What
a year we have had!
Last December Manchester Roller Derby
were settling into our new training venue, Sporting Edge, and
embarking on a new chapter for MRD as a league.
17th December 2011 brought a
winter home game, Mistletoe and Grime, which was the CheckerBroads
first double header alongside our men's team New Wheeled Order. The
Broads took on Croydon Roller Derby in what we knew would be a tough
game. The visitors won 163 to 126 in a fast paced bout.
In Jan 2012 we traveled to play a
return game against Hot Wheel Roller Derby in Halifax. The
CheckerBroads had a comfortable win at the previous bout, but we
underestimated how much the hotties had improved since then. Final
score: CB 91 – 189 HW.
We needed a win. We had lost our last
four games and we were facing a return game against CCR’s Slay
Belles. The last game was lost by a mere 19 points. We traveled with
our fans to Birmingham full of positivity and a coach load of
tactics. We skated hard and fast and won 135 to123!
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| Photo by Shirlaine Forrest |
Two weeks later we went to play our
friends the Liverpool Roller Birds. This was a strange game as we
often scrimmage together, but we we’re all excited to play for real
on the track. Final score: LRB 173 – 211 CB. It was the first time
we had broken 200 points! It was a great game to play and we didn’t
want the final whistle to go.
Then came Dundee Roller Girls in April.
We beat them by 99 points last March and this time they traveled the
distance to visit us. They turned things around and came out top: CB
129 – 202 DRG. The blow was softened by an amazing after party.
June brought us our next home game, a
return bout against the mighty Severn Roller Torrent. We had a huge
score to settle and we’re desperate for a home win…and we got it!
Final score: SRT 84 - 203 CB.
In July we traveled across to
Newcastle to play our return game against Newcastle Roller Girls.
Last time we played the B-team and won by 7 points but the return
game was against NRG's A-Team. We knew it was going to be tough. We
went in cool, calm and waltzing...yes, waltzing was our skate out.
Something did the trick as the final score was NRG 156 – 172 CB.
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| Photo by Shirlaine Forrest |
The fun continued in July when we were
invited to the third Great Yorkshire Showdown. We were drawn against
Sheffield Steel Roller
Girls B-team the Crucibelles, and Hot Wheel Roller Derby. Final scores:
MRD
48 - 95 HW and SSRG
56 - 75 MRD. It
was a mighty day and we love LRD for putting on such a great event.
We are ready for the next one!
In October MRD went international. We
were invited to play the Amsterdam Derby Dames and sent a mixed A and
B team to embark on our first European bout. We stormed our way to a
win, ADD 131 – 201 MRD, and became international athletes.
November 17th saw the
biggest home event MRD had ever hosted. Our very own New Wheeled
Order took on the formidable New York Shock Exchange, and we had our
return game against the Impostors. Not to be out-shined by the boys,
we opened the day with a big win: IRG 64 – 183 CB.
The last bout of 2012 brought 40 or so
very bleary eyed rollergirls, refs and derby friends to Manchester
Airport early on a Saturday morning for a bout in Dublin. Our
wonderful B-team The Furies were played against Dublin's B-team, and
the Broads brought our return game to Dublin's A-Team. This game was
a challenge but we were able to narrow the point deficit from the
last bout. Final score CB 93 – 164 Dublin. We traveled there and
back in one day, and didn’t even time for a pint of Guinness!
This year has been a busy one. We have
trained hard, learned from each other and the amazing teams we have
played. We have sadly seen some of our best players go, but we have
filled our team with some amazing new talent. We are all massively
proud of how the CheckerBroads have grown as a team, we are
definitely a strong force to behold!
The CheckerBroads are very excited to
see what 2013 will bring and they hope to see YOU on the track!
HAPPY PACK!
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| Photo by Craig Richmond |
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