AIR HOSTESS have E.P.A.  Champion of Champions  

A pairing from the Air Hostess have won the English Petanque Association's "Champion of Champions" title for 2007

Osman and Peter went to the competition held at Ickleford in Hertfordshire on 29th September 2007. They had been chosen as one of two pairs to represent the East Midlands after doing well at the Regional Championships.

The competition was organised into two pools of 7 containing the best teams from regions all over the country.  Our team had 4 wins out of 5 in the pool stage and so progressed to the semi-finals.

Here we convincingly beat the fancied West Midlands pair to set up a final against the North of England. Again Osman and Peter were considered the underdogs as the North pair had played for England at international level.

However steady pointing and electric shooting gave our pair a resounding 13-1 win.

Congratulations to our team and we look forward to more Air Hostess success next season.

AIR HOSTESS FLYING HIGH IN 'GOLDEN BOULE' COMPETITION

The team from the Air Hostess, Osman and Peter travelled to the British Sugar 'Golden Boule' pairs competition at Bury St Edmunds on 2nd September 2007. The competition format was a 6-game league among 15 teams from all over the east of England.

Osman's excellent shooting took our team to 5 good wins with one close defeat 12-13. Fortunately no other team had more than 5 wins and Air Hostess won on points difference.

We now have another trophy to go behind the bar and also prizes for the  players concerned.

AIR HOSTESS SUCCESS AT LINCOLN - 2007

The Air Hostess doubles team of Osman and Peter took on the cream of the East Midlands players at the Regional Pairs event. It was held at the Nightingale, Lincoln (scene of an Air Hostess triumph last year in the Stimpson Trophy) on a red hot 5th of August 2007. 

Our team raced through the first four games accumulating wins and a good points difference. This became crucial in the choice for the semi-finals which was made after 5 games. In the first semi-final, Osman and Peter faced the pairing of international players Stone and Joe Sheffield, Joe being the national shooting champion. Fortunately for us Stone was not on form, consequently Joe's shooting skills could not be used to greatest advantage and we were through to the final. In the final the Air Hostess pair faced Cam and Roy. Sadly Peter ran out of steam and we lost a game we could easily have won.

However second place gained Osman and Peter selection in a four man team to represent the East Midlands at the National Championships to be held in Luton in September.

Congratulations all round as this will be the first time that the Air Hostess Petanque Club has competed at National level.

AIR HOSTESS PETANQUE CLUB

EASTER TRIPLES COMPETITION 9^th APRIL 2007

MATCH REPORT

On a fine sunny spring morning the Air Hostess Petanque club welcomed a full house of 18 teams from all over the East Midlands to this annual competition.

Play was to the usual high standard with a league system giving everyone 5 games which were all played in a good spirit. With refreshments freely available from the bar, the competition was a perfect opener to the new season.

Three teams emerged with 5 wins from 5 played, so the final positions were decided on points difference.

In third place winning £5 and two beers each were the "Ends" team, a scratch formation coming good on the day. 

In second place winning £10 and a bottle of bubbly each were "The Plough" ably led by Mike, the 'Thursday Fours League' supremo.

In first place with a plus 45 points difference our local heroes the "Sunhats" won the day, each player being presented with £15, a bottle of bubbly and one of Malcolm's much sought after boule trophies. They also have the competition shield to keep for a year.

Our thanks go to all the helpers, especially to Peter for organising and running the event, also to the bar staff for keeping everyone supplied with food and drink over a long day.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back again next Easter if not before. 

          This is a summary of results from the Knock-out Cup 2007

Round 1        - 15th June - Air Hostess 3...2-2...Plough A,                          Plough A go through on points difference.    (AH5 & AH6...byes)

Round 2        -  19th July  - Sawley Chandlery....3 - 2 .... Air Hostess 5

                                        Cap & Stocking.......1 - 3.....Air Hostess 6

2nd Round Cup reports:-

Sawley Chandlery had to tack their way into the quarter-finals of the Cup with a close fought encounter with our Air Hostess 5 team. Our Rob & Mike struggled to get wind in their sails on the rough & unfamiliar marina carpark piste, Graham & Michael  running free to win the first leg. However, it was all even at the half way stage with Will & Malcolm having eventually steamed ahead of Marie & Simon.

There was a reversal of fortunes in the second period with Rob & Mike finding their sealegs winning 13-5, but Will & Malcolm found themselves in deep water against Graham & Michael losing to a similar score.

With a 2-2 scoreline. Malcolm decided to take Rob on board to play the decider. Sawley set their sails well and built up an early lead. Once AH5 managed to recover control of the cochonette, the play veered through 90 degrees to run across the slope and they began to haul in the home team. Having eased in front fortunes changes again and AH5 found themselves playing up & down the slope with the lead disappearing. Late into the evening with the score at 9-12 in favour of the home team, AH5 were finally sunk by a long distance point from Graham close to the coche which eluded all attempts from both Rob & Malcolm to be removed.

Quarter Final  -  26th September  -  Red Lion Tree..... 3-1 .....Air Hostess 6

Match Report:-

Under this year's harvest moon in a clear sky with a cold northerly breeze, our "Air Hostess 6" team commenced battle against "Red Lion Tree" on their newly laid piste. This for a place in the semi-finals of the Thursday Pairs Knock-out Cup competition.

With "pairs" being the operative word, our two "D's" Dennis and Dave took on their two "R's" Robbie and Reg. With the new piste being much more predictable and true than found on previous visits, the game was evenly matched. However with the score at 8-7 the home team produced some good grouping in the last two ends to secure the required 5 points.
The other pairing of Richard & Kevin were playing the Red Lion Tree's two "D''s" Derek and Darren. They were off to a good start with 4 points secured after the first end. Good pointing by Richard and excellent firing by Kevin stretched the lead to 8-2. Dispite a resurgence by the home team in the middle stages, Richard & Kevin were never in any trouble winning 13-5.
A halfway stage then of one game apiece and all to play for with conditions getting colder by the minute. This obviously did not suit our team and both our pairs began to struggle against the opposition. Some determined pointing by Dennis was to no avail against Derek & Darren, when with the score at 8-4, Darren spotted an opportunity in the head. Derek duly obliged with an excellent carreau to take the game 13-4.

   Richard & Kevin playing in their second game were unable to find their previous excellent form. The experienced pair of Robbie & Reg were not found wanting on their new piste and with good pointing & shooting ran out winners 13-3.
Congratulations go to Red Lion Tree team on a 3-1 win, a game that was played in good spirit with plenty friendly banter !  

(Red Lion Tree later progressed through to the final against Nutbrook 1. This match was hosted by the Air Hostess Club on the evening of 11th October. On well prepared pistes the Red Lion Tree claimed the trophy by beating Nutbrook 3-1 in front of a good crowd including many Air Hostess club members.)

The annual Air Hostess Petanque Club's Pairs competition will now be fought for  "The Munro Challenge Trophy".

    The trophy has been renamed after our longest serving member, Ian Munro, who has moved on to new pastures and whose name appears most frequently on the original Pair's Cup

THE MUNRO CHALLENGE TROPHY 2007

The cool but dry evening of Monday 1st October brought about the end of season Club Pairs Competition for the newly named "Munro Trophy". A good turn out of members gave us 8 pairs using an "à la mêlée" selection. There were some large points differences in many of the games, but all teams managed to get at least one win under their belts and no wooden spoon was needed.

The games were scheduled to run for 30 minutes each, but it appeared to be only a coincidence that the boule of the timekeeper's team was usually nearest the coche when the time-up bell rang !  At the end of the scheduled play, no teams had won all four of their games and only one team had three wins. Kevin amd Malcolm, both of whose names already appear on the cup during the last two years, this time emerged together as Pairs Champions for 2007 with three wins and one tied game. Peter and Richard claimed the runners-up spot with John and Ann taking bronze.

Being club chairman, the recently crowned E.P.A pairs "Champion of Champions" Peter presented the "Munro Cup" and individual trophies to the winning team along with celebratory bottles of variable vintage for those running close behind. The end of the season event was enjoyed by all and thanks must go once again to Peter and Mike for organising and running the event, with special thanks to all the pub staff for putting on a well received buffet.

Team A - Peter & Richard...v....H 08-09; F 12-03; D 13-04; B 09-09

Team B - John & Ann........v....G 13-04; E 09-08; C 06-13; A 09-09

Team C - Kevin & Malcolm...v....F 13-04; D 13-03; B 13-06; H 08-08

Team D - Chris & Ian.......v....E 02-13; C 03-13; A 04-13; G 10-08

Team E - Will & Dennis.....v....D 13-02; B 08-09; H 07-11; F 12-04

Team F - Rob & Dave........v....C 04-13; A 03-12; G 13-02; E 04-12

Team G - Diane & Simon.....v....B 04-13; H 11-06; F 02-13; D 08-10

Team H - Keith & Mike......v....A 09-08; G 06-11; E 11-07; C 08-08

Final League Tables 2007