5§ • Pertinent News for the Discerning Wizard • Tuesday . 24 October 1999
MONTH OF MONDAYS: MAGPIES BEAT BATS IN EIGHT-HOUR EXTRAVAGANZA
By: Margaret Urquhart
Monday's match between Montrose and Ballycastle was a grudge match between the most successful team in league history and the defending champions. The titanic teams struggled for seven hours and fifty-six minutes before Montrose's seeker clinched a solid victory of 380 to 110.
The match was long and weary with sunset falling a bit more than halfway through. The darkness is thought to have been a factor in Montrose Beater George Peppard's injury about five hours in. After his removal from the field with a suspected concussion from a bludger hit, his partner Elektra Yaxley proved herself the match's MVP with a solid performance on both offence and defence.
The pressure showed on Bats Captain Luke Kelly, who was well matched by Montrose Seeker Lennox Campbell. Kelly was clearly off his game as witnessed by two fouls and his loss of the Snitch to Campbell. Kelly's teammates sorely missed his leadership. Overall, despite the loss of their Beater, Montrose was clearly dominant through the length of the match and this showed in the points total.
In a surprise at the post-match press conference, Jason King, the Montrose Chaser, addressed the controversial BIL motion to quash the 1997-1998 season. He spoke movingly about team solidarity despite the war and the breadth of interests and politics that compose the Montrose camp. He closed with a plea for transparency on the motion, saying "We deserve dialogue. If not, I think you're going to see us driven to action."
For more Quidditch coverage, including that of next week's BIL quarterly meeting, read the Prophet every day!