Cups
Imperial Consultants Cup 2024 / 2025
Team Cup Final - Haslingden Sports Centre (8pm start)
Monday 10th March - Blackburn Seniors C (187½) 414½ v 362 Oakgate B
Semi Finals W/C Monday 3rd February 2025
Blackburn Seniors B 373 v 382½ (198½) Blackburn Seniors C
Oakgate C (114½) 323½ v 377 Oakgate B
Quarter Finals W/C Monday 13th January 2025
Blackburn Seniors B (74½) 380½ v 349 Accy Flyers A
Goodshaw C 347 v 348½ (48½) Blackburn Seniors C
Independents 370 v 411½ (145½) Oakgate C
Oakgate B (33½) 400½ v 236 Goodshaw B
Round 1 W/C Monday 2nd December 2024
Blackburn Seniors B 370 v 267½ (58½) Edenfield
Goodshaw A 373 v 423½ (187½) Goodshaw C
Brunlea 306 v 357½ (35½) Oakgate C
Oakgate B 352 v 343½ (72½) Accy Flyers B
"Just go for it!" And they did.
The culmination of the Imperial Consultants Cup in the Rossendale Badminton league saw Nigel Shuker’s team, Independents, face Mel Rushton’s Blackburn Seniors B in the final at The Adrenaline, Haslingden this week.
Under the watchful eye of Chairman, Mick Crilly, and President of the league, Peter Wood, the two teams knew every point would matter for that all-important count up at the end of the night.
For Independents: Stuart Davey and Jane Makey played at top mixed; Pete Wright and Gill Fourie at second mixed; and Nigel Shuker with one of badminton’s rising stars, 16 year old Freya Davey at number 3. For Blackburn Seniors B: another 16 year old with huge potential, Jack Maris, played with his mum, Rosie Fenwick at top mixed; Josh Murphy and Mel Rushton at second mixed; and Andrew Grange and Helen Shanks at number 3.
Captain, Mel Rushton, had obviously given her team the usual instruction of: “Just go for it!” Although Independents, a Rossendale First Division team, won all of the games against their Second Division rivals, there were many matches that went down to the wire at 21,20. Supporters from both teams lined the courts and were entertained from start to finish, not only because Rosie at one point lost control of her racket only to see it career across the court, narrowly missing her partner’s head, but also both Daveys, Stuart and Freya, performed spectacular dives on a very hard Adrenaline court to retrieve their opponents’ shots.
And, as Fixtures’ secretary, Nigel Holt, carefully added up the aces at the end of the evening, we knew it was going to be a close one. The Blackburn Seniors B Captain did the honours of breaking the seal on the envelope to reveal the handicap. On the night, Independents had scored 378 to Blackburn Seniors B’s 266: once the handicap of 138.5 had been added on, it meant Seniors B had won the final by just 26.5 points.
It was lovely to see badminton being played in such a friendly and competitive spirit on the courts in Rossendale. The two young players, Freya, a Year 11 student at St Bedes, Blackburn, and Jack, a Sixth form student at Clitheroe Grammar School, both deserve praise for their composure, performance and general manners both on and off the court, a point picked up by our President Peter who, once he’d finished the wine gums off, had been delighted by the promising young players he had seen in our league.
With the end of the badminton season fast approaching and the date fixed for the annual handicap tournament on Sunday, April 7th, it is now more important than ever to make sure you get your Rossendale Presentation Dinner Dance ticket for Friday, May 17th. These are being capped at 80 this year following last year’s sell out, so don’t leave it too late or you’ll miss out.
Imperial Consultants Cup 2023 / 2024
Team Cup Final - Haslingden Sports Centre (8pm start)
Monday 11th - Independents 378 v 404½ (138½) Blackburn Seniors B
Semi Finals W/C Monday 19th February 2024
Tuesday 20th - Independents 369½ (49½) v 320 Accy Flyers A (at Accy Academy)
Tuesday 6th - Blackburn Seniors B 350½ (31½) v 333 Brunlea (at Hyndburn Sports Centre)
Quarter Finals W/C Monday 22nd January 2024
Monday 29th - Independents 361½ (15½) v 328 Goodshaw A (at Hyndburn Sports Centre)
Monday 22nd - Goodshaw B 309 v 325½ (5½) Brunlea (at Haslingden Sports Centre)
Monday 22nd - Edenfield 351 v 353½ (92½) Blackburn Seniors B (at Darwen Leisure Centre)
Tuesday 23rd - Accy Flyers A 382½ (135½) v 378 Blackburn Seniors A (at Accy Academy)
Round 1 W/C Monday 8th January 2024
Monday - Goodshaw B 376½ (25½) v 288 Accy Flyers B (at Haslingden Sports Centre)
Tuesday - Goodshaw A 375½ (75½) v 328 v Transport (at Accy Academy)
Tuesday - Accy Flyers A 378 v 353½ (235½) Blackburn Seniors C (at Accy Academy)
Wednesday - Goodshaw C 341½ (135½) v 376 Blackburn Seniors B (at Norden School)
Imperial Consultants Cup 2022 / 2023
Rossendale Cup Final result
Brunlea 333 v Goodshaw C 410½ (109½)
Match report
When the going gets tough, the tough get going
As the players knocked up and the Chairman, Mick Crilly, drew the raffle (well done to Andrew Grange from Blackburn Seniors) the captains, Stewart Holt and Nigel Holt, were in for a busy night scoring both courts. There was an expectant crowd of spectators, busy crunching their way through Nigel’s murray mints waiting for the match to commence.
Fresh from her ladies’ doubles victory in the Blackburn league, Lauren Wearing played at 1 for Brunlea, ably assisted by Fiona Wells (who possibly travels the furthest for her matches, coming from near Wycoller) and super sub on the night, Chris Holt. The Brunlea men were led by the experienced James Jenkins, sporting a fetching knee bandage on his right knee - which did not impede him at all during his sliding dive across the court - the sneaky left hander, John Martin, and the ever popular Jonny Hartley. Their opposition were the usual Goodshaw C team of Rachel Robertson (straight from her boudoir shoot and with the eye lashes to prove it) who faced Chris at third lady, with Jenn Camilleri and Karen Rogan at 1 and 2 respectively. The Goodshaw men were Karl Halliday, Chris Benson (under the watchful eye of his dad, Clive) and Andy Lee.
The opening men’s game between John and James for Brunlea and Chris and Karl for Goodshaw quickly proved to be a neck and neck battle, finishing one game a-piece. That sliding dive from James came in to play, much to the delight of the crowd, who also appreciated his cross court drives from the back. Over on the ladies’ court, the Brunlea pairing of Chris and Fiona proved a little too strong for Rachel and Karen, despite an amazing reflex shot at the net from the latter. The second men’s, this time between Karl and Andy, and John and Jonny, was another good spirited and entertaining game which was, again, fairly split between the two teams. This evenly matched battle was definitely living up to the dizzy heights of an excellent handicap cup final. In the second ladies’ doubles, after a shaky start against Chris and Lauren, the Goodshaw duo of Rachel and Jenn rallied hard to take the second game to setting resulting in a delightful victory hug.
As the mixed doubles got under way, the talk at the side of the court turned to fund raising and the possibility of a Badminton Calendar. Karen was quick off the mark to bagsy Mrs September and Kathryn Owen started to make her list. Watch this space.
Having won 5 of the opening 8 games, Brunlea knew it was still all to play for in the mixed. The number 1 pair of Lauren and Jonny faced tough opposition, however, in the promising Goodshaw couple, Jenn and Andy. The opening game’s rallies were exhausting just to watch and even Stewart nearly lost the score at one point! Winning by the narrowest of margins, the Goodshaw pair then stormed through the second game with renewed confidence. At number 3, James and Chris won both of their games against Karl and Rachel for Goodshaw, as did Lauren and Jonny against Karen and Chris. It was Jenn and Andy for Goodshaw, however, who seized their chance in the mixed, winning all four of their games.
As the captains added up the scores, they discovered Brunlea had a 30+ points advantage. The wax seal on the envelope was broken (yes, we do things old style in Rossendale!) and the handicap added to Goodshaw’s score gave them the victory by 70+ aces.
It seems fitting that the team who has yet to win a match, has closed their season by winning the Rossendale handicap cup. Well done to both teams for playing with such competitive friendliness and we look forward to presenting you with your trophies at the fast approaching Presentation at Sunnybank Social Club, Helmshore on Friday 19th May.
Semi Finals W/C Monday 13th February 2023
Brunlea (135½) 411½ v 328 Edenfield
Accy Flyers B 259 v 345½ (75½) Goodshaw C
Quarter Finals W/C Monday 23rd January 2023
Broadway 372 v 403½ (175½) Brunlea
Edenfield (33½) 361½ v 320 Independents
Blackburn Seniors C (125½) 319½ v 378 Accy Flyers B
Goodshaw C (212½) 430½ v 369 Transport
Round 1 W/C Monday 9th January 2023
Blackburn Seniors A 371 v 412½ (175½) Broadway
Brunlea 354 v 329½ (25½) Blackburn Seniors
Edenfield (Bye)
Independents (Bye)
Blackburn Seniors C (155½) 423½ v 351 Goodshaw B
Accy Flyers A 354 v 369½ (162½) Accy Flyers B
Goodshaw A 366 v 436½ (185½) Goodshaw C
Transport (Bye)
Imperial Consultants Cup 2019 / 2020
Preliminary Round W/C Monday 9th December 2018
Goodshaw A (+10½) 353½ v Oakgate B (Scr) 301
Round 1 W/C Monday 6th January 2020
Goodshaw A (Scr) 310 v Rising Bridge(+½) 327½
Accy Flyers (A) (Scr) 353 v Brunlea (+90½) 348½
Blackburn Seniors C v Transport Match Conceded by Transport
Broadway A (+75½) 372½ v Oakgate A (Scr) 362 (Played at Riverside Leisure Centre)
Blackburn Seniors B v Independents Match Conceded by Independents
Alpha (+111½) 301½ v Blackburn Seniors A (Scr) 378
Goodshaw B (Scr) 364 v Broadway B (+35½) 320½
Edenfield (+238½) 437½ v Accy Flyers B(Scr) 377
Quarter Finals W/C Monday 20th January 2020
Rising Bridge(+107½) 393½ v Accy Flyers A (Scr) 353½
Blackburn Seniors C(+250½) 380½ v Broadway A 378
Blackburn Seniors B(+260½) 396½ v Blackburn Seniors A 378
Goodshaw B 370 v Edenfield (+155½) 352½
Semi Finals W/C Monday 10th February 2020
Rising Bridge 378 v Blackburn Seniors C (+115½) 325½
Blackburn Seniors B 355 v Goodshaw B (+73½) 381½
Cup Final Thursday 12th March 2020 Haslingden Sports Centre 19.30
Rising Bridge B 306 v Goodshaw B (+26½) 386½