Coors Cup and Bass Shield
The Coors Cup and Bass Shield is an East Midlands Golf Croquet level-play tournament, sponsored by Molson Coors Brewing Company. It is an inter-club tournament organised by Ashby Croquet Club on behalf of the Federation of East Midlands Croquet Clubs (FEMCC), and is open to all East Midlands players, with a maximum of six teams of three competing. We used to play it as a pre-season event on outdoor astroturf pitches at Shobnall Leisure Complex in Burton, but in recent years (2011 onwards) it has become a spring event on our lawns at Moira.
The tournament consists of a number of rounds of singles level-play 13-point Golf Croquet games, usually played to a time limit of 35 minutes. Each player plays a minimum of six games.
It comprises two competitions played concurrently:
● Bass Shield: Awarded to the winning team of the tournament. Teams consist of three players.
● Coors Cup: Awarded to the best individual player on the day.
COORS CUP Previous winners:
2005 Barrie March (Ashby)
2006 Mick Seagrave (Southwell)
2007 Christine Mounfield (Ashby)
2008 Arthur Rowe (Ashby)
2009 Tim King (Ashby)
2010 Arthur Rowe (Ashby)
2011 Ray Mounfield (Ashby)
2012 Christine Mounfield (Ashby)
2013 Mike O’Brian (Ashby)
2014 David Bell (Leicester)
2015 Mike O’Brian (Ashby)
2016 David Bell (Leicester)
2017 Chris Jackson (Long Eaton)
2018 Peter Reed (Sheffield U3A)
2019 Martin Wroughton (Ashby)
2020 Cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic
2021 Paul Williams (Leicester)
2022 Mike O’Brian (Ashby)
2023 Stephanie White (Long Eaton)
2024 Tim King (Ashby)
BASS SHIELD Previous winners:
2001 Nottingham (played as an AC astroturf team competition)
2002 Ashby (played as an AC astroturf team competition)
2003 Ashby
2004 Ashby
2005 Ashby
2006 Southwell
2007 Ashby
2008 Southwell
2009 Sapcote
2010 Ashby
2011 Ashby
2012 Ashby
2013 Leicester
2014 Leicester
2015 Leicester
2016 Leicester
2017 Ashby
2018 Sheffield U3A
2019 Ashby
2020 Cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic
2021 Leicester
2022 Ashby
2023 Long Eaton
2024 Ashby
2024 REPORT
Sat 11th May, Moira Manager/reporter: Ray
This year’s competition was blessed by ideal croquet weather, sunshine throughout the day. Everything went well and it was very enjoyable.
All of the teams had played in, and had some members with previous experience of, the competition, so were familiar with the format. Block A consisted of Darley Dale, Gainsborough and Ashby, with Leicester, Derby and Long Eaton in Block B.
The block winners were Ashby (10 wins) and Long Eaton (9 wins). The final between these two teams saw Ashby, with 4 wins out of 6, emerge as winners of the Bass Shield, with Long Eaton as runners-up. Gainsborough finished third in the team event with Leicester fourth.
Tim King (Ashby) won all six of his games, so was outright winner of the Coors Cup. Runners-up were Alison Murray (Leicester) and Chris Jackson (Long Eaton), each with 5 wins.
Team members:
Block A
Darley Dale: Colin Turnbull, Louis McMeeken, Margaret Marshall
Gainsborough: Pamela Dawson, Tony Fisher, Mike Hemstock
Ashby: Tim King, Martin Wroughton, John Picken
Block B
Leicester: Mark Baverstock, Gillian Baverstock, Alison Murray
Derby: Mick Haytack, Frank Webster, Kate Ibbitson
Long Eaton: Stephanie White, Chris Jackson, Joan Skuse
2023 REPORT
Sat 13th May, Moira
LONG EATON WIN THE BASS SHIELD FOR THE FIRST TIME
Ashby croquet players were among six teams from across the East Midlands competing in the annual Coors Cup and Bass Shield competition at Moira.
In the first four rounds the Ashby team of Mick Haytack, Lesley Leitch and Richard Sanville won six of their 12 singles games to finish in second place in their block. Long Eaton dominated with nine wins and one draw, whilst Darley Dale scored two wins and one draw.
The other block was much closer, with Leicester finishing on six wins and two draws, followed by Gainsborough with five wins and two draws, and Southwell on five wins.
After an overcast morning, the sun broke through to provide much faster lawn conditions for afternoon play. The winning teams from each block contested a closely-fought Bass Shield final, which finished Long Eaton 4 Leicester 2, giving the Derbyshire side their first victory in this competition which dates back to 2001. Well done to the Long Eaton team of Chris Jackson, Stephanie White (who is also a member of Ashby!) and Joan Skuse.
Meanwhile, Ashby won the third-place decider by triumphing 5-1 against Gainsborough. Darley Dale finished 5th with a 4-2 win against Southwell.
In the concurrent Coors Cup individual tournament, Stephanie White (Long Eaton) was the clear winner with six wins from six games during the day, closely followed by runner-up Ian Buckley (Leicester, 5 wins and 1 draw) and in third place Mick Haytack (Ashby, 5 wins).
Many thanks to Ray for managing the tournament.
2022 REPORT
Sat 21st May, Moira
ASHBY TEAMS BATTLE OUT TENSE FINAL
Ashby players won the Coors Cup individual and Bass Shield team competitions in dramatic style, both events being decided by hoop shoot-outs.
Ashby ‘B’ (Lesley, Eileen and Jenny) were the winners of the other block with eight wins, while Southwell and holders Leicester finished on five wins apiece.
After some hard-fought individual games, the Bass Shield final between the two Ashby teams finished in a 3-3 draw, meaning that a ten-yard hoop shoot-out was needed to decide the outcome, which Ashby ‘A’ eventually won 2-0 after many missed shots.
The concurrent Coors Cup individual competition was an equally close contest, with three players having won all six of their games over the course of the day: Mike O’Brian (Ashby A), Lesley Leitch (Ashby B) and Andy Sherwood (Long Eaton). Another shoot-out was therefore needed, which Mike won 2-0-0 to claim the Coors Cup.
This was the first time in three years that the annual event was back in its usual May slot, after a Covid-enforced cancellation in 2020 and a postponement last year to the tail-end of the season. Tournament manager Ray Mounfield commented “We were treated to some fine croquet, and the number of players involved in the shoot-outs was unprecedented!”
2021 REPORT
Sat 4th Sept, Moira Manager and reporter: Ray
LEICESTER WIN THE COORS CUP AND BASS SHIELD
With the 2020 event having to be cancelled because of Covid, it had been hoped to run the 2021 tournament in May … but Covid restrictions again intervened and it was rearranged for 4th September. It seemed possible that the six teams entered for the 2020 event would be competing but both Bakewell and Torksey had problems raising teams and withdrew at short notice.
The manager decided to go ahead with the four remaining teams and to run the tournament as a KO with each team being randomly allocated to a “Semi-final”.
In the morning the matches involved the three players from each team playing each of the three opposition players in a 13 point game, with a 45 minute time allowance. Leicester and Ashby were evenly matched, and the result was finally decided in the ninth game when Martin Wroughton unluckily peeled Chris Lawman’s ball through the 13th hoop. The other semi-final saw Long Eaton beating Darley Dale 8-1.
The final, played in the afternoon, followed a similar format and was very closely contested with Leicester emerging 5-4 winners over Long Eaton and taking home the Bass Shield. In the 3rd/4th play off Ashby beat Darley Dale 8-1.
The Coors Cup individual trophy, awarded to the player with the best overall record, went to Leicester’s Paul Williams, who won all six of his games. Runners-up were Stephanie White and Christine Mounfield, each with 5 wins. All games were completed within the 45 minutes allowed.
Team members:
Long Eaton: Chris Jackson, Joan Skuse, Stephanie White
Ashby: Martin Wroughton, Christine Mounfield, Richard Sanville
Leicester: Richard Whiting, Paul Williams, Chris Lawman
Darley Dale: Colin Turnbull, Margaret Marshall, Louis McMeeken
2020 EVENT CANCELLED
Coors Cup/Bass Shield 2020: cancelled
Unfortunately, due to the current Covid-19 restrictions on the numbers able to compete in competitions, the Coors/Bass tournament is not viable this year, so we have reluctantly taken the decision to cancel the 2020 event. Entries for 2020 will be carried forward to 2021, unless teams opt to have their entry fee refunded.
Posted 21/07/20
Coors Cup/Bass Shield 2020: postponed
Due to the coronavirus restrictions, we have unfortunately had to postpone the 2020 Coors Cup/Bass Shield tournament which was due to have taken place on Saturday 16th May. This will be re-arranged for later in the season if circumstances permit, or if not then the event will be cancelled for this year. We will hang on to the participant clubs’ entry payments for the time being and carry these forward for the re-arranged event whether it be later this year or next year. Any club unable to take part in the re-arranged tournament will of course get a full refund.
Posted 22/03/20
Coors Cup/Bass Shield 2020: now fully booked
We have had an overwhelming response to next year’s Coors Cup/Bass Shield tournament on Saturday 16th May – all six team places have been booked within days of the details being sent to East Midlands clubs. The six clubs competing will be Darley Dale, Long Eaton, Bakewell, Ashby, Torksey, and Leicester. Any further entries will go on to a reserve list.
Posted 26/10/19
2019 REPORT
Saturday 18th May, Moira Report by Ray
The Ashby team won both the Coors Cup and Bass Shield, contested by six East Midlands teams.
All of the teams had previous experience in the competition so were fully familiar with the format. Block A consisted of Sheffield U3A, Long Eaton and Ashby, whilst Leicester, Darley Dale and Bakewell were Block B.
All of the teams had previous experience in the competition so were fully familiar with the format. Block A consisted of Sheffield U3A, Long Eaton and Ashby, whilst Leicester, Darley Dale and Bakewell were Block B.
The block winners were Ashby (9 wins, 2 draws) and Leicester (9 wins and 1 draw). The head to head between these two teams saw Ashby, with 5 wins out of 6, emerge as convincing winners of the Bass Shield, with Leicester finishing as runners-up. Last year’s winners, Sheffield U3A finished third in the team event with Bakewell fourth.
The Ashby players also took the first three places in the individual rankings, with Martin Wroughton, unbeaten, taking the Coors Cup with 5 wins and a draw. Runner-up was Mike O’Brian with 5 wins, then Christine Mounfield with 4 wins and a draw.
Team members:
Block A :
Sheffield: Steve Marsh, David Bills, Pete Reed
Long Eaton: Chris Jackson, Joan Skuse, Nigel Hames-Keward
Ashby: Mike O’Brian, Martin Wroughton, Christine Mounfield
Block B:
Leicester: Alison Murray, Mark Buckley, David Bell
Darley Dale: Colin Turnbull, Margaret Marshall, Richard Sanville (guest player)
Bakewell: Jean Peters, Tim Spray, Alan Reeves
