5§ • Pertinent News for the Discerning Wizard • Thursday . 9 November 1999
PRIDE PERSONNEL SWAPS: MACFARLANE, PARKINSON JOIN PRIDE FOR CLASSIC
By: Margaret Urquhart
The Pride of Portree announced a major shakeup in its starting lineup for the Fall Classic this weekend yesterday evening, with an old favourite and a new foreign import taking places against Montrose. Fan favourite Lorna MacFarlane, who served as Captain for four years and led the Scottish World Cup team to a second-place finish in 1990, is returning to lead the team while Captain Oighrig MacDonald is on medical leave to recover from injuries sustained earlier in the season. And newcomer Peregrine "Pip" Parkinson, led Canada's Moosejaw Meteorites to victory in the American League Championship last year.
Graham Urquhart, owner of the Pride of Portree, spoke exclusively to the Prophet about the new players, saying "We have an exciting lineup with these changes and we hope everyone is looking forward to the Fall Classic as much as the Pride of Portree." This year is a rebuilding year with a mix of veterans and newcomers, and Urquhart hopes MacFarlane's leadership will bring the team to victory both in the Classic and in the Neep this spring.
Changes in the seeker position for the Pride have been expected for some time as Elliot MacAuley was benched early in the season. Madeline Savage, the team's reserve Seeker, has been starting in recent matches. And while there has been a great deal of speculation about how the team would handle MacDonald's injury, the news about MacFarlane's return was a surprise to most commentators.
There was no word from MacAuley about her release at press time. Cameron declined to speak directly to the Prophet other than to say that she had quit the Pride as announced in their press release.
For more on this and other quidditch stories, keep reading the Daily Prophet.