FLIMBY Homing Society were the first Club of the Year in the Derwent Valley Federation.

The League structure was introduced this year with fanciers earning points for their clubs depending on where they finished in the top 30 in each Federation race.

The clubs were divided into two Leagues with Flimby HS finishing on top of the A section with 1,462 points – beating Harrington Central (1,314).

Workington Victoria finished third with 761 points and were followed by Netherton HS (558), Flimby West Coast (465), Workington Social Limit (464) and Ellenborough (329).

Seaton RBL (241) won the B League and will be promoted, taking Ellenborough’s place next season.

The other points went to Maryport (187), Silloth (125), Dearham Utd (58), Clifton (54) and Seaton FC (18).

Top fanciers in the competition were Tinnion brothers and Aitken who provided 476 points for the Flimby club. They were followed by Ken Harper (Workington Victoria) with 333 point and Bromley and co of Flimby HS (252).

Bromley and co were once again the winners of the major trophy in the Derwent Valley Federation, the ‘Big Cup’ for the combined average.

In a separate competition fitted into the League structure Tinnion brothers and Aitken also had the Bird of the Year which clocked-up 76 Federation points. Second was John Devlin of Harrington Central (69) and third was Graham Best of Workington Social (66).

There was disappointment this week for John Walsh, a member of the Workington Victoria club, who had finished 49th in the Europa Classic one loft race.

That should have won him £300 but the organisers have announced that the clock was stopped after 48 birds had homed to the Vale of Glamorgan loft.

It had been a shocking race with no arrivals on the day from the Edinburgh liberation. It was won at 10-45am on the Monday and birds just struggled in over the next few days. Even now, nearly three weeks later just over 100 of the 1,176 birds who were entered have made it back.

Walsh was philosophical: “They stopped the clock when the velocity got down to 220 yards a minute and mine was the next one back. That’s pigeon racing for you. The RPRA rules say they cannot pay prizes to the birds outside race time. However I will be given £200 credit in next year’s race.”

Peter Dobie of the Seaton RBL club had finished 15th and should have won £900 but because there was a third discount he will collect £600.

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