (Rugeley) 27pts
7th George Handy (Burton) 26pts
8th Maca Niles (Walsall) 22pts
9th Steve Quirk (Uttoxeter) 13pts
10th Sammy Murray (Uttox) 10pts
11th Pete Sleeth (Walsall) 4pts (resigned)
Mercian Cup final - Stacey Hassall (Bolxwich) 1-2 Mike Bradbury (Willenhall)
Staffordshire Cup final - Mike Hammonds v Justin Scott
Staffordshire County Championship final - Mick Hammonds (Wton) v Richard Badger (Wton)
NEW ENQUIRIES are welcome from former, new or beginner players as long as you are aged between 10 and 80 and are able to host at least one home meeting and complete at least 12 of the 20 league matches across 8 months.